Discovering God through Moses 1
Exodus 2:1-21
Let’s start by getting the timing of this story and the chronology of it.
Abraham – Isaac –
Isaac – Jacob
Jacob – Joseph
Joseph gets to Egypt – His family lives there and grow!!!
Anyone think the Old Testament is out of date?
We live in a society where media and politics is talking of controlling immigration, and ethnic groups living in our land, and the threat of terror and war from that.
It consumes some people so much that they want whole groups out of the country.
Trump is trying and trying to get laws passed to ban certain ethic groups from coming to the USA.
Last Sunday night – a man drove a van into people around a mosque, shouting “I’m going to kill all Muslims”.
Surely the bible isn’t relevant to us in situations such as this?
Exodus 1:
6 Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7 but the Israelites were exceedingly fruitful; they multiplied greatly, increased in numbers and became so numerous that the land was filled with them.
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 ‘Look,’ he said to his people, ‘the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.’
So he forced the Hebrews into slavery, but worse:
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah [shiff-rah] and Puah [pew-ah], 16 ‘When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.’
But the midwives wouldn’t do it.
22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: ‘Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.’
Pharaoh so hated and was scared for this ethnic group in his land, that he ordered his citizens to kill Hebrew baby boys.
This series on Moses is entitled: Discovering God through Moses.
Today: God works in unexpected ways
So now God’s people are in Egypt and started in the kings favour, but not so the new ruler.
He wants to control them.
But this is God’s people, and He is going to make sure they flourish.
He promised Abraham that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars he could see in the sky.
But he also said this to Abram: Genesis 15:13-14
"You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, and they will be oppressed as slaves for four hundred years. [14] But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth.
God’s people had it tough.
It seemed like God was no longer listening to them, but he was!
It’s like a scene from the life of Jesus. He and his disciples were on a boat on the Sea of Galilee when an unexpected storm arose. Jesus lay sleeping at the rear of the boat, but the disciples could only awaken him and exclaim, “Teacher, don’t you even care that we are going to drown?” (Mark. 4:38).
But, of course God was listening and ready to act in HIS timing
God works in unexpected ways
Now, because we know the story, it’s not really possible to imagine what we would do if we were God, but if we sat round as a team and worked out how to get God’s people to become a great nation, we would not, I’m sure, dream up the idea that we find in the first few chapters of Exodus.
So Pharaoh, decides to do some ethnic cleansing.
To cull the Hebrew baby boys.
God works in unexpected ways. He works with Jochebed. Who? Until this moment, how many of you had heard or remembered that name? Jochebed – the Hebrew mother who had given birth to a baby Boy!
And she knew what was going to happen, under Pharaoh’s orders.
She hid her baby for 3 months – but you can’t hide a baby forever; so, rather than keep him and probably witness his death, she loves him enough to let go.
She makes a papyrus basket, puts the baby inside, and floats him in the River Nile, among the reeds.
God works in unexpected ways, because, what happens next is a miracle – a marvel, a God incidence!
Pharaoh’s daughter – yes, the Pharaoh who is culling Hebrew baby boys – goes down to the River Nile to bath with her attendants. She sees the basket and sends a slave to fetch it.
Inside is this cry baby boy who she knew was a Hebrew. You know, Hebrew baby boys had one thing different to Egyptian baby boys! So she knew!
The baby’s sister, Miriam, who we see in verse 4 had been watching what happened is bold enough to go up to Pharaoh’s daughter and suggest she find a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby – because obviously the daughter had no milk to feed him!. The daughter agreed, and Miriam went and got the baby’s own mother, Jochebed to nurse him – which she did for Pharaoh’s daughter – WITH PAY!!!! Only God!
Once the baby was through weening, the Jochebed (I’m sure with tears rolling down her face), gave the baby to Pharaoh’s daughter, who officially became her son and it was the daughter of Pharaoh who named him Moses (because the man means to pull out).
God works in totally unexpected ways.
Here’s a truth:
What you give God, He gives back – even more so.
The real mother of Moses, Jochebed, gave him to God – she sent him off – twice!!! And gave him into God’s care.
And because she gave him to God, that baby grew up in Pharaoh’s palace and . . . well you know the story (and we will be covering it over the next few weeks.
And that’s still true today.
You give something to God – anything, and he will give it back with big interest!
So
You give something you have – a gift, an item, some talent
And you will get back much more than you gave
You give God the 10% of your income as of first priority – yes I said a tenth
And you will get back much more than you gave
You give God an hour of your day for study and prayer
And you will get back much more than you gave
Jochebed gave the Lord something very precious to her, and – even with a Hebrew baby boy arriving at Pharaoh’s palace – he didn’t get killed –but grew up like a prince in Egypt!
How’s that for paying back with a bonus!
And God’s hadn’t finished working in unexpected ways, as we will see.
You want to know how God works in unexpected ways elsewhere?
The other day I was in discussion and I said that God did something really unexpected with Saul.
Saul was ripping up Christians left, right and centre.
If Saul was in town you knew the Christians would be beaten, killed, and any sign of church – pulled down
God works in totally unexpected ways.
He meets with Saul, and Saul becomes Paul,
And he starts risking his life to point people to Jesus, and make disciples, and yes – build churches!!!
No one saw that coming!
One more?
Me and you (you and me)
We didn’t deserve to get anywhere close to God.
We both know how we grew up. We both know the times we sinned. We are fully aware that we are not perfect, and anyone not perfect cannot be anywhere near a perfect God, right?
But God works in unexpected ways.
He sends His one and only Son – who is perfect – to die a terrible death – to plummet into hell in our place, so that we can be seen as perfect in God’s eyes and live with Him for ever, and ever!!!!
Now that’s unexpected of God!
Oh but it doesn’t end there.
No no
Here is something totally unexpected.
God doesn’t just redeem us and keep a place open for us in heaven.
He sends His Holy Spirit – he comes himself – NOT to walk around in downtown Jerusalem, but - this IS unexpected – to enter every single Christ-follower.
God is not just around
God is not only near us
God is INSIDE us
He works in unexpected ways!
Give to God
Give him your life . . . . you’ll get it back with interest
Give Him your tithe and offerings . . . . and watch what blessings you will get (God says “test me in this”)
Give Him anything you have of value – give it over to him – dedicate it to Him, and see what the Lord will do with it!
Bow before the Lord now:
I’m going to say some words that are familiar – to sing; but I’m going to say them as a prayer to the Lord
1. Take my life and let it be
Consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days,
Let them flow in endless praise.
2. Take my hands and let them move
At the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be
Swift and beautiful for Thee.
3. Take my voice and let me sing,
Always, only for my King.
Take my lips and let them be
Filled with messages from Thee.
4. Take my silver and my gold,
Not a mite would I withhold.
Take my intellect and use
Every pow’r as Thou shalt choose.
5. Take my will and make it Thine,
It shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart, it is Thine own,
It shall be Thy royal throne.
6. Take my love, my Lord, I pour
At Thy feet its treasure store.
Take myself and I will be
Ever, only, all for Thee.
Frances R. Havergal
