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Study No.5 : Moses Meets God : Exodus 3:1-6

A. Find Out:

        

1. To where did Moses come with his sheep? v.1

2. Who appeared to him there? v.2

3. What was strange about the burning bush? v.2b,3

4. What did God say the place was? v.5

5. Of whom did the Lord say He was God? v.6

6. Why did Moses hide his face? v.6

    

B. Think :

 

1. How did the Lord first get Moses' attention?

2. How did the Lord identify Himself for Moses' benefit?

3. Why, do you think, Moses was afraid to look?

    

C. Comment :

 

      Moses is now about eighty (Exodus 7:7). He has been looking after sheep for about 40 years (see Acts 7:23 ). Searching out pasture for them he arrives at Horeb, a mountain later called Sinai, where he will meet with God under very different circumstances (see the next Series of these Studies on the 2nd half of Exodus).

     While there in the desert, far from home, his attention is drawn to a bush on fire, yet not being destroyed. Step 1: He sees the phenomena.  Fire in the Bible is often a sign of the holy presence of God, although Moses wasn't to know that at this stage. Step 2: He is curious and goes to look. He doesn't see the divine being, only the flames. In this he has his first encounter with the Lord. As almost invariably happens it is the Lord who takes the initiative, and not necessarily in ways we would have expected!

  

      This is a spectacular means of getting Moses' attention and it seems that the Lord sometimes has to take strong action to get us to listen so that He can share His purposes with us! The Lord calls him by name - I know you! Step 3: Moses hears from God. The Lord reveals Himself as the One who had had dealing with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses would have learnt something of them in his childhood and now sensing something of the awe of this God who, he finds, he can't look in the face. Step 4: Moses receives revelation of WHO this is speaking.

   

D. Application?

 

1. Are we open to the Lord so that he can easily get our attention? Do I

    realise that God is the one who takes the initiative with our encounters?

2. Do we sometimes have a sense of the awesome holiness of the Lord?

    

   

Study No.6 : God's Purpose!  : Exodus 3:7-12

A. Find Out:    

        

1. What had the Lord done? v.7

2. What was He doing? v.8

3. What was He doing with Moses? v.10

4. What was Moses' response to this? v.11

5. What was the Lord's response to that? v.12a

6. How would Moses know that was true? v.12b

 

B. Think :

 

1. What did God say was the state of His people?

2. Where did He say He would take them?

3. How did He say that would happen?

   

C. Comment :

 

      In these opening verses of the conversation between the Lord and Moses the Lord, taking the initiative, shares something of His plans. First, He lets Moses know that He is aware of His people's plight (we sometimes think the Lord doesn't know!) and second, He shares His intention to rescue them from Egypt . If the Lord ever appears to delay it is because He has a perfect time, not because He doesn't care!  As He shares with Moses He reveals that this is no last minute rescue attempt, He has a clear purpose behind it: it is to take His people OUT  of slavery and INTO a good place, the land of Canaan, a spacious land of plenty. He then shares His means of deliverance, Moses himself!

  

      Moses is astonished at this. "I'm just a shepherd. Who am I to go challenging the most powerful and harsh king in the area?" Moses, in forty years of looking after sheep in the desert, has lost all of the self confidence he had had as part of the king's household. God so often uses those of us who think little of themselves!

      By way of reply the Lord simply says, that He will be with Moses; that will be enough! Moses doesn't know it yet, but with God on his side, he can't lose!  Then the Lord promises Moses a "retrospective sign". When you return here with the people, you'll know I was with you - your success will tell you that this was me from the beginning!  In some ways that's not very encouraging, at the beginning, but God often wants commitment from us before signs, which are usually for confirmation purposes.

