2026_02_22_Exodus

[0:00] Okay, why is he in Midian? Okay, he took off because he killed an Egyptian.! Pharaoh heard of it, sought his life, Moses took off.

[0:15] ! So he went to the land of Midian, sat down by a well. Pardon me. And there he met his wife, his future wife, unbeknownst to him at the moment.

[0:33] But, rule, it's called there in Exodus chapter 2. Rule, but we're going to call him Jethro from now on.

[0:47] Because that's the name we know him by, usually. He's only called rule one time, to my knowledge. And, said, hey, why'd you leave the guy there?

[1:01] You know, he told his daughters, why are you here so soon? Usually you have to contend with those other shepherds, and they, you're back home later.

[1:14] Well, they said this Egyptian guy helped us out. Stood up for us. Well, why'd you leave him there? Go get him. So, at the end of chapter 2, we are, Moses is living with his now father-in-law, and working for him.

[1:44] And that's where we're going to pick up. So, we're at chapter 3, beginning in those first verses.

[1:58] This is the, so begins the story that we're pretty familiar with. If you've been in church since a child, this is one of the first ones you learned.

[2:09] Well, at least when I was. This was one of the first ones we learned about. Where, where is he?

[2:24] I know you said he's in Midian, but when chapter 3, when this begins, where is Moses? Horeb.

[2:39] Horeb. Okay. Specifically, it says he's on the backside of the desert. Why is he there? Okay.

[2:52] Did he, how'd he know where that was? Well, he didn't know. At this point, he doesn't know. Yeah, GPS.

[3:05] He's a geocacher. Yeah, he's pasturing flocks. And he's out there pasturing flocks.

[3:20] And he sees something that amazes him. What is it? The burning bush that's not consumed.

[3:32] All right. Now, he doesn't know yet that it's the mountain of God, so-called.

[3:45] By the way, does God live only on this mountain? Well, later on, God will reveal what about himself?

[4:05] Well, is not heaven my throne and earth my footstool? Do I not inhabit all of the creation? Where, and David will say, where do I go to hide from God?

[4:20] And what is David's answer? Nowhere. If I ascend to the highest heaven, you're there.

[4:31] If I ascend to the deepest realms of the earth, oh, you're there.

[4:41] So, but God's calling it his mountain. So, that's fine. He comes to the mountain of God.

[4:52] He sees a bush that's on fire and it's not consumed. not unusual maybe to see a bush on fire, but to see a bush on fire that never quits burning, now that's kind of unusual.

[5:10] So, what does Moses say? Well, that's interesting. What's he say? He said, I'm going to turn aside and go see what's going on here.

[5:24] This is a wondrous sight. This isn't something I see every day. So, he approaches the bush.

[5:37] Now, what happens when he goes toward the bush? He said, don't approach any further.

[5:53] Why? I'm sorry? He can't see God and what does God specifically tell him?

[6:09] Holy ground. Now, why is this ground holy? Because God's there. Where's God? Everywhere.

[6:22] Now, God says it's a different kind of holiness now. This is holy ground. You don't touch it. And it's holy because God said so, isn't it?

[6:35] Is that not important for me to remember in this dispensation? Why am I a saint? Because God said so.

[6:49] And why did he say so? Because I trusted Jesus Christ to save me. And therefore, before God, if you, we who have trusted Christ, God looks on us and he says, holy.

[7:05] Holy. That's pretty amazing. Because that's not what he's, what I say when I look in the mirror, is it? Now, anyway, the ground's holy because God says it's holy.

[7:27] That's going to become increasingly important as you get into much later in Exodus and then the Mosaic law, isn't it?

[7:39] Because God's going to demand that he's treated how? He's holy. See, one of the things that's dangerous for, it seems to me, is that sometimes we can hear God spoken of as though he no longer looks at, for instance, sin's not important to God anymore.

[8:11] Well, sin's important to God because Christ died for me. That's what put Christ on the cross.

