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LESSON 1: WHAT
KIND OF A PERSON WAS MOSES?
MOSES’ BIRTH
Exodus 1:7-12 And the children of Israel were fruitful,
and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and grew
exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now
there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph. 9
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the
children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10 Come,
let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it
come to pass, that, when there come upon us any war, they
join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so
escape out of the land. 11 Therefore they did set over them
taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they
built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12
But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied
and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of
Israel.
Exodus 1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying,
Every son that is born you shall cast into the river, and
every daughter you shall save alive.
The Hebrews were living in Egypt where Joseph had brought
them to save them from famine. Pharaoh told all his people
to cast the newborn Hebrew sons into the river because the
Israelites had grown too numerous and powerful.
It was during this time that Moses was born into the
families of Levi who was a son of Jacob. Jochebed was his
mother and her name meant “Jehovah is glorified”
and the root of her name is the kabad – the glory of God!
Amram was his father’s name and it meant the “high
people.” Amram was also from the families of Levi.
Numbers 26:59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed,
the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bore to Levi in Egypt:
and she bore unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their
sister.
Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's
sister as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the
years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and
seven years.
In order to save Moses, by faith Moses’ mother hid Moses 3
months and when she could no longer hide him, she cast him
into the river, just as Pharaoh commanded! (Smile!)
However he was safely floating on top of the water inside
an ark created with papyrus and tar.
SIDE BAR TO PONDER: The only other place this word
“ark” is used is for Noah’s ark. During a time when Pharaoh
wanted his death, Moses was tucked safely in an ark.
Likewise during the time of the great flood, Noah was
safely floating above it all. Jesus said that we too will
be living in the days of Noah. During demonic turbulence in
the earth, God’s separated ones will be safely in His ark,
carried above the demonic floods.
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid
three months by his parents, because they saw he was a
beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's
commandment.
Exodus 2:3 And when she could no longer hide him, she
took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with tar and
with pitch, and put the child in it; and she laid it among
the reeds by the river's bank.
Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things
not seen as yet, moved by fear, prepared an ark to the
saving of his house; by which he condemned the world, and
became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.
Luke 17:26-27 And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall
it be also in the days of the Son of man. 27 They did eat,
they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood
came, and destroyed them all.
Matthew 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so shall
also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days
that were before the flood they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah
entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came,
and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son
of man be.
Revelation 12:15-16 And the serpent cast out of his mouth
water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to
be carried away by the flood. 16 And the earth helped the
woman, and the earth opened its mouth, and swallowed up the
flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.
Pharaoh’s daughter finds Moses in the river and Moses’ aunt
asks her if she would like one of the Hebrew ladies to nurse
Moses. Pharaoh’s daughter agrees and so now Moses is safely
back with his parents, and they are being paid by their
enemy to nurture him! Some commentators say he was with his
parents until weaned which could have been up anywhere from
2 years up through preschool. (Ex 2:9-10)
When he was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter, she chose to
call him Moses, which means to be drawn out of the water.
Moses’ very name was a constant reminder that he was
rescued, delivered out of the waters that were supposed to
kill him.
Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto
Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called
his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the
water.
SIDE BAR TO PONDER: Reconsider the above sidebar
scriptures about the ark and being delivered out of the
flood waters. Moses himself was a type of ark delivering
his people from the rising waters of slavery.
Josephus, the Biblical historian said that Moses was raised
to be heir to the throne. So he was treated and raised as
royalty in all manners. He was said to have led the armies
of Egypt in against the Ethiopians as a younger man. He had
an excellent education and for 40 years he lacked nothing.
Acts 7:22-23 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of
the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23 And
when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit
his brethren the children of Israel.
It is when Moses was 40 years old that we first learn about
his personality and character. The following passage
reveals several things about the type of person Moses was.
Exodus 2:11-19 And it came to pass in those days, when
Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and
looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting a
Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 And he looked this way and
that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the
Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 13 And when he went out
the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove
together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Why strike
you your fellow? 14 And he said, Who made you a prince and a
judge over us? do you intend to kill me, as you killed the
Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is
known. 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to
slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and
dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. 16
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came
and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their
father's flock. 17 And the shepherds came and drove them
away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their
flock. 18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said,
How is it that you are come so soon today? 19 And they said,
An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds,
and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
SIDE BARS TO PONDER: In slaying the Egyptian, did
Moses go against his conscience? Was the heart of Moses
misunderstood?
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: What kind of person was Moses?
HINT: The following are hints to help you answer
your one short paragraph about who Moses really was as a
person – on the inside.
·
What bothered him?
·
What did he do about it?
We know that for 40 years Moses was raised as royalty, with
all the education, pomp and circumstance. After Moses was
exiled, he lived another 40 years in Arabia where he served
his father in law by keeping his flocks. (Acts 7:30)
Exodus 3:1-11 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his
father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to
the west side of the desert, and came to the mountain of
God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared
unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and
he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the
bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn
aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said,
Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw
not near here: put off your shoes from your feet, for the
place on which you stand is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said,
I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he
was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the LORD said, I have
surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for
I know their sorrows; 8 And I have come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out
of that land unto a good and large land, unto a land flowing
with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and
the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry
of the children of Israel has come unto me: and I have also
seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh,
that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel
out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I
should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the
children of Israel out of Egypt?
Acts 7:29-30 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was an
exile in the land of Midian, where he begat two sons. 30 And
when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the
wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of
fire in a bush.
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: What kind of a person was
Moses when he was in Arabia?
HINT: The following are hints to help you answer
your one short paragraph about who Moses really was as a
person – on the inside.
·
What was his occupation, how and where did he spend his
time?
·
What kind of a person is compatible with that occupation?
·
What did Moses say to God’s call that was a key to the kind
of person he was?
ASSIGNMENT: Write one paragraph on the kind of
person you think Moses was, based only on Exodus 1,2 and 3.
If you have something that comes to mind to backup your
first paragraph, you are welcome to share it. (A scripture,
or something the Lord has said to you.)
