20250202 Exodus 4 The God Who Calls, Equips, and Strengthens

Welcome to Vertical Church

Acts 2:42 (LSB)

And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to the prayers.

As a church we seek to uphold the values of the NT church as seen in Acts 2:42 -

We are Trinitarian - while God is one in essence, He is three in person: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit

We believe in the sovereignty of God - sovereign over all creation, sovereign over the affairs of men, sovereign over salvation

We believe that the Church is not a building or a denomination but a people - those who are truly in Christ and embrace the truths that were embraced and confessed by the New Testament Church, the apostolic church. molly

We believe in the authority of the Bible - Scripture alone is the Word of God, We are a bible teaching church

We are evangelical - we believe that we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.

We are a Vertical Church - we believe that all true worship and living is Vertical, God directed and for the glory of God alone.

Scripture Alone, Grace Alone, Faith Alone, Christ Alone, For the glory of God alone - join us on Sundays

This month we are taking a moment to look at verses that support our belief in Scripture Alone

The last few weeks we have read read 2 Timothy 3:16 and Psalm 19 and Jeremiah 23:28-29 -

This week our verse is Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4 LSB

4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

The Scots Confession. It was written in 1560. And you’ll know the name of at least one of the authors. If you need a clue to guess his name, here’s an unusual one. There were six authors, and they all had the Christian name John: John Winram, John Spottiswood, John Willock, John Douglas, John Row, and John Knox. For essentially, this confession was a kind of guiding light to Scottish Christians, pointing them to Christ and the faith once delivered to the saints.

And in the introduction to it—this is what struck me—Knox and his friends wrote that if anyone found anything in the confession that was misleading, they should tell them and they would respond to them. Knox wrote—and I’m quoting here— that they would respond “from the mouth of God.” T

hey were talking about the Bible, of course. I remember my instantaneous thought was, “What a tremendous way to describe the Bible—the mouth of God.”

It’s how Jesus described the Bible. You remember when He was tempted? “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” And Jesus Himself was actually quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3. Of course, Paul puts it the same way, but in different words. He tells us that the Scriptures are “God-breathed.” in 2 Tim3 -

Call to Worship - Exodus 4

"Come, let us gather before the God who speaks from the burning bush, the One who calls us to serve even when we feel inadequate." Leader: “"When God calls, even from a burning bush, we are called to respond, even if we feel unprepared. People: “"We come before you, our God, ready to hear your voice and be empowered by your presence."

Scripture Reading - Hebrews 11:23-26

Hebrews 11:23–26 LSB

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 regarding the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward.

Introduction: Exodus 4 The God Who Calls, Equips, and Strengthens

You can take the boy out of the country but can you get the country out of the boy? The Lord has brought Isael out of Egypt

With the Word Bible Commentary Exodus

Exodus means “going out.” The book has three main themes.

Liberation (1–18). This section describes Jehovah’s victory over the gods of Egypt and the deliverance of His people from bondage. The emphasis is on the hand of God. (See 3:20; 7:4–5; 9:3, 15; 13:3, 9, 14, 16.) The Exodus is a picture of the redemption we have through faith in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God (John 1:29; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Pet. 1:18–21).

Separation (19–24). God and Israel entered into covenant relationship at Sinai. God gave them His law that they might be separated from the other nations and devoted wholly to Him. The emphasis is on the holiness of God. While God’s people today are not obligated to obey all these precepts, the basic principles are timeless and apply to holy living today.

Habitation (25–40). God had walked with His people in Genesis, but now He wanted to dwell with them. The emphasis is on the house of God and the priests who ministered there. The book of Hebrews in the New Testament explains how the tabernacle ministry foreshadowed the work of Jesus Christ and His present ministry in heaven as High Priest. Today, God’s people are His temple (1 Cor. 6:19–20; Eph. 2:20–22).

