The Story of Us
Moses
February 16, 2025
Joseph has died and his influence is no longer felt in Egypt.
Israel is no longer guests in Egypt but are now slaves. They are the work force to finish the Pharaoh’s building projects.
They are crying out to God for deliverance.
They had no idea their deliverer was a baby, being raised in the palaces of Pharaoh.
Another baby, born in a nondescript place, would later be the savior of the entire world.
1. Every woman has a part in the story.
Exodus 1:12-17 NIV
“But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their hard labor the Egyptians used them ruthlessly.
15 The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16 "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." 17 The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.
Women have always been the givers and protectors of life.
Later, Miriam would lead the nation in song and dance on the other side of the Red Sea. (Exodus 15)
2. Every baby deserves a rescue.
Exodus 2:5-10 NIV
“Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" 8 "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."
There are no “throw away” babies in the kingdom of God
God is giving dignity to the fragile, to the weak, to the defenseless
Because of this rescue, Moses was brought into the house of Pharaoh and received the world’s best training in administration and leadership.
3. Every wilderness can become holy ground
Exodus 3:1-6 NIV
Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, "I will go over and see this strange sight — why the bush does not burn up." 4 When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, "Moses! Moses!" And Moses said, "Here I am." 5 "Do not come any closer," God said. "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob." At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
V. 6 – “I am the God of your father” “I have been involved with you and your people a long time.
We do not need God to be something new, we just need him to be the same as yesterday
4. Every person needs God’ presence.
Exodus 33:15-18 NIV
“Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" 17 And the Lord said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." 18 Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."
What makes us stand out on the earth today?
I will not go a step further unless you are with me.
What if God told us he was going to give us everything we dreamed of, but we would get it without him being with us?
This is the real test of worship. Do we desire God or what God can give us?