SANDY’S RESPONSE TO ASSIGNMENT: I wrote my response
to the Bible study before posting the lesson or reading
other’s responses. I was really impressed by the fact that
Moses was stirred when he saw injustice in how the Egyptians
were treating the Hebrews and then later when the shepherds
drove the daughters away from the well. It bothered him so
much that he rose up to defend both the slave and then the
daughters. He obviously went against his natural conscience
in killing the Egyptian because he looked both ways before
he did it, lest anyone would see. And then he feared when
his act was known. Nevertheless, this did not take away
from the fact that something inside of him rose up when he
saw injustice. Again when the 1 Hebrew hit another Hebrew,
he was accused him of being a prince and judge over them,
but this was once again Moses being stirred by the injustice
of seeing someone abused. It is obvious to me that Moses
was a defender of men, a deliverer of those who were being
mistreated. It is obvious to me that Moses had this deep
inside of him even before God called him.
God put His own heart into Moses even before he was called.
It is remarkable to me that for 40 years Moses lived as
royalty with access to all of Pharaoh’s palace and yet he
says to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh!!” Who
else should go to Pharaoh? And yet Moses was so humble he
did not see that. Moses was content to live a quiet,
unassuming life watching over flocks. He had the heart to
serve and live peacefully. He was very, very humble. This
reminded me of the following scripture:
Num 12:3 3 AMP Now the man Moses was very meek (gentle,
kind, and humble) or above all the men on the face of the
earth.
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Exodus 3
From the previous discussion we learned that Moses had the
heart of a deliverer, one who saw injustice and had the
desire to rescue people from injustice.
When I read the following passage, the phrase “It came into
his heart” was quickened to me. We can see that God Himself
was drawing Moses to observe and see the injustice going
on.
Acts 7:22-23 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of
the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23 And
when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit
his brethren the children of Israel.
When Moses was 80 years old, he received his calling from
God at the burning bush. In the following passage, I could
not help but see that God too had observed injustice. God
explained that He was stirred by injustice and it bothered
Him enough to send Moses to deliver His people. The same
God that originally drew Moses to visit them, also gave
Moses a portion of His heart regarding being a deliverer
against injustice. Both God and Moses were united in the
same passion.
Exodus 3:1-11 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his
father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to
the west side of the desert, and came to the mountain of
God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared
unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and
he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the
bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn
aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said,
Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw
not near here: put off your shoes from your feet, for the
place on which you stand is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said,
I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he
was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the LORD said, I have
surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for
I know their sorrows; 8 And I have come down to deliver them
out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out
of that land unto a good and large land, unto a land flowing
with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and
the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Hivites, and the Jebusites. 9 Now therefore, behold, the cry
of the children of Israel has come unto me: and I have also
seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come now therefore, and I will send you unto Pharaoh,
that you may bring forth my people the children of Israel
out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I
should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the
children of Israel out of Egypt?
We know that Moses wrote the book of Exodus.
Mark 12:26 And concerning the dead, that they rise: have
you not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke
unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob?
I found it interesting that by natural qualifications for
being sent to Pharaoh, Moses was the highest qualified in
the land. He was raised in Pharaoh’s palace and according
to the historian Josephus, he was being raised up to take
command. In 40 years, he probably knew all the education
and experience the palace had to offer. And yet Moses never
wrote about that life!
Exodus 2:14 And he said, Who made you a prince and a
judge over us? do you intend to kill me, as you killed the
Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is
known.
He was accused of acting like a prince and a judge over the
Hebrews. And yet Moses did not defend his authority or
position. He never wrote about his natural qualifications
to be sent by God to take command, be a leader or be sent to
the palace to approach Pharaoh. Even though he was raised
with the rich trappings of royalty, inside he was a humble
man who was content to serve without reputation. He simply
did not put value in what had been invested into him through
education or upbringing.
Hebrews 11:24-27 By faith Moses, when he was grown up,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 25
Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a time; 26 Esteeming
the reproach of the Christ greater riches than the treasures
in Egypt: for he looked for the recompense of the reward. 27
By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the
king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
When Moses was called by God, his first response was “Who am
I?” Moses simply didn’t see that he was anything at all.
Exodus 3:10-14 Come now therefore, and I will send you
unto Pharaoh, that you may bring forth my people the
children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God,
Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should
bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? 12 And he
said, Certainly I will be with you; and this shall be a
token unto you, that I have sent you: When you have brought
forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this
mountain. 13 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come
unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The
God of your fathers has sent me unto you; and they shall say
to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? 14 And
God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shall
you say unto the children of Israel, I AM has sent me unto
you.
In response, notice God didn’t build up Moses and rehearse
all the natural reasons why He should send Moses to
Pharaoh. The qualifications that God gave Moses was, “I
will be with you” and God told Moses His Name, “I
AM.”
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say
unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today,
and forever.
Revelation 1:8 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and
the ending, says the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is
to come, the Almighty.
Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as
dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me,
Fear not; I am the first and the last:
Revelation 4:8 And the four living creatures had each of
them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within:
and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.
POINT TO PONDER: When Moses had been accused, is it
not justice that God Himself defended Moses’ authority? We
know that later in Moses life his authority was again
challenged by his sister and again by the sons of Korah.
Acts 7:35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made
you a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler
and a deliverer by the hand of the angel who appeared to him
in the bush.
Numbers 12:2-3 And they said, Has the LORD indeed spoken
only by Moses? has he not spoken also by us? And the LORD
heard it. 3 (Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the
men who were upon the face of the earth.)
Numbers 16:2-3 And they rose up before Moses, with
certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty
leaders of the assembly, representatives of the
congregation, men of renown: 3 And they gathered themselves
together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto
them, You take too much upon you, seeing all the
congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is
among them: why then lift you up yourselves above the
congregation of the LORD?
How many times was Moses’ authority challenged? It makes me
wonder if there had been undercurrents from his childhood in
the palace. Behind the scenes was he taunted for being a
Hebrew slave child being raised as a prince? We don’t know
these things. We only know that for some reason Moses grew
up to have a very humble heart. In every instance, we never
see Moses defend himself.
POINT TO PONDER: Thus far, what can you learn from
Moses that relates to your life? Do you see that what is
inside of you is more important than your education and
background? Do you see that Who God is, is all you need to
be qualified to be sent by Him?
Time and time again Moses was moved into action when he saw
injustice. God loves justice and it is the habitation of
His throne. He planted His justice inside of Moses. This
was who Moses was. He had a heart for justice and that was
a part of God.
Psalm 33:5 He loves righteousness and justice: the earth
is full of the goodness of the LORD.
Psalm 89:14 Righteousness and justice are the habitation
of your throne: mercy and truth shall go before your face.
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: What main trait do you have
inside of you that gives you enough passion to raise up into
action?
This trait might be something that causes you to feel
something, say something, do something, pray something.