(1) The Reluctance of Moses (4:1-17)

Credentials (1-12)

The birth of Moses, the adoption of Moses, the escape of Moses, the burning bush of Moses, the conversion of Moses

Exodus 4:1–12 LSB

1 Then Moses answered and said, “What if they will not believe me and will not listen to my voice? For they may say, ‘Yahweh has not appeared to you.’” 2 And Yahweh said to him, “What is this in your hand?” And he said, “A staff.” 3 Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 And Yahweh said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail”—so he stretched out his hand and took hold of it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that Yahweh, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 And Yahweh furthermore said to him, “Now put your hand into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom; then he took it out, and behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, “Return your hand into your bosom.” So he returned his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it returned to being like the rest of his flesh. 8 “And so it will be, if they will not believe you or listen to the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of this last sign. 9 “But if it will be that they will not believe even these two signs and that they will not listen to your voice, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry land; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry land.” 10 Then Moses said to Yahweh, “Please, Lord, I have never been a man of words, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your slave; for I am one with a hard mouth and a hard tongue.” 11 And Yahweh said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh? 12 “So now, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and will instruct you what you shall speak.”

The credentials - set apart, saved from death, born again but filled with doubt and uncertainty

What if v1

They will not believe me? v1

They will not listen to my voice? v1

They say, Yahweh has not appeared to you v1

The staff, the hand, the water v2-9

I am not a man of words 10

Exodus 4:11 LSB

11 And Yahweh said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, Yahweh?

The sovereignty of God - death mute blind

The power of God over creation, over nature, human health,

The power and sovereignty of God over circumstances through His presence

Exodus 4:12 LSB

12 “So now, go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth and will instruct you what you shall speak.”

What the Lord requires, the Lord enables

Companion (13-17)

Exodus 4:13–17 LSB

13 But he said, “Please, Lord, send now the message by whomever You will.” 14 Then the anger of Yahweh burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he can certainly speak. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you. And he will see you and be glad in his heart. 15 “And you are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will instruct you in what you shall do. 16 “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will become as a mouth for you, and you will become as God to him. 17 “And you shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”

Companion - God is with Moses and so is Aaron

v13 - send someone else

The Lord brings Aaron to help until Moses matures

There are times when a future leader needs a mentoring leader

(2) The Return of Moses (4:18-31)

Commission (18-23)

Exodus 4:18–23 (LSB)

18 Then Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, “Please, let me go, that I may return to my brothers who are in Egypt and see if they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.” 19 And Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.” 20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the staff of God in his hand. 21 And Yahweh said to Moses, “When you go to return to Egypt, see to it that all the miraculous wonders which I have put in your hand, that you do them before Pharaoh; but as for Me, I will harden his heart with strength so that he will not let the people go. 22 “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says Yahweh, “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 “So I said to you, ‘Let My son go that he may serve Me’; but you have refused to let him go. Behold, I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”

40 years later. He left a murderer, living in his own strength. Now he returns a humble shepherd, but with strength of the Lord

v19 - go, all the men are dead

v21 - do all the signs, pharaoh’s heart has been hardened to refuse you

Israel, the firstborn son, “Out of Egypt I called my son”

I will kill the firstborn

The hardness of the mission because of the hardness of the human heart

Chastening (24-26)

Exodus 4:24–26 LSB

24 Now it happened at the lodging place on the way that Yahweh encountered him and sought to put him to death. 25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and touched his feet with it, and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me!” 26 So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood” with reference to the circumcision.

Moses must be obedient and be faithful to the covenant Gen 17:10 - Moses did not dedicate his children to the Lord. Joseph and Mary - circumcision and at the temple. Jesus’ baptism - to obey all righteousness We belong to the Lord

Conviction (27-31)

Exodus 4:27–31 LSB

27 Then Yahweh said to Aaron, “Go to meet Moses in the wilderness.” So he went and encountered him at the mountain of God and kissed him. 28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of Yahweh with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do. 29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the sons of Israel; 30 and Aaron spoke all the words which Yahweh had spoken to Moses. He then did the signs in the sight of the people. 31 So the people believed; and they heard that Yahweh cared about the sons of Israel and that He had seen their affliction. So they bowed low and worshiped.

Aaron spoke all the words v30

Moses did the signs

The people believed - they heard that Yahweh cared and had seen

Moses need to learn to trust and obey

Israel needed to learn that the Lord cared and and seen their affliction

Where do you fit in?

God keeps His promises, no matter how you feel or how people respond.

Now a dying Savior’s love,

a risen Savior’s joy, an

ascended Savior’s power, and

a returning Savior’s hope, rest

upon your hearts and your homes.

Amen.

1 Corinthians 11:23–26 LSB

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was being betrayed took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the death of the Lord until He comes.