Have Confidence in God
Exodus 3:13-22
- We’re continuing our study through the book of Exodus, and as we study, we’re asking, “What can I learn about honoring God from this passage?”
- Last week, we looked at what it means to trust God’s call.
- In order to trust God’s call, we first need to be listening for God’s call.
- Then, we need to remain humble as He calls us.
- Moses learned this as he stood before the Angel of the Lord, Jesus Christ, in the form of a Burning Bush that wasn’t consumed.
- Today, we find him still standing before the Angel of the Lord, listening and ready to do His will.
- One of the things he was going to need, though, was confidence; not in himself, but in the Lord.
- Years ago, I tried to share the Gospel with a gentleman who was in the automotive department at Wal Mart.
- I wasn’t sure if I should say something, when he asked me what I was reading.
- If I remember correctly, it was a book for Bible College, and had to do with the history of the Jewish people.
- So I started to tell him about the book, and began to give him a long, drawn-out lesson on the Jews and the law of Moses, and the sacrifices of the Old Testament.
- I could tell I was losing this guy, but I kept going because I didn’t know how to stop.
- I was hoping to get to why Jesus came, and how He replaced the animal sacrifices through His sacrifice, but I didn’t get there.
- Before I could finish my lesson, this gentleman said, “Excuse me, my car is ready, have a nice day”, and that was it.
- I never saw him again after that.
- I’ve always had a hard time sharing the Gospel with strangers, one on one, and the big reason why is because I’m not confident in my ability to do so.
- But you and I shouldn’t worry about what level of confidence we have when it comes to sharing the Gospel.
- No, you and I need to remember that we can have unshakeable confidence in God.
- So what are 3 reasons why we should have confidence in God?
- I believe the answer can be found in Revelation 1:8 which says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
- We can have confidence because God is, and He was, and He is to come!
- Moses learned and understood this, and we can too.
I.) Have Confidence because God “Is”- Vs 13-14
- Military Chaplains are a very important part of our military.
- They go onto the battlefield with our troops and provide spiritual and moral support, even when bullets are flying.
- During the Vietnam War, there was a great need for Chaplains.
- One minister who answered the call was Chaplain Merle D. Brown.
- He was a Lutheran Chaplain and was assigned to work with an infantry unit.
- On April 11, 1971, Chaplain Brown was killed in action.
- The Sunday on which he was killed was Easter, and obviously, that’s one of the most important Christian holidays that we celebrate.
- He knew his duty was to go out and bring Easter service to the trenches.
- So he flew out in a helicopter to see some of his guys who were in the thick of the fighting.
- Unfortunately, a lot of the infantry personnel were out on remote bases and were without a Chaplain much of the time.
- That’s why it was so important for Chaplains to be willing to fly out and visit them as often as possible.
- After having the Easter Service with the men, they shared a hot meal together, and enjoyed fellowship.
- It was a good way for the troops to forget that they were in a war zone, even if it was just for a moment, and celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord.
- After his faithful service to those men, he boarded a helicopter to return to his base.
- Sadly, it was hit by several RPG’s, and the helicopter went down in flames.
- Chaplain Brown did not survive.
- I tell you that story because Chaplain Brown is an example of a person who had confidence in God.
- You don’t volunteer to go out to the dangerous battlefield without a weapon if you don’t have confidence in the Lord; it’s not possible.
- No, Chaplain Brown knew that even if he died, God was in control, and he was confident that the God he trusted in would welcome him into Heaven immediately upon death.
- He had confidence because God “is.”
- Moses had that confidence too.
- Notice in vs 13 that Moses doesn’t doubt who he’s speaking to…
- He knows it’s God Almighty…
- Rather, he asks about what he should tell the people…
- Why would they ask?
- I believe it’s because they had been in captivity so long that many of them were losing their faith.
- I’m sure they knew their history, and had heard about what God did for their people in the past…
- But because of their circumstances, and because it had been so long, they weren’t about to just put their faith in a lie.
- Others may very well have forgotten about who God was because it had been so long since they worshipped God freely.
- Others might have chosen to worship the false gods of Egypt instead, and had quickly and willingly forgotten about God Almighty.
- In any case, this is a good question Moses asks, because he knows the people are going to ask it.
- God’s answer is quite interesting.
- He says, “I AM WHO I AM…I AM has sent me to you…”
- This is a reference to His name, YAHWEH.
- The people already knew His name…
- As a matter of fact, in the book of Genesis, His name, “Yahweh”, appears more than 160 times!
- Even Moses’ mother, Jochebed, knew God’s name…
- Her name means, “Yahweh is my glory.”
- This is what their fathers, the Patriarchs, called God.
- So when God says, “I AM WHO I AM”, He’s simply telling the people that He “Is.”
- He is real, He is their God, He is with them, He is in control, and He is working on their behalf.
- He is existing at this very moment, and never stops existing.
