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Moses Page 3

  1. Even more, God put another miracle upon the Egyptians to judge them for their evils (Exodus 8:20-30).

    1. This time he sent flies instead!

    2. Before sending the flies to cover Egypt and plague it, God sent Moses and Aaron back to Pharaoh to warn him as to what the Lord would do.

      1. The Lord did make a difference in this judgment between the Egyptians and the children of Israel.

      2. He would only send the flies upon the Egyptians, but the children of Israel would be left alone.

        1. In other words, the flies would not bother the children of Israel!

    3. The flies ruined the land of Egypt and even covered inside of Pharaoh’s palace!

    4. This plague of flies caused Pharaoh to tell Moses the following words, “Go, sacrifice to your God here in the land” (Exodus 8:25 New International Version).

      1. This seemed like a good thing, but there was one problem.

      2. God asked for His worship to be done in the wilderness and not in Egypt.

      3. So, what Pharaoh was allowing was not allowed by God!

      4. Why not?

      5. Remember, we learned about worshipping in spirit and truth earlier in this lesson (John 4:24).

      6. The same concepts apply here.

      7. If Moses and Aaron would have accepted Pharaoh’s offer to go worship in Egypt instead of completely following what God commanded, then the Lord would not have accepted their worship.

      8. As always, we must worship in truth, which in this case meant for the children of Israel to worship in the wilderness only!

      9. Moses replied to Pharaoh’s flawed offer with these words, “…We must take a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the Lord our God, as he commands us” (Exodus 8:27 New International Version).

      10. Pharaoh told the children of Israel that He would let them go worship in the wilderness as long as they did not go too far away.

        1. He also asked Moses and Aaron to pray for him!

      11. As Moses did before, he prayed to the Lord and God took the flies away.

      12. However, Pharaoh lied again and would not allow the children of Israel to go into the wilderness to worship God!

  2. The story of Moses, Aaron, and Pharaoh does not end with the plague of flies, because God would also plague Egypt’s livestock (Exodus 9:1-7).

    1. God forewarned Pharaoh that he would bring death to the Egyptian’s horses, donkeys, camels, cows, sheep, and goats if he did not release the children of Israel.

      1. He also told Pharaoh through Moses and Aaron that only the Egyptian’s livestock would be killed and He would preserve the children of Israel’s livestock from death.

    2. Things happened just as God had said.

      1. The Egyptian animals died, but the children of Israel’s animals lived through the plague.

      2. Pharaoh saw that God preserved the children of Israel’s animals and destroyed his.

      3. However Pharaoh remained stubborn and still would not give the Hebrews their freedom.

    3. This shows us that God can bless us and still punish our enemies at the same time.

      1. This is the power of God.

      2. Remember, don’t take revenge yourself.

        1. That is something God has to decide to do on His own.

        2. We are to love our enemies instead and pray that God would forgive them (Romans 12:17-21; Luke 23:34).

  3. If the plague on the livestock was not enough, God also threatened a plague of boils on the Egyptian people themselves (Exodus 9:8-12).

    1. God told Aaron and Moses to take soot from a furnace and in the presence of Moses, they were to throw the soot in the air.

      1. After they threw it in the air, the Lord would cause the Egyptians to break out in boils on their body.

      2. Moses did so and the Egyptians broke out as God had said.

      3. However, Pharaoh was still too stubborn to let the children of Israel go!

  4. God rained a tremendous hail storm on Egypt for not letting the children of Israel go (Exodus 9:13-35).

    1. The hail storm was so bad that it killed the Egyptian people who were outside.

    2. It killed the Egyptian animals left outside.

    3. It also killed the crops the Egyptians had in the field.

      1. This was the worst storm Egypt had ever seen.

    4. The good part of the storm is that it did not touch the land of Goshen, which was the area of Egypt where the children of Israel were living at the time.

      1. God spared them from the destruction!

    5. The storm’s destruction moved Pharaoh to admit he had sinned against God!

    6. Pharaoh said, “Pray to the Lord, for we have had enough thunder and hail. I will let you go; you don’t have to stay any longer” (Exodus 9:28 New International Version).

