IT’S "WHO" INSTEAD OF "WHY"
Exodus 5:21-6:9
THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE WANT GOD TO MOVE EXACTLY AS WE WANT HIM TO MOVE. BUT GOD MOVES IN HIS OWN TIME, AND IN HIS OWN WAY. A STORY IS TOLD OF PHILLIP BROOKS, A FAMOUS PASTOR OF THE 19TH CENTURY WHO WAS IN HIS OFFICE WORKING ON A SERMON. HE WAS PACING THE FLOOR AND FRUSTRATED, AS HE AWAITED REVELATION AND A PARISHONER WALKED PAST AND NOTICED HIS COUNTENANCE. THE MEMBER ASKED, “WHAT IS THE MATTER PASTOR?”.AND DR. BROOKS ANSWERED HIM….I’M IN A HURRY, AND GOD ISN’T! AS WE OPEN OUR BIBLES THIS MORNING, TO EXODUS 6, WE WILL FIND MOSES PROBLEM TO BE VERY SIMULAR TO THE ONE I JUST MENTIONED. FOR 80 YEARS GOD HAD BEEN PREPARING MOSES TO DO SOMETHING TRULY GREAT. TO LEAD THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL OUT OF THE GRIP OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST SUPERPOWER OF THAT DAY, AND INTO NATIONAL FREEDOM. MOSES WANTED IT ALL DONE, AFTER ONE, OR TWO VISITS WITH THE PHAROAH, BUT GID IS NOT IN A HURRY. ALL WE HAVE IS TIME, WHILE GOD HAS ETERNITY. GOD DOESN’T HAVE TO WORK ON OUR TIMETABLES AND HE IS NOT LIMITED TO OUR TIME SPANS, EVEN IF WE DIE. HIS WORK GOES ON, AND WE MUST BE PATIENT WHLE HE WORKS OUT HIS ETERNAL PURPOSES. MOSES AND AARON HAVE MADE TIR FIRST VISIT WITH THE PHAROAH. THE RESULT WAS NOT WHAT THEY HAD HOPED FOR. INSTEAD OF BEING OPEN TO THE COMMANDS OF GOD, PHAROAH WAS INCENSED, AND DECREED THAT THE PEOPLE WOULD STAY AND THAT THEIR BURDENS SHOULD BE MADE EVEN GREATER. WE HEAR CHAPTER 5 CLOSING OUT WITH MOSES APPROACHING THE LORD AND ASKING HIS “WHY” QUESTIONS. WHY? WHY ME? WHY THIS? WHY NOW? MOSES WAS SO BUSY ASKING WHY, THAT HE HAD FORGOTTEN WHO. THE WHY QUESTION LEAD TO MORE DIFFICULTIES ATTEMPTING WHAT GOD IS DOING, BUT THE WHO QUESTION WOULD LEAD THEM STRAIGHT TO GOD. THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THAT MOSES NEEDED TO DO AND I WILL ATTEMPT TO OUTLINE THEM FOR YOU AS WE LOOK AT THIS STIRRING IMPRESSION OF THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THIS INTERVIEW WITH GOD.