[8:24] And it didn't, by saying that, that's a, that may not be very good wording. Christ came to be sacrificed in my stead because of sin.

[8:41] to redeem his creation. All of it. So, but God will continually say, I am holy.

[8:57] I am holy. And we'll, that'll be a reiteration along through here. So, Moses says, I'm going to turn aside.

[9:08] I'm going to see this magnificent sight. God says, okay, you've come far enough. Stop. Because the ground on which you are standing is holy.

[9:18] It's set apart from the rest of the ground. Because I said so, primarily. Now, Moses is told to take off his shoes because he's standing on holy ground.

[9:33] God goes on to say who he is.

[9:46] What does he tell him? That would be verse 6. Right.

[9:57] he said, this is who I am. Moses, you're standing on sanctified ground and God's going to commission Moses here.

[10:11] But you're standing on sanctified ground and this is who I am. And he's speaking to him from where? From the bush.

[10:21] Now, God isn't necessarily the fire and he's not the bush, but that's where his voice is coming from. And he's speaking to Moses and he says, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, not only your father but your forefathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

[10:48] Now, what does Moses do in response to that? he hides his face. Why? He's afraid.

[11:01] Well, this is God. This isn't just a man that I'm looking at. This is God. Incidentally, later on, the Lord will reveal and write it through David and through Solomon.

[11:24] The beginning of wisdom is what? The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the holy is understanding.

[11:40] God's understanding. The first order of wisdom is to recognize God for being God.

[11:51] He's not, he will say later to Israel in judgment, he will say, you thought that I was altogether like you are.

[12:02] God's God's God's not like me, thankfully.

[12:12] You can be very grateful for that, right? He's, does God forget? We went over this last week.

[12:24] Does God forget? Is God unaware? is God asleep? Is he traveling? Or, as Nietzsche put it, is he dead?

[12:38] No. Well, but we know who is, Nietzsche is. He knows the truth now, by the way. So, God, Moses fears to look on the Lord because he and he hides his face.

[12:59] Now, later on, Moses is going to ask to see God after he's a little more familiar and God says, no, you're still not allowed to see me.

[13:10] But, right now, Moses is hiding his face. Now, God commissions then Moses. He continues to speak to him.

[13:22] And what does he say to Moses? And let's look specifically at verses 7 through 9. He says something to Moses about himself.

[13:41] What does he say? That is about God himself. Verse 7, what, someone read verse 7?

[13:54] This is the first one. Okay, hang on, hang on.

[14:07] So, now, now he's read two things that God has said about himself. What's the one? I have seen the affliction of the people.

[14:19] And what's number two? I've heard the people. Okay, Roger, since you're on a roll, please roll on. Hang on.

[14:35] Now, God says something he's going to do. What is it? I'm going to deliver it. So, now he's seen, he's, and I will, okay, and finish this up, please.

[15:08] Yep. Now, so God says a couple of things about himself here, doesn't he? He sees, he hears, and he, well, the end of verse seven, I know what?

[15:41] Of their sufferings. By the way,! he's not ignorant. That is, and when we use the term ignorant, sometimes we mean stupid, but that's not the definition of ignorant.

[16:01] It means without knowledge. You haven't heard it. You don't know it. What is God ignorant of? Nothing.

[16:12] okay. So, except for my former sin. Now, how he forgets that, I don't know, but I'm thankful. But, here, incidentally, for me today, sometimes you will hear it said that Jesus, that God became man, the incarnation was so that God could understand man.

[16:45] Have you ever heard something along that line? So, he would know what man's really going through. Now, is this before or after the Lord Jesus Christ?

[16:59] this is before, a long time before. And, what does God say about their suffering? I know their suffering.

[17:14] What will David say about God? You understand me thoroughly. Thoroughly.

[17:26] And, you did so before I was born. God so, the incarnation was not so that God could understand men.

[17:40] The incarnation was specifically for this reason Jesus said I came was to give his life as a ransom for my sin.