What passion inside of you causes you to spend your time,
your energy, your very life pursuing such? You might not be
at your goal or dream fulfillment of such, but just like
Moses, what has been planted inside of you probably
continues to come to the surface.
Please share with us what that main trait is and what you do
in life that helps fulfill that passion. Is this something
that you believe is a part of God’s heart? Please share a
scripture that is quickened to you regarding this trait
and/or God’s heart.
SANDY RESPONSE TO LESSON: I have a heart to defend
people who are humble, naïve and blind to God’s ways. I
have a heart to give them understanding about Who God is and
understand the way He talks so they can no longer be blind
and naïve about Him. This passion has been strong enough to
cause me to lay down much and spend my time and energy
receiving from God and thus giving in this way.
Jeremiah 9:24 But let him that glories glory in this,
that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who
exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness, in the
earth: for in these things I delight, says the LORD.
Exodus 34:6-7 And the LORD passed by before him, and
proclaimed, The LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious,
longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping
mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression
and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty;
visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and
upon the children's children, unto the third and to the
fourth generation.
=======
Exodus 3:12-22 And he said, Certainly I will be with you;
and this shall be a token unto you, that I have sent you:
When you have brought forth the people out of Egypt, you
shall serve God upon this mountain. 13 And Moses said unto
God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and
shall say unto them, The God of your fathers has sent me
unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what
shall I say unto them? 14 And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT
I AM: and he said, Thus shall you say unto the children of
Israel, I AM has sent me unto you. 15 And God said moreover
unto Moses, Thus shall you say unto the children of Israel,
The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me unto you: this is
my name forever, and this is my memorial unto all
generations.
16 Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say
unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham,
of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have
surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in
Egypt: 17 And I have said, I will bring you up out of the
affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the
Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the
Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk
and honey. 18 And they shall hearken to your voice: and you
shall come, you and the elders of Israel, unto the king of
Egypt, and you shall say unto him, The LORD God of the
Hebrews has met with us: and now let us go, we beseech you,
three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may
sacrifice to the LORD our God.
19 And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you
go, no, not by a mighty hand. 20 And I will stretch out my
hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in
the midst of it: and after that he will let you go. 21 And I
will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians:
and it shall come to pass, that, when you go, you shall not
go empty: 22 But every woman shall request of her neighbor,
and of her that sojourns in her house, jewels of silver, and
jewels of gold, and clothing: and you shall put them upon
your sons, and upon your daughters; and you shall spoil the
Egyptians.
Moses was promised the following:
·
I
will be with you.
·
You shall serve Me upon this mountain.
·
I
will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt.
·
I
will bring you into the land of the giants.
·
The land will be flowing with milk and honey.
·
Pharaoh will not let you go.
·
I
will smite Egypt with My wonders so that Pharaoh will let
you go.
·
You shall have the favor of the Egyptians and they shall
give you jewels and clothing and spoils when you leave.
It is interesting what God promised Moses. God promised him
both the good news and the bad news! He didn’t give Moses
any details, only the nugget version.
Did all of these things come to pass in Moses life time?
God gave Moses the outside framework of a giant puzzle for
His people that took 40+ years to fulfill and ALL
generations past that to defend!
When God builds our lives into a perfectly fitted puzzle, it
is by His divine hand that this takes place. It is because
He is “I AM” that He is able to do this. He was and is, and
is to come. He is all
knowing, all powerful and
always present.
Rev 19:5-6 NKJV
Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God,
all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and
great!" 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great
multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of
mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God
Omnipotent reigns!
Rom 11:36 KJV
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to
whom be glory forever. Amen.
Heb 2:10 NKJV
For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by
whom are all things.
When God gives us a promise, rarely does He give us the
whole puzzle, rather He gives us the framework in which to
build. It may take our entire lifetime to build the
puzzle. That lifetime may continue into eternity as we
watch the promises continue on earth.
POINT TO PONDER: Are you willing to embrace God’s
promises and run your race as far as your life takes you,
even if the completion of that promise happens after you
die?
Hebrews 11:39-40 And these all, having obtained a good
report through faith, received not the promise: 40 God
having provided some better thing for us, that they without
us should not be made perfect.
When considering that question, some might think why try if
I wont accomplish the goal in my lifetime? God’s Word never
returns to Him void. He doesn’t necessarily promise that
the fulfillment and full completion will be in a certain
time frame. He simply makes the promise of what He will
bring to pass. If you never tried, He would pass the
promise on to another!
For some, the goal of the promise is enough to run the race
with great passion and pursuit.
Hebrews 12:1-2 Therefore seeing we also are surrounded
with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every
weight, and the sin which does so easily ensnare us, and let
us run with patience the race that is set before us, 2
Looking unto Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross,
despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the
throne of God.
For those who are wise,
they will realize that the journey of partnering with God
and being accompanied by Him is not only the real goal but
the real satisfaction in every day. Consider all
that took place in Moses life! What kind of fellowship did
he have with God!!! What kinds of things flowed through his
life as a result? Was not his journey with God worth all
the trouble he faced in walking out the promise?
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: What promise do you have from
God?
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: What kind of fellowship do you
have with God while you are partnering with Him regarding
that promise?
OPTIONAL BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: If you prefer, you
can instead take the bulleted list of Moses’ promises and
compare them / apply them as prophesy for God’s people now.
=======
Moses had absolutely no confidence that he could influence
anyone to believe him. And he had no confidence in his
ability to communicate effectively. He was still grappling
with his lack of qualifications to accomplish such a task.
Surely this man thought very little of himself.
Exodus 4:1-17 And Moses answered and said, But, behold,
they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for
they will say, The LORD has not appeared unto you. 2 And the
LORD said unto him, What is that in your hand? And he said,
A rod. 3 And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it
on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from
before it. 4 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth your
hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand,
and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: 5 That they
may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has
appeared unto you. 6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him,
Put now your hand into your bosom. And he put his hand into
his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was as
leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put your hand into your
bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and
took it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again
as his other flesh. 8 And it shall come to pass, if they
will not believe you, neither hearken to the voice of the
first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter
sign. 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe
also these two signs, neither hearken unto your voice, that
you shall take of the water of the river, and pour it upon
the dry land: and the water which you take out of the river
shall become blood upon the dry land.
10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not
eloquent, neither before, nor since you have spoken unto
your servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.