      1. Moses prayed to God just as Pharaoh asked.

        1. Unfortunately, Pharaoh lied again and would not let the children of Israel go!

      2. What does this lesson teach us?

        1. Some people make the mistake of acknowledging God only when they need him.

          1. Pharaoh was no exception.

          2. He wanted the benefits that God could give him, but not the responsibility of serving Him.

        2. Don’t be that way!

          1. Jesus tells us that we have to be faithful to Him no matter what (Revelation 2:10).

          2. When we are having good times in our lives, we are to keep believing and obeying Him.

          3. When we are having bad times in our lives, we are to keep believing and obeying Him!

          4. The key is to be consistent with our faithfulness and when we die, God will give us the heavenly salvation we all want!

  5. It is unbelievable, but God sent more plagues unto Egypt in an effort to free the children of Israel (Exodus 10:1-20).

    1. This next plague was a plague of locusts!

      1. Through Moses and Aaron, Pharaoh was threatened with locusts devouring the crops in the fields and the fruit on the trees if he did not let the children of Israel go.

    2. Pharaoh tried to make a compromise.

      1. He said that the children of Israel could go if only the men went to the wilderness to worship because he did not trust they would do the right thing.

      2. Most likely, Pharaoh believed they would run away.

      3. However, God wanted no compromise.

      4. He wanted Pharaoh to release man, woman, and child; so Pharaoh’s offer was rejected.

    3. God sent the Locusts and the Bible says they covered everything.

      1. They were in the houses.

      2. They were in the fields.

      3. They were in the trees.

      4. There were so many of them that the ground turned black.

    4. Pharaoh then admitted his sin and asked Moses to pray for him.

      1. Moses did and God sent a wind that blew the locusts in the sea; taking away the plague!

    5. What does this teach us?

      1. Well, God does not want us to live a compromised life!

      2. This is called being a hypocrite.

      3. We cannot be hypocrites and expect to be saved.

      4. We cannot live a good and evil life at the same time.

      5. God expects obedience and obedience we must give Him to be saved (Matthew 7:21).

  6. After the plague of Locusts was taken away, God sent a plague of darkness all over the land of Egypt (Exodus 10:21-29).

    1. This darkness lasted for three days.

      1. Fortunately for the children of Israel, God gave them light inside of their homes.

      2. Only they could see, but the Egyptians could not.

      3. So, this was a true miracle of God.

    2. This darkness made Pharaoh say that Moses and Aaron could take man, woman, and child into the wilderness.

      1. However, this was a compromise again.

      2. He would allow all the people to go, but they would have to leave their animals behind in Egypt.

      3. Again, this was not acceptable to God, because God wanted man, woman, child, and animal to go.

      4. Also, some of these animals would be used in the worship as animal sacrifices!

      5. So, Pharaoh’s offer did not make sense and had to be refused!

        1. So, Moses refused to take Pharaoh’s offer.

  7. At this point in the story, God is going to send the Egyptians though the most devastating plague they would experience (Exodus 11:1-9).

    1. Moses told the Words of God to Pharaoh regarding this last plague.

      1. Moses said, “4…About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. 5 Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the female slave, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt—worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. 7 But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any person or animal.’ Then you will know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. 8 All these officials of yours will come to me, bowing down before me and saying, ‘Go, you and all the people who follow you!’ After that I will leave…” (Exodus 11:4-8 New International Version).

        1. Unfortunately, not even the threat of Pharaoh losing his own first born son moved him to let the children of Israel go.

        2. He would pay dearly for his lack of obedience to God later on in Bible history!

  8. In Exodus 12, God creates the Jewish Passover (Exodus 12:1-30).

    1. During the Passover, each family is to take a lamb or goat.

      1. The lamb is to be slaughtered.

      2. The blood of the lamb is to be put in the doorframe of the home where the family is staying.

      3. They are to eat all of the meat and leave none left.

      4. However, if some is left they are to burn it, because God did not want any of the meat available for the next day.

    2. Even more, God wanted them to be fully dressed with their sandals on when they ate the meat.

      1. This is because He was going to soon release them from Egyptian slavery on the night they ate the Passover lamb!

      2. As a result, they had to be ready to go at a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:1-11)!

    3. The children of Israel would be greatly blessed to obey God’s command to slaughter the lamb, place the blood of the animal on the doorframe of their home, and eat it in haste as instructed (Exodus 12:12-30).