I. YOU CAN TRUST IN GOD’S PLAN …….VERSE 1
A. SOMETIMES WE ARE DISMAYED AT THINGS IN THIS LIFE, AND WE ARE CONFUSED ABOUT OUR CIRCUMSATANCES AND SOME FOLKS EVEN GET ANGRY AT GOD ABOUT HOW THINGS HAVE NOT GONE THE WAY WE WANTED THEM TO. YOU MAY FIND YOURSELF CRYING OUT TO GOD LIKE MOSES DID. IN RESPONSE WE MIGHT EXPECT GOD TO BE ANGRY WITH US…..BUT THAT IS NATURAL….AND WE FIND THAT ANGER CAN BE SELF-PERPUATING BECAUSE IT USUALLY ONLY SERVES TO STIR UP MORE ANGER. BUT GOD IS NOT JUST NATURAL………HE IS SUPERNATURAL, HIS WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS, HIS THOUGHTS ARE NOT OUR THOUGHTS. ALSO I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THAT NOWHERE IN THE TEXT DOES IT SUGGEST THAT GOD IS ANGRY WITH MOSES. THERE ARE NO WORDS OR REPRIMAND, REPROACH OR REBUKE. GOD KNOWS US BETTER THAN WE KNOW OURSELVES, AND HE KNOWS THAT WE4 ARE JUST DUST. GOD NEVER FAILS, NEVER GETS IMPATIENT, OR DISCOURAGED, BUT WE DO. THERE IS A CLUE HERE……MOSES SUGGESTS THAT HE SPOKE WITH PHAROAH (5CHAPTER) AND PHAROAH GOT MAD. WHAT MOSES HAD DONE, WAS HE HAD TAKEN ON THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOD’S WORK UPON HIS OWN SHOULDERS AND NOTHING HAPPENED.
B. GOD WANTED MOSES TO LOOK BEYOND THE PRESENT TO SEE THE FINAL OUTCOME. I BELIEVE THE LORD EXPECTS ALL OF US TO DO THAT.
1. IN ROMANS 16:2- THE CHURCH AT ROME WAS ENCOURAGED WITH THE WORDS “AND THE GOD OF PEACE SHALL BRUISE SATAN UNDER YOUR FEET SHORTLY” IN OTHER WORDS, THEY WERE REMINDED THAT THEIR VICTORY IN CHRIST WAS SURE, THAT NO MATTER HOW BAD THINGS SEEMED, ULTIMATELY, GOD WOULD BE VICTORIOUS, AND GOD WOULD GET THE GLORY.
2. ASAPH, IN THE 73RD DIVISION OF PSALMS WONDERED WHY LIKE MOSES, IN STEAD OF WHO….HE AID THE WICKED ARE POSPERING AND GOD’S PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING DAILY….BUT WHEN HE TOOK HIS EYES OFF THE ‘WHY’ AND FOCUSED ON THE WHO….HE SAW THE DAY COMING WHEN GOD WOULD SHOW HIMSELF.
C. GOD HAD ALREADY LAID DOWN THE PLAN, AND IT DID NOT DEPEND ON MOSES, IT DEPENDED ON GOD. IF YOU ARE GOING TO SURVIVE THE ATTACKS OF THE ENEMY YOU HAVE TO HOLD ON TO THE TRUTHS OF GOD. THOUGH MOSES’ HEART WAS DISAPPOINTED AT THE DOWN TURN OF EVENTS IN EGYPT, GOD REMINDED HIM THAT THE DAY WAS COMING WHEN PHAROAH WOULD NOT JUST LET THE PEOPLE GO, BUT HE ADDED A DETAIL….HE WOULD ACTUALLY DRIVE THEM FROM THE LAND. (VS. 1)
II. YOU CAN TRUST IN GOD’S PERSON………VERSE 2
GOD HAD REVEALED HIMSELF TO MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH…WHEN MOSES ASKED WHAT AM I GOING TO SAY WHEN THEY ASK WHO SENT YOU….AND THE LORD RESPONDED…..I AM THAT I AM. TELL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL…..I AM HATH SENT ME. AND NOW, THE LORD IS REMINDING HIM OF THAT “I AM”. VERSE 2 SAYS……”WAYDHABBER.(AND HE SPOKE) ELOHIM(GOD) EL-MOSHEH (TO MOSES) WAYYO MER(AND HE SAID) ELAV(TO HIM) ANI (I) Y’HWAH’ …..HEBREW….THEN IT SAYS….VERSE 3. ..WAERA (AND I APPEARED) EL’AVRAHAM (TO ABRAHAM) EL=YITSCHAQ (ISAAC) W EL YA AQOV (AND TO JACOB) BE EL (AS EL)SHAAADDAY (SHADDAI). BUT THEY KNEW ME AS EL SHADDAI,…..GOD ALMIGHTY! GOD SHOWED THEM HIS OVERWHELMING POWER AND ABILITY TO DO THE IMPOSSIBLE. BUT NOW, I WANT MY PEOPLE TO GET INTIMATE WITH ME, BECAUSE I AM YH WAH…THAT MEANS I AM A CONVENANT KEEPING GOD OF REDEMPTION.
