Exodus Part 2 Who is Moses?

 For those of us that are a certain age, do you ever think about what it would be like to have a child right now? Obviously having a child no matter what or when is a beautiful thing, and if you are thinking about having a child right now, understand that our church family will be there for you. Or, if you ever need advice someone is there for you. But I do think about what it would be like to raise a child right now. Religion doesn't seem to be a priority to people right now, and it seems like the world is more divided than ever. But this has to be better than when Moses was born right? Let's look at the situation that Moses was born into, this happens in Exodus 1:22.

22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Throw every newborn Hebrew boy into the Nile River. But you may let the girls live.”

Let's be honest, Moses was born into a situation that was rougher than a raising a child right now. So how did Moses survive? Here is the story of his birth in Exodus chapter 2:

Chapter 2

The Birth of Moses

About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. 4 The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him. 

5 Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. 6 When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said. 

7 Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. 

8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. 

9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him. 

10 Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” 

I would probably call this miracle number one of Moses life. God was at work already. That's important to think about. So many people think that being born is just luck or that God waits until we are born to see what he has to decide if he can work with us or not. Even before Pharoah had a plan to throw every Hebrew boy into the river, God had a plan to use Moses. That means that before you were even born, God had a plan. Now we are going to find out that we do not need to be perfect or even close to perfect to be used by God.

Moses Escapes to Midian

11 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. 12 After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. 

13 The next day, when Moses went out to visit his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. “Why are you beating up your friend?” Moses said to the one who had started the fight. 

14 The man replied, “Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?” 

Then Moses was afraid, thinking, “Everyone knows what I did.” 15 And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. 

I'm not sure if anyone knows someone who has murdered someone, but if we did, what would we think of them? When we think about sins that a person can commit, isn't murder not only the first one that we think of, but don't we also believe that it's the worst sin? So now Moses has committed a murder and he is forced to flee. Some of us are so stuck in our ways that the only way we will get up off the couch and move is if we are forced to flee our current situation. So now that Moses has murdered someone, can God still use him? Again, I don't want to be in everyone's business, but don't we consistently believe that if we are guilty of a certain sin that God no longer wants us. Once we believe that God may not want us, most of us stop communicating with God. We believe that he is mad at us and done with us. Not only good spiritual advice but also good marriage advice, if you mess up, admit it, and communicate even more than before. Most of the time we got ourselves into a bad situation because we didn't communicate very well, so how do we solve the issue, start talking and keep talking. 

Up next, we have another interesting situation, when we mess up and we are ready to repent, we get ahead of ourselves. I said sorry, so now I believe that everything is back to normal, and you should 100% trust me and give me everything that I had before and more. God decides that Moses needs time and lots of it. When he fled Egypt, he went to a place called Midian. While in Midian, Moses found a job and a wife. During all of this time something else happens, this is what is says in Exodus 2:23.

23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 25 He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act. 

If they had email, text or Facebook during the time of Moses, I think Moses would have read the update on his phone and thought, " Those poor people, I really hope someone goes and helps them". I feel like I do that a lot, I read something, or I hear about it from someone, and I really do hope that someone helps them, but I really don't want it to be me. I worry that if God wants me to really do something he is going to have to do something bold to get my attention. I guess that's what he had to do with Moses also. This is what happens in Exodus chapter 3.

Chapter 3

Moses and the Burning Bush

One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian. He led the flock far into the wilderness and came to Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the middle of a bush. Moses stared in amazement. Though the bush was engulfed in flames, it didn’t burn up. 3 “This is amazing,” Moses said to himself. “Why isn’t that bush burning up? I must go see it.” 

4 When the LORD saw Moses coming to take a closer look, God called to him from the middle of the bush, “Moses! Moses!” 

“Here I am!” Moses replied. 

5 “Do not come any closer,” the LORD warned. “Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground. 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” When Moses heard this, he covered his face because he was afraid to look at God. 

7 Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come down to rescue them from the power of the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own fertile and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey—the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites now live. 9 Look! The cry of the people of Israel has reached me, and I have seen how harshly the Egyptians abuse them. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You must lead my people Israel out of Egypt.”

What part do you focus on more if this is you? At first you have a burning bush, then you have an angel of the Lord appear to you, then finally you have God calling you from the middle of the bush. AMAZING! But there is a very big catch. He only got your attention so that he can tell you that you have to go to Egypt to save his people. I really hope that if God came to me in any form I would be willing. I worry that I would argue with God. Between Exodus 3:11 and Exodus 4:13 it says that Moses protested 3 times and pleaded with God twice. This is what it says in verse 13.

13 But Moses again pleaded, “Lord, please! Send anyone else.” 

Now notice what it says in verse 14.

