Greater Than Moses

Good evening! Lets get a running start here into our study. This is the 5th week of our greater than series. We looked at Adam and Eve and sin entering the world, Noah and His family being Gods vessel for continuing mankind after God was going to wipe every living being out. Abraham and Isaac and the picture of how God was going to sacrifice His only son. And last week we got to look into the life of Joseph. He was an incredible picture of Jesus in so many different ways. After these things all took place in his story his family moved into the land of Egypt with Joseph. They will stay in this land as farmers for generations. But once Joseph dies and he is eventually forgotten about, some problems arise. Eventually a Pharaoh rose to power who did not know Joseph and he saw the Israelites as a big threat to the people of Egypt because of how great in number they were. So for about 400 years they would be oppressed in this land. And eventually it got to a point where a command came to kill every male child who was born to the Hebrews. This is where our story begins tonight. If you have your Bibles turn with me to Acts 7 we will be starting in verse 20.

This passage is from Stephen, who is on trial here and he delivers this sermon and history lesson. This is the longest sermon in the book of Acts and would end with Stephen being Martyred.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

20 At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, 21 and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

So we get introduced to a baby named Moses. Now I am sure most of you are familiar with this mans story so we arent going to get into this too much. But he was saved by being put in a basket on the side of the river before the daughter of Pharaoh finds him and raises him. In fact the daughter of Pharaoh will pay Moses’s mom to take care of Moses until he is old enough to be without her. So from the very beginning of his life God has been working in and for Moses. In fact Moses seems to recognize that he had a special calling on his life. But here is where he rushes things. He doesn’t wait for Gods timing and plan, he decides to take things into his own hands.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

23 “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.

I have a question. Would God ever call us to do something that directly goes against His law? Absolutely not. God would never call us to murder someone. God would never call us to sin. We sin when we take things in our own hands and choose our way over Gods way. And God allows it to teach us something. But He is never going to call us to sin or force us to sin. So Moses was not called to do this act. In fact because of this decision we are about to see the consequence of it. Verse 29

English Standard Version Chapter 7

29 At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

Moses flees. He gets out of town as fast as he can. Pharaoh hears what happened and is angry so Moses has to save himself. Good does come out of this though. He will be a shepherd and learn a ton. He is also given a family. A wife and 2 sons.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

30 “Now when forty years had passed,

40 years go by. This man is now 80 years old. His mistake of murdering someone has lead Moses to having to wait an extra 40 years to be used by God. This would have been incredibly humbling to him. He went from being a rising star and future pharaoh to a humble shepherd. And it takes 40 years of God teaching this man in order to get him ready. But now that he is ready…

English Standard Version Chapter 7

30b an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in a flame of fire in a bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and as he drew near to look, there came the voice of the Lord: 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ And Moses trembled and did not dare to look. 33 Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off the sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’

There is something that this passage doesnt include that Moses himself tells us in Exodus 3. Mainly that Moses doesnt think he can do this. So he questions God over and over and tells God that He needs to find someone else. And at one point Moses was like well who do I say sent me if they wont listen to me? Look at this verse.

English Standard Version Chapter 3

14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’

This is an incredible statement. Only God could say something like this. The Hebrew translates to Exists as Exists. If someone walks up to you and asks your name you have a first and a last name to identify yourself. Sometimes even multiple names in the middle. If you said oh me? I exist. Or I am who I am. It wouldnt make sense. Only God can say something like this. Jesus will use this name for Himself during His earthy ministry. But finally Moses agrees to go back to Egypt but He brings Aaron his brother with him. We will see Aaron will cause more problems than he solves. All because Moses continually rejects Gods calling and doesnt fully trust God to use him.

So God uses Moses who was rejected by God’s people before. Now he is sent by God as a ruler and redeemer. He will lead the people out of Egypt. But that will be a struggle. Pharaoh will repeatedly refuse to hear Gods words and it will take 10 plagues to get to a place where he finally gives in. I want to focus on that 10th plague for a bit. Look with me at Exodus 12:1-13

Exodus 12 ESV

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you. Tell all the congregation of Israel that on the tenth day of this month every man shall take a lamb according to their fathers’ houses, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his nearest neighbor shall take according to the number of persons; according to what each can eat you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats, and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill their lambs at twilight. “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. They shall eat the flesh that night, roasted on the fire; with unleavened bread and bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted, its head with its legs and its inner parts. And you shall let none of it remain until the morning; anything that remains until the morning you shall burn. In this manner you shall eat it: with your belt fastened, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am the Lord. The blood shall be a sign for you, on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.