      1. How?

        1. Well, that night God was going to send death to the first born male children and animals in Egypt.

        2. For those children of Israel who put the blood of the lamb on the doorframe as instructed would be kept from the plague of death on their first born males and animals.

        3. In other words, the blood of the lamb serves as a sign for God to pass that house by!

        4. Thus, the blood of the lamb would save them from the destruction God was going to do to Egypt that night.

    4. The Bible says that the children of Israel obeyed God and put the blood of a lamb on the doorframe of their homes.

      1. That night, the destroying angel from God came through Egypt.

        1. He caused all the first born males in Egypt to die except for those who were of the children of Israel.

        2. Egypt was very sad for all of the death in the land.

        3. The Bible says that every Egyptian home had someone dead in it!

        4. So, this was a massive plague God put upon the Egyptians (Exodus 12:29-30).

    5. What do we learn from this Passover event in the Bible for us today?

      1. Well the Bible says, “Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us…” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

      2. 1 Corinthians 5:7 is showing us that Jesus is the Passover lamb for us today symbolically speaking.

        1. In other words, Jesus was given to us by God the Father.

        2. He was sacrificed on the cruel cross of Calvary so that God’s punishment at the end of time will pass over us too!

        3. You see, God will judge the world and some will go to heaven and others will go to eternal punishment (Matthew 25:31-46).

        4. At the judgment day, those who obeyed God by becoming faithful Christians will go to heaven.

        5. Unfortunately, those who are not faithful Christians will experience what we call the “Second Death.”

        6. The Second Death is assignment forever in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

        7. God will not pass these disobedient people by, because they are not covered with the blood of Jesus (Romans 5:9-10; Revelations 1:5).

        8. Thus, it is important to give your life to Jesus Christ today!

        9. As God’s punishment passed over the children of Israel in Egypt, His punishment will pass you by at the jday of mankind as well!

  9. Finally, in Exodus 12:31-40, we see the final fulfillment of God’s promise to release the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery.

    1. Fortunately, for the children of Israel, Pharaoh decided to let them go now!

    2. The Egyptian people urged them to get out, because they thought they would all die.

      1. As a result, the children of Israel began their journey out of the land of Egypt.

        1. There were many children of Israel that left Egypt.

        2. The Bible says there were about 600,000 men who left Egypt.

        3. The women and children were not counted in this number.

        4. This it could have been well over a million children of Israel who left Egypt!

    3. What does this deliverance teach us?

      1. First, it teaches us that God will deliver us when He is ready.

        1. We cannot rush God, but when He is ready, He will react and release us from our burdens in this life.

      2. Second, this story of the children of Israel waiting for the many plagues to complete against Egypt before their release from slavery can also tell us that God’s deliverance can come in stages.

        1. That is, event after event can come that works as a big chain to eventually cause us to be delivered!

  10. Moving on, the next picture of the children of Israel is them marching through the wilderness to get to the Canaan land (Exodus 13:17-22).

    1. This wilderness was a hostile, dry desert land they had to pass through before they reached the plush, fertile, beautiful land of Canaan.

    2. God directed the route they took out of Egypt on their way to the promised land of Canaan.

      1. The Bible says, “17 When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” 18 So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle” (Exodus 13:17-18 New International Version).

      2. God sending the children of Israel via the way toward the Red Sea was a sign of His compassion on them.

      3. He knew they would get discouraged if they had to go to war with other tribes before they reached the land of Canaan.

      4. So, He gave them not an easy route, but an easier route for their mental stability.

      5. What do we learn from this situation where God chose the path for the children of Israel?

      6. We learn that God will send us through some tough moments in life.

      7. However, He will make sure they are not tougher than we are!

      8. In other words, whatever temptation or hardship we face will always be something that we can handle with God leading us.