- Think about how much confidence Moses could have, just knowing that God “Is” and nothing or no one, not even Pharaoh, could ever change that.
- What about you and I?
- Stop for a moment and think about what’s going on in your life right now.
- Maybe you’re struggling because you have a health issue, or someone you love has a health issue.
- Maybe you’re struggling because you’re facing a huge trial, and you don’t see an end to it.
- Maybe you’re struggling with a parenting or a marital issue…
- Those are just a few examples.
- No matter what it is that you’re going through, you can take comfort because God “Is.”
- And because He “Is”, you and I can have confidence, rooted and growing in God alone.
- Some people might say, “Well yeah, I believe that, but it doesn’t make it any easier to go through this!”
- I would answer, “Yes, that’s true. But because God “Is”, you’re not being completely overwhelmed and defeated, are you?”
- It might feel like it at the time, but if God Almighty “Is”, and you belong to Him, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that He is holding you in His hand right now.
- He is working even now as I speak, and even your doubts or discouragements won’t change that.
- Have confidence, brothers and sisters, because God “Is!”
II.) Have Confidence because God “Was”- Vs 15-16
- George Müller was a great man of God who had confidence in God, not only because God “Is”, but also because God “Was”.
- He undertook to gather, feed, house, clothe, and also to teach and train, all available orphans who were deprived of both parents by death and destitute.
- This work began in 1833, in a very small and humble way, by giving to a few children, gathered out of the streets, a bit of bread for breakfast, and then teaching them for about an hour and a half to read the Scriptures.
- He did this for sixty-five years, with growing numbers until there were under his care, and in the orphan houses which he built, twenty-two hundred orphans with their helpers; and yet, during all that time, Mr. Müller's sole dependence was on the Living, Present God.
- He appealed to no man for help; and did not even allow any need to be known before it had been supplied, even his intimate co-workers being forbidden to mention any existing want, outside the walls of the institution.
- His aim and purpose were to effectually apply the test of prayer to the unseen God who “was”, who supplied for His people in the past.
- As God provided for Mueller and the orphans, time after time again, he could look back confidently, and know that God ‘was’ the One who provided, and God would never stop providing for their needs.
- He cut loose from every human dependence and cast himself in faith upon the promises of our faithful God.
- To make the demonstration more absolutely convincing, for some years he withheld even the annual report of the work from the public, although it covered only work already done, lest some should think such a report was an indirect appeal for future aid.
- George Mueller had amazing, unshakeable confidence in the God who “Is” and who “Was”, and who would always provide.
- Moses had that confidence too.
- And the words God gives him to say to the Children of Israel are meant to build their confidence in God as well.
- He reminds them of their past, first by referring to Himself as “The Lord God of your fathers” …
- This shows the people that God was the God of their nation…
- Just like He was the God of their fathers, He was the God of their generation as well.
- That hadn’t changed, and they could look back and know, “He’s our God too.”
- Don’t let that confuse you, though…
- Faith in God does not automatically pass from one generation to the next…
- No, the people had to come to know God themselves in a personal way, and that’s why God then continues by saying, “I’m the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…”
- So not only was He the God of their nation, but He was also a personal God, to their fathers individually, and would be personal to them as well, if they trusted in Him.
- I think there’s something else important for us to notice here.
- God tells Moses in vs 16 to gather the elders together and give them His words.
- I believe there’s a reason for this.
- They were men of age, men with wisdom, men who obviously knew more than the younger fellas.
- When they received this message, they would then pass it on to their families and friends.
- Moses had been gone 40 years, and even before that 40 years, while in Egypt, they didn’t know him well because he lived in the palace.
- If he gave the message to the people directly, it’s quite possible that they wouldn’t listen to him.
- But the elders, they were more likely to hear him and believe his words.
- Then, the younger people were more likely to listen to their elders.
- But the elders first had to have confidence in God, so God points them back to a time when He was actively at work with their fathers.
- Before they could have confidence in the God who “is”, they had to look back to the God who “was” and they had to believe.
- Something else interesting that God says here is in vs 15 where He says, “This is My Name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations…”
- Think about that statement… “My memorial to all generations…”
- You and I here today, all of us have grown up in a Christian nation.
- We weren’t born in Israel, and we weren’t raised Jewish, at least none of you that I know of…
- Yet here we are this morning, going through the book of Exodus, studying God’s people, the Jewish nation, and all that He did for them.
- In our hands, we hold the Holy Bible, God’s Word given to us, and it tells His story, from the beginning…
- Before God appeared to Abraham, He had made Himself known to Adam and Eve, then to Abel, then to Noah, and many other men and women of God…
- After the worldwide flood, God made Himself known to others, Noah’s descendants, and then of course to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his 12 sons.
- After the captivity, He continued to make Himself known to His people, and to the judges and kings and prophets…
- Then, Jesus came, and He made Himself known to all people, Jew and Gentile…
- Today, He continues to make Himself known to all who believe.