[17:52] He ransomed me. God the very reason of the incarnation is so that a sufficient sacrifice would be made for sin because the sacrifice of the bull of bloods and goats can never take it away.

[18:09] ! But the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ does. And that's why we rejoice in the grace of God.

[18:22] it's kind of hard to be thankful for the grace of God if I don't really see how desperate I am without it.

[18:35] In fact without the sacrifice of Jesus Christ Paul will say you have no hope.

[18:47] Without hope and without God in the world. there is no promise of eternal life apart from Christ. We need and I need to remember that God understood in the Old Testament he understood his creation.

[19:06] He understands that the birds need to eat. Jesus will tell his disciples who are fearful about the future he will say to them what a sparrow doesn't even fall unless God allows it.

[19:27] And he said take heart you're worth more than many sparrows. So I need to remember that. Now God's going to commission him though.

[19:40] In verse nine he said I have seen their cry has come I've seen their oppression and then you know implied is those verses that went before we remember that he says I've seen them I've heard them I have come to deliver now he's going to tell Moses about how that's going to be accomplished.

[20:06] So what's God's commission? Yeah verse 10 what's he say I'm going to send you to Pharaoh so that what?

[20:26] You can bring my people out of Egypt my people called by my name right?

[20:37] So my people out of Egypt what's Moses response?

[20:48] yeah who am I? Now that's a reasonable response who am I that I should do such a great move right?

[20:59] Who am I that I should do that? Moses is not necessarily at least at this point saying I don't want to we will see that in a bit but he's saying I'm not important enough so what's God say?

[21:26] Okay I'll be with you and what? this verse is kind of important to me in this dispensation verse 12 what's he say?

[21:44] I will certainly be with you and what? Okay and this is your sign Moses what is it? Well what's the sign for?

[21:56] that I have that I have sent you okay Moses this is the sign that I'm going to give you that I have sent you what is the sign when now wait a minute Lord I was kind of counting on a sign now ahead of time I I'm going to go back to Romans chapter 8 because that's one of the great verses and sometimes it sounds like a platitude but it's not I need to remember it what does God say in Romans chapter 8 verse 28 okay listen

[22:59] Christian he says everything is going to work together for good to you now comes the rub when am I going to see that see you have known brothers and sisters in the Lord who have trusted Christ they put their eternal destiny in the hands of the Lord Jesus but as they approach the end of life they begin to wonder don't they you you've known someone well I wonder have I done enough or something like that you see the apostle

[24:03] Paul well God says it through the apostle Paul in that Romans chapter 8 he said look you you wait in hope that is confidence in Christ you're absolutely confident in God and the work of Christ on the cross and I'll tell you what everything's going to work together for good to them that love God now did it work together for when that is used sometimes in churches they don't mean eternally do they they mean oh you're going through a tough time now but everything's going to work together for good well sometimes you don't see it the disciples in Jerusalem prayed for Peter when he was in prison and he was released right you think any of the church prayed for

[25:08] Peter when he was arrested by Rome I think probably but he was killed that time Paul and Silas sang praises in the Philippian prison and they were released but there's going to come a time when they're not going to be released sometimes we're going to go this body is going to go through the whole thing and we're not going to see it and that's where the hope comes in the reliance upon Christ and I need to practice that when things are easy so that when things get hard I don't forget I don't forget the Lord well here God says this is going to be your sign Moses when you bring the people out well you know I was kind of counting on something before now he's going to get something before don't worry but not everybody does do they in fact very few when when right by the way piece of trivia how did

[26:54] God take Elijah into heaven huh no I remember the chariot of fire but it says he took him in a whirlwind he went up in the whirlwind the chariots of fire were there but he went up in the whirlwind it just that was a piece of trivia and it has nothing to do with it does have to do though with reading detail it's got you know we just came past Christmas how many wise men kind of thing yeah I know there were three there were three wise guys at least all right so now what what does