11 And the LORD said unto him, Who has made man's mouth? or
who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind?
have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will be with
your mouth, and teach you what you shall say. 13 And he
said, O my Lord, send, I pray you, by the hand of another
whom you will send. 14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled
against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite your
brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he
comes forth to meet you: and when he sees you, he will be
glad in his heart. 15 And you shall speak unto him, and put
words in his mouth: and I will be with your mouth, and with
his mouth, and will teach you what you shall do. 16 And he
shall be your spokesman unto the people: and he shall be,
even he shall be to you instead of a mouth, and you shall be
to him instead of God. 17 And you shall take this rod in
your hand, with which you shall do signs.
POINT TO PONDER: Why was God angry with Moses? Was
it because Moses thought so little of himself? Was it
because Moses was fearful? Or was it because Moses refused
the call of God and wanted to pass it onto someone else! By
saying such, he was basically saying that he was not willing
and that God wasnt big enough to use him. Consider that
when God calls upon you to do something!
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: What gifts did God give
Moses? How did he use them and what did they accomplish?
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: Compare the gifts God gave
Moses to the commission that Jesus gave the disciples and
His followers. How are His followers supposed to use these
gifts and what will they accomplish?
Mark 16:15-20 And he said unto them, Go you into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that
believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believes not shall be condemned. 17 And these signs shall
follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken
unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the
right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached
everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the
word with signs following. Amen.
Matthew 10:7-8 And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom
of heaven is at hand. 8 Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers,
raise the dead, cast out demons: freely you have received,
freely give.
SANDY RESPONSE: I have always been impressed that
God gave Moses a rod.
Exodus 4:2 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in
your hand? And he said, A rod.
He could have used anything, but God chose a rod. In the
last days God is going to give a company of people a rod of
iron to rule the nations. These are the full grown sons,
those who were overcomers allowing the fullness of Jesus’
image to be in their lives. The rod represents a scepter of
authority.
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
4294. מַטֶּה matteh
Search for H4294 in KJVSL
מַטֶּה matteh mat-teh'
or (feminine) mattah (mat-taw'); from 5186; a branch (as
extending); figuratively, a tribe; also a rod, whether for
chastising (figuratively, correction), ruling (a sceptre),
throwing (a lance), or walking (a staff; figuratively, a
support of life, e.g. bread):—rod, staff, tribe.
See Hebrew
5186
Psalm 2:7-9 I will declare the decree: the LORD has said
unto me, You are my Son; this day have I begotten you. 8 Ask
of me, and I shall give you the nations for your
inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your
possession. 9 You shall break them with a rod of iron; you
shall dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
7626. שֵׁבֶט shebet
Search for H7626 in KJVSL
שֵׁבֶט shebet shay'-bet
from an unused root probably meaning to branch off; a scion,
i.e. (literally) a stick (for punishing, writing, fighting,
ruling, walking, etc.) or (figuratively) a clan:—X
correction, dart, rod, sceptre, staff, tribe.
Revelation 12:5 And she brought forth a male child, who
was to rule all nations with a rod of iron: and her child
was caught up unto God, and to his throne.
Strong's Greek Dictionary
4464. ραβδος rhabdos
Search for G4464 in KJVSL
ραβδος rhabdos hrab'-dos
from the base of 4474; a stick or wand (as a cudgel, a cane
or a baton of royalty):—rod, sceptre, staff.
See Greek
4474
Moses learned how to use his rod through strict obedience,
doing what he heard the Lord say to him. In these days of
bringing in the harvest, many will be receiving gifts like
the Word of Knowledge along with authority through the
laying on of hands to heal, deliver and bring salvation to
the lost. Their hands will be like Moses’ rod.
Mark 16:15-18 And he said unto them, Go you into all the
world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that
believes and is baptized shall be saved; but he that
believes not shall be condemned. 17 And these signs shall
follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out
demons; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall
take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it
shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and
they shall recover.
=======
Exodus 3 – 19
GOD’S SUPER OVER THE NATURAL
God spoke to Moses through the burning bush in Exodus 3:1 -
4:17. This was a natural bush where the angel of the Lord
appeared as a flame of fire in the middle of the bush.
Moses noticed the bush was flaming but not burnt. This is a
good example of how God uses something in our natural lives
and puts His supernatural upon to so we are turned aside to
ponder. God uses the sign of the burning bush to draw
Moses, so that He might talk to him.
Exodus 3:1-6 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his
father-in-law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to
the west side of the desert, and came to the mountain of
God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared
unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and
he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the
bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn
aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God
called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said,
Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw
not near here: put off your shoes from your feet, for the
place on which you stand is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said,
I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he
was afraid to look upon God.
The next time God spoke to Moses it was simply talking.
Moses did not mention seeing anything, he only heard God’s
voice and recognized it because he had heard it before.
Exodus 4:19 And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, Go,
return into Egypt: for all the men are dead who sought your
life.
Right after that, it says the Lord MET Moses.
Exodus 4:24-26 And it came to pass by the way in the inn,
that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 25 Then
Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her
son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody
husband are you to me. 26 So he let him go: then she said, A
bloody husband you are, because of the circumcision.
It is believed that the Lord met Moses and sought to kill
either him or his son, because he was not circumcised
according to the commandment given to Abraham. Moses was
surely circumcised, but he was raised in Egypt that did not
circumcise. Moses had married a Midian daughter and did not
obey the commandment. Moses had a new life now and God
wanted it very clear that Moses’ walk was to be a holy walk
upon holy ground when he was before the Lord.
Genesis 17:14 And the uncircumcised male child whose
flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be
cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.
Exodus 3:5 And he said, Draw not near here: put off your
shoes from your feet, for the place on which you stand is
holy ground.
The next time God spoke to Moses, it was as a reply when
Moses returned to Him after having gone to Pharaoh.
Exodus 5:22-23 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and
said, Lord, why have you brought evil upon this people? why
is it that you have sent me? 23 For since I came to Pharaoh
to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people;
neither have you delivered your people at all.
Exodus 6:1-2 Then the LORD said unto Moses, Now shall you
see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall
he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them
out of his land. 2 And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto
him, I am the LORD:
Things were getting tougher with both Pharaoh saying no and
the children of Israel not listening. God spoke to both
Moses and Aaron and made it a team ministry.
Exodus 6:12 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying,
Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me;
how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised
lips?
Exodus 7:1-2 And the LORD said unto Moses, See, I have
made you a god to Pharaoh: and Aaron your brother shall be
your prophet. 2 You shall speak all that I command you: and
Aaron your brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send
the children of Israel out of his land.