WAIT A MINUTE BROTHERS AND SISTERS!…….DON’T GET CARRIED AWAY HERE, BECAUSE THERE SEEMS TO BE A CONTRADICTION IN THE SCRIPTURE.
GOD USED THAT NAME WITH ABRAHAM..IN GENESIS 15:7….
REBEKAH USED THAT NAME TO JACOB IN REFERENCE TO ISAAC’S REQUEST TO ESAU IN GEN 27:7..BUT WHAT GOD IS SAYING IS THAT THE NAME WAS IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN, BUT EVEN ABRAHAM , ISAAC AND JACOB HAD NOT DISCOVERED ITS FULL SIGNIFIANCE, EITHER IN THEIR EXPERENCES OR BY DIVINE EXPLANATION. ABRAHAM ISAAC AND JACOB KNOW HIM AS ALMIGHTY, BUT MOSES WOULD KNOW HIM AS YAHWEH, JEHOVAH, THE ETERNALLY SELF EXISTENT ONE. IN OTHER WORDS HE IS THE GOD WHO IS ALWAYS THERE. HE WAS THERE YESTERDAY, HE IS HERE TODAY, AND HE WILL BE THERE TOMORROW. PHAROAH WANTED TO KNOW WHO IS THIS LORD,….MOSES IS CRYING “WHY LORD”…..BUT GOD IS ALREADY IN TOMORROW AND THE EXODUS IS ALREADY A FINISHED WORK. I CAME TO ENCOURAGE YOU THAT EVEN IF YOU HAVEN’T TAKEN BUT A FEW STEPS WITH GOD, AS LONG AS YOU ARE WALKING OBEDIENTLY..ITS ALREADY A FINISHED WORK!
III. YOU CAN TRUST IN GOD’S PROMISES………VERSES 4-5.
AGAIN ITS NOT WHY,………BUT WHO. 7 THE NUMBER OF COMPLETION.
GOD SAYS….I WILL BRING YOU OUT……SAME PURPOSE IN GRACE…
I WILL RESCUE YOU FROM THEIR BONDAGE. ITS ,MORE THAN DELIVERANCE, ITS SEVERANCE FROM THE PAST.
I WILL REDEEM YOU..REDEMPTION COMES THRU PRICE AND POWER..FOR THE JEWS IT WAS THE PASSOVER AND THE RED SEA, FOR CHRISTIANS, IT WAS CALVARY AND THE RESURRECTION THRU OUR LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST!
I WILL TAKE YOU AS MY PEOPLE FROM AN ENSLAVED PEOPLE TO A CHOSEN PEOPLE!
I WILL BE YOUR GOD PHAROAH CAN’T BUT JEHOVAH CAN LEAD YOU TO AND THROUGH THE RED SEA, GUIDE YOU THRU WILDERNESS, FEED YOU, WATER YOU AND PROTECT YOU. YOUR SHOES CAN’T EVEN WEAR OUT!
I WILL BRING YOU INTO THE LAND. DELIVERANCE IS A TWO PHASE PROCESS. HE DELIVERS US FROM SOMETHING AND ALSO DELIVERS US TO SOMETHING. ALWAYS AN OUT OF…INTO EXPERIENCE.
I WILL GIVE IT TO YOU AS A HERITAGE HOLD ON TO THE PROMISES OF GOD. KEEP YOUR EYE ON GOD’S PLAN, YOUR FAITH IN GOD’S PERSON, AND YOUR HOPE IN GOD’S PROMISES.