14 Then the LORD became angry with Moses. “All right,” he said. “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he speaks well. And look! He is on his way to meet you now. He will be delighted to see you

Remember earlier when we were talking about murderers? Moses was forgiven, he was given a new start. He was given a wife and a son. We would have written him off. We would have talked about him behind his back. God came to him and said, I need you. I want you. Moses protested and pleaded. I wonder how many times I have protested and pleaded with God? I wonder what he wanted me to do. Did God ask me to tell someone at work about him and instead I protested? Did he ask me to give money to a poor person and I pleaded? 

This is how chapter 4 ends.

Moses Returns to Egypt

18 So Moses went back home to Jethro, his father-in-law. “Please let me return to my relatives in Egypt,” Moses said. “I don’t even know if they are still alive.” 

“Go in peace,” Jethro replied. 

19 Before Moses left Midian, the LORD said to him, “Return to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you have died.” 

20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and headed back to the land of Egypt. In his hand he carried the staff of God. 

21 And the LORD told Moses, “When you arrive back in Egypt, go to Pharaoh and perform all the miracles I have empowered you to do. But I will harden his heart so he will refuse to let the people go. 22 Then you will tell him, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son. 23 I commanded you, “Let my son go, so he can worship me.” But since you have refused, I will now kill your firstborn son!’ ” 

24 On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the LORD confronted him and was about to kill him. 25 But Moses’ wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin and said, “Now you are a bridegroom of blood to me.” 26 (When she said “a bridegroom of blood,” she was referring to the circumcision.) After that, the LORD left him alone. 

27 Now the LORD had said to Aaron, “Go out into the wilderness to meet Moses.” So Aaron went and met Moses at the mountain of God, and he embraced him. 28 Moses then told Aaron everything the LORD had commanded him to say. And he told him about the miraculous signs the LORD had commanded him to perform. 

29 Then Moses and Aaron returned to Egypt and called all the elders of Israel together. 30 Aaron told them everything the LORD had told Moses, and Moses performed the miraculous signs as they watched. 31 Then the people of Israel were convinced that the LORD had sent Moses and Aaron. When they heard that the LORD was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. 

This is just the introduction of Moses; next we will see what a great leader he was and how he led the people out of Egypt. As we finish this post, I pray that we realize how much God has forgiven us. We have done so many little things and we take it for granted that we are forgiven. I also pray that we are ready when God asks us to do something. I don't want to protest any more. I am ready to be someone that God can use. I want the world to know that they are forgiven just like me and that God can rescue them. 

Another question from the comments-Dedication of the first born

 For those of you following a long in the daily reading, an interesting question came in. For the reading on February 5th, the reading from Exodus 13 starts off with this:

Dedication of the Firstborn

Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 “Dedicate to me every firstborn among the Israelites. The first offspring to be born, of both humans and animals, belongs to me.” 

So, the question that came in was this:

My question is with February fifth. It talks about leaving or giving your 1st born son to God and then you can buy him back. One who is taking care of the kid, and how are you buying him back out?

Great question, in order to answer this question, I have to read your mind a little bit. Because you said, who is taking care of this kid, I have to assume that you are actually referring to a different story and thinking that the same thing applies. Let's look at 1 Samuel 1:9-18

Hannah’s Prayer for a Son

9 Once after a sacrificial meal at Shiloh, Hannah got up and went to pray. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance of the Tabernacle. 10 Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made this vow: “O LORD of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut.” 

12 As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her. 13 Seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. 14 “Must you come here drunk?” he demanded. “Throw away your wine!” 

15 “Oh no, sir!” she replied. “I haven’t been drinking wine or anything stronger. But I am very discouraged, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. 16 Don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow.” 

17 “In that case,” Eli said, “go in peace! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” 

18 “Oh, thank you, sir!” she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad. 

I believe this is the story you are thinking of when you hear the words " Dedicate to me every first born".  When Hannah says this, she does actually mean that she will physically give her son to Eli. This is what it says in 1 Samuel 1:24-28.

24 When the child was weaned, Hannah took him to the Tabernacle in Shiloh. They brought along a three-year-old bull for the sacrifice and a basket of flour and some wine. 25 After sacrificing the bull, they brought the boy to Eli. 26 “Sir, do you remember me?” Hannah asked. “I am the very woman who stood here several years ago praying to the LORD. 27 I asked the LORD to give me this boy, and he has granted my request. 28 Now I am giving him to the LORD, and he will belong to the LORD his whole life.” And they worshiped the LORD there. 