- So God has made Himself a Memorial to all generations, past, present, and future.
- In this passage, to the Children of Israel, He was referring to His Memorial from Creation until their captivity.
- If they would look back at all He did, the God who “was”, they would see the amazing things He had done for those who trusted in Him.
- What about you and me?
- There will be times when we grow discouraged, when it looks like God isn’t working in a certain situation or helping us through a trial…
- It might look hopeless, and we might not know what to do next…
- Yet I’m sure all of us here would agree, that our God, the God who “was”, has brought us through many, many difficult times in our past, hasn’t He?
- Just think back to the beginning…
- On that day you came to Christ, you were a sinner, lost and broken, with no hope and nowhere to go.
- Then, when you came to Christ, He lifted that burden of sin off your shoulders, and you received His grace, His mercy, His love, His forgiveness!
- He changed you on that day, and He continues to change you today.
- Now think about some of the trials you’ve faced in the past.
- Maybe you had a financial hardship, and you didn’t know how you were going to get through…but then God, the God who “was”, got you through it.
- Maybe you had a health issue, and it seemed like there was no end to it…
- But then God, the God who “was” got you through it.
- Maybe you had a family problem, and it caused a great amount of anguish in your life…
- But then God, the God who “was” got you through it.
- Maybe you had an emotional struggle, through depression or anxiety, or something else serious…
- But then God walked with you through it, and got you through it…
- I could go on all day and list problems after problems that we’ve all faced in our lives…
- But God, our God who “was”, brought us through…
- And of course, our God who “is” continues to bring us through.
- Aren’t you glad that we can have complete and unshakeable confidence in our God?
III.) Have Confidence because God “Is to Come”- Vs 17-22
- When I was a kid, one of my favorite topics was Bible prophecy.
- My father was always preaching on it, so I was always learning more about it.
- I’d learn about the rapture and the Tribulation Period.
- I’d learn about the Antichrist and his reign of terror.
- I’d learn about the Millennial reign of Christ and the new Heaven and new Earth.
- I’d learn about the Judgment seat of Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment.
- There's something exciting about knowing what is going to happen in the future.
- Jesus will return, and He will make His enemies His footstool…He makes that clear in Scripture.
- Each of us can have confidence because He is the God to come.
- But that doesn’t only refer to end times prophecy, but it also refers to our everyday lives.
- He is in complete control of the future.
- And that's what He's telling Moses and the Children of Israel here.
- “I’ve got this under control…this is what I’m going to do!”
- He promises to bring them out of the affliction of Egypt to the Promised Land…
- He promises that He will stretch out His hand and strike Egypt with all His wonders, and then His people would be free…
- He promises to give them favor in the sight of the Egyptians as they leave, and they will plunder the Egyptians.
- It’s fascinating to look at the last part of God’s promise here…
- Vs 21-22...
- As you can see, the Jewish people left Egypt with a lot of riches.
- But don’t miss the significance of that.
- Many years ago, God used Joseph to save Egypt…
- If they hadn’t known about the 7 years of famine, the people of Egypt would have starved.
- The only reason they survived was because God used Joseph.
- But after Joseph died, and a new Pharaoh came into power, he didn’t remember or care who Joseph was or what he had done for Egypt.
- All he cared about was his kingdom.
- So instead of taking care of the children of Israel, he enslaves them.
- They work as slaves for over 200 years, doing back-breaking work, and receiving nothing for their work.
- On their way out, God causes the Egyptians to give lots of money and riches to the Jews.
- And all the Israelites had to do was ask...
- They didn’t demand payment for their services, they didn’t beg, they didn’t forcefully take it…
- No, they simply asked, and God blessed them with great riches as they left slavery and Egypt behind.
- It’s amazing when we think about the ways God provides, even in the most unlikely ways.
- What about you and me?
- There are times when we will need to look forward to what God is going to do, even when we’re in the middle of a trial.
- God promises, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
- In Hebrews 13, we’re told, “God, who has provided everything for our salvation through Jesus Christ, through Him will also provide all that we need to live for His glory.”
- In Philippians 4:19, we’re told, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
- Those are just a few examples.
- As Christians, you and I will never be left high and dry by God.
- He will always meet our needs and bring us through those tough times when there seems to be no end to our problems.
- Our God, “Who is to come”, holds us in His hand, and that’s the safest most secure place we could ever be.
- Brothers and sisters, if you’re struggling this morning with anything, I encourage you to bring it before the Lord today…
- Ask “The God who was” to remind you of the past work He has done in your life…
- Ask “The God who is” to reveal to you the work He is doing in your life right now…
- And ask “The God who is to come” to encourage you with the promise that He will take care of it, in His time and in His way.
- Have confidence in God.
- He won’t disappoint you.
- Let’s take a moment of personal examination and prayer at this time.