So before we saw the concept of sacrificing to God in order for atonement. But this will be the start of an actual sacrificial system. Egypt is a picture of sin in the old testament. When we live apart from God we are slaves to sin just like the Israelites are slaves to sin here. There is only one way out. And that is for a deliverer. God uses Moses in that role here. But the people still had a part to play. In this case they had to take spotless lamb. They had to let it live in their house. This lamb would become like a pet. Like part of the family. So that it would mean something to them. And finally they will have to take this lamb. Kill it. Puts its blood on the doorposts, eat it, and what they dont eat they will burn. ANd if they do this their first borns would live. They will do this and Pharaoh would send the Israelites out of Egypt as quickly as he can. The people are given gold and jewelry on their way out. And they are set free. God will use moses first as a deliverer, and after they are delivered from this he will use Moses as a leader and mediator.

Moses represents the coming Christ in a few different ways. Lets break some of them down. Firstly Moses was the savior of God’s people. Egypt in the old testament was often a picture of sin. The Israelites were in bondage to their captures, just like we were bondage to our sin and flesh until Jesus came and delivered us. God called Moses and used him in mighty ways as we saw. The second way Moses was a picture of Jesus came after the people were delivered. And that is Moses as an intercessor. He stood between God’s people and God. God would speak to Moses and Moses would deliver that message to the people. Jesus likewise had a message that he came here to deliver. The source of salvation. Lets turn to Acts again as we begin wrapping this up.

English Standard Version Chapter 7

35 “This Moses, whom they rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years. 37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’ 38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. He received living oracles to give to us. 39 Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and in their hearts they turned to Egypt, 40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ 41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and were rejoicing in the works of their hands. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to worship

So Moses would now in verse 37 predict that someone like Moses was going to come. That He is the one that was on the mountain giving the law. And He was going to come as a rescuer and would become a mediator. But look it say but our fathers refused to obey Him. Time and time again the nation of Israel will turn their backs on God by turning against Moses. Over and over they will reject God to pursue what they wanted. And finally God turned away and gave them over to worship. But even with this we see a cool promise. In Numbers 21 the people turn against Moses and God once again and call the food God is providing from Heaven worthless. God sends fiery serpents to bite the people as punishment. The people come to Moses and acknowledge their sin. So Moses prays and this is what God does.

English Standard Version Chapter 21

8 And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent and set it on a pole, and everyone who is bitten, when he sees it, shall live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. And if a serpent bit anyone, he would look at the bronze serpent and live.

And even in this was a picture of the ultimate deliverance. Not from temporary earthly problems. But look at John 3:14-16

John 3:14–16 ESV

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

So now Lets end with our Christ connection and application.

Christ Connection

Moses was chosen by God to save God’s people from slavery in Egypt. Jesus would come to save God’s people from slavery to sin.

Moses acted as a mediator. Standing and interceding on mans behalf to a Holy God. Jesus is our mediator. Standing between us and God so that God sees Jesus instead of our sin.

Moses was the great high priest. According to Hebrews Jesus is now our great high priest.

Moses prophesied that there would be someone like himself coming. Jesus was that person. The perfect fulfillment of everything Moses was.

Moses was faithful as a servant. At one point he would even offer to sacrifice himself in order to save God’s people. Moses was not perfect so he couldnt fulfill that. Jesus was able to fulfill what Moses couldn’t, and sacrifice Himself for God’s people.

Application

So how do we apply this to our lives? For the unbeliever it is as simple as this. You need the blood of Jesus to cover you. You cannot stand up in front of God on the day of judgement without doing so. You need Jesus to be your mediator. Romans 10:9-10

Romans 10:9–10 ESV

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

The time is now to be saved. All it takes is confession and belief.

For the Believer. The author of Hebrews says it best. Hold fast to Him. Be careful lest you drift. We hold fast to Him by clinging to His word and being intentional in our relationship with Him. Use the tools He has given you to access the freedom that God has already given you through Jesus. And some encouragement. Dead men cant wrestle. You wrestling with your sin is proof that you are born again. Keep fighting the good fight as Paul tells us. Run this race with endurance.