   

D. Application?

 

1. Are we SELF confident or confident IN GOD?  

2. Thank the Lord that he is all we need and we can rely on Him.

   

     

Study No.7 : Say who I AM : Exodus 3:13-18

A. Find Out:

            

1. What question does Moses next have? v.13

2. What was the Lord's reply? v.14

3. How also did He say Moses could identify Him? v.15

4. Who did the Lord say would listen to Moses? v.18a

5. Who were to go to Pharaoh? v.18b

6. What were they to ask Pharaoh? v.18c

   

B. Think :

 

1. What does the title "I AM" indicate about God?

2. What other means did He use to help the people understand Him?

3. How does the Lord seek to encourage Moses?

    

C. Comment :

  

      As the conversation between God and Moses continues, Moses puts up his second objection, which could be summarised as, "How am I to explain who you are?"  He anticipates his people asking, "Well, if you say you had this encounter with this God, what more did you find out about Him? Does He have a name?"  This may sound strange but they lived in a land (Egypt) where there were hundreds of pagan "gods". Why should this one be any different from the rest?

     The Lord's reply is first to give Moses a name by which He could be known. From now on in your Bible the name "LORD" is printed in capital letters and reveals a meaning, "I AM" which shows something of God's eternal existence, His ever-presence, His unchanging nature. He always has been and always will be - the same!

     Then to add content to His answer, the Lord tells Moses to identify Him as the God of Abraham etc., the One who had had dealings with these three men. He is not only the great eternal God but He is also the One who comes down to human level and encounters men and has dealing with them in history, a personal God. The Israelites will thus understand that He is the God of their history, who is still on their case!

  

      Finally the Lord encourages Moses by saying that when he goes to them, the elders of Israel will listen to him and go with him to Pharaoh. Moses will not be alone for the Lord is with him and the elders will also be with him. After we have learned to stand alone with God He frequently gives us others to stand with us for encouragement, but first must come the learning to stand alone.

   

D. Application?  

 

1. Thank the Lord that He who is so great comes down to be with us who

     are so small and weak.

2. Thank Him that His purpose is not for us to stand alone in service.

 

Study No.8 : He Won't Listen : Exodus 3:18-22

A. Find Out:

         

1. What were they to ask Pharaoh? v.18

2. How, according to the Lord, will he react? v.19

3. What will the Lord do therefore? v.20

4. What will be the result? v.20c

5. How will they go? v.21

6. How does He describe what they will do? v.22c

    

B. Think :

 

1. What does this passage teach us about the Lord?

2. What does it teach about our part in His plans?

3. What does it teach about Pharaoh?

    

C. Comment :

  

      This passage is quite remarkable! First it shows us that the Lord is ALL KNOWING. We may be clueless about circumstances but God is not! He knows all there is to know about it!  He knows the future and He knows how this man, Pharaoh, will react.

      Second it shows us that the Lord is ALL POWERFUL. He will deal powerfully with this mighty king so that he will do what he doesn't want to do!   We have to learn that no circumstance is too hard for God. He is all-powerful and no one is too tough for Him!

  

      This passage also shows us the FOOLISHNESS OF MAN, for Pharaoh will think he can be supreme and even oppose God Almighty. He will have to learn about the Lord and come to realise how small he is in comparison to the Almighty. It's a classic sign of our sinfulness that we think we are so great!  It;s a sign of wisdom to realise we are not!

  

      But this passage also teaches us a valuable lesson about obedience. Our part is simply to be obedient and leave the outcome to the Lord. Moses was to obey, again and again bringing God's word, even though initially it would appear to have no effect at all on Pharaoh. Gradually it would appear to have temporary effect and only after a whole series of confrontations would it achieve God's purpose.

     In our "instant" world this passage brings a most valuable lesson for us. Before real change takes place, we may yet have to step out in faith again and again before we see results - perhaps as much as ten times! Have we yet learnt to be obedient to the Lord regardless of outcome?

    

D. Application?

 

1. Ask the Lord to help you persevere in faith.

2. The God IS all-knowing and all-powerful, He is THE Lord.

    

    

Study No.9 : Three Signs : Exodus 4:1-9

A. Find Out:

         

1. What problem did Moses next face? v.1

2. What did the Lord then transform? v.2,3

3. What was Moses then to do with it? v.4

4. What next did the Lord transform? v.6,7

5. What might happen nevertheless? v.8,9a

6. What was Moses finally to do? v.9

 

B. Think :

1. What was the problem that both Moses and the Lord accepted could be a

     possibility?

