Exodus Ch.1.15/ Ch.1-4 Having a vision for our Kids

Intro: tonight we are going to be introduced to the central Character of much of the Book of Exodus - Moses

  1. Listen to what Dr. I M Haldmen had to say about this Man – Moses

    2. Read Pink – Pg. 16 pg. 2

  2. I have no idea who Dr. I M Haldmen is – but I like what he has to say about Moses –
  3. I enjoy – reading Biographies of Great men of Faith from old – but sometimes – Biographers have the tendency to make larger than life
  1. The Best Biographies are the ones who don’t overly focus on the Man of God / but focus rather on the God of that Man .
  1. Currently reading A Passion for Souls – Life of D.L. Moody –L. Dorsett
  1. Enjoy his perspective of not pointing out what a great Charismatic man that Moody – was but the Power of the Spirit – working through his Life

 

Exodus is that type of Book – Moses is seen as a great man – but we learn that his greatness was only because of the great God He served

A) Begin w/ review - THEME = REDEMPTION

B) Begins w/ Israel in Egypt grown – 2 ½ TO 3 million people – after four

hundred yrs - why were they in Egypt so Long ?

    1. 1st to Prepare the People for the land – God allowed them to Multiply in number

C) 2nd was to Prepare the Land for the People – Gen 15:13-16 where God

told Abe that this is what He was going to do –

    1. Until the Iniquity of the Amorites was COMPLETE
  1. Basically God was going to give the Amorites 400 yrs to repent – but Knowing full well that they wouldn’t – Later destroyed

We also saw how there was a New Pharoah that came on the Scene – according to Acts 7:18 Another = another of a different. Kind

  1. Some suggest that this New Pharaoh was really a Assyrian – that

    2. they had overtaken Egypt - Conjecture

  2. The Another of a Different. Kind could also simply mean – that It was one who was not Partial to the HEBREWS – like the one that employed Joseph
  3. This new Pharaoh – feared the grow of the Hebrews possible revolt – sought to break their spirit – 1st through heavy affliction –
  1. made their lives bitter through hard – LABOR as slaves –

D) But it backfired the v. 12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. ( Church History )

 

When that didn’t work – he sought to employ the Hebrew mid wives to Kill all male Babies before they were born – Pick up v. 15 – 19

  1. Now we touched on this last week – but a few things we didn’t get to comment on
  2. Reminder – these women were not Hebrews but Egyptians who were assigned to help take care of the Hebrew mothers in Birth –
  1. They were Generally women who were barren themselves / they were unable to have families of their own
  1. Note- they would not Carry out Pharaoh’s wicked plan Because they Feared the LORD !!!!!
  1. It seems the Name of the God Of Joseph & Israel had spread through the land of Egypt – some revered HIM !!!
  1. Good thing to note they feared God – more than they feared Pharaoh

 

So Pharaoh calls them & Basically they lie to Him about what happened saying those Hebrew women give birth fast ……

20 Therefore God dealt (HARSHLY ? NO!!) dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.

21 And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. ( Had Children – no longer barren )

Now this is confusing to some how could God Bless these women when they lied ? 2 Principles here

  1. 1st is that I am to obey those in authority over me / Govt. / Spiritually as well as in my family – Rom. 13 makes clear
  2. I am to submit my self to & obey their authority – accept when what they are asking me to do something that violates what God says
  3. EXAMPLE: Acts 5 – Preaching – ordered to stop because they had FILLED JERUSALEM W/ THE NAME OF JESUS
  4. How did Peter respond ? Your telling us not to Preach ? But Jesus told us to take the Gospel to all the World – Obey God or man / Certainly GOD

1) Kids – Sell drugs / Wives watch Porno – Abstain from Evil –

Col. 3: 18 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.

 

How could God Bless their Lying –

  1. It seems that God was majoring on what they did Good – instead of focusing on what they did bad
  2. They feared Him – and God approves the things that are excellent
  3. Higher moral law Obey God – ( NOT MURDER) – Rahab –
  1. So Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive."

CH. 2. We are Introduced to Moses - 1-4

2:1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.

3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river's bank.

4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.

We learn from Ex. 6:20 that Moses – Father’s name was – Am ram & his mothers name was Jochebed – Sister Miriam / Brother Aaron

  1. They were of the Tribe of Levi – which became the Priestly tribe – Aaron being the first High Priest
  2. WE LEARN SOME THINGS ABOUT – MOSES PARENTS HERE
  3. 1ST – PEOPLE OF FAITH - Now Here in Exodus the focus is on Jochebed - & her faith – that hid the Child –
  1. But Heb. 11:23 THE FAITH OF Both Parents are mentioned & in Acts 7:20 only Moses father is mentioned .
  1. So put all together – Learn both of them – Had a Vision for His son – They had faith in the Lord to preserve him / take care of Moses
  1. That faith allowed them to Hide Moses in the House for 3 month’s

 

Where does faith come from- Rom. 10:17 Faith comes by hearing & Hearing by the word of God .

