Exodus: Preparation

Introduction:

Overview of the last two weeks.

God’s redemptive plan always starts with children.

– God is going to prepare his servants to be totally dependent on him. The first characteristics that are needed is humility and dependence on him. God is also working in the lives of the people to cause them to cry out.

We are image bearers of God and are his chosen way to reveal himself to the world.

God purposefully chooses the most helpless forms, babies, to begin his work.

This shows us that the only qualification that we bring to the table is simply being alive.

God does this to show His power. God never uses our power and abilities to accomplish his work.

God’s plans require that parents fulfill their call to protect and teach their children.

We looked at the setting in which Moses was born and how God used his mother to protect Moses.

We saw how God even brought Moses back into his mothers home so she could care for him and teach him about who he was and who God was before he had to go back to Pharaoh's daughter.

We talked about how parents are God’s primary plan for teaching their children about who God is and who they are, as image bearers of God.

Parenting is not a biological response to a biological function. It is a spiritual response to a Holy God who makes us in his image.

God has the same call for us as He had for Moses - to set people free from bondage.

We need to see ourselves as Moses and Joshua in this story.

We went back and looked at the history of how the Israelites came to Egypt and became slaves.

We talked about how we, as members of God’s household, have already won all the battles that the enemy tries to fight.

What the enemy intends for our harm, God uses for good.

God gave Moses a passion for his people

God will always accomplish His plan His way.

When we try to do it in our own power it fails and turns people away.

Even when we mess things up, God does whatever is necessary to bring us back.

Today let’s pick up where we left off. Moses is at the well in the land of Midian.

We will be looking at this passage today with two lenses.

1st we will be looking at what God is doing in Moses life and making application to our lives as believers and a body.

2nd we will be looking at these same principles and making application to our roles as parents.

Exodus 2:16–25 ESV

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Exodus 2:16–25 ESV

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.” 23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.

Let’s go back one verse before this passage to set the stage for what we just read.

Exodus 2:15 ESV

15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

Moses is running for his life. The path that is believed that he took from Egypt to Midian is approximately 250 miles.

Now Moses is running for his life so with that in mind it would have taken somewhere between 5-7 days to reach Midian if he was on foot.

That’s moving pretty quickly, which I would be doing if a Pharoah was chasing me.

Follow with me on this thought...

There had not been much time between when killed the Egyptian, in defense of the Hebrew, and when he arrives at the well.

As he is there these women arrive to draw water and some shepherds try to run them off so they can water first.

Moses comes to their defense and drives the shepherds away.

God given passions aren’t deterred by time or expense.

The don’t fade because God is living in us and He doesn’t change.

There is a big difference between something you enjoy and a God given passion.

We need to figure out which is which.

If we don’t, we risk putting our time, energy, and resources into things that ultimately don’t matter and will leave us feeling empty.

all my adventure desires vs ministry - I love to hike, run, camp, and cowboying. However, all of those interest have waxed and waned over the years. My passion for ministry has never varied because the passion for introducing people to God was put there by God. He sustains it by living in me.

I believe this is what we are seeing in Moses as he defends these women.

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This passion for justice has already cost him his position in Egypt (wealth) his home, and his relationships.

Most guys would have given up on the whole hero thing after having to run for their lives.

It is obvious by the way Moses stands up for this ladies that the passion in him is God given.

He can’t escape it. Justice has become a part of who he is.

As we consider the passion that God has placed in our lives we must realize that, just like Moses we must rely on completely on God.

Philippians 2:13 ESV

13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

First time parents, I was once where you are and

We need to ask God to give us a passion for the ministry that He has called us too, especially raising our children.

That may seem like a silly thing to ask for, I mean, I love my child...

wait until its 3am and your nearly three year old is yelling for you to come cover her back up, you go in there and she demands that momma does it.

Trust me, you need the power of the Holy Spirit. lol

Just being a good parent isn’t enough. In order to fulfill our call as parents there must be a God given passion for it. We must rely on the Holy Sprit to give us the strength, patience, and wisdom we are going to need in order to succeed in teaching our kids about who God is and who they are in Him.