2. How would you generally describe these three "signs"?

3. What does it show us about the backing that the Lord was willing to give

     Moses?

    

C. Comment :

 

       Right, he understands he's not alone, he understands who it is he's got to speak about but, reasons Moses, suppose they just don't believe I've met you? Here we see Moses continuing to make excuses, and the Lord continuing patiently as with a small child. God's answer is startling in the extreme! He lays on three miraculous signs for Moses to perform.

      Now two studies ago we saw the Lord speaking of a "retrospective sign" for Moses (3:12) but now He supplies strong, obvious, present, miraculous signs for the elders' benefit (NOT for Moses, for he seems to believe already). The Lord seems to reserve such outward obvious miraculous manifestations for extreme situations, and this is clearly one of those.

  

      John the Baptist wasn't given signs of this sort (John 10:41) and even Jesus refused to "do" signs for the unbelievers (Matthew 12:39), although all his works were signs for those who had eyes to see (John 2:11). These transformation miracles are clearly meant to impress and release faith. There are many years of harsh slavery that have created a sense of helpless unbelief which has to be overcome.  The Lord knows that, He understands, and He provides faith stimuli sufficient for the task.

   

D. Application?

 

1. What does the Lord want us to lay down so that He can transform it?   

2. Ponder His ability to transform the ordinary.

Study No.10 : Enough!  : Exodus 4:10-17

A. Find Out:

         

1. What personal limitation did Moses next bring up? v.10

2. What was the Lord's reply? v.12

3. What was Moses' final plea? v.13

4. What did the Lord feel about this? v.14a

5. Who did He say could help Moses? v.14b

6. How would it work? v.16

7. What was Moses still to do though? v.17

    

B. Think :

 

1. Check back over the conversation. How has the Lord said He would help

    Moses?

2. What does the Lord's reaction to Moses' final request indicate?

3. What does the Lord's final instruction say about Him?

    

C. Comment :

 

     The Lord has answered every one of Moses' questions. He has said He will be with him, that He will help him speak, that He will give him miraculous and supernatural support, but still Moses tries to opt out of the job! Moses is typical of so many of us!

    What is remarkable here is that the Lord doesn't give up on him. We might have rejected him and gone and found someone else but that is not the Lord's way, for He knows He has chosen the right man who CAN handle the job, but that doesn't stop Him being angry against Moses' unbelief. Moses IS in the wrong but the Lord doesn't discard him! Perhaps God is angry because Moses NEEDS to realise it is possible to displease God!

  

      Here is a most valuable lesson. Jesus died for us as sinners. He knows we fail Him, but He doesn't give up on us. When He called us, He knew we could make it through with His enabling.    His grace is there and we WILL make it through! Yes?  God loves us so much that He accept us just as we are, but He also loves us so much He doesn't want us to stay as we are!  We always need to hold these two truths in balance if we are to be secure but also to go on with God.

  

D. Application?

 

1. Thank the Lord for His grace that is there to enable you to make it

     through when the going gets tough.

2. Thank Him for calling you.

 

    

Study No.11 : Return! : Exodus 4:18-23

A. Find Out:

         

1. With whom did Moses first share his intention? v.18

2. What extra encouragement had the Lord given? v.19

3. Who did he take with him? v.20

4. What had the Lord told Moses to do? v.21

5. How did the Lord consider Israel ? v.22

6. What would God do on Pharaoh's refusal? v.23

   

B. Think :

1. What are the signs here of Moses' obedience?

2. How was this, really, a humanly impossible task?

3. How is the end of it all revealed now?

   

C. Comment :

      Moses, in obedience to the calling of God on his life, leaves what has been his home for forty years and starts back to Egypt.  The Lord had encouraged him by letting him know that the Pharaoh and others who had wanted him dead, were now dead themselves.  So Moses takes his family and starts back.

