The CHALLENGE OF GOD's CALL-VII—Exodus 3:1-22
Assistance/Availability/Discovering/Significance
Exodus records the significance of God’s call to Moses.
Answering God’s call presents a significant challenge.
To What does God’s call present a challenge?
16 challenges of/to God’s call.
We have found in earlier weeks that,
God’s call presents a challenge to...
1. Our OCCUPATION(:1)
2. Our OBSERVATION(:2-3)
3. Our AVAILABILITY(:4)
4. Our APPROACH(:5)
5. Our AWE(:6)
6. Our COMPASSION(:7-9)
7. Our INABILITY(:10-11)
8. Our POWER(:12a)
9. Our FAITHFULNESS(:12b-13)
10—God’s call presents a challenge to...
Our PROBABILITY(:14-15)
Explanation:(:14-15)Sanity
:14—“And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
God quickly reveals a name(:13) that will be adequate for Israel’s—& Moses’—understanding/grasp of this God’s capabilities.
His name for Israel would be “I Am Who I Am, or “I Am That I Am”(the causative YHWH would be hereafter employed)—thus what Moses may have heard was ‘I Cause To Be which I Cause To Be.’ This name has as its root the common verb “to be.” This self-existent One, YHWH(being causative), signifies that YHWH(anglicized as ‘Jehovah’) is the cause of all things!
The name at once thus imports God’s being & essence as self-existent, eternally encompassing past, present & future, & thus more than able to fulfill His promises. This “God “ has been & is always being, & always able! This name similarly speaks to God’s presence in the now, eternally, thus being fully empowering in His “sending” anyone, including Moses!
Ex.6:2-5—“And God spoke to Moses & said to him: “I am the LORD. “I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, & to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, & I have remembered My covenant.”
Isa. 44:2-8—“Thus says the LORD who made you And formed you from the womb, who will help you: ‘Fear not, O Jacob[‘Usurper’] My servant; And you, Jeshurun[‘Upright one’], whom I have chosen. For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, And floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, And My blessing on your offspring; They will spring up among the grass Like willows by the watercourses.’ One will say, ‘I am the LORD’S’; Another will call himself by the name of Jacob; Another will write with his hand, ‘The LORD’S,’ And name himself by the name of Israel. Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel, And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the First & I am the Last; Besides Me there is no God. And who can proclaim as I do? Then let him declare it & set it in order for Me, Since I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming & shall come, Let them show these to them. Do not fear, nor be afraid; Have I not told you from that time, & declared it? You are My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Indeed there is no other Rock; I know not one.’”
?Is it not just Possible but even Probable that God would funnel His purpose & power thru me/us in His calling out to me/us? “I AM...I AM”(See :12—“Be”)—hyh haw-yaw—Qal Imperfect—1) To be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out. Strong—a primitive root [compare 01933]; To exist, i.e. Be or become, come to pass(always emphatic, & not a mere copula or auxiliary).
“Who/That”—rva ash-er'—1) Relative Particle—1a) Which, who, 1b) That which; 2) Conj.—2a) That(in obj. clause), 2b) When, 2c) Since, 2d) As, 2e) conditional--If. Strong—a primitive relative pronoun(of every gender & number); Who, which, what, that; also(as an adverb & a conjunction)--When, where, how, because, in order that, etc..
“Say”(See :13)—rma aw-mar'—1) To say, speak, utter—1a) (Qal) To say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend. Strong—a primitive root; To say(used with great latitude).
“I AM”(See above)—hyh haw-yaw—
“Sent”(See :12, 13, 15; & 20—“Let...go”)—xlv shaw-lakh'—Qal Perfect—1) To send, send away, let go, stretch out. Strong—a primitive root; To send away, for, or out(in a great variety of applications).
:15—“Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, & the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, & this is My memorial to all generations.’ ”
“God” “moreover” added that “Moses was to tell Israel that this same YHWH had been & was still the “God of” the Israelite’s “fathers—“Abraham”, “Isaac”, & “Jacob.” This has obvious implications regarding life after death, & thus one’s relation to YHWH is called to bear.
Moses was to inform Israel that this very God, YHWH, is the same One who “sent” him to Israel. It was YHWH’s design for Moses’ employment in their deliverance from Egypt.
In fact, this “name” is to be the “name” by which God(YHWH) is to be remembered in Israel from generation to generation of Israel “forever”, & thus potentially remembered/“memorialized” in the world “forever.”
Thereby, this God’s essence, character & significance would be revealed to Israel, thus answering the real questions of their heart.
This 3rd person form of the “name”(“YHWH”) is to be employed given that the 1st person form(“I Am”) could not be used appropriately(by any other than God Himself) in speaking of Him.
Very Significantly, Jesus applies this ever-existent revelatory concept to Himself! Jesus is the second person of the Trinity!
Jn. 8:51-59—“Most assuredly, I say to you, if anyone keeps My word he shall never see death.” Then the Jews said to Him, “Now we know that You have a demon! Abraham is dead, & the prophets; & You say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’ “Are You greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom do You make Yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him & keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, & he saw it & was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, & have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.” Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself & went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, & so passed by.