      9. His compassion does not send us through things that are too much for us no matter how hard they may seem to us.

      10. This we know from 1 Corinthians 10:13, which reads, “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

      11. Don’t get discouraged when you go through hard times.

      12. God is with you through the good and bad times.

      13. His deliverance will come in this life and/or the life to come.

      14. As the old generation says, “Trouble don’t last always!”

      15. That is true.

      16. Even temptations, trials, and tribulations have an expiration date.

      17. That is, they will leave our lives in due time!

    3. Another aspect of the wilderness story that we cannot neglect to discuss is how God led them through the wilderness.

      1. The Bible says, “20 After leaving Sukkoth they camped at Etham on the edge of the desert. 21 By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people” (Exodus 13:20-22 New International Version).

      2. God miraculously showed them where they were going during the day, because He made a cloud stand up like a pillar in front of them.

        1. It would lead them everywhere they went.

      3. God also showed them where they were going at night as He made fire stand up like a pillar also and move in front of them!

        1. It too would lead them everywhere they went at night to show them the way.

      4. If God lead the children of Israel wherever they were going, He does the same thing for us.

        1. You have to realize that even in our own lives, we do not know where we are going without the guidance of God’s Bible.

        2. We are not smart enough to lead ourselves spiritually and morally without God telling us how.

        3. The Bible says, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path” (Psalm 119:105).

        4. Thus, we must be committed to studying the Bible every day on our own so we learn the way to go in this life and be pleasing to God in the process!

        5. We also must realize that God expects us to gain more Bible knowledge all the days of our lives.

        6. He says, “5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity” (2 Peter 1:5-7).

          1. As you can see, God wants us to always work on ourselves to become better Christians.

          2. One of those things commanded to us in order to become better Christians is to continue growing in the knowledge of His Word.

          3. You can only do this by being committed to daily Bible study.

  11. Moving forward, the Bible says, “5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. 8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon” (Exodus 14:5-9 New International Version).

    1. As you can see, Pharaoh changed his mind about letting the children of Israel leave Egypt (Exodus 14:1-31).

    2. While in the desert, Pharaoh brought out his mighty army against them.

      1. This army had many soldiers and chariots.

      2. Chariots were used to out speed the enemy and shoot them down with bows and arrows.

      3. Thus, this was a huge threat against the children of Israel.

      4. Without the Lord’s help, they would have been slaughtered as they did not have the power to defeat Pharaoh’s army alone!

    3. Unfortunately, the children of Israel lost faith in the promise of God.

      1. Remember, God told them that they were going to be given the promised land of Canaan.

        1. However, Pharaoh’s powerful army was in the way.

      2. What they will find out is that no one is as strong as God.

      3. They will also find that God cannot lie (Titus 1:2).

        1. Thus, if He makes a promise, He will fulfill it even if we cannot literally see how He would do it.

        2. This is why He is God and we are not!

        3. He can do the impossible (Luke 1:37)!

        4. This is what the Bible means by telling us that we walk by faith and not sight (2 Corinthians 5:7).

        5. That is, no matter what, we are to believe what God says!

        6. If so, then we will certainly be blessed by God!

        7. While the Egyptian army was approaching, Moses said something that everyone should remember; including ourselves.

      4. He said, “13…Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:13-14 New International Version).

        1. The longer you are a Christian, the sooner you will realize that there comes points in your life where you have done all that you can do.

        2. That is where you learn an exclusive dependence on God!

        3. These are situations where all you can do is pray and God will do the rest!

        4. This is where the children of Israel are in our story.

        5. Their backs are against the wall and only God can save them!

        6. Remember, with them and in our own lives, God can make things happen that defy logic and defeat enemies without our intervention.