As we are Abiding - our desires come in line with his desires.

As a result, we will always get what we want, because it’s also what God wants.

It is God who gives us the passion and the ability to accomplish His purposes in our lives.

The way we maintain that passion and focus is by daily pursuing the Lord.

Our dependence on God reveals His goodness.

We see a distinct difference in the reaction of the priest Reuel and the reaction that the Hebrews had in our text last week.

When we disobey God and try to accomplish things in our own power it repels people.

When we disobey God and try to accomplish things in our own power it repels people.

Last week we saw the results of Moses trying to accomplish God’s work through his own power and authority.

It led to death and the turning away of the very people he was trying to do good things for.

If we, as the church, operate out of our own power and authority we will see the same results.

We have all seen in the biblical text and in our own lives the results of men claiming to be working on God’s behalf, but working under their own agendas.

People are mislead, hurt, and ultimately walk away from the church.

The same principle applies to our parenting. While your children are young you can fool them, so now is the time to learn how to be dependent on God, but as they get older, if you are operating under your own power, they will be able see it a mile away.

When we follow God’s leading and obey what he tells us to do it draws people God.

In our story today, we see the women leave after they have watered, but I believe that was a cultural thing. You didn’t just bring a dude home with you. However, when their father hears of what he has done, the tells them to bring him to their home.

This situation is different than the interaction that Moses has with the Egyptian...

Moses is following the example of one of his forefathers.

Genesis 29:10 ESV

10 Now as soon as Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban his mother’s brother, and the sheep of Laban his mother’s brother, Jacob came near and rolled the stone from the well’s mouth and watered the flock of Laban his mother’s brother.

Don’t miss this! In Moses interaction with the Egyptian, he is being reactionary.

In this interaction with these women, he is recounting what he has been taught about what it means to be a man of God!

At this point in his life, Moses, we believe, is about 40 years old.

The stories that his mother shared with him as a child are still with him and are guiding the way he lives.

This is encouraging for us. If we take the time to walk with God, in front of our children, and teach them about who God is, it will have a life long impact on how they live.

It may appear that they are being drawn to us, but they are being drawn to the Holy Spirit that lives in us.

If we want our children and the world to know who God really is, we must walk in obedience to Him.

God remembers His covenants.

At the end of our passage today we see that while Moses is away the Pharaoh, whom Moses had grown up with and ran from, died and the conditions for Isreal became even worse.

God hears the cries of His people and remembers His promise.

Genesis 15:13–14 ESV

13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

Genesis 15:12–14 ESV

12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions.

Glen shared last week that as we walk with God there will be times of difficulty, but God always comes through, He always keeps His word.

In Parenting your children you will face difficulties. Your children will often not do what you tell them and you are going to want to pull you own hair out.

Gen 15:

Stay the course because your children are worth it.

with Abraham in the life of Moses. God moves Moses throughout his life to follow His leading.

Proverbs 22:6 ESV

6 Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.

God will always complete the work HE begins.

Colossians 1:24–29 ESV

24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, 25 of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, 26 the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. 27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.

col 1:24-

Colossians 1:27 ESV

27 To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

God is going to bring his people to the place where they realize their need for Him.

Just like Israel, they will cry out for God. If we have been doing our part of BLESSing, we will be exactly where God needs us to be when they cry out.

We will have earned the right to be heard and can share with them the truth about who God is!

Stay the course because the people that God has placed in your life to BLESS are worth it.

God redeems our mistakes

Stay the course because the people that God has placed in your life to BLESS are worth it.

ll for our lives.

At the end of the day, what we need is the humility to be able to say to God, I can’t do this on my own. Both in parenting and in following God’s call for our lives.

The confidence we have is that the passion God has put in us for ministry and parenthood will not diminish, because it is God doing all the work.

The confidence we have is that God will be revealed to our children and to the people in our lives because it is God doing all the work.

The confidence that we have is that God will be revealed to our children and those in our lives because is doing all the work.

God’s desire for us, His people, is to