God Himself hardened Pharaoh’s heart!
Exodus 7:13-14 And he hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he
hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said. 14 And the
LORD said unto Moses, Pharaoh's heart is hardened, he
refuses to let the people go.
Wasn’t the point to get the Hebrews out of Egypt? No, God
had much bigger plans.
Exodus 7:3-6 And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and
multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt. 4 But
Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand
upon Egypt, and bring forth my armies, and my people the
children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great
judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the
LORD, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out
the children of Israel from among them. 6 And Moses and
Aaron did as the LORD commanded them, so did they.
The word “before” means that he spoke before the Lord’s
face. This is the first time this is used. The Lord
appeared to Moses and he could see and hear Him. We know
that Aaron heard the Lord but we do not know if he could see
Him.
Exodus 6:12-13 And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying,
Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me;
how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised
lips? 13 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, and
gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto
Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out
of the land of Egypt.
Sometimes the Lord spoke to both Moses and Aaron, sometimes
the Lord spoke to Moses to tell Aaron what He said. They
worked together as a team.
Exodus 7:19 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, Say unto
Aaron, Take your rod, and stretch out your hand upon the
waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and
upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that
they may become blood; and that there may be blood
throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood,
and in vessels of stone.
By this time, Moses confidence was huge. Even though God
had not promised this to Moses, Moses promised Pharaoh that
his request would be heard so that he would know there is
none like the Lord! And the Lord did according to the Word
of Moses! Now we see that Moses and Aaron were not only
partnering with God and His will, but God was partnering
with them.
Exodus 8:8-13 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron,
and said, Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs
from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go,
that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD. 9 And Moses said
unto Pharaoh, You tell me: when shall I entreat for you, and
for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs
from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river
only? 10 And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according
to your word: that you may know that there is none like unto
the LORD our God. 11 And the frogs shall depart from you,
and from your houses, and from your servants, and from your
people; they shall remain in the river only. 12 And Moses
and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the
LORD because of the frogs which he had brought against
Pharaoh. 13 And the LORD did according to the word of Moses;
and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages,
and out of the fields.
Exodus 8:30-31 And Moses went out from Pharaoh, and
entreated the LORD. 31 And the LORD did according to the
word of Moses; and he removed the swarms of flies from
Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there
remained not one.
Exodus 9:29,33 And Moses said unto him, As soon as I am
gone out of the city, I will stretch forth my hands unto the
LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be
any more hail; that you may know that the earth is the
LORD's… And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and
stretched forth his hands unto the LORD: and the thunders
and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.
Exodus 13:20-22 And they took their journey from Succoth,
and encamped in Etham, in the edge of the wilderness. 21 And
the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to
lead them in the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to
give them light; to go by day and night: 22 He took not away
the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by
night, from before the people.
Exodus 14:19-20 And the angel of God, who went before the
camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar
of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind
them: 20 And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and
the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them,
but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came
not near the other all the night.
This was an awesome phenomenon that all the Hebrews saw the
entire journey of 40 years. What a comfort that God would
give them this tangible and visible sign that He was with
them! It kept them both warm and cool so that they did not
feel the misery of day and night. It showed them when to
camp and when to pull up stakes and move again. It
protected them. It gave them light during the night. The
cloud also had particles in it like fog so that they were
baptized in it. This have them humidity and vapor in the
wilderness.
1 Corinthians 10:1-2 Moreover, brethren, I want not that
you should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under
the cloud, and all passed through the sea; 2 And were all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;
The cloud was also a sign of God’s covering.
Numbers 9:15-16 And on the day that the tabernacle was
raised up the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent
of the testimony: and at evening there was upon the
tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the
morning. 16 So it was always: the cloud covered it by day,
and the appearance of fire by night.
We are promised that this gift will return! This is God’s
holy kabad, His Presence, the shekinah glory.
Isaiah 4:5-6 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling
place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and
smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night:
for upon all the glory shall be a covering. 6 And there
shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the
heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a shelter from
storm and from rain.
Ezekiel 1:28 As the appearance of the bow that is in the
cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the
brightness round about. This was the appearance of the
likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell
upon my face, and I heard a voice of one that spoke.
Even as the Lord promised Moses in Exodus 3:12, Moses would
serve Him on Mt Sinai. This was to be a Mt set apart and
holy. The people of God were not to touch it, and they were
to sanctify themselves and prepare to see the Lord come down
in the sight of all the people.
Exodus 19:9-12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come
unto you in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I
speak with you, and believe you forever. And Moses told the
words of the people unto the LORD. 10 And the LORD said unto
Moses, Go unto the people, and sanctify them today and
tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes, 11 And be ready
by the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down
in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai. 12 And you
shall set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take
heed to yourselves, that you go not up into the mount, or
touch the border of it: whosoever touches the mount shall be
surely put to death:
The Lord manifested Himself with thunder, lightning, and a
thick cloud that came down upon the mountain. His voice
sounds like a very loud trumpet that made everyone in the
camp to tremble.
Mt Sinai was surrounded in smoke and fire of the Lord
descended upon it while the whole mountain quaked! What an
amazing experience. In the midst of the people trembling
and quaking, God calls Moses to come to the top of the
mountain!
Exodus 19:16-20 And it came to pass on the third day in
the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a
thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet
exceedingly loud; so that all the people that were in the
camp trembled. 17 And Moses brought forth the people out of
the camp to meet with God; and they stood at the lower part
of the mount. 18 And mount Sinai was completely in smoke,
because the LORD descended upon it in fire: and the smoke of
it ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount
quaked greatly. 19 And when the voice of the trumpet sounded
long, and grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God
answered him by a voice. 20 And the LORD came down upon
mount Sinai, on the top of the mount: and the LORD called
Moses up to the top of the mount; and Moses went up.
Exodus 24:16-17 And the glory of the LORD abode upon
mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the
seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the
cloud. 17 And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like
devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the
children of Israel.
=======
Moses was raised up with the personal understanding that he
was expected to become a leader one day. Even so, he was
very humble and appeared to have very little self-confidence
(remember that he also stuttered). Due to this, he was
utterly dependent upon the Lord to accomplish what God
expected through him.
Exodus 4:10-12 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I
am not eloquent, neither before, nor since you have spoken
unto your servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow
tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who has made man's
mouth? or who makes the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the
blind? have not I the LORD? 12 Now therefore go, and I will
be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say.
