Exodus 4:10-31 The Calling Of Moses

Intro: Seen how God appeared to Moses in a Burning Bush / Revealed Himself to Moses as a Covenant. Keeping God / Redeemer

  1. 3:10 The Lord says Come now I will send you – to which Moses Responds Who am I

B) God Replies back that is not the Issue – WHO IS W/ YOU ISSUE

    1. In other words Moses this is the Only thing that you need to Know is I will be With You
  1. But then Moses responded – But Who do I say has sent me ? Who are You what is Your Name

1) At this point Moses is very much Like Mary when the Angel appeared to her ………… - "How can this be, since I do not know a man?"

D) Mary wasn’t doubting – what the Angel said –but was seeking some clarification / Understanding

    1. In Essence saying /Wow - How is this going to happen since I haven’t Known a man
  1. This is how I see Moses initially here – He is in Shock – the wonder of it all – a Burning Bush is talking to me
  1. How is this going to come down – Who do I tell them is sending me ?

 

God answers Moses again by revealing His name – His Memorial to all Generations – tell them the I AM has sent you

  1. It was an all encompassing name of God – So holy & Radical we don’t even know how to pronounce it
  2. But Put simply God was revealing Himself to Moses as the Becoming One / Moses all that you need will be found in me
  1. God proceeds to assure Moses in v. 16-22 of all that He is going to do in Delivering His people - affirms again – I will be w/ You
  1. And in v.18 – He assures Moses that the People will heed his voice – Moses they are going to listen to you
  1. This is all Moses needed to Know – The All Knowing / All Powerful / All encompassing God is going to be w/ You & they will listen
  1. Saw where Moses answers again Ch. 4:1 But what if they don’t Listen – Now Moses is doubting / arguing / God says they will listen
  1. Moses says but what if they don’t ?
  1. God in His Grace & patience says – I will give you 3 signs / Rod / hand / water to Blood – ( Where we left off last week )

Pick up in v. 10

  1. Then Moses said to the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue."

Now Moses is making excuses – Lord I can’t talk / Lord I am not Eloquent /

  1. Although Acts 7: 26 Moses mighty in word & Deed – not really being truthful –

B) Love How God deals w/ this : 11 So the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the LORD?

12 "Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say."

C)Lord responds in a way that is so refreshing for me – Moses who made

You ? Who made your mouth – who makes the Mute deaf seeing blind

Eph. 2:8-10

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.

  1. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

This is so great – workmanship is Poema - POEM – work of Art –

  1. Now all of us are a work in Progress – but the Lord has made us the way that we are
  2. Came to grips w/ this – I used to compare myself to some friends I have – who in my opinion were Brilliant guys
  1. I am more of a Simple minded guy – These guys understood or at least could talk like they understood these deep concepts
  1. And one of these guys in particular was not only Brilliant / High IQ incredible Vocabulary but also a great speaker
  1. Most guys that smart are boring – but this guy was quick witted & funny / take complicated things & make them simple
  1. I used to think - I am hopeless – God could never use me in that way –
  1. Then I read this passage in Ex. Moses who made your mouth …..
  1. Reminded of Eph. His Workmanship – His Poema – God has made me who I am for a reason / think how I do – use me as I am
  1. Thank you Lord – although I am always seeking to grow in the areas where I am weak – I am at rest – God will use what I have

Story is told of the great Evangelist D.L. Moody who was used by the Lord to Preach to more than 100 million People but was horrible at grammar –

A) Once after one of his Messages a Seminary student walked up & said Mr. Moody I counted 18 grammatical errors in the first 5 Min of your Mess.

  1. Moody Responded – Young man I am using all the grammar I got for God’s Glory what are you doing w/ Yours ?

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  2. Paul said when he came to Corinth –

    3. 2:1 And I, brethren, when I came to you, did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God.

    4 And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, 5 that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.
  3. Paul is saying I didn’t rest on my ability but on God’s – that is what the Lord is trying to get through to Moses
  1. Moses it is not about You !!! It is about Me / & allowing me to work in & through My Workmanship for my Glory
  1. How does Moses Respond ?
  1. But he said, "O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send."
  1. Crack up – LORD I’M BEGGING YOU ANYONE BUT ME

14 So the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said: "Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.

15 "Now you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. 16 "So he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. "And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs."

 

God calls us to be Men & Women of faith – Not doubting & wavering

  1. And Just Like He did w/ Moses He gives us every reason to be People of Faith
  2. Starts at Calvary – Romans 8:31,32

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? ( FAITH COMES IN – DO I BELIEVE THAT )

HERE IS THE PROOF

  1. He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?
  1. God say to us – Listen all you need to know is that 2,000 yrs ago I gave my very best for You – Not leave you hanging Now
  1. So God is for us / Jesus said never leave us or forsake us / H.S. is guarantee of the father & Living in us
  1. What are we worrying about - Why am I doubting – is God really for me / does He really want to bless me & work in me
  1. My response needs to be – LORD I AM YEILDED TO YOU
  1. What I have I give to you – take it & use it – Like the 5 loaves & 2 fish
  1. He will!!!!!

