Sermon Series “Exodus”
4:19-23
“God Calls Us”
Exodus 4 “19 Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.” 20 Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.
21 And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.” ’ ”
We are fascinated by stories of folks who drop everything and start over. There were lots of those stories after 9-11-2001. When I was growing up we had the most amazing “reality tv show.” It was all about a New York lawyer and his very fancy wife who leave the high life in NYC and buy a run-down farm. It was called “Green Acres” – remember that? What!? That was not a reality show? Just kidding! That show was hilarious. I heard they were remaking it for today with two millennials who move out where there is no internet access- that’s really funny.
The box on your teaching sheet has a percentage – 98.5%. That’s totally my estimate. Almost the whole Bible (98.5%) can be understood with a "plain reading." As you begin to study, more and more layers of meaning will be revealed. Then - there is a small percentage of the Bible that is really difficult to explain. Even Bible Scholars struggle with a passage like Exodus 4:24-26. I’m going to come back to that at the end of my sermon.
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To start the NEW THING – you have to step away
Exodus 4 “18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
Now we leave the burning bush behind. Moses has to make a transition – leaving behind the life of a shepherd. We are not told much in God’s Word about Moses’ time as in Midian. He has a wife and two sons (that’s important to that problem passage at the end of the sermon today). He has been a part of Jethro’s family ever since he fled Egypt, tradition holds that to be 40 years. He tells his father-in-law he must leave.
This is how most of the Christian life must be lived – new man/old man, new life/old life, repentance (look out for the sin-skid). Paul gives us a clear picture of the difference – Ephesians 4 “22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” Then he gives examples – v.25 to start telling the truth leave behind lying, v.28 leave stealing and work hard, v.29 clean up your language- let all you say edify and minister grace ( there’s always more than one way to say something!)
I have talked to you about the beginning of repentance: “God you’re right and I’m wrong.” The next steps are STOP and TURN AROUND. If we try to repent without a full STOP we go into a “sin-skid.” Example – gossip is a sin (no question!) and so you say “God you’re right about gossip and I’m wrong to think it’s ok.” Then you don’t STOP and the “sin-skid” starts. That’s when we say “I know I shouldn’t be gossiping, but…” This is not true repentance!
When God calls you – He has a plan
Exodus 4:20 “And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand…”
In the previous verse, Moses has his staff/rod in his hand. Now God reveals a new part of the plan.
Repeat after me – “God always has a plan” “and He never messes it up”
We, on the other hand…
Which reminds me of the boy who showed up at school wearing only one glove. Teacher questioned why? “The weather man said that it would be mild to start the day but on the other hand get very cold.”
God repeats the instructions on performing signs and wonders, but adds – for the first time – that they will be done in the presence of Pharaoh. Here we see where the real battle will be – with the leader of Egypt. He is considered to be a god on earth. We will witness the True God of the Universe judge this so-called-god.
We are also involved in conflict. Do we understand the true source of conflict in this world? Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Our conflict is NOT with people. We live in a fallen world but we are told in the Bible that we can walk in victory- in true freedom. So we need to leave behind the old struggles with people and recognize the battle ground is spiritual.
Several times in the Old Testament we come across this idea – “The Battle Belongs to the Lord.” Ex. 14:14, 2 Chron. 20:15, 1 Sam. 17:47. There is a great story in 2 Kings 6. Israel is at war with Syria and every battle is won by Israel because they already know what the enemy is going to do. The Syrians think it’s a spy, but find out the prophet Elijah is telling them everything. So they find out Elijah is at Dothan and surround it in the night. In the morning Elijah’s servant is worried. His master prays for God to reveal to the servant the army of heavenly chariots in the hills and says – “Those with us are more than those with them.” The same is true for you and me.
When God calls you – He may reveal all, some, or none of the plan – that’s His call!
Exodus 4 “…But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.”
Here God reveals the end – the last of the 10 plagues. Part of God calling us is already having a plan in place and He already has an expected outcome. That outcome is going to bring glory and honor to Him. That outcome should bring others to believe in Him and His power.
God already knows how this plan is going to end.
Isaiah 46:9-10
“I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’”
God shows Moses that the last of the plagues to bring judgement upon the gods of Egypt will be the death of every first born.
"If this were a play, God would be the author, producer, director and principal actor" (Peter Enns).
That’s only a problem if you are a bit of a “control-freak.” If God has a plan and an outcome and He is in control – when we try to take control, with whom are we in conflict? GOD!
God is going to care for Israel as for His own child! IMAGINE HOW MUCH HE CARES FOR US! God is doing all this to deliver those He loves from bondage. He loves us that much, too. God sent His only Son to die for you and me – not so we can be miserable and just survive, but to walk in freedom.
To do that… what must you leave behind?
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Dealing with the problem passage – Exodus 4 “24 And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. 25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, “Surely you are a husband of blood to me!” 26 So He let him go. Then she said, “You are a husband of blood!”—because of the circumcision.”
This passage is very different from what comes before it and after it. We can go to the internet or a study Bible and find lots of problems listed. They all begin with “Why would God….?” I don’t believe the “why” is important here – so don’t get stuck on the “why.” In a problem passage, look for the “what.”
What’s prominent in these verses? Circumcision – first introduced in Genesis 17. It’s the sign of the covenant between God and His people. Covenant is vital in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. We are under the New Covenant of Jesus’ Blood. We can see how important circumcision is to God in Gen. 17:14 “And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”
In Exodus 4:24-26, at least one of Moses’ sons was not circumcised – so he gets circumcised by his mother and the story goes on. If you want to spend a couple of days studying all the options for interpretation, go ahead and chase every “why.” But the “what” lets us get on with Moses’ journey back to Egypt. That’s what is important at this point.
TEACHING SHEET:
Date
Sermon Series: Exodus
Exodus 4:19-23
“God Calls Us”
The 98.5%
Almost the whole Bible (98.5%) can be understood with a “plain reading.” As you begin to study, more and more layers of meaning will be revealed. Then – there is a small percentage of the Bible that is really difficult to explain. Even Bible Scholars struggle with a passage like Exodus 4:24-26.
To start the NEW THING – you have to step away
Exodus 4 “18 So Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, “Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt, and see whether they are still alive.” And Jethro said to Moses, “Go in peace.”
This is how most of the Christian life must be lived – new man/old man, new life/old life, repentance (look out for the sin-skid)
When God calls you – He has a plan
Exodus 4:20 “And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand…”
In the previous verse, Moses has his staff/rod in his hand. Then God repeats the instructions on performing signs and wonders, but adds – for the first time – that they will be done in the presence of Pharaoh. Here we see where the real battle will be – with the leader of Egypt.
Do we understand the true source of conflict in this world? Ephesians 6:12 “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”
When God calls you – He may reveal all, some, or none of the plan – that’s His call!
Exodus 4 “…But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Israel is My son, My firstborn. 23 So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.”
God already knows how this is going to end. Isaiah 46:9-10
“I am God, and there is none like Me,
Declaring the end from the beginning,
And from ancient times things that are not yet done,
Saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
And I will do all My pleasure,’”
God shows Moses that the last of the plagues to bring judgement upon the gods of Egypt will be the death of every first born. If this were a play, God would be the author, producer, director and principal actor (Peter Enns). God is going to care for Israel as for His own child! IMAGINE HOW MUCH HE CARES FOR US!
Dealing with the problem passage – when faced with a difficult passage look at what is most prominent. Here it is circumcision. There is no need to get the “why” when we know the “what.”
Next week – Exodus 5:1-6:13
