Moses Returns to Egypt

Introduction

Today is week 5 of our series in the book of Exodus. Last week Tamille walked you through a series of events between God and Moses.

God is asking Moses to return to Egypt to save his people from slavery, but Moses doesn’t think he is the right man for the job.

God shows Moses his power by performing miraculous signs, yet Moses still argues with God, so a concession is made, God will include Aaron Moses’ brother to speak on his behalf.

God was frustrated with Moses, and Moses was scared. Like most of us are when God asks us to do something we think is impossible.

Today, we are going to pick up the story where you left off last week.

This story has a strange twist to it, I choose to teach on it because I feel it’s a significant part of the narrative that often gets overlooked.

The Preparation (vs. 18-20)

Exodus 4:18–20 NLT

So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt,” Moses said. “I don’t even know if they are still alive.” “Go in peace,” Jethro replied. Before Moses left Midian, the Lord said to him, “Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.” So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God.

Moses says good-bye to his father-in-law

Moses excepts Gods call and leaves for Egypt, but he doesn’t tell his father-in-law the whole story.

God tells Moses the coast is clear, those who wanted you dead are already gone. This makes you wonder of Moses was still struggling with Gods call on his life.

The Plan (vs. 21-23)

Exodus 4:21–23 NLT

And the Lord told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son. I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’ ”

God will help the hand of Moses in performing Miracles, but he will harden the heart of Pharaoh.

This is foresight into what is going to come. To what Moses is being called to do. It won’t be easy. but God will guide your hand!

God promises to be present with us always, He calls us and will guide us through what He has called us to. It is our fear that hold us back.

We will hear many more times about God hardening the heart of Pharaoh. We will deal with this in a later sermon.

Notice God gives foresight of death because of the lack of trusting God. Faith and obedience lead to life, but mistrust in God leads to death. We are going to see this theme saturated throughout the Old Testament.

The Mistake (vs. 24-26)

Exodus 4:24–26 NLT

On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the Lord left him alone.

Moses carelessly neglected, or perhaps even refused, to circumcise his firstborn son, Gershom.

God gets Angry.

The text doesn’t tell us who God is confronting or going to kill. It could be Moses, or his son. Ether way the issues is the son and possible Moses are outside of God’s covenant, because they are not circumcised.

This takes us back to Genesis and the sign of God’s covenant.

Covenant - unbreakable vows made to another (for better or worse) e.g. Marriage covenant.

A symbol of this covenant (marriage) is rings.

In todays world we don’t take covenants very serious, but to God they are very serious. Life or death kind of serious.

Genesis 17:9–11 NLT

Then God said to Abraham, “Your responsibility is to obey the terms of the covenant. You and all your descendants have this continual responsibility. This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between me and you.

2. Circumcision is the physical sign of the covenant promise.

a. Moses might not have been circumcised because he was raised Egyptian, and he had not circumcised his oldest son Gershom.

b. They were outside of God’s covenant, outside of the covenant represents death and judgment.

c. But inside of the covenant means forgiveness and life.

3. Zipporah Acts!

a. Zipporah the daughter of a Midian priest knows exactly what is going on. She jumps in and circumcises Gershom and also takes the foreskin and touches Moses. This gives us a picture of both coming under God’s covenant.

We are covenant people, but the symbol or sign of the covenant changes in the New Testament under Christ.

Colossians 2:11–12 NLT

When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature. For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

The Covenant we make with God and God makes with us.

a. The covenant symbol is Baptism, where we declare to God and witnesses that we are in, we are making a covenant to seek the will of God.

b. The mark or evidence that you are living under this covenant.

a. Does your heart desire to know and follow Jesus. Do you trust Him?

b. Do you crave His word and follow His ways?

c. If these things are present along with the covenant symbol of baptism, then you have nothing to worry about. God isn’t asking you to be perfect, he is asking you to seek Him.

Let’s come back to this in a few minuets, as we finish the rest of the text.

The Meeting (vs. 27-31)

Exodus 4:27–31 NLT

Now the Lord had said to Aaron, “Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him. Moses then told Aaron everything the Lord had commanded him to say. And he told him about the miraculous signs the Lord had commanded him to perform. Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. Aaron told them everything the Lord had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. Then the people of Israel were convinced that the Lord had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

Moses meets with his brother (vs. 27-28)

Moses meets with Aaron and shares the call from God with him.

Moses and Aaron meet with the elders of Israel (vs. 29-31)

The elders hear the message from Aaron and see the miracles by Moses and believe them, causing them to worship!

So many people say they will believe once they see a miracle, but God calls us to trust in Him, miracle or no miracle. The Gospel message is our miracle!

The Big Idea

Big Idea : When you are living a covenant life with God, you will experience forgiveness and be given life to the fullest. If you are outside of God’s covenant it leads to death and judgment. Through Christ all people are offered God’s covenant of grace. To receive this grace you must believe that Jesus is the son of God, and through His death He ushered in life for those who follow Him.

Closing

Two Questions

Are you inside the covenant where there is forgiveness and life, or are you living outside where there is judgment and death.

Remember the evidence of this is your hearts desire to serve Jesus and live by his scriptures, or your heart desires the worlds ways and you only attend church to clear your conscience or be social.

If you are living inside God’s covenant, is there something within your life that is causing you to struggle to respond to God’s call on your life?

Go calls each of us to serve and use our gifting for His glory.