Overcoming My Three Greatest Fears

Text: Exodus Chapter 4

1And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 2And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

3And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. 4And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

5That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.

6And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

7And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

8And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

Title: “Overcoming My Three Greatest Fears”

Moses was not looking to lead the children of Israel out of bondage. He simply turned aside to look at a burning bush. God had a “calling” upon his life.

God has the same calling for your life. You are to "deliver" those who are in bondage. We need to “set people free" with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

God would give to Moses three signs. I am convinced that these three signs were given, not just to make Pharoah a believer, but to make a believer out of Moses as well. Moses was filled with fear as he argued with God about going to Egypt. Each one of these signs would be helpful to Moses to overcome his three great fears.

(2 Tim 1:7) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Fear number one: SATAN

3And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

When Moses threw down the rod it became a “rod-long” snake. Even though Moses had forty years of wilderness experience, he knew enough to run from the snake. God told him to stop and grab it by the tail. Now that takes faith!

The snake has always been a symbol of the Devil. Moses must have known the power of the Devil was real in Egypt. Remember how “powerful” the magicians were in the land of Egypt. They too, could many of the signs and wonders. Moses needed to know that the God within him was greater than the Devil. His snake would swallow up their snakes! God used this sign to show Moses that he could provide for all of his “spiritual need.”

1 Pet 5:8,9) Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

Whom resist stedfast in the faith...

(1 John 4:4) Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.

Fear number two: SICKNESS

6And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

Moses was eighty years old. I can only wonder, "What was God thinking when he asked an eighty year old man to travel to Egypt and set the children of Israel free?"

God used this sign to show Moses that he could take care of all of his “physical need.”

People live in fear of their health. Most of us are insured in ten different directions. The greatest fear of most people eighty year of age is that of "falling down." Who is going to help me back up if I should fall? The "I AM" will!

Do you remember the testimony of Moses and his health just prior to his death. His natural strength had not abated. His eyes were not dim. God woul provide for him, and two millions Jews, in the wilderness for forty years.