[27:56] God continue then to tell Moses see Moses has a question for God what is Moses question first God has just told him this will be this will be the sign that you will worship God on this mountain after you've come out of Egypt now Moses has a question okay you've sent me to speak to the children of Israel right and I'm going to say to them what you told me to say but Lord you forgot this part they're going to ask me what what's his name kind of prove it what am

[29:01] I now what's Moses question what am I going to say who shall I say okay so what's God's answer I am that I am that's a nearest English translation they could come up with it's it's the primary root of the word existence or be and it has to do I believe I'm convinced with God is saying I am the one who exists it's his self existence he see in the beginning in the beginning God created now who created God right God is the one who exists independently of his creation as part of holiness he's holy because he's outside the creation he exists not because of the creation he just exists wrap that around

[30:23] I don't get it exactly nor that's why he says you won't comprehend me now that doesn't mean we don't know anything about God we can know truth about God as he reveals himself we know truth about God even though we don't know truth exhaustively we don't comprehend God but we know some true things about him and one of them is he self existent Jesus will say later on when he's walking the earth Jesus will say the father has life in himself and he gives it to the son and the son has the authority to give that life to whomsoever he will and that's why

[31:26] Jesus will say later no man takes my life but I I give it up willingly and I have the authority to lay it down and to pick it up again Jesus is God I can let the body die it's going to really die but I have the authority to resurrect my own body I don't get it but I'm thankful for it but it helps me also to trust the God who is there and to recognize that this is the God who has redeemed us okay let's keep so I I am that I am has sent you now God goes on and explains some things what is it verse 15 you'll see that he says the

[32:34] Lord God you see that okay it's important to remember and I know we rehearse it frequently and forgive me for that but it's important for me to remember that when we see the Lord in all capitals it's his given name that's Jehovah okay so he says I am who again the Lord God of your fathers okay and he says you tell them that I that this is the God who has sent me to you and this is my name what and this name is my memorial to all generations and he's talking specifically to

[33:35] Israel this is my memorial name and that's part of the reason why Israel and even today practicing Jews will not write the vowels in God's name they won't they point only the I don't understand the language but they only will actually write the what we call the consonant part so because this is my memorial name this is the holy name of God and that's why they do that so revelation 1 8 I am that I am revelation 1 8 says I am you know this verse I think I am the alpha and the omega the beginning and the end this is the one which is the one which was the one which is to come the future

[34:51] I inhabit God alone inhabits eternity he inhabits eternity so that's kind of a reiteration of that name now God's going to tell Moses to gather whom and tell them what gather the elders of Israel right the Lord God Jehovah God of your fathers Abraham Isaac and Jacob appeared to me and he said something what did he say I have surely visited you and seen which was done to you in

[35:56] Egypt verse 17 I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt into this land unto a land how does he describe it flowing with milk and honey so this is what you do Moses you gather the elders of Israel and you tell them that Jehovah God has appointed you to come to you've seen him he's come to you he has sent me and this is what he said to say to you now what does God say will happen they will hearken to your voice they'll listen now what does God say then that Moses should do or that all of them should do really verse 18 what does he tell them you gather the elders you tell them this they will listen to you and then what he said then you all go not just

[37:20] Moses and Aaron but you take the elders with you and you go where you go to Pharaoh and what do they say the Lord the God of the Hebrews has met with us well eventually but let us go specifically here what does he say let us go three days out into the wilderness and their sacrifice to the Lord right now is this God's ultimate plan no no he says go make this offer to

[38:23] Pharaoh let him go give us a leave of absence we're going to go three days into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord right that's what they are to tell Pharaoh now but God's already told Moses what the plan is in 3 8 remember he told Moses I'm you're going to bring him out this isn't going to be a three day journey it's going to be a permanent journey so a permanent exodus but this is the first offer and we're going to stop with the first offer because of the time now God willing next week we'll pick up with chapter 3 verse 19 you can title that just to whet your appetite!

[39:32] I will smite Egypt have a time to have to get to!