Perhaps one of the reason the Lord chose a meek, humble and
non-assuming person was that He wanted to display Who He was
to the nations without focusing on the power of a
charismatic leader.
Exodus 7:4-5 But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that
I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth my armies, and
my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt
by great judgments. 5 And the Egyptians shall know that I am
the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring
out the children of Israel from among them.
Exodus 23:27-28 I will send my fear before you, and will
destroy all the people to whom you shall come, and I will
make all your enemies turn their backs unto you. 28 And I
will send hornets before you, which shall drive out the
Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before you.
Exodus 15:13-18 You in your mercy have led forth the
people whom you have redeemed: you have guided them in your
strength unto your holy habitation. 14 The people shall
hear, and be afraid: sorrow shall take hold on the
inhabitants of Philistia. 15 Then the chiefs of Edom shall
be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold
upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away. 16
Fear and dread shall fall upon them; by the greatness of
your arm they shall be as still as a stone; till your people
pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, whom you have
purchased. 17 You shall bring them in, and plant them in the
mountain of your inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which
you have made for you to dwell in, in the Sanctuary, O Lord,
which your hands have established. 18 The LORD shall reign
forever and ever.
Exodus 32 is after they had arrived at Mt Sinai and God had
shown up in His power upon the top of the mountain and all
the people had greatly trembled. Moses had spent 40 days
and nights up there in the Presence of the Lord. Oh my, the
people didn’t know what had happened to Moses so they
decided to make a golden calf from all the plunder of Egypt
and worship it. God was wroth with them!
Exodus 32:10-14 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath
may grow hot against them, and that I may consume them: and
I will make of you a great nation. 11 And Moses besought the
LORD his God, and said, LORD, why does your wrath grow hot
against your people, whom you have brought forth out of the
land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? 12
Why should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he
bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to
consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from your
fierce wrath, and change from this evil against your people.
13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to
whom you swore by your own self, and said unto them, I will
multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and all
this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your
descendants, and they shall inherit it forever. 14 And the
LORD turned from the evil which he thought to do unto his
people.
POINT TO PONDER: As an intercessor and a daughter, I
am so touched by this passage. Notice that God said, “Leave
me alone!” We know God knows everything, He already knew
Moses heart and response before the conversation ever took
place. He did not want to be influenced by Moses at all, He
wanted to be left alone so that his anger could grow that He
might consume them.
Have you ever been that angry? I can remember times when I
was angry with a loved one but just one darling look or even
a precious memory would cause my heart to melt into a pool
of butter. How long can a loving mother really stay mad at
her kids?
Just think of the bonding that went on between Moses and the
Lord! That the Almighty God could be that mad, and yet
Moses could talk to Him about this!
Notice that Moses BESOUGHT the Lord about this issue. This
was the only time the word is used in Moses testimony.
BESOUGHT
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
2470. חָלָה chalah
Search for H2470 in KJVSL
חָלָה chalah khaw-law'
a primitive root (compare 2342, 2470, 2490); properly, to be
rubbed or worn; hence (figuratively) to be weak,
sick, afflicted; or (causatively) to grieve, make
sick; also to stroke (in flattering), entreat:—beseech,
(be) diseased, (put to) grief, be grieved, (be) grievous,
infirmity, intreat, lay to, put to pain, X pray, make
prayer, be (fall, make) sick, sore, be sorry, make suit (X
supplication), woman in travail, be (become) weak, be
wounded.
Moses was grieved! I have felt this same grief in prayer
over the USA. Moses could not help but entreat God to
change His mind! Look how the same word is used in other
places in scripture.
Proverbs 13:12 Hope deferred maketh the heart
sick: but
[when] the desire cometh, [it is] a tree of life.
Song of Solomon 5:8 I charge you, O daughters of
Jerusalem, if ye find my beloved, that ye tell him, that I
[am] sick
of love.
Isaiah 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he
hath put [him] to
grief: when thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see [his] seed, he shall prolong
[his] days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in
his hand.
Jeremiah 4:31 For I have heard a voice as of a woman in
travail,
[and] the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first
child, the voice of the daughter of Zion, [that] bewaileth
herself, [that] spreadeth her hands, [saying], Woe [is] me
now! for my soul is wearied because of murderers.
Daniel 8:27 And I Daniel fainted, and was
sick
[certain] days; afterward I rose up, and did the king's
business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none
understood [it].
After Moses besought the Lord, the Lord turned from the evil
He was considering. Look at the word “turned” and how the
Lord felt about this.
Exodus 32:14 And the LORD turned from the evil which he
thought to do unto his people.
TURNED
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
5162. נָחַם nacham
Search for H5162 in KJVSL
נָחַם nacham naw-kham'
a primitive root; properly, to sigh, i.e. breathe strongly;
by implication, to be sorry, i.e. (in a favorable sense) to
pity, console or (reflexively) rue; or (unfavorably) to
avenge (oneself):—comfort (self), ease (one's self),
repent(-er,-ing, self).
BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS: Re-read what Moses said in
response to God. (Exodus 32:10-14) Consider Moses’ heart,
his words, his questions. How did Moses approach the Lord
regarding this issue? How did this impact the Lord? (How
did it make God feel?) Truly both God and Moses had great
emotion regarding this issue. Does their mutual exchange
encourage you in your prayer life? If so, how? You are
welcome to write more than one paragraph if needed.
So now we come to Exodus 33 & 34. These chapters contains
my favorite passages in the whole Bible. First let us
notice that God wasn’t on top of the mountain any more. It
was no longer shaking and flaming with loud thunder and
lightning. Instead Moses pitched a tent OUTSIDE the camp
and God would meet them there. Previously when Moses was
upon the mountain, one of the things the Lord told him was
to build a sanctuary, a tabernacle that He might dwell among
them.
Exodus 25:8-9 And let them make me a sanctuary; that I
may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you,
after the pattern of the tabernacle, and the pattern of all
the furnishings of it, even so shall you make it.
This tent was the first beginning/ foretaste of the
Tabernacle that Moses was told about upon the mountain.
Exodus 33:7-23 And Moses took a tent, and pitched it
outside the camp, far off from the camp, and
called it the Tabernacle of
the congregation. And it came to pass, that
everyone who sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of
meeting, which was outside the camp. 8 And it came to pass,
when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people
rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked
after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle. 9 And it
came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the
pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the
tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses. 10 And all the
people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the tabernacle door:
and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man in his
tent door. 11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as
a man speaks to his friend.