“Moreover/And”—dwe `owd—Substantive—1) A going round, continuance. Adverb—; 2) Still, yet, again, besides. Strong—properly--Iteration or continuance; used only adverbially(with or without preposition)--Again, repeatedly, still, more.
“Thus”—hk koh—Demonstrative Adverb—1) Thus, here, in this manner—1a) Thus, so, 1b) Here, here & there, 1c) Until now, until now...until then, meanwhile. Strong—properly--Like this, i.e. by implication(of manner)--Thus(or So); also(of place)--Here(or hither); or (of time)--Now.
“LORD”(See :2, 4, 7)—hwhy Yeh-ho-vaw'—Jehovah = "the existing One”—1) The proper name of the one true God—1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of ynda Ad-o-noy’. Strong—(the)Self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.
“Sent”(See :12, 13, 14; & 20—“Stretch out”)—xlv shaw-lakh'—
“Forever”—Mle o-lawm'—1) Long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world. Strong—properly--Concealed, i.e. The vanishing point; generally--Time out of mind(past or future), i.e. practically--Eternity; frequentatively adverbial (especially with prepositional prefix)--Always.
“Memorial”—rkz zay'-ker—1) Memorial, remembrance—1a) Remembrance, memory, 1b) Memorial. Strong—from rkz zaw-kar’[ a primitive root; properly--To mark(so as to be recognized), i.e. To remember; by implication--To mention; also(as denominative from rkz)--To be male]; A memento, abstract--Recollection(rarely if ever); by implication--Commemoration.
“All/Generation to generation/Every”(See below)—rd dor—doubled indicating intensity, thus “all.”
“Generations”—rd dor—1) Period, generation, habitation, dwelling. Strong—properly--A revolution of time, i.e. An age or generation; also--A dwelling.
Argumentation:
Mk. 12:24-27—“Jesus answered & said to them[Sadducees], “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, & the God of Jacob’? “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”
Probability that God is real &working despite my previous or present ignorance of Him.
Gen. 18:14—“Is anything too hard for the LORD? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, & Sarah shall have a son.”
Isa. 1:18-20—“Come now, & let us reason together,” Says the LORD, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing & obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse & rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”
Jdgs. 7:2—“And the LORD said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many[32,000] for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel claim glory for itself against Me, saying, ‘My own hand has saved me.’ ”
Gideon + 300=Disaster...+ God=Done!
Isa. 43:1-3—“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine.[Children of God—Jn. 1:12] When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.[Overcomers—Jn. 16:33] When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.[the Elect(by faith)—Eph. 2:8; Rom. 11:5] For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia & Seba in your place.”[the Lost—Rom. 11:7]
Isa. 46:4b—“Even to your old age, I am He, And even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, & I will bear; Even I will carry, & will deliver you.”
Isa. 59:1-2—“Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, That it cannot save; Nor His ear heavy, That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear.”
Mat. 19:26—“But Jesus looked at them & said to them, “With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
Mk. 9:23—“Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Mk. 14:36—“And He said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.”
Php. 4:11-13—“Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: I know how to be abased, & I know how to abound. Everywhere & in all things I have learned both to be full & to be hungry, both to abound & to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Illustration:
There is a real Probability that ISIS is sending invitations to jihad in this sanctuary right now!/If you would avail yourself of the internet in search of it, you would be able to know it absolutely/It is also probable that many sermons are being streamed thru this very space we call a sanctuary so that you might hear invitations to accept Jesus as your Savior/There is also the absolute probability(certainty) that God(YHWH) Himself is here in our midst calling to you to accept your only possibility of salvation by faith in Jesus/PROBABILITY
People get married in Christ with the knowledge that, should they both surrender themselves to God, that God working thru them in their marriage will overcome any obstacle & will prevent marital failure!/PROBABILITY
Difference between gambling & risk/‘Farmers’ are risk-takers but not gamblers—they plow in hope—A hope knowing that their efforts have a high probability of succeeding/‘Gamblers’ are not risk-takers but fools—Doing so hoping that they will get lucky by mere chance—An absurdly Improbable possibility!/PROBABILITY
Application:
?God’s call present a challenge to Your PROBABILITY?
?When is the last time your PROBABILITY mirrored God’s?
?Has God’s call Challenged you?...Or do you Challenge it?
11—God’s call presents a challenge to...
Our COMMITMENT(:16-17)
Explanation:(:16-17)Fear authority of others?
:16—“ “Go & gather the elders of Israel together, & say to them, ‘The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, & of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, “I have surely visited you & seen what is done to you in Egypt;”
What if...these elders won’t accept or believe that YHWH has spoken to me? What if they won’t believe what I say is true? How am I going to prove it to them?
Before you share Jesus with anyone, you had better be certain of your relationship to Him. The fact that you ‘stick to your guns’ is a partial reason for belief in others—If you are not an outright ‘crazy person’ they realize you have some basis for your belief.