  1. Not only – People of Faith – BUT PEOPLE OF THE WORD – Now they didn’t have the Written Word – Moses – Wrote first 5 books
  2. But they had the Oral Traditions – Promises given to Abe – passed on from Gen to Gen.
  3. I think one of the Evidences of this is look what they put Moses in – Ark

In fact the word Ark here is used in only one other place in all of the Bible – that is w/ Noah’s Ark - Different word from Ark of the Covenant.

  1. And just like Noah’s Ark was Covered w/ Pitch – so too Moses parents covered his little basket w/ Pitch – help in float
  2. How did she Know – Perhaps they Knew the Story of Noah – I think they did .
  3. When other Babies were being Killed – these Parents through faith had a vision for their Son – God had a Plan for him – not right perish

Two winning Components for the Success of your Child –

  1. Have a vision for your child – even if others don’t think that he or she will be worth much – in God’s eyes wonderful & Unique
  1. Search out the Wonderfulness in your Child – the Uniqueness in Your Child – seek the Lord’s wisdom in building up their Strengths /
  1. As well as Helping them through areas where they are Weak – Challenging them to be Stretched try new things / Develop
  1. My 3 Children – are all so different – Personalities & giftings it amazes me – the Diversity of the three
  1. When my Son – Aaron –1st born – was born – I was so excited – Boy play ball - & shoot hoop –
  1. And we do those things together but – Sports is not his first love – Aaron in very Bright & Gifted – interested & thinks about things I never did
  1. So we do different things together – always looking for new things to stimulate his mind & Challenge him in those area’s
  1. I Know Should the Lord Tarry – He has something special for Aaron

So first have a Vision for your kids – Realize God has a Wonderful Unique Plan – 2nd – Give Your Kids the Word ( New Devotions)

  1. LISTEN Teach them the Word of God as well as the God of the Word
  2. Recently heard an Apologist make this statement that 75% of Christian kids raised in Christian homes /schools /Churches
  1. Walk away from the faith- once they get to Secular Colleges because of the fact they get Bombarded by Non Christian students & teachers and they really don’t know what they Believe or Why .
  1. And we live in this Culture – where Naturalism & Relativism are the Popular Philosophies of the day
  1. Naturalism – being the Belief that everything that exist is from Nature – No God No Supernatural / No Creator etc
  1. Relativism – Belief that No Rules / No Absolutes – everything is Relative – what is right for You is Ok / Although – not for me
  1. Only those things which Claim to be the " ABSOLUTES" Like Christianity ARE those things which are to be Avoided
  1. Apologist advice was that we need to Make it our Number one aim in the Church & the Home to teach our Kids about those 2 things so they know How to combat them when they get into that Situation

 

I agree w/ that statement only Partially – I don’t think our # 1 aim ought to be to learn about – Naturalism & Relativism –

  1. Our #1 aim is to teach our Kids about Jesus – who He is / not just to Know about Him / but to Know Him ( Focus here – Children on up)
  2. With that comes Knowing what they believe & why –
  1. But The reason that I Believe that 75% of Christian kids walk away from the Faith is that many only have an Intellectual faith –

b) KNOWLEDGE but not KNOWING - that is what work at !!!!

  1. Been in Ministry for 14 yrs & I was in youth Ministry for 7 of those 14
  1. I have yet to see a Kid who was really Knew the Lord & was in Love w/ Jesus who knew the word Walk away from the faith in College
  1. Myself I didn’t know half of the things that was thrown at me in College, but I never once doubted my faith – I knew Jesus was real
  1. Empty tomb / Reliability of the Bible & the work He had done in my Life & in our family .
  1. Same way don’t need to Know all the In & Outs of Mormonism / Islam / JW – Need to know enough of the True that know it is wrong

1) Enough about Creation / has to be a Creator / Relativism doesn’t work when – affects me personally – Destroy Car

So Important – Vision for Your kids & be in the word w/ Your kids

  1. Know the word & Know the God of the Word –
  2. Takes 2 things to do that - #1 You have to Live it – you have to be a person of the Word yourself / You – need to Know God

    3. 1) really Know Him – Know = By Experience – Experiencing God

  3. 2nd – It takes spending time w/ Your kids /
  4. Scene in Colorado – Question that keeps being asked is where were the parents – when these kids were banging in the Garage making Noise

    5. Janet Parshall, National advocate for the Family Research Council sited that 20% of 6th – 12th graders haven’t had a good Conversation lasting for at least 10 minutes w/ at least one parent in over a month.