This phrase, “Tabernacle of the congregation” literally
means a tent or covering, or dwelling place where divine
appointments, times, calendar events, meetings are kept at
the appointed time between God and man. Oh how I long to
dwell there 24/7!!
TABERNACLE
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
168. אֹהֶל 'ohel
Search for H168 in KJVSL
אֹהֶל 'ohel o'-hel
from 166; a tent (as clearly conspicuous from a
distance):—covering, (dwelling)(place), home, tabernacle,
tent.
See Hebrew
166
CONGREGATION
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
4150. מוֹעֵד mow`ed
Search for H4150 in KJVSL
מוֹעֵד mow`ed mo-ade'
or moled (mo-ade'); or (feminine) moweadah (2 Chronicles
8:13) (mo-aw-daw'); from 3259; properly, an appointment,
i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival;
conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as
convened for a definite purpose); technically the
congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a
signal (as appointed beforehand):—appointed (sign, time),
(place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn)
feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn(-ity), synogogue,
(set) time (appointed).
See Hebrew
3259
POINT TO PONDER: The word congregation is the same
Hebrew word “mowed” which is the same word used when the
Lord put the stars, sun and moon into the sky to show forth
His signs and seasons.
Genesis 1:14 And God said, Let there be lights in the
firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night;
and let them be for signs, and for
seasons, and
for days, and years.
This is all about arranging a time, a season on God’s
calendar where He agrees to meet us. It is like heaven
kissing earth on the right day and hour.
In that tabernacle - that little tent, the Lord came in the
form of a visible and tangible cloud pillar. He drew Moses
into His cloud and enveloped him as only a cloud can do. In
that cloud like misty place, the Lord spoke to Moses face to
face as a man speaks to His friend…
Exodus 33:9-11 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into
the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at
the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the pillar of cloud stand at the
tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshiped,
every man in his tent door. 11 And the LORD spoke unto Moses
face to face, as a man speaks to his friend...
We have been told that the OT Feast of Tabernacles has not
yet been fulfilled on earth, as the OT Passover and
Pentecost were fulfilled in the NT.
Can you imagine being so close to God that you were allowed
access to come into a tabernacle place with Him and
experience the pillar of His cloud? That is a part of our
promise!
I have had several
experiences and also written about His cloud in this
link.
5/13/97 VISION:
I saw a 3-D cloud coming to me. It was hazy and I could
see through it. Somehow I recognized that He was inside the
cloud and I said, “Jesus!” The cloud came immediately into
my pores all over my body and I was quickened by His Spirit.
BIBLE STUDY QUESTION: In this intimate, enveloping
cloud, Moses asked the Lord to show him His way that
he might know the Lord. God actually answers Moses’
question in this passage. Do you see what is God’s way so
that we might know Him?
Exodus 33:12-17 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, you
say unto me, Bring up this people: and you have not let me
know whom you will send with me. Yet you have said, I know
you by name, and you have also found grace in my sight. 13
Now therefore, I pray you, if I have found grace in your
sight, show me now your way, that I may know you, that I may
find grace in your sight: and consider that this nation is
your people. 14 And he said, My presence shall go with you,
and I will give you rest. 15 And he said unto him, If your
presence go not with me, carry us not up from here. 16 For
how shall it be known here that I and your people have found
grace in your sight? is it not in that you go with us? so
shall we be separated, I and your people, from all the
people that are upon the face of the earth. 17 And the LORD
said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that you have
spoken: for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you
by name.
Now this is my very favorite passage in all of
scripture. After the previous experience in His cloud at
the tabernacle, the Lord told Moses to come up to Him at the
mountain again.
Exodus 34:2 And be ready in the morning, and come up in
the morning unto mount Sinai, and present yourself there to
me in the top of the mount.
Exodus 34:5-8 And the LORD descended in the cloud, and
stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD. 6
And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, The LORD,
The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and
abundant in goodness and truth, 7 Keeping mercy for
thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and
that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the
iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the
children's children, unto the third and to the fourth
generation. 8 And Moses made haste, and bowed his head
toward the earth, and worshiped.
Here is the Lord Himself describing Who He is! Oh how I
love this passage! How grateful I am for this passage, so
clear, so true and so manifest. When I love the Lord, when
I read His stories, when I pray, this is the God I know and
this is the God I trust.
POINT TO PONDER: It is one thing to read articles,
books, teachings that share opinions about God, His motives
and His plans. But it is quite another thing to hear from
God Himself Who He is and what His intentions are! Is there
anything that could change in your life when you embrace the
truth of Who God says He is? Do you have mindsets that are
not in alignment with His statement? Does this affect your
prayer life, how you relate to God? How you think about
Him? How you trust Him?
SANDY RESPONSE: I feel that Moses’ questions were
sincere. I found a key when looking up the word mischief.
It means bad or calamity. The Lord had already told Moses
that He wanted Egypt to know He was the Lord. (Exodus
7:4-5) So Moses suggested that if He slayed His
people, then Egypt would say God was a bad God and brings
calamity.
Bad is the total opposite of God, Who is GOOD. Moses hit
the nail on the head, by approaching God with Who He really
is. Then when Moses reminded God of His promise to Abraham,
Isaac and Israel, he was not only reminding God of His
relationship with His sons, but He was still reminding God
of Who He is. God would faithfully perform His Word because
that is Who He is. Sometimes in the heat of emotional
conflict we have to be reminded of who we are and what we
are committed to. That is what Moses did for God in that
day.
I also know that Moses approached God with great grief in
his heart due to God’s anger and words of intent. God
felt this grief. It impacted Him greatly, because He
loved Moses, and the same heart Moses had, God also had for
the same people.
I have felt this same grief all year in prayer over the
USA. Every time I have heard another prophet say we are
going to be judged and why, my heart is so grieved and I
pray again! The Lord comforted me that He is giving us
mercy. I have been shaken (and sickened) to the core over
the condition of the USA. I do know that in the future the
USA will go through judgement and I earnestly keep praying
that will be delayed until the tribulation and wrath, as in
George Washington’s vision.
To consider the fact that that God would love His prophets
so much that He would tell them His heart, what He is
thinking and His secrets is SO AMAZING when we consider how
big He is and how puny we are. Why would He do such a
thing? We are His children, created from His DNA, we are
the very apple, the center of His eye! He wants us to grow
up and rule and reign with Him! He wants to be with us and
wants us to be a part of what He does in the earth and in
the ages to come!