        7. He will show so in a moment using the children of Israel as examples.

    4. Fortunately for the children of Israel, God gave them a happy ending.

      1. God did the impossible by parting the Red Sea.

      2. He made the two sides of the Red Sea stand up like a wall of water.

      3. This made the dry land appear between the two walls of water where all of the children of Israel walked to safety.

      4. Pharaoh and his army tried to cross as well, but God closed the sea and drowned all of the Egyptians.

      5. The Bible says the children of Israel regained their reverent respect for God and restored their faith in Him!

  12.  After God delivered the children of Israel from the grips of Egyptian slavery, they sang a song.

    1. This song is in Exodus 15:1-19 and reads, “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord: “I will sing to the Lord, for he is highly exalted. Both horse and driver he has hurled into the sea. 2 “The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. 3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name. 4 Pharaoh’s chariots and his army he has hurled into the sea. The best of Pharaoh’s officers are drowned in the Red Sea. 5 The deep waters have covered them; they sank to the depths like a stone. 6 Your right hand, Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, Lord, shattered the enemy. 7 “In the greatness of your majesty you threw down those who opposed you. You unleashed your burning anger; it consumed them like stubble. 8 By the blast of your nostrils the waters piled up. The surging waters stood up like a wall; the deep waters congealed in the heart of the sea. 9 The enemy boasted, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils; I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.’ 10 But you blew with your breath, and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters. 11 Who among the gods is like you, Lord? Who is like you—majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders? 12 “You stretch out your right hand, and the earth swallows your enemies. 13 In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. 14 The nations will hear and tremble; anguish will grip the people of Philistia. 15 The chiefs of Edom will be terrified, the leaders of Moab will be seized with trembling, the people of Canaan will melt away; 16 terror and dread will fall on them. By the power of your arm they will be as still as a stone—until your people pass by, Lord, until the people you bought pass by. 17 You will bring them in and plant them on the mountain of your inheritance—the place, Lord, you made for your dwelling, the sanctuary, Lord, your hands established. 18 “The Lord reigns for ever and ever.” 19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen went into the sea, the Lord brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground” (New International Version).

    2. What do we learn from this song?

      1. First, we learn to be thankful for everything God does for us (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

        1. Remember, all of our blessings come from God (James 1:17).

      2. Second, since we know that all of our blessings come from God, we should look forward to coming to worship service consistently and singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

        1. Worship is commanded (John 4:24; Hebrews 10:25).

          1. So, it is both our duty and pleasure to come to worship service every Sunday morning.

          2. Worshipping God becomes our first priority over all things in our lives.

          3. God wants us to put Him first over all things and one way we can do it is to consistently come to worship service (Romans 12:1; Matthew 22:37-38).

        2. Furthermore, we also sing today in worship service to show our gratitude to God.

          1. Thus, we must participate in the singing and there is a certain way to sing to please God.

          2. The Bible says, “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also” (1 Corinthians 14:15).

            1. The Bible is showing us that when we sing, we are to concentrate on what we are doing.

            2. We should be singing and listening at the same time.

            3. We are also not to allow our minds to wonder off into other thoughts, but forcing ourselves to focus on what we are doing.

          3. The Bible also tells us, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord” (Colossians 3:16).

            1. Notice, God wants us to sing “with grace” in our hearts. 

            2. This means we are to think about the greatest gift of all being Jesus Christ dying for us so that we may have eternal life (John 3:16).

            3. That should make our singing joyous and energetic, because the thought of Jesus giving His life for our salvation brings cheer to our hearts.

            4. So, always sing while thinking of how good God has been to you and you will certainly enjoy singing during the worship service and most importantly, God will be pleased with you!

  13. The next Bible scene for our study in the Exodus story pictures the children of Israel worried about starvation in the desert (Exodus 16:1-36)….

    1. This is another lack of faith moment in the children of Israel.

    2. Remember, God said He would give them the promised land of Canaan.

      1. With this promise being made, God would not have allowed them to starve!

      2. The better response would have been, “Yes, it is tough out here in the desert and we are hungry.  However, I know that God would not let us down.  He will provide somehow!”

      3. Of course the children of Israel did not think this way and responded in a lack of faith and anger instead.

      4. Even though they acted in this negative way God still sent them manna from heaven.

      5. Manna was a miraculous food that was like bread.

      6. It kept the hunger away from them throughout their journey.

    3. What do we learn from this lack of faith in the promises of God displayed by the children of Israel?

      1. God makes the following promise to us today.

      2. He says, “25…Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? 28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble” (Matthew 6:25-34 New King James Version).

