Before we read our passage from Exodus 6 this morning, let us note 3 important truths. Our Scripture of the Week is Romans 3:23 – “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” and Psalm 144:3 states “LORD, what are human beings that you care for them, mere mortals that you think of them?”
What 3 truths must we always keep in mind based on Romans 3:23 & Psalm 144:3??
1. Every person sins against God.
2. God is Eternal, Perfect, Holy, and Glorious!
3. God loves people!
Let’s all take a moment to quietly ponder and pray about these truths as they apply to us personally…..
Please open your Bibles now to Exodus 6…… Read along with me starting, actually, with Exodus 5:22……
We note from Exodus 5:22-23 – Moses complained to God for not rescuing them from their troubles! Moses is an example of all people, including us. If we are honest with ourselves, we all have complained to God, haven’t we? Actually, when we sin, go against God, we’re really complaining to God. Let’s note how God responded to Moses in Exodus 6.
First of all, why was Moses having a hard time according to God’s plan?
v1: God wanted Moses to witness His power (i.e. Moses and the Israelites needed their faith in God to grow).
What did God basically tell Moses, who is a sinner?
v2: God is the Lord! The Hebrew word for Lord here is Yahweh, i.e. there is no one else like God!
v3: Almighty God already made Himself known to people since the beginning of time!
v4: God made a covenant (a relationship) with faithful people.
v5: God always knows what’s going on and is always on time with His plan!
And what did God wanted to tell the Israelites? But before we answer that, what type of people were the Israelites?? Remember Romans 3:23?
We note in v9, the Israelites refused to listen to God through His messengers. And so again,
Even though the Israelites were sinning, God told them:
v6: God is the Lord and will free them with love and might!
v7: God embraced them as family!
v8: the Promised Land would be theirs!
God does not conceal His love for people, although they sin.
And again in v9, the Israelites did not listen. Why??
The Israelites were discouraged and were in pain, so they did not listen to what God was saying! Did God understand their discouragement, pain, and disobedience?? How can we say so??
In spite of their discouragement, pain and sins, God loved the Israelites and continued with His plan for them anyway! God could have said, “I am done with you sinful Israelites!”. God continued with the Israelites because He is love, He gave a Promise, and He has a Plan! You know, God could have said right after Adam and Eve sinned, “I am done with you human beings!” You know, God could tell each one of us sinners, “I am done with you!” we’ll talk more about this in our applications.
Let us finish the passage in Exodus 6….
v10-13: God told Moses to go but he was again hesitant! So God spoke some more to Moses and Aaron! Again, God could have given up on Moses at this point!
And what can we basically say about the list of names in v14-28??
God knows people personally by name, family, age, and activities!
And so, what are the biblical principles we need to note from this passage?
1. Like Moses and the Israelites, we are all sinners, all deserving judgment!
God can do whatever He wants with us for He is the Creator and we are the created in the palm of His hands.
2. God is the Lord! There is no one else like God! God is Holy, Almighty, Omniscient, but also loving!
God is Almighty and Holy; we are weak and unholy, but God still loves us anyway!!
And so,
3. God is Omniscient and Omnipresent and He sees all (past, present, and future at the same time) and we sinners only see a portion and we get frustrated!
We get frustrated because we get tunnel visioned and don’t see God and His plans. How should we deal with our frustrations??
Proverbs 3:5-6….. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
4. God knows all of us personally and while we are still alive on earth God is not finished with us yet! God desires a relationship with all His creation, but people sin against Him; what’s the solution to this dilemma? Sin seperates us from God; how do we get back into God’s family??
John 1:12-13….Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God — children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
And so, being in God’s family has nothing to do with your family line, the church you belong to, or someone praying and making a decision for you; the only way to be in God’s family is to receive and believe in His Name; and who is that Name??
Remember the Gospel in 1 Corinthians 15? We are to receive and believe in Jeus Christ who is God became a man, suffered, died, was buried, but rose again from the dead and soon will return to judge all!
And in conclusion, what was God trying to say to Moses and His Chosen People? God was reminding them of who He is, what He’s done, and what He will do! And today….
5. God’s plan for people is given in the Bible!! Everyday, we must all know the Bible more and more, trust Him, and live out God’s Plan!
