TRUST & OBEY (EXODUS 4:1-17)
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THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH
THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH
MOSES HAS JUST MET WITH GOD. HEARD FROM GOD. BEEN COMMISSIONED BY GOD!
EVERYONE WANTS TO HEAR FROM GOD....RIGHT?!?
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
THIS IS WHAT GOD CALLS US TO - AND IF WE'RE HONEST - WE DON'T LIKE IT! IT'S NOT THE WAY WE WANT IT TO BE!
MOSES FELT THE SAME WAY.
1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.’ ”
THIS IS MOSES' THIRD OBJECTION.
1ST: WHO AM I? 2ND: WHO ARE YOU? NOW: THEY WON'T BELIEVE ME.
WHICH IS TOTALLY REASONABLE.
PATTERN: GOD SPEAKS. WE ACT. GOD WORKS.
WE WANT: GOD SPEAKS. GOD WORKS THEN WE ACT.
OR WORSE: WE SPEAK. GOD WORKS AND ACTS.
2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.”
NOT MAGIC BUT OBEDIENCE! ANCIENT EGYPT MAGICIANS COULD TAKE A SNAKE OR EVEN A CROCODILE AND HYPNOTIZE IT SO THAT IT BECAME SO STIFF AND RIGID YOU COULD STAND IT UP LIKE A STAFF. HERE GOD UPS THE ANTE!!!
THIS IS COMMUNICATING GOD’S POWER IN REAL TIME BUT ESPECIALLY THE REALITY THAT GOD IS THE CREATOR OF AND GREATER THAN “THE SERPENT.” THINK SPIRITUALLY. IN EXODUS 7:10 WHEN AARON AND MOSES ACTUALLY DO THIS THE TEXT SAYS THAT THE STAFF BECAME A תַּנִּין tǎn·nîn WHICH IS A SEA-MONSTER/SEA-DRAGON. THIS IS GOD’S CONTROL OVER CHAOS!!!
In ancient Egypt, the symbol uraeus represented the cobra deity Wadjet in the form of a cobra ready to pounce on its prey. The uraeus represents the power given to pharaohs by the god Ra. Thus, this symbol appears on the pharaoh's various crowns.
6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.
PROBABLY NOT THE LEPROSY THAT WE KNOW TODAY BUT IT WAS AN UNCURABLE SKIN DISEASE THAT THE EGYPTIANS GREATLY FEARED AND HAD NO CURE FOR.
9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”
THE NILE AT HIGH WATER DEPOSITS 30 FEET OF BLACK SOIL INTO THE NILE BASIN. 30 FEET OF RICH SOIL IN THE DESERT – THIS IS THE SOURCE OF EGYPTS POWER AND WEALTH.
REMEMBER MOSES IS WORRIED ABOUT CONVINCING THE ISRAELITES WHO HAVE ADOPTED A SLAVE/VICTIM MENTALITY.
10 But Moses said to the Lord, “Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue.” 11 Then the Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the Lord? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak.”
MOSES' 4TH RESPONSE: I'M NOT SKILLED.
NOTICE THE IRONY OF MOSES CALLING HIM LORD AND DOUBTING HIS COMMAND IN THE SAME BREATH!
13 But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.”
THE HEART OF IT: I DON'T WANNA GO! I DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT YOU'VE ASKED.
14 Then the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses and he said, “Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do. 16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him. 17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs.”
MOSES' LOSES SOMETHING HERE.
FROM HERE ON PLAN B - THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD.
YOU DON'T HEAR ANYTHING ABOUT MOSES' KIDS AFTER EXODUS - THEY DISAPPEAR BUT THE DESCENDANTS OF AARON ASSUME THE PRIESTHOOD UNTIL CHRIST COMES AS A GREATER PRIEST.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. 9 And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, 10 being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek.
7 for we walk by faith, not by sight.
WE WALK NOT WE BELIEVE BY FAITH.
There are two distinct meanings to the statement, “I believe in God.”
The first meaning is, “I believe God exists.”
The second meaning is, “I trust in God.”
The first is the most common meaning, but it is not nearly as important as the second.
To believe God exists but not have trust, or faith, in Him is the same as believing another person exists but not having trust in that person.
22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
25 Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages 26 but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— 27 to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.