Notes: February 19, 2008 – Exodus 4-5

Moses argues with God about the new leadership role

Exodus 4

I.  They won’t believe me (1-9)

2: What is in your hand?

3-9: Signs and wonders to prove that God has called Moses to the task

  • rod becomes a serpent (3-5)
  • hand becomes leprous (6-7)
  • river water becomes blood (8-9)

 

II. I am not eloquent (10-17)

11: Who has made Man’s mouth

12-16: Divine revelation is God speaking to a man

 

III. God foretells how this will all work out (18-23)

19: The men who sought Moses’ life are now dead

21: God will harden Pharaoh’s heart and Pharaoh will not let the people go

22-23: Ultimately Moses must threaten the life of Pharaoh’s firstborn son

 

IV. God teaches Moses that rules are rules, even for leaders (24-26)

24: There must have been a mixture of fear and excitement as Moses and his family journeyed back to Egypt

25: When Zipporah realized that the Lord would kill Moses because he had not circumcised their son, she did it

26: Then God let Moses go

 

V. God arranges for Aaron to work with Moses (27-31)

27: God was working in Aaron’s life, too

29-30: When the family leaders of Israel heard Moses and saw the signs and wonders, they worshipped God

 

Meditation Points:

  • God authenticates his messengers. Prophets of the Old Testament often performed miracles; Christ rose from the dead; Apostles of the New Testament cast out demons and healed the sick. What has God given to us so that the world would know that we are His disciples?
    • John 13:34-35
    • 34  A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
      35  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.
  • All of our excuses for not being willing to do the work of the Lord fall flat when we realize who God is and what He can do with us.
    • Philippians 2:13-14
    • 13  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
      14  Do all things without murmurings and disputings:
  • God had given Abraham the ordinance of circumcision as a perpetual obligation; and Moses was not excused from obedience. We may think the laws of God to be petty and insignificant, but God assures us that He is dead serious about our keeping them.

 

Exodus 5

I. Pharaoh’s refuses to let the Israelite go (1-5)

1: Without signs and wonders Moses approaches Pharaoh with the Lord’s commandment

2: Who is the Lord?

3: The Lord is the God of the Hebrews

4-5: Why do you encourage the people not to work?

 

II. Pharaoh makes the work of the Israelites more burdensome (6-14)

7: The workers must now find their own straw for the manufacture of bricks

8: The daily quota of bricks is not diminished

9: Keep them busy and they won’t have time for foolish thoughts of worship

 

III. The family leaders of Israel have a labor dispute with their boss (15-19)

15-16: The labor leaders complain to the boss that it’s management’s fault that the quota is not being reached

17-19: The boss stands behind his management team

 

IV. The family leaders complain to Moses and Aaron (20-23)

20-21: The people accuse Moses of making life more difficult for them

22-23: Moses asks God why things haven’t worked out the way he planned

 

Meditation Points:

  • God had said that Pharaoh initially would not allow the Israelites to leave Egypt.
  • But God had not said that before things got better, they would get a lot worse.
  • To Moses, the grand plan of God had fallen apart. Beware lest you allow the complaints of others to influence you to doubt God’s wisdom or ability.

 

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