“I have surely visited you”—Heb. Literally=“visiting I have visited you.”—ENT
“Go”(See :11, 21; & 10—“Come”)—Kly yaw-lak'—
“Gather...together”—Poa aw-saf'—1) To gather, receive, remove, gather in. Strong—a primitive root; To gather for any purpose; hence, to receive, take away, i.e. Remove(destroy, leave behind, put up, restore, etc.).
“Elders”(See :18)—Nqz zaw-ken’—Adj.—1) Old—1a) Old(of humans), 1b) Elder(of those having authority).
“Appeared”(See :2—“Appeared”; :4, 6, 3—“See”)—har raw-aw’—Niphal[passive] Perfect—1) To see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider—1b) (Niphal)—1b1) To appear, present oneself, 1b2) To be seen, 1b3) To be visible. Strong—a primitive root; To see, literally or figuratively(in numerous applications, direct & implied, transitive, intransitive & causative).
“Visited”—dqp paw-kad’—Qal Infinitive—1) To attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for. —Noun m. plural abstract—2) Musterings, expenses. Strong—a primitive root; To visit(with friendly or hostile intent); by analogy--To oversee, muster, charge, care for, miss, deposit, etc..
“Surely visited”—dqp—doubled for intensity.
“Seen/Indeed concerned/Paid close attention”(See :17—“Bring...up”)—hle aw-law'—1) To go up, ascend, climb. Strong—a primitive root; To ascend, intransitively--Be high or actively--Mount; used in a great variety of senses, primary & secondary, literal & figurative.
“Done”(See :19)—hse aw-saw’—Qal Participle Passive—1) To do, fashion, accomplish, make. Strong—a primitive root; To do or make, in the broadest sense & widest application.
:17—“& I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites & the Hittites & the Amorites & the Perizzites & the Hivites & the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk & honey.”’ ”
YHWH promises to bring Israel from their Egyptian “affliction”/oppression & misery to a “land” “flowing” in abundance. See :8 regarding “flowing with milk & honey.”
Though the land of promise is a land of abundance it also has enemies(?) within it!
“Bring...up”(See :16—“Seen”)—hle aw-law'—
“Out”——
“Affliction”(See :7—“Oppression”)—yne on-eey'—1) Affliction, poverty, misery. Strong—from hne aw-naw’[ To depress literally or figuratively, transitive or intransitive(in various applications,)]; Depression, i.e. Misery.
Argumentation:
Rom. 8:28-39— “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; & whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, & furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Rom. 1:16-17—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
Jn. 2:23-25—“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, & had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.”
Jn 8:34-36—“Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
Acts 26:9-20—[Paul prior to & after his being saved—2 aspects of Commitment:]“Indeed, I myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. This I also did in Jerusalem, & many of the saints I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; & when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. And I punished them often in every synagogue & compelled them to blaspheme; & being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority & commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me & those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me & saying in the Hebrew language, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “So I said, ‘Who are You, Lord?’ And He said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise & stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister & a witness both of the things which you have seen & of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, & from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins & an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.’ “Therefore, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, “but declared first to those in Damascus & in Jerusalem, & throughout all the region of Judea, & then to the Gentiles, that they should repent, turn to God, & do works befitting repentance.”
Rom. 11:25-32—“For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers. For the gifts & the calling of God are irrevocable. For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience, even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy. For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.”
2Cor. 5:19—“That is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, & has committed to us the word of reconciliation.”
1Tim. 6:20—“O Timothy! Guard what was committed to your trust, avoiding the profane & idle babblings & contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge--”
2Tim. 1:12, 14—“For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed & am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”.....“That good thing which was committed to you, keep by the Holy Spirit who dwells in us.”
2Tim. 2:2—“And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.”
1Pet. 4:19—“Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator.”
Illustration:
I know of three brothers who meet most every day @ a certain time @ ‘Pat’s Place’ beside the church/The brothers stay connected that way/Others may show up on different days/The discussions are different but the constant is the brothers wanting to be with one another/They are ‘bound’ to one another because they are brothers/They love one another & appreciate each other’s companionship/COMMITMENT
Application:
?God’s call present a challenge to Your COMMITMENT?
?When is the last time your COMMITMENT mirrored God’s?
?Has God’s call Challenged you?...Or do you Challenge it?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
God’s call presents a challenge to...
10. Our PROBABILITY(:14-15)
11. Our COMMITMENT(:16-17)
1. Our OCCUPATION(:1)
2. Our OBSERVATION(:2-3)
3. Our AVAILABILITY(:4)
4. Our APPROACH(:5)
5. Our AWE(:6)
6. Our COMPASSION(:7-9)
7. Our INABILITY(:10-11)
8. Our POWER(:12a)
9. Our FAITHFULNESS(:12b-13)
Pts. 10-11 Presented 01/22/2015pm to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave. SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