IV.FINALLY, WE CAN TRUST IN GOD’S PUSPOSES…..VS 6-8
STOP PUTTING THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR GOD’S WORK ON YOUR OWN SHOULDERS. IF YOU’RE CALLED TO PREACH AND NO ONE GETS SAVED..ITS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CONVICT MEN OF SIN. THAT’S THE HOLY SPIRIT’S WORK! YOUR CHILD MAY GO ASTRAY,…..YOU’RE NOT A BAD PARENT. IF YOU BEEN FAITHFUL IN TRAINING UP YOUR CHILD, ITS NO LONGER UP TO YOU….ITS NOW UP TO GOD. MOSES LEFT PHAROAH FEELING LIKE A FAILURE! WHY? BECAUSE HIS MIND WAS IN THE WRONG PLACE. MOSES IS THINKING ABOUT EXODUS……GOD’S PURPOSE WAS REDEMPTION. IT WOULD REQUIRE MORE THAN OBLATION, IT HAD TO BE ROOTED IN OBEDIENCE! MOSES IS THINKING ABOUT A SPECIAL ANOINTING TO CONVINCE THE PEOPLE. BUT GOD WASN’T PLANNING A TEMPORARY FIX, BUT INTENDED TO USE THIS TO TEAR DOWN STRONGHOLDS, TO DELIVER HIS PEOPLE AND TO GET THE GLORY.
ILLUSTRATION: THERE WAS A LIGHTHOUSE ON THE EAST COAST,OF NATIONAL AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, THAT WAS LEANING BECAUSE OF THE ENCROACHING SEA. IT WAS IN DANGER OF FALLING INTO THE SEA. THE U.S. GOVERNMENT APPROPRIATED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO MOVE IT 3000 FEET AWAY FROM ITS ORIGINAL DESIGNATION TO A PLACE OF SAFETY AND CONTINUANCE. IT WAS 200 FEET HIGH AND WEIGHED HUNDREDS OF TONS. ENGINEERS JACKED IT UP SLOWLY, INCH BY INCH AND MOVED THIS HUGE, HISTORICAL STRUCTURE. IT ONLY TOOK THEM 23 DAYS TO RELOCATE THE LIGHTHOUSE. BUT WHAT MOST PEOPLE DON’T KNOW, IS THAT FROM THE MOMENT THE OFFICIALS BEGAN ASSESSING WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE PROBLEM TO THE MOMENT THEY FINALLY GOT THAT LIGHTHOUSE MOVED AND OPERATING AGAIN IT WAS OVER 17 YEARS. THERE WAS DEBATE, DELIBERATION, SURVEYS, CALCULATIONS, RESEARCH AND FINALLY IMPLEMENTATION. FINALLY, IT ONLY TOOK THEM 23 DAYS TO ACTUALLY, PHYSICALLY MOVE THAT LIGHTHOUSE!
IT HAD BEEN 430 YEARS IN EGYPTIAN BONDAGE FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISREAL. BUT GOD WOULD BRING THEM OUT, RID THEM OF BONDAGE, REDEEM THEM, TAKE THEM FOR A PEOPLE, BE THEIR GOD, AND GIVE THEM A HERITAGE (EXODUS CHAPTER 6).
REMEMBER…….GOD MAY NOT COME WHEN WE WANT HIM, BUT HE IS ALWAYS RIGHT ON TIME!
LEARN TO:
TRUST IN GOD’S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE
TRUST GOD’S PERSON (HE IS PROVIDER,PROTECTOR,SUSTAINER,DELIVERER)
TRUST GOD’S NEVER FAILING PROMISES
TRUST GOD’S ETERNAL PURPOSES……… ROMANS 8:28 - REVEALS THAT ALL THINGS WORK TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THEM THAT LOVE THE LORD AND ARE THE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.
SADLY, THE NEXT VERSES REVEAL THAT THE ISRAELITES DIDN’T BELIEVE THEM, BECAUSE THEY HAD DEVELOPED A SLAVE MENTALITY AND “BOUGHT INTO” THE GOD OF THEIR OPPRESSORS.
REMEMBER …..ITS NOT WHY…………BUT “WHO”.
WHO ARE YOU TRUSTING IN?