      As he goes the Lord speaks again, first to encourage him to do the things they had been speaking about previously, and second to reveal the end of it all. This is quite an amazing revelation, for the Lord shares that He looks on Israel as His firstborn son, and firstborn sons were always special to fathers.

  

      So, says the Lord, I will WARN Pharaoh that if he won't let my firstborn son go, then I'll destroy his firstborn son. Please note it doesn't HAVE to happen, it's Pharaoh's choice! All he has to do is let Israel go. By the time it comes to the fight for whose son will live, Pharaoh will have NO excuse! God will have performed so many signs for Pharaoh that he will not be able to say he didn't know. This is no hasty action by the Lord but a long, carefully planned strategy, that will allow some to be saved but will leave Pharaoh without excuse. Never look at the Lord in the Old Testament and say He is a harsh God of judgement. He warns and warns again, and this is real grace.

   

D. Application?

 

1. Thank the Lord that He gives every man a chance to repent.

2. God looks for opportunity to express mercy.

  

Study No.12 : Moses & Aaron : Exodus 4:24-31

A. Find Out:

         

1. What was the Lord apparently about to do? v.24

2. What did Moses' wife do? v.25

3. Why did Aaron go to meet Moses? v.27a

4. Where did he meet him? v.27b

5. What did they do together? v.29,30

6. With what result? v.31

 

B. Think :

 

1. What had obviously not been done that ought to have been done? (see

     Genesis 17:10)

2. How is Aaron shown to be someone who knows and hears the Lord?

3. How do Moses & Aaron work as a team?

    

C. Comment :

     Circumcision was a sign of the special relationship between every Israelite male and God, done at God's command. Now Moses had not circumcised his son and so, as he moved to perform perhaps the most difficult task asked of any man in history, he has to learn that with a Holy God he has to be TOTALLY obedient if he is to fulfil God's purposes. God therefore brings him to the brink of death, to bring home to Moses that he is dealing with a holy God, knowing that Zipporah will act to put matters right. There is a seriousness about this that should put us in awe of the Lord.

       Next we see Aaron going to meet Moses at Sinai, which is presumably as far as Moses and his family have got. Aaron clearly has some sort of relationship with the Lord for he is there at God's bidding. There the brothers meet up and Moses shares all that God has said and all that has happened. Together they go to the elders of Israel where Aaron speaks and Moses performs the miracles that God has given him to do and the leaders believe and worship God. That looks a good start, but there is a long way to go yet and it won't all be so encouraging.

    

D. Application?

 

1. The holiness of God is not to be taken lightly. Do we believe we'll "get

     away" with "little indiscretions"??

2. The Lord looks for obedience from His people.

 

 

RECAP No.2  "Moses Meets God"  Exodus 3 & 4

SUMMARY :  

         

In this second set of 8 studies we have seen:

 

- The Lord

- meet with Moses in the wilderness

- declare His intention to deliver His people from Egypt

- declaring He will use Moses to do it

- answering Moses queries:

 - I'm not up to it & Who shall I say sent me?

 - What if they won't believe me

- I'm not a good speaker!

- Moses eventually returning to Egypt

- Moses having his life challenged by God for lack of obedience.

  

   

COMMENT :

 

       A fascinating conversation between the Lord and Moses where the grace of God prevails against Moses very strong sense of inability (no wonder after his failure in life so far!). Eventually, perhaps, Moses began to see that God was providing EVERYTHING he needed for the task and that there wasn't a single excuse adequate to stop him going!

 

 

LESSONS :

 

1. We need to learn to be open to the Lord speaking

2. The Lord is all we need for every task

3. He provides supernatural means as necessary

4. He wants to transform the ordinary things in our lives for the purpose of serving

     Him

5. We are called to holiness, which means NO "little indiscretions"!

 

 

PRAY :

       Worship the One who calls us with a purpose, and who when He calls equips for every need.

    

 

PART 3 : "First Encounters with Pharaoh"

 

        In this next Part we will see Moses' encounters with Pharaoh BEFORE the Lord starts bringing plagues. At this stage the Lord is going to give Pharaoh warning of His power without it being punitive, but Pharaoh chooses to disregard the warnings.