        1. God is showing us that He will provide for all of our needs so we do not need to worry.

        2. God requires us two responsibilities from us though.

        3. He tells us to seek the kingdom of God, which means to make sure our soul is saved over all other things.

          1. Those who are a part of the kingdom church are saved (Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:1-18).

        4. Second, He tells us to live righteously and He will provide for us.

          1. So, in summary, as long as we are doing what we are supposed to do in God’s sight, He will provide for us.

          2. Don’t ever lose sight of this response of faith to the promises of God.

          3. Remember, God cannot lie and will honor His Word in your life as well (Titus 1:2).

  14.  Unfortunately, in Exodus 17, we see another lack of faith moment for the children of Israel in wilderness.

    1. This time they are angry with Moses, because they did not have any water (Exodus 17:1-7).

      1. As always, Moses took the matter to God in prayer.

      2. God’s response to Moses was “5…Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the Lord saying, “Is the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:5-7 New International Version).

        1. Moses struck the rock as God had instructed and water came forth from the rock!

          1. Again, God provided a way that you and I would have never imagined.

          2. We would have thought to keep walking until we found a river, but this was not God’s way.

          3. We would have thought to dig beneath the ground hoping to find a well, but this was not God’s way.

          4. This shows us that God’s knowledge and power is always greater than ours!

          5. That is why we trust Him in all situations, because He can deliver in ways you and I can never imagine!

          6. It is a shame that the children of Israel did not have this type of faith despite Him miraculously delivering them over and over again prior to this event.

          7. Always, remember, in order to keep your faith in God, keep thinking to yourself, “If He delivered me once, He can always do it again!”

  15. Exodus17:8-16 shows us another miraculous event while the children of Israel were walking in the wilderness on their way to Canaan.

    1. The Bible says that they were battling the Amalekites.

    2. When Moses hands were held up, they would win.

      1. When Moses hands would drop down, the Amalekites would start winning the battle.

        1. So, to help win the battle, Aaron and Hur would hold up Moses hand and eventually, they won the battle!

    3. What does this miracle teach us?

      1. It teaches us the value of team work.

        1. When we work together as Christians, we always win the battle!

        2. So, always be willing to help others especially Christians and God will be pleased with you (Galatians 6:10).

          1. You never know.

          2. You may need help from others one day!

          3. So, when we work together, we all win!

  16. In Exodus 19, while in the desert of Sinai, God made the following promise to the children of Israel, “3…This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: 4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6 you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites” (Exodus 19:3-6 New International Version).

    1. If you noticed, God instructed the children of Israel to fully (i.e. completely) obey Him.

      1. If they did, then He would look at them as his treasured possession.

      2. He would surely bless them for their obedience (Deuteronomy 28).

    2. It is no different for Christians today.

      1. When we obey God, we are considered royalty to Him (1 Peter 2:9).

      2. In other words, He looks at us in high regard and blesses us accordingly.

        1. When we are living right, there are many blessings that come to us from God as Christians.

        2. When we obey God, He promises to and will provide for all of our physical needs (Matthew 6:33; Philippians 4:19).

        3. When we obey God, He will also send peace in our minds to keep us stable even when bad things are happening to us (Philippians 4:6-7; 2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

        4. When we obey God, we will receive the ultimate gift of eternal life in heaven (Matthew 7:21-23).

      3. Thus, the least we can do for Him is to look up to Him with high regard as the loving Creator and our Sustainer in this life.

        1. Our thankfulness for His love, kindness, and mercy should move us to obey Him no matter what (Matthew 22:37; Romans 1:1-2).

        2. He is good to us in every way and we must always think this way to continue to obey Him!

    3. A miraculous event happened on Mount Sinai and reads as follows, “16 On the morning of the third day there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast. Everyone in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses led the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. 18 Mount Sinai was covered with smoke, because the Lord descended on it in fire. The smoke billowed up from it like smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled violently. 19 As the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and the voice of God answered him” (Exodus 19:16-19 New International Version).