Read v. 18- 21

Once again this takes us back to v. 19 of Ch. 3 19 "But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand.

A) V.19 Key verse King will not let them Go !!! God’s Omniscience

Key verse in understanding later – God Hardened Pharaoh’s heart

B) Pharaoh’s heart was already hard & the Lord Knew it / the Lord is illustrating this

  1. When we read later that Pharaoh hardened his heart & that God hardened Pharaohs heart 2 things to note

1st – Mentioned – 14 times that Pharaohs hardened his heart

7 times Pharaoh Hardened his Heart - & 7 times that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart

  1. Pharaoh – idea is that Pharaoh Hardened his heart & then God Ratified or solidified His Choice –

B) Which is made very clear by the Language – 2nd thing to Note

There is a degree of hardening spoken of

C)Pharaoh stiffened his heart - / God ……/ God solidified Pharaoh’s position

his choice

D) Pharaoh hardened – little stronger / God ……/ God solidified Pharaoh’s

position his choice again

  1. Pharaoh made his heart firm – little more stronger / God ….. firm/

But it all comes back to this right here God Knew Pharaoh’s heart – but allowed the scenario to play out – never accused of being unfair

  1. Gives Chance after Chance -

22 "Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD: "Israel is My son, My firstborn.

  1. "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."' "

 

Sad but it would take Pharaoh losing his son before he would finally let the people go

  1. How often do we make that same Mistake – where it takes us losing something that we really love before we yield to the Lord

  2. Guys there is a better way !!!! – Guys we don’t have to learn everything in the school of hard Knocks !!!!!

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!"

  1. So He let him go. Then she said, "You are a husband of blood!"; because of the circumcision.

Now you recall that When Moses fled as a fugitive from Egypt, he went to the land of Midian.

  1. The Midianites were the offspring of Abraham and Keturah. – whom he married after Sarah died .
  2. The Midianites were monotheistic people. They were not idolaters but worshiped one God. Moses felt at home with these people.
  1. He became close friends with the priest of Midian who had seven daughters.
  1. Moses married his daughter Zipporah -- her name means "sparrow" or "little bird."
  1. God blessed Moses' home in the beginning. He had a son he named Hi Gershom, meaning "stranger",

But In Moses' married life, unfortunately, there was a problem.

  1. We read here that as Moses started his journey to Egypt, God attempted to kill him. Why?
  2. The reason is that Moses had neglected the rite of circumcising his son.
  3. Understand that Circumcision was the badge and seal of God's covenant with Abraham
  1. It was designed to teach the Israelites to have no confidence in the flesh.
  1. The flesh was to be cut away, and each Israelite was to place his trust in God.

    2. 1) They were to be a people of Faith & this was the Mark that reminder of that Covenant. W/ God – Walk by Faith not by sight

  2. Abraham believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness. Isaac and Jacob followed the example of Abraham.
  1. Circumcision was their Badge that they were trusting in the Lord /

It was an evidence of their faith.

Apparently Zipporah had resisted the ordinance of circumcision, and Moses had not insisted upon it.

  1. Perhaps Moses did not feel this act was so important, and obviously his wife felt it was a foolish and bloody thing to do.
  2. At any rate, Moses did not want to cause any marital rift so he just ignored this little thing .
  1. But God wouldn’t let this Persist – Never does w/ compromise – Just like w/ Pergamos & Thyratira – Good doesn’t out weight the Bad
  1. So it seems that the Lord Pinned Moses to the Ground - & dealt w/ Him
  1. Zipporah recognized what the Problem was & dealt w/ it
  1. Marriage – First need to Obey the Lord – even at the cost of making our Spouses upset
  1. Men Be leaders – Wife might not be there but You do what is right in the Lord – or we will have bigger problems in the Long run
  1. Guys are their any areas of the flesh – that need to be cut away in your Home ? Deal w/ it !!! Do it !!!!

Read v. 27-31

  1. So the People Believed – note that – Moses was all worked up over everything that He thought wasn’t going to Happen
  1. We simply read & the People Believed

B) But Notice when they Believed - when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

  1. Guys we are called to Live by Faith & the Lord has given us a ordinance to do that speaks of when God visited man in his affliction
  1. Ordinance of Communion
  1. Do this in remembrance of Me - It too is a symbol of the removal of the Flesh – in several ways
  1. 1st – No longer going to live by my flesh to try to please God – trying to be " Good enough / or right enough" Follow Rules & Regulations

 

  1. Instead I will put my faith in the one who saw me in my affliction & came to Visit man in order to Save me by Dying for me !!!

 

Also a removal of the Flesh in the sense that I am acknowledging that I am no longer desiring to Live for my flesh – satisfy my Flesh

  1. Jesus declared on that same night – Greater love has no man than this than he lay down his life for his friends .. You are my friends …. You
  2. Also washing of their feet – Illustration of that kind of Life he was calling us to – living not to please self / but the Lord & others
  3. In Communion indicating in a Mystical way – I am partaking of You Lord – in my Desire to Be more Like You

1) Not live for my Flesh but to walk in the Spirit !!!!!!