So in this situation, part of Hannah's prayer was that if God would give her the son she wanted, she would give her child back to God. The situation and the words used are very similar to what is used in the February 5th reading. One key thing I want to point out, in the February 5th reading God is talking to his people. In the story of Hannah, she is talking to God. I point that out because I do think that sometimes we don't realize that God is actually asking from us way less than we think he is. We make it seem like he is asking the impossible of us when he just wants love and attention. So, now that we have hopefully established what you were thinking about during the reading, what is God actually asking for in Exodus 13? Here is where it gets a little tricky. I have looked over many different commentaries and it's hard to define. The main thing that they all agree on is the fact that the Israelites are going through the act of dedicating the first born because during the 10th plague when they were trying to leave Egypt, God sacrificed all of the first-born sons and animals of all of the Egyptians but did touch the first born of the Israelites. As a remembrance of this, they celebrate the Passover, and they dedicate their first born. So, the good news is that they all agree on why they do this. The bad news is that they are not very clear about how they do this. Some say that they give a certain amount of money to the priests, others say that they sacrifice an animal. So, you would actually hand over the first born to the priest and then buy him back with a certain amount of money or a sacrifice of some kind. Others say that you are making the commitment to have your first-born study the word. That way he could lead the next generation in knowing what to do to follow God. Either way, in the end, the parents are still raising their first-born child and they have "bought him back from God" by either giving money or making a sacrifice to God. Hopefully that answers your question, if not please let me know and we can try it again! 

As always, Thank you for the question, and keep more coming!!

Exodus part one

I really believe that if we could see how connected the bible is we would want to dive in more and keep trying to find more and more connections. I bring that up because the combination of how long it has taken me to get back on here and the fact that we read Job in between Genesis and Exodus, you kind of forgot what happened last in the book of Genesis. So, before we can move on to Exodus, I want to take a few moments to show how the books of Genesis and Exodus connect. First, I want to look at Genesis 15:12:15

12 As the sun was going down, Abram fell into a deep sleep, and a terrifying darkness came down over him. 13 Then the LORD said to Abram, “You can be sure that your descendants will be strangers in a foreign land, where they will be oppressed as slaves for 400 years. 14 But I will punish the nation that enslaves them, and in the end they will come away with great wealth. 15 (As for you, you will die in peace and be buried at a ripe old age.)

Now look at Genesis 50:22-24

The Death of Joseph

22 So Joseph and his brothers and their families continued to live in Egypt. Joseph lived to the age of 110. 23 He lived to see three generations of descendants of his son Ephraim, and he lived to see the birth of the children of Manasseh’s son Makir, whom he claimed as his own. 24 “Soon I will die,” Joseph told his brothers, “but God will surely come to help you and lead you out of this land of Egypt. He will bring you back to the land he solemnly promised to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” 

I wanted to start off by looking at those two sets of scripture because I wanted to remind everyone that as the book of Genesis was ending, the people probably thought everything was wonderful. But God had given warning signs to tell everyone that in the end this was not a great situation, and they would be slaves and eventually they would need God to deliver them out of this bad situation.

Now, let's actually move on to the book of Exodus! Let's start off by looking at Exodus 1:6-11.

6 In time, Joseph and all of his brothers died, ending that entire generation. 7 But their descendants, the Israelites, had many children and grandchildren. In fact, they multiplied so greatly that they became extremely powerful and filled the land. 

8 Eventually, a new king came to power in Egypt who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 9 He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are. 10 We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” 

11 So the Egyptians made the Israelites their slaves. They appointed brutal slave drivers over them, hoping to wear them down with crushing labor. They forced them to build the cities of Pithom and Rameses as supply centers for the king.

I want to point out something really quickly before we get too far. The book starts out mentioning the fact that Joseph has died. Obviously, no one can live forever, but I think sometimes we don't realize what happens when we lose a great leader. We have people in our life that are making a great impact and then when they leave, we aren't prepared for it. Sadly, when some people who are impacting us negatively leave, we mourn far more.

So now the Israelites are all slaves to the Egyptians, the Egyptians are smart enough to realize that if they don't do something, the Israelites will keep getting bigger and possibly one day take over all of Egypt. So, they come up with a great plan, kill all the male babies.

Exodus 1:15-16

15 Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 16 “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.”

And again, God comes through for them:

Exodus 1:17-21

17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too. 

18 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?” 

19 “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women,” the midwives replied. “They are more vigorous and have their babies so quickly that we cannot get there in time.” 

20 So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. 

Knowing what we know about God, we know that he is going to use all of this for his good. He is going to use this situation to bring us the next great leader we need. Again, a lesson that we all need to remember, through tragedy, God always has a plan. Let's continue moving to chapter two of Exodus.

Chapter 2

The Birth of Moses

About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. 2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. 3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. 4 The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him. 

5 Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. 6 When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said. 

7 Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. 

8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. 

9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him. 

10 Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” 

I want to take a quick break before we continue to talk about Moses in the next post, but I just want to point out something here. The only way that an Israelite male baby would be safe during this time, would be if it had something to do with Pharoah's family. God found a way to put this baby in the only possible safe place. 

We have now been introduced to Moses, and we have seen that Genesis set us up for Exodus. I'm going to take a short break and answer a question that was made in the comments and then I will be back quickly to continue to talk about Moses.