      1. As you can see, God came down upon the Mount in a very miraculous fashion.

      2. Thunder, lightning, and a thick cloud covered the mountain.

      3. The mountain was covered with smoke as well. 

      4. The mountain shook as the Lord descended down upon it.

      5. Because of the cloud, they could not see Him, but all of these miraculous events definitely show that He was there.

    4. What do we learn from this event with God coming down on the mountain?

      1. Well, some people do not believe there is a God.

        1. They are called “atheists.”

        2. Of course, we know that God exists, because the Bible says so (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3, 14).

        3. However, there is another way we know that God exists.

        4. The Bible tells us this other way and reads, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands” (Psalm 19:1 New International Version).

          1. We can just look up and see that God exists even though we cannot see Him with our human eyes.

          2. In other words, there would be no sky without God.

          3. There would be no clouds, sun, stars, or moon if God did not create it.

          4. These things just do not pop up without a creator.

          5. We know that the Creator was God (Genesis 1).

        5. Also, the Bible says, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20-21 New International Version).

          1. It shows us that God’s power created everything.

          2. Thus, the existence of animals, fish, birds, and mankind, himself, should move all to believe in God.

          3. Eventhough this is true, some choose not to believe there is a God even though everything made says there is!

            1. These types of people will not be saved, because God says there is no good in them (Psalm 14:1).

          4. Even more, God says that the unbelievers have no excuse, because all things around them say, “There is a God!”

  17. Exodus 20 is the chapter where God gives us what we commonly call the “Ten Commandments.”

    1. They are listed below in the New International Version:

      1. Commandment One – “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

      2. Commandment Two – “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Exodus 20:4).

      3. Commandment Three – “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7).

      4. Commandment Four – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

      5. Commandment Five – “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

      6. Commandment Six – “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).

      7. Commandment Seven – “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).’

      8. Commandment Eight – “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

      9. Commandment Nine – “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

      10. Commandment Ten – “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

    2. The children of Israel were given these Words of God so that God would bless them if they obeyed them and curse them if they disobeyed them (Deuteronomy 28).

      1. The Ten Commandments are a part of what is called the “Law of Moses.”

      2. The Law of Moses is a covenant.

        1. A covenant is a group of commandments that God requires the people living at the time it was given to follow.

        2. Thus, in order to please God, the children of Israel had to obey this covenant.

        3. You may also hear the Law of Moses being called the Old Covenant as well.

    3. Hundreds of years after Exodus 20, God began to tell the children of Israel that He would take away this Old Covenant and replace it with a new one.

      1. The prophet, Jeremiah, told us that the Old Covenant, including the Ten Commandments would be taken away some day.

        1. He said, “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:31-34 New International Version).

      2. The New Covenant is called the New Testament.

        1. Hundreds of years after Jeremiah, the Bible tells us that the New Covenant was put in place by God.

        2. When was it put in place by God?

          1. The Bible says the New Covenant was put in place when Jesus died on the cross (Colossians 2:14; Hebrews 12:24).

          2. Thus, the Covenant that we must obey today is the New Testament and not the Law of Moses.

      3. Now, this brings us to the question, what is the difference between the Ten Commandments of the Old Testament and the New Covenant that we obey today?

        1. The best way to answer this question is to go through the Ten Commandments one-by-one to see which commandments are repeated in the New Testament.

        2. Please remember they are quoted from the New International Version.

      4. Commandment One – “You shall have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

        1. This commandment is repeated in the New Testament.

          1. We are not to worship idols (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

          2. We are to worship God only (Matthew 4:1-11).

      5. Commandment Two – “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below” (Exodus 20:4).

        1. Again, we are to worship only God and not make any idols to worship (Matthew 4:1-11; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10).

      6. Commandment Three – “You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name” (Exodus 20:7).

        1. We are always to give the greatest amount of reverence to the name of God.

        2. We are not to misuse it in saying it for nothing or making it a curse word.

        3. We are also to honor God through our behavior by not bringing shame on His name as we are supposed to be children of God.

