Exodus 3:1-4:17 Lesson 036
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
JOHN 10:27”
Recap: Moses Is Born
LESSON TIME!
In today’s lesson, we learn about Moses’ encounter with a burning bush. God will speak to Moses and share with him the special plans He has for Moses’ life.
God had chosen Moses to be the one to lead His people out of Egypt, but it was a pretty scary thing for Moses to think about.
Just as God had a plan and a call for Moses, God has a plan and a call for our lives.
He wants to use our lives for His purposes. Sometimes it can be kind of scary for us to step out in new areas and serve the Lord.
Have you ever done something that made you uncomfortable?
But as Moses learned through his years of serving the Lord, God will always enable us to do what He has called us to do.
Exodus 3: New International Version (NIV)
Moses and the Burning Bush
1 Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2 There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3 So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4 When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5 “Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” 6 Then he said, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God.
Moses had been a shepherd for forty years in the desert. During that long period of time, God was preparing him for the work that He had called Moses to do.
Moses was now 80 years old and was about to begin the most exciting period of his life.
Remember, God's people, the Israelites, had been slaves in Egypt for many years.
They cried out to God for deliverance. God had heard their cries and prepared Moses to be His instrument.
God appeared to Moses in a flaming bush that was not consumed.
When Moses realized that God was speaking to him, He was afraid to look upon God and hid his face.
When God called to Moses, Moses responded, “Here I am.” We need to listen and hear God’s call to us.
May we respond to God as Moses did by saying, “Here I am!” God has wonderful plans for each of our lives.
Perhaps God will call you to be a pastor, a missionary, an evangelist, a prayer warrior, or to use the gifts and talents He has given you in ways that will bring glory to Him.
Maybe, even now, He will call you to share the Gospel with a friend down the street.
Let us listen for the voice of God in our hearts and jump at the opportunity to serve Him.
9 And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them. 10 So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.” 11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” 12 And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.”
God heard the cry of His people. They had been in bondage to the Egyptians for quite some time.
Is it possible that some felt God had forgotten them?
God sees our difficulties and hears our cries. Although His help may not be immediate or as we would plan, He will not forget—He will help us in His timing and according to His plans.
God revealed His plan to Moses:
Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
Moses responded, “Who am I to do this thing?”
In other words, “You must have the wrong guy!”
Moses was meek—fully aware of his own frailties and weaknesses; yet, who God calls, God equips.
God is patient with Moses and responds, “Certainly I will be with you.” God gave Moses a sign: “When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
This would be fulfilled sometime later as Moses led over 2 million Israelites to worship on that very mountain.
We can be certain that, as God was with Moses, God is with us!
??????????????
Though we are not capable and adequate by ourselves to fulfill God’s plