The Lord and His People
Exodus
Let’s review from last week. Genesis
The rest of the Old Testament is God’s relationship with the Hebrew race. The nation of Israel God’s chosen people. As we move into the book of Exodus we find that the first chapter starts where Genesis ended.
The Jewish Rabbis called the book of Exodus the book of names because we have listed here the 12 sons of Jacob. Remember God changed Jacob’s name to Israel. The names are listed distinctly by mothers.
Remember God started the Hebrew race with Jacob marrying Leah and her sister Rachel. They each had a maid servant so those four women and Jacob had 12 sons and several daughters.
**Exodus 1:1-7** Leah’s six sons are listed in the order of their birth; from Reuben through Zebulun (Benjamin, the son of Jacob’s second wife Rachel, is mentioned next but Joseph, Rachel’s firstborn, is not listed because he was already in Egypt. Joseph is mentioned again in v.6. Dan and Naphtali were the sons of Rachel’s maidservant Bilhah (Gen. 35:25), and Gad and Asher were the sons of Leah’s maidservant Zilpah (Gen. 35:26). The males who entered Egypt with Jacob numbered 70.
Jacob’s descendants increased: The Israelites were fruitful and multi- plied greatly and became exceedingly numerous (cf. Acts 7:17). Several generations separated Levi from Moses (cf. comments on Num. 26:58-59) so that the time from Joseph’s death (Gen. 50:26) to the growth of the nation as described in Exodus 1:7 was probably little more than 100 years. The adult males in the Exodus totaled 600,000, not counting women and children (12:37), so the total Israelite population at that time may have been about 2 million.
**v.8-12** God was continuing to bless His nation and used bondage to bring blessing. Strange arrangement but God really does know what He is doing.
In verses 13-22 we see Pharaoh talking to the midwives and telling them if a son is born to kill it. The midwives didn’t do that and said the Hebrew women were having their children before they even arrived. Because of their faith the midwives were blessed with their own families. That is an interesting blessing. Because they saved children God blessed them with the greatest blessing a family of their own.
God deals with His people here in Exodus. Let’s look tonight how God delivered His people from bondage.
**2:1-1**
I. The Lord Delivers His People (1-18)
Redemption: “I will bring you out” (Ex. 6:6)
A. He calls a leader (1-4) Often times when God gets ready to do something great He sends a baby. God blessed Amram and Jocebed descendents of the house of Levi the priestly line and sent them a son who would be the leader of the nation of Israel.
I think most people no the story of Moses. His life has been portrayed on the big screen. But in chapters 2-4 there are many significant events in the life of Moses. First of all, he was supposed to be killed, thrown into the Nile River. His mother did put him in the river and God saved the life of Moses and used him to deliver his people.
We can never know what God has in store for a person’s life which means every life is precious and has a purpose in the plan of God. Out of that event Moses was raised to manhood by Pharaoh’s daughter. He was in direct succession to the throne of Egypt.
Second significant event was that Moses refused to be called the son of pharaoh’s daughter and killed an Egyptian and somehow God used that circumstance to send Moses into exile. Third event has Moses encounter with God at the burning bush. Moses gets his calling at the age of 80 forty years in Egypt, 40 years in the desert herding sheep.
**3:13-15** Moses returns to Egypt and God well;
B. He declares war (5-10) the first encounter Moses has with Pharaoh has Moses handing his shepherd’s staff to his brother Aaron. Aaron throws the staff on the floor and it turns into a snake. Pharaoh unimpressed calls two of his sorcerers in and they throw their staff’s down and both of them turn into snakes. Never underestimate the power of the enemy. But also never over estimate the power of the enemy because Moses snake devours both of the Egyptians.
Pharaoh would not listen to Moses so God pronounced a series of plagues on the nation of Egypt. Nine of these plagues are listed in chapters 5-10. Water turned to blood, frogs, lice, flies, pestilence on all the livestock, boils, hail mingled with fire, locusts, and darkness for three days. And then God well:
C. He wins the victory (11:1-15:21) Pharaoh decides to let My people go. It’s interesting to note that the ninth plague (darkness) and the tenth (firstborn killed/Passover) are seen as pictures of the coming Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ.
**11:1-6—12:1-7** Just as God one the victory with the first Passover Jesus won the victory on the cross for us.
D. He provides for His people (15:22-17:16) The nation of Israel some 2 million people are on their way. Chapter 14 is the parting of the Red Sea. Chapter 15 is the praise and worship when God allows the children of Israel to cross the Sea on dry ground and God drowns the Egyptian army. Chapter 16 has God making Manna falling from heaven (Manna means “What is it?)
Chapter 17 has Moses striking a rock and God making water come gushing forth. Time and time again God provided for His people as they made their way through the wilderness and time after time they whined.
E. He counsels His leader (18) Moses is worn out. God sends the nation Jethro, Moses father in law with a word of wisdom. Moses would spend all night acting as judge and decision maker for every problem the people had. Jethro told him young man you need to delegate.
Moses was taken away from his main task of leading people which was his calling He received before he even went back to Egypt. Moses appointed those leaders to help his people and Moses returned to worship the Lord.
I. The Lord Delivers His People
II. The Lord claims his people (19-24)
Covenant: “I will take you to Me for a people” (Ex. 6:7)
A. The people prepare (19) As God led the leader and His people to Mt. Sinai God spoke to Moses and gave him instructions. The first instructions were to remind the people of all that God did on their behalf. Then the people were required to consecrate themselves before God. They had to confess sin be holy on the inside and also wash their clothes, be clean inside and out.
This was common throughout the O.T. and it is also expected of us today in order for God’s people and the church to experience revival. God demands we be holy.
B. The Lord declares (20-23) The Lord writes the Ten Commandments in chapter 20 and gives them to Moses. In chapters 21-23 the Lord initiates several other laws, offerings, and feasts. He declares that this is what He requires from Moses and His people.
At the end of chapter 23 God makes His covenant with His people by reminding Moses that they have been and still are promised the Promise Land. God even sends a guardian angel to go before them, Daniel 12:1 tells us that is the arch-angel Michael.
C. The covenant confirmed (24) The Lord claims His people He first requires them to be holy, be spiritually ready for what God wants to do through them. Then God speaks and tells them what to do and then He confirms it by doing it. This process is still alive and well today with us.
Here in chapter 24 Moses comes back down from the mountain with God. God speaks again to Moses and Moses tells the people what God has said to him.
**24:3** The people say God said it and we will do it.
**24:7** Again they said we will do it and be obedient. We will do what God says and continue to do what God says.
**24:16**
Forty days and nights go by where God is giving Moses more and more instructions. Here we see these instructions unfolding.
III. The Lord dwells with His people (25-40)
Worship: “I will be to you a God” (Ex. 6:7)
A. The Tabernacle—pt. 1 (25-27) In these chapters are instructions concerning the house of God. God designs His own house and provides the material to construct His house. This is a wonderful passage for deeper study to see the detail God goes into concerning the place of worship.
B. Consecration (28-29) After the Tabernacle is begun God’s attention is focused on the men that are called to serve Him in the tabernacle. God gives them detailed instructions on the Priests garments. The beauty of what they wore is outlined in chapter 28.
But in chapter 29 God requires another sacrifice to consecrate Aaron the chief Priest and His sons to work in His tabernacle. What a humbling revelation this is for us preachers. What they were required to do and what was required of them is still the requirement of us as ministers today.
C. The Tabernacle—pt. 2 (30-31) God continues to lay out His plan for His house. He gives them the altar, Holy anointing oil and incense to be offered up for worship. God gets so specific He even tells Moses the names of the men He wants to build it.
**31:12-13** Here God reminds them to keep the Sabbaths, weekly, and also the special yearly Sabbaths. Remember Genesis showed us that God established His Sabbath for the human race to worship Him.
D. Disobedience (32-34) As God is giving all this to Moses in those forty days and forty nights, the people are deceived into thinking the old way is better. It really makes you wonder how the enemy convinced them to do this.
**32:1-7**
Even though Aaron was the brother of Moses there is no question that they were cut from a different mold.
**32:15-22** Moses would have stood up for God and for the people. Aaron, on the other hand, was wishy-washy and let the people sin without any regard for what God would say or do. There is another cleansing of sin in 32:26-30, 3,000 men die and Moses pleads for the forgiveness of his people.
E. The Tabernacle—pt. 3 (35-39) Once forgiveness is granted God and Moses get back to the issue at hand. Moses meets with the Lord for further instructions and God writes the Ten Commandments again. He renews the covenant with Israel and God’s people are once again focusing on the one true God.
They also get busy making the Ark of the Covenant, the Tabernacle, the instruments for the tabernacle and all the priestly garments. They follow God’s instructions and everything is falling into place.
F. God’s glory (40) Exodus concludes with instructions from God to Moses on just how everything should be in the house of worship. God gives step-by-step instructions to Moses down to the smallest detail, furniture placement, where the ark of the covenant goes, Ten Commandments, how to wear the garments and how the priest is anointed, how they must wash their hands and feet to even be worthy to enter and it all leads to the beautiful end in
**40:34-38**
God’s glory is dwelling with His people. He is saying when my presence leaves the tabernacle it is time for the children of Israel to follow me. But just think how amazing this was to see. God’s is with us, by cloud in the day and by fire at night. How reassuring is His presence and what a reminder for all of us that victory is certain, because He is with us.
Conclusion: In the book of Exodus there are many great miracles of God. There are also significant events that take place in the lives of God’s people. We must also notice that over and over again God delivers His people, claims His people and dwells with His people.
But I believe one of the keys to unlocking Exodus is the significance of obedience to God and the Ten Commandments. We seem to be living in a time where obedience in God’s house to God’s instructions seems to be open to interpretation.
An English minister was once ordered to read a proclamation issued by King Charles I. After a period in which the country had observed strict blue laws on Sundays, the king issued a decree urging people to return to participating in sports on Sunday. Most church leaders refused to read this proclamation. But to one congregation’s amazement, their minister read the king’s decree. But he followed the pronouncement with these words, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” And he added, “Brethren, I have laid before you the commandment of your king and the commandment of your God. I leave it to you to judge which of the two ought to be observed....Ladies and gentlemen who we vote for is not the answer in fixing our nation. The only way we will see God’s glory again in our churches is when we obey God’s instructions.
PRAY