        4. In other words, our behavior represents God, Himself, when we encounter other people in the world.

        5. Thus, we are to be good in front of others, because God is good (Matthew 6:9).

      7. Commandment Four – “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy” (Exodus 20:8).

        1. The Sabbath Day was Saturday.

          1. The children of Israel were commanded to worship on Saturday.

          2. However, in the New Testament times, which is today, God has put the day of worship on Sunday (Acts 20:7).

      8. Commandment Five – “Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exodus 20:12).

        1. To honor our fathers and mothers means to respect, obey, and repay them financially when they are in need.

          1. The New Testament has not changed these two things.

          2. We are to respect, obey, and financially provide for our parents today (Ephesians 6:1-3; Mark 7:9-13; 1 Timothy 5:3-16).

      9. Commandment Six – “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).

        1. The New Testament repeats the fact that we are not to murder (Revelation 21:8).

      10. Commandment Seven – “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14).

        1. The New Testament upholds the fact that we are not to cheat with another person’s husband or wife (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Hebrews 13:4).

      11. Commandment Eight – “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15).

        1. The New Testament tells us that we are not to steal today (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Romans 13:9; Ephesians 4:28).

      12. Commandment Nine – “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor” (Exodus 20:16).

        1. The New Testament also forbids lying to others (Revelation 21:8).

          1. Lying comes from the devil (John 8:44).

      13. Commandment Ten – “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).

        1. Covetousness just means to be greedy.

        2. The New Testament also teaches against us being greedy today (Colossians 3:5).

        3. When we are greedy, we steal from others.

        4. When we are greedy, we become jealous of others (Romans 13:13).

        5. Thus, we must become content with what God blesses us with in order to not become thieves or jealous of others (Philippians 4:11; James 1:17).

  18. Exodus 32 is a very sad chapter for the children of Israel.

    1. They are still in the desert.

    2. However, Moses had left the people to go up into the mountain to receive the Ten Commandments from God.

      1. Since he took too long in the people’s opinion, they decided to make a false god of their own.

    3. So, they pressured Aaron as the leader left in charge to make them a god they could worship.

      1. So, Aaron ordered them to take their gold, melt it down, and make a golden calf to worship.

      2. They were happy with their creation, because Moses heard them singing and having a good time when he began to return to them from the mountain with the Ten Commandments from God.

      3. However, God was angry with them for this evil deed.

        1. As a result, Moses had the golden calf melted down, because God did not want them worshipping any other god than Him.

        2. Moses made the people who participated in this idol worship drink the ashes from the melted calf.

          1. Also, the people who participated in this idol worship were put to death by the family of people within the children of Israel called the “Levites.”

        3. Moses begged God to forgive the people for this wickedness.

          1. However, God still put a disease on the people that were left as a punishment for their sins.

    4. What do we learn from Exodus 32?

      1. Well, we immediately learn that God does not want us worshipping any god, but Him.

        1. People worship other gods today.

        2. These are called idols and they are statues that people bow down to, offer sacrifices to, and even pray to.

        3. However, these statues have no life and are not truly gods.

        4. Thus, they have no power to help anyone, but people are still fooled into believing that they are real gods.

        5. Some of the religions that practice worshipping these idols are Buddhism, Hinduism, and many other religions around the world.

        6. Will God punish idol worshippers?

          1. Yes, for those who will not change from their idol worship, God will punish them with eternal punishment.

          2. In other words, they will not be saved until they stop worshipping idols and become Christians (Revelation 21:8).

 

In conclusion, we have learned many great things from the story of Moses.  We learned that following God is not always an easy road.  The wilderness journey of the children Israel, under Moses’ leadership, was filled with hardship.  They had to endure slavery at the hands of the Egyptians.  However, they saw the deliverance of God from this same Egyptian bondage.  They had to endure water and food issues.  However, God always provided for them.  Even Moses’ people turned on him on many occasions.  However, God delivered him from his enemies so that his work of leading the children of Israel to the promised land could be fulfilled.  If you have not noticed, there is a pattern Moses and the children of Israel went through that we go through today.  God will walk with you through the good and bad times.  He will also honor His promises no matter what obstacles we face in life.  So, keep your faith and trust in the Lord and He will bless you accordingly!  Furthermore and lastly, your faith should always lead to obedience, because we cannot please God without an obedient faith (James 2:20).

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