Thursday, June 11, 2020

Exodus 1-4

What does it say?
Exodus 1 - Jacob and Jacob’s son died in Egypt but their descendants increased greatly. Joseph was forgotten and a king arose in Egypt who made slaves of the sons of Israel and inflicted them with hard labor. To control the growing Hebrew population, Pharaoh commanded the midwives to put to death every son born, but they feared God more than Pharaoh and did not obey; therefore, Pharaoh commanded the people to cast every son born into the Nile but spare the daughters.
Exodus 2 - He woman of the tribe of Levi fearing that she would be caught with her son, put him in a wicker basket and let him afloat on the Nile but his sister followed at a distance. Pharaoh’s daughter drew the lad from the water and the lads sister called his mother, who nursed Moses for Pharaoh’s daughter, who made him as her son. Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew so he killed him but tried to reconcile two Hebrews men that were arguing and the resisted his intervention. Pharaoh tried to kill Moses but he fled to Midian and sat down by a well. Moses became the son in-law of Reuel, the priest of Midian by marriage to Zipporah and she bore a son for Moses whom he named Gershom. The sons of Israel cried for help because of their bondage, God heard them and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 
Exodus 3 - When Moses was leading the flock on the west side of Mount Horeb, God called to Moses from a burning bush: “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” The Lord told Moses of his plan to bring the people out of Egypt into the promised land. Moses asked God his named and he said, “I AM WHO I AM;” therefore God told Moses that this is his memorial name forever. Then God told him to go to the people and they will listen. 
Exodus 4 - So that they will listen to him God gave Moses miraculous signs. Moses was afraid to speak to the people, God was angry with Moses but appointed Aaron to speak for Moses. Moses returned to Egypt with his wife and his sons. Moses was to preform the signs that God gave him before Pharaoh but God said that he would harden Pharaoh’s heart to the point that God would kill Pharaoh’s first son before letting the people go. Zipporah called Moses a bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision. Moses told Aaron the words of God and he spoke them to the people while Moses performed the signs in the sight of the people. The people listened and bowed low in worship before the Lord.

What does it mean?
God raised up Moses despite the unlikelihood of his even surviving childhood, much less becoming a leader used by God. Moses was humbled before he was made great by God. Moses was not great, he feared to even speak but God used him to lead the people of God. Moses’ calling was not one he could deny. He had to go and do as the Lord commanded him. Despite all of Moses’ doubts and fears God’s plan would not fail. Moses would lead his people out of Egypt by the hand of God. The name of God ‘YHWH’ his rendered from the verb “Hayah,” to be. “I AM” in English. John 8:58 (NASB Strong’s (Lockman))
Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” Moses is a type of Christ and because this was more than one man could bare alone, Moses and Aaron together were a type of Christ. Moses spoke to God and performed the signs but Aaron spoke to the people and to Pharaoh for Moses. 

What shall I do?
First, I shall bow low and worship because Jesus is God in human flesh. He is fully God and fully man. This has been revealed to me in the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit. Jesus spoke as God and preformed the miraculous signs that could only have come from God. Secondly, I shall know that if God calls me to something, I shall not deny that calling. I shall know that God will equip me for that calling despite my doubts and fears.