As I wrote this particular Bible lesson, I cried many tears.
=======
The Lord and Moses had a partnership where the Lord told
Moses what to do, and Moses obeyed accordingly. The
following is a list of the 9 times the Lord told Moses HOW
to use either his rod/ hand to perform the miracle.
Exodus 7:9 When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying,
Show a miracle for proof: then you shall say unto Aaron,
Take your rod, and cast it
before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.
Exodus 7:17 Thus says the LORD, In this you shall know
that I am the LORD: behold, I will
strike with the rod that is
in my hand upon the waters which are in the
river, and they shall be turned to blood.
Exodus 8:5 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Stretch forth your hand
with your rod over the streams, over the rivers,
and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land
of Egypt.
Exodus 8:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, Say unto Aaron,
Stretch out your rod,
and strike the dust of the land, that it may
become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.
Exodus 9:22-23 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Stretch forth your hand
toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the
land of Egypt, upon man, and upon beast, and upon every herb
of the field, throughout the land of Egypt. 23 And
Moses stretched forth his
rod toward heaven: and the LORD sent thunder and
hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD
rained hail upon the land of Egypt.
Exodus 10:12-13 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Stretch out your hand over
the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may
come up upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the
land, even all that the hail has left. 13 And
Moses stretched forth his
rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought
an east wind upon the land all that day, and all that night;
and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Exodus 10:21-22 And the LORD said unto Moses,
Stretch out your hand
toward heaven, that there may be darkness over
the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt. 22 And
Moses stretched forth
his hand toward heaven; and there was a thick
darkness in all the land of Egypt three days:
Exodus 14:16 But lift
up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea,
and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry
ground through the midst of the sea.
Exodus 17:5-6 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go on before
the people, and take with you of the elders of Israel; and
your rod, with which you smote the river, take in your hand,
and go. 6 Behold, I will stand before you there upon the
rock in Horeb; and you
shall strike the rock, and there shall come water
out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in
the sight of the elders of Israel.
POINT TO PONDER: Notice the verbs: take, cast,
strike, stretch and lift up. From these instances, we can
tell that Moses was accustom to using the rod in certain
ways and numerous times.
Now consider this next passage where Moses failed to obey:
Numbers 20:7-13 And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, 8
Take the rod, and gather you the assembly together, you, and
Aaron your brother, and speak unto the rock before their
eyes; and it shall give forth its water, and you shall bring
forth to them water out of the rock: so you shall give the
congregation and their animals drink. 9 And Moses took the
rod from before the LORD, as he commanded him. 10 And Moses
and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the
rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, you rebels; must we
fetch you water out of this rock? 11 And Moses lifted up his
hand, and with his rod he struck the rock twice: and the
water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and
their animals also. 12 And the LORD spoke unto Moses and
Aaron, Because you believed
me not, to sanctify
me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you
shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have
given them. 13 This is the water of Meribah, because the
children of Israel strove with the LORD, and he was
sanctified among them.
BIBLE STUDY QUESTIONS:
·
What did the Lord tell Moses to do?
·
What 1 action did Moses do right?
·
What 2 actions did Moses do wrong?
·
Why did the Lord say these 2 actions were wrong?
BELIEVED
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
539. אָמַן 'aman
Search for H539 in KJVSL
אָמַן 'aman aw-man'
a primitive root; properly, to build up or support; to
foster as a parent or nurse; figuratively to render (or be)
firm or faithful, to trust or believe, to be permanent or
quiet; morally to be true or certain; once (Isa. 30:21;
interchangeable with 541) to go to the right hand:—hence,
assurance, believe, bring up, establish, + fail, be faithful
(of long continuance, stedfast, sure, surely, trusty,
verified), nurse, (-ing father), (put), trust, turn to the
right.
SANCTIFY
Strong's Hebrew Dictionary
6942. קָדַשׁ qadash
Search for H6942 in KJVSL
קָדַשׁ qadash kaw-dash'
a primitive root; to be (causatively, make, pronounce or
observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally):—appoint, bid,
consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy(-er,
place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify(-ied one,
self), X wholly.
ADDITIONAL
SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
Numbers 11:10-15 Then Moses heard the people weep
throughout their families, every man in the door of his
tent: and the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses
also was displeased. 11 And Moses said unto the LORD, Why
have you afflicted your servant? and why have I not found
favor in your sight, that you lay the burden of all this
people upon me? 12 Have I conceived all this people? have I
begotten them, that you should say unto me, Carry them in
your bosom, as a nurse bears the nursing child, unto the
land which you swore to give unto their fathers? 13 From
where should I have flesh to give unto all this people? for
they weep unto me, saying, Give us flesh, that we may eat.
14 I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it
is too heavy for me. 15 And if you deal thus with me, kill
me, I pray you, out of hand, if I have found favor in your
sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.
Isaiah 49:15-16 Can a woman forget her nursing child,
that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?
yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget you. 16 Behold,
I have engraved you upon the palms of my hands; your walls
are continually before me.
Galatians 4:19 My little children, of whom I travail in
birth again until Christ be formed in you,
1 Thessalonians 2:7 But we were gentle among you, even as
a nurse cherishes her children:
POINT TO PONDER: Notice that when the Lord told
Moses He would not bring the congregation into the promised
land, Moses didn’t argue, he didn’t cry, he didn’t
intercede, he didn’t offer any defense for himself. And yet
in the other cases, he immediately interceded for others.
We find the same in the final passage regarding this
incident when the Lord brought him to Mt Abarim to look over
the promised land. Moses did not peep a word of defense for
himself, instead he interceded for the people.
Numbers 27:12-17 And the LORD said unto Moses, Get you up
into this mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given
unto the children of Israel. 13 And when you have seen it,
you also shall be gathered unto your people, as Aaron your
brother was gathered. 14 For you rebelled against my
commandment in the desert of Zin, in the strife of the
congregation, to sanctify me at the water before their eyes:
that is the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the wilderness of
Zin. 15 And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying, 16 Let the
LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over
the congregation, 17 Who may go out before them, and who may
go in before them, and who may lead them out, and who may
bring them in; that the congregation of the LORD be not as
sheep which have no shepherd.
Moses had spent 40 years in the wilderness caring for
wandering sheep. Then he spent another 40 years in the
wilderness caring for wandering people. Surely he
understood their ways and surely He knew God’s ways.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he
shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his
bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
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