Go Down, Moses, Way Down to Egypt Land

Here are some thought on Exodus Chapters 3 and 4. Hope you like them.

God calls Moses to do the work the work that he already wanted to do, but at first Moses refuses. We know from chapter 2 that Moses wanted to stop the plight of Israel in Egypt, but when God calls him to end it he makes 5 excuses before finally, reluctantly agreeing. Why the change of heart for Moses. First, Moses had tried once before and failed, so that must have made Moses feel even more incompetent. However, the first time he tries to stop the Israeli slavery he is trying to do it his way and not God’s. But God still has his plan, and he is still committed to using Moses. Partly this may be because, as Hybels states, Moses had God’s heart. God was always going to save the Israelites; he was just waiting for the right guy. Moses was that guy, and partly he was the right guy because he tried once before and failed. HE wanted what God wanted, justice for the Hebrews. Still, it is ironic that Moses wants no part of what he first wanted to see happen.

Here are a few other quick observations on these chapters. I n verse 25 of chapter 4 we have Moses’ wife, Zipporah saying “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!”. Now from the English it is unclear if she is talking about God or about Moses, but it doesn’t really matter. Both ways we have a foreshadowing of Christ. If she is calling God that, then it is obvious to make the jump. Later in the NT we are told that Jesus is the Bridegroom and the church His bride, so her statement is just prophesy. However, we have the same foreshadowing of Christ if she is speaking to Moses here as well. Moses is going to be the savior of Israel. He I going to be the High Priest. He is going to be the intercessor between God and His people. Does this sound familiar? Jesus later becomes the Savior of All, the High Priest, the Intercessor. SO we have here a foreshadowing of thins to come- a bridegroom of blood.

One more quick observation about the text. Jump back to the firs paragraph. We have Moses refusing the call he once so desperately desired. And then he makes some excuses, and then he finally does what God had called him to do. Notice something first though. One of the excuse he makes before God is that people are not going to believe him. He is worried that the story just seems to far fetched. And can we really disagree with Moses here? If God audible spoke to YOU though a burning bush, and told you to go and tell people, wouldn’t you be worried that no one would believe you? I know I would. But what happens in the end of Chapter 4 of Exodus? We have Moses first tell his brother Aaron what happened to him, and then Aaron, as God had proscribed, telling all the people what Moses tells him. And what happens? First Aaron believes him, and then we read in 4:31 “And he people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshipped.” Not only do the people believe Moses account, they have a semi revival right there. They bow down and worship God. Moses fears were completely unnecessary. He was worried for naught. What God had planned He was going to do. This included preparing people’s hearts to receive the message that God had sent out through His servant Moses.

Here is a quick application for us. What God has planned, even if we have tried and failed in the past, He will bring about. HE was already at work preparing our brother and people’s to hear the word that He want them to hear. We read earlier in Chapter 4 that God is going to harden the heart of Pharaoh, and in the same way He has softened the heart of Israel so that they may receive Him with gladness. What God has called you to do, He will prepare the way for you to do it. There is no need to fear. That is not to say that we won’t be afraid, Moses was, but if we are faithful and obedient even through the fear, we will be able to see God’s mighty had work, and we will get to be the tools by which He does it.

One more quick observation: The people believe and worship God not because of what He has done, but because of only what He has promised o do. All they know at this point is that some dude and his brother- Aaron and Moses- have said God is going to rescue the Israelites. But they worship anyway. This needs to be our attitude. We don’t worship God based on what he has done. In fact, often He will not do anything until we have worshipped. I am willing to bet that if the Jews did not worship Him, he would have pulled the plug on the whole operation. We see Him do exactly this later. But they do, and so he is faithful. What He has promised to do He I going to complete. This is exactly the predicament we are in as Christians today. We have promises from God, and we need to worship Him in light of these Promises, and who He is. We don’t have all of them yet. Sometimes we are still slaves in Egypt. But freedom and the Promised Land are not always as far off as we think. Let us bow down and worship, for we too have a Savior who will lead us home.