  5. I hope none of our kids would fit in that – 20%

 

Back to our story : Moses parents acting in Faith Placed Him in the river –

  1. Last place they would have thought to put him – that is where the Babies were being Drown –
  2. Picture of Salvation : - Moses was as good as dead – doomed to die was taken to the Place of death
  1. & placed by faith in an instrument of Salvation – Ark
  1. Just as Noah was saved – from – death by being placed in the Ark / same word – Ark = a type of Christ !!!!
  2. We who were dead in our sins / been made alive in Christ & placed in Him – for safety / Security – assurance of Salvation
  1. PICTURE OF SALVATION

 

Watch what happens next : v.5-10 / NOTE SEVERAL THINGS

  1. 1ST Divine Orchestration of this meeting : In Egypt during that time the House of Pharoah – own personal bathing pools
  2. But on this day – Pharaoh’s Daughter decides to do her bathing at the River – Coincidence right ?
  1. God was Moving Orchestrate this meeting – perfect time / perfect Place / just the right time gave Moses a Pinch – Cried
  1. Notice 2nd the Divine Blessing – Jochebed's Faith – Miriam – Shall I get a women to Nurse – gets Mom – Gets Paid – DEAL –
  2. 3rd Part of Moses training – between two worlds

He would grow up in the Palace –but He would grow up Knowing about Jehovah –

  1. He being the Only son of Pharaohs daughter – who apparently didn’t have a son of his own – was being trained to take over the Empire
  2. There is an Interlude between v.10 & 11 of Ex. 2/ N.T. gives us some insight – Acts 7: 22 "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
  3. Moses was INTELLECTUALLY TOGETHER – very smart trained in the Best – Schools - Univ. of Egypt –
  1. Historian Josephus tells us that Moses was also an accomplished Military Leader –
  1. Trained to be Next –known ruler of the World – but he walked away from all of that to serve His God / & Suffer w/ His people

Question why did God do it this way – Why did he not get Moses out of the City – Like did w/ Jesus at Beth. – Chance to Grow somewhere else

  1. Why – did He have Moses grow up in this setting & Culture / admist so much power & Prosperity ? 3 reasons
  2. 1st –Great Illustration – Worldly Pleasures don’t compare w/ a Life Lived for God !!!!!! Turn to Heb. 11
  1. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ( Next Ruler of Known World ) WHY?
  2. choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin,
  1. There is the 1st Answer: He realized that Sin is a Passing Pleasure !!!

1) Sure there is Pleasure in Sin – but it doesn’t last – doesn’t Satisfy

D) Not only does the Pleasure of Sin – not last it is also Deadly

When John Belushi died in the spring of 1983 of an overdose of cocaine and heroin, a variety of articles appeared, including one in U.S. News and World Report, on the seductive dangers of cocaine:

"It can do you no harm and it can drive you insane; it can give you status in society and it can wreck your career; it can make you the life of the party and it can turn you into a loner; it can be an elixir for high living and a potion for death."

Like all sin, there's a difference between the appearance and the reality, between the momentary feeling and the lasting effect.

It has Been said

Flirtation with sin can lead to romance with Satan.

The pleasures of sin are "for a season," but its wages are for eternity.

Spurgeon

It is notable that nearly all the poisonous fungi are scarlet or speckled and the wholesome ones brown or gray, as if to show us that things rising out of darkness and decay are always most deadly when they are well dressed."

Moses realized that all the sin that Egypt offered was a Passing Pleasure

2nd – Teaches us where our Focus needs to be !!! -Moses Choose instead to Live for Heaven

26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Two men look out through the same bars of a Prison - One sees the mud, and one the stars.

Phil Grant. Leadership,

A vision is the dominant factor that governs your life. It determines all the choices you are making. It's what's left after all the layers are peeled away like an onion. Clinging like glue to the inside of your rib cage. ... It's what your mind naturally gravitates toward when it is not legitimately concentrating on something else. It's ... what determines your friendships and your relationships that you are cultivating. ... It's what your prayers are about--what you dream about and are giving money toward.

Moses had a Vision of Heaven – Eyes on the Lord –

 

3rdly The life of Moses Illustrates for us – maybe like no other place in the Bible –

  1. It is not by might nor by Power /nor by Human ingenuity or by or by Intellectual Strategizing – but BY MY SPIRIT SAYS THE LORD
  2. We see that Very clearly illustrated in this story - The Life of Moses can be Divided into THREE - 40 yr. Sections
  1. 1st 40 yrs in Egypt Moses Spends becoming a Somebody in Egypt – Well Trained / Well thought of / Well Liked
  1. Next 40 yrs – Moses – spends in the Desert – becoming a Nobody – being Broken – Learning how to trust in the Lord
  1. That is followed by the last 40 yrs – where Moses is the man God uses to Lead EVERYBODY –

Turn back to Ex. Pick up in v.11 -

11 Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

  1. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

Here we see Moses trying to Take Matters into his own hands –

Made 2 Mistakes

  1. Looked this way & that way – but He didn’t Look up – didn’t look to the Lord
  2. Every endeavor – where didn’t seek the Lord – Disaster !!!!
  3. Next Mistake – was that He Tried to Hide His Sin!!!!! –
  1. Your sin will always find you out –
  1. Moses effort in the Flesh Backfired – Read v. 13-15

E) So Begins Moses 2nd 40 yrs - Desert / Seasons of blessing / Breaking