Sermon Tone Analysis

I. Introduction

a. Scripture:

And as always, I’m going to ask you to stand with me, if you are able, as we read from God’s Holy, Perfect, Sufficient and inerrant Word.

<Pray>

Thank you, and you may be seated.

II.

Contextualization

a.

There was a new dynasty of Pharoahs…Hyksos had invaded and defeated the Egyptians....installed their own King....did not remember Joseph....did not honor his accomplishments.

b.

Only feared the Jews and their increasing numbers....was scared of a rebellion

c.

First he ordered that they be treated harshly and made slaves....thought that would control their number, all it did was cause them to grow....In God’s upside down logic, persecution leads to growth Orders their destruction.

Why? 2 Reasons

He was afraid of rebellion/uprising

Satan was USING him to try to stop the birth of the Messiah…did not know when he was coming, but knew it would be a Hebrew

How? 2 Ways

Tried through the Midwives…they defied him

Told the people, probably enforced by the army, to kill all male babies by casting them into the Nile

Told the people, probably enforced by the army, to kill all male babies by casting them into the Nile

d.

In the meantime: God’s People are suffering....worried

He has forgotten them.

They stayed in this condition for hundreds of years.....why?

God made a covenant with Abram in Genesis Chapter 15

If they had remembered the Word of the Lord, they would have remembered that God was NOT being silent…instead He was waiting for His perfect time…God is never in a hurry....He waited these years (and as you can see, told them He would) for several reasons:

He was preparing His people....they needed to be desperate and oppressed to cooperate with Him and leave.

He was preparing His prophet....had the perfect leader chosen for a mighty task…Moses.....

In His mercy, God was giving the wicked nations of Canaan time to repent.

How do we know that?

He was giving even the wicked an opportunity to turn things around.

III.

Major Points

1. Moses Had Godly Parents

2. God Used All that was Bad for Good

3. God Blessed the Parent’s Faithfulness

IV.

Point #1: Moses had Godly Parents

Exodus 2:1-4

Explanation

- So we know a little bit about Moses’ parents, they were both levites....and we will discuss more about them in a moment.

She had a baby....and saw that he was “beautiful”....the Hebrew word is actually “goodly” or “lovely”....same one found in

What this means here is that Moses’ mother knew IMMEDIATELY after she saw her son she was going to protect him…you parents out there know what that’s like…you see your child for the first time and you see how lovely they are,…a blessing from God....and you’ll let NOTHING har that child.

She hid him for a time of three months, but after that she knew she had to do something…she fixed a basket into a little water-proof boat with tar and pitch, and then put him in the river.

His sister watched from a distance so she could report back to his mother.

This was quite a gamble…but let’s look at his family for just a moment:

Exodus

In Ex. 6:20, we learn that the godly parents of Moses were Amram and Jochebed.

That they should wed during such difficult times was an act of great faith and love, and God rewarded them for this.

Since they acted by faith (Heb.

11:23), they must have had a communication from God concerning the birth of their son, Moses.

a.

We learn their names there, Amrahm and Jock-e-bed....just their marriage in a difficult time of slavery showed faith.

b.

As you can see, hiding the child and defying the wicked Pharoah was an act of faith.

b.

c.

Finally, it took REAL faith to put that baby in the river and trust God to take care of Him....

Illustration

Very often we describe an act that seems otherwise crazy to be a “leap of faith.”

I can think of many leaps of faith in my own life…perhaps you can too…you aren’t sure of the outcome, but you know God will take care of you.

I can’t think of a bigger adrenaline rush than for a person who goes sky diving....you are trusting that when you pull that chord, your parachute will open up and you will begin floating safely to the ground after several moments of falling hundreds of miles per hour towards the ground.

Before he passed away at the age of 94, former President George H.W. Bush went skydiving to celebrate his 90th birthday.

It takes a leap of faith to be sure that parachute will open.

Application

church: Very often we describe an act that seems otherwise crazy to be a “leap of faith.”

I can think of many leaps of faith in my own life…perhaps you can too…you aren’t sure of the outcome, but you know God will take care of you.

Moses’ parents took many....

Marrying in a difficult time…having that child....hiding him…and finally putting him in that basket.

But you see when you follow God and do what He asks, everything is going to be alright.

God will bless you in the end.

V. Point #2: God Used All that was Bad for Good

Exodus 2:5-7

Explanation

a.

So as Moses’ sister watched, that little basket floated through the reeds right up to the area of the Nile where the princess was bathing…that was no accident…ANYBODY could’ve seen that basket…imagine if it had been a soldier?

It was the princess who clearly wanted a child of her own.

b.

The child was crying and it touched her heart…she KNEW he was a Hebrew child and was supposed to have died....but she saved him…his tears touched her heart.

c.

Then who spoke up?

Moses’ sister....his quick-witted sister said “I have an idea your highness!

How about I go get a woman from the Hebrews to nurse him for you?” Oh what a wise little girl she was....and who do you think she went and got?

Moses’ own mother to nurse Him....

That couldn’t have worked out any better if Moses’ own mama had planned it, amen?

ALL of these bad things were working together for Good…for God’s Will, weren’t they?

Illustration

My mama will tell you that we had a hard time understanding why she kept having miscarriages.

My mama had 5 miscarriages in a row....it was hard.

I didn’t understand why this awful thing was happening…until I first laid eyes on my little sister.

Jamie Faith, with her dark skin and Chinese complexion....her beautiful black hair.....her sweet, loving heart....her smart little mind…the reason my mama had 5 miscarriages was to drive her to consider adoption....because it wouldn’t be long that that little orphan baby would be laying sickly in a crib in an orphanage on the other side of the world waiting on us to come get her.

Those miscarriages were hard....but without them, I wouldn’t have my sister…and that’s worth more than it’s weight in gold to me.

Application

Church I want you to think about all the “bad” that was in this story and how it led to good:

A marriage in a bad time led to the birth of Moses

The RIVER was a place that SHOULD HAVE meant death for a Hebrew baby boy, but for Moses it led to LIFE

The PRINCESS of the Pharoah was supposed to be the enemy…instead SHE saved Moses and saw He was taken care of.

And what was it that touched the princesses heart?

Not his giggling…not his smile....his tears....tears of fear and discomfort....led to her heart being touched.

Church always remember: God can and DOES use the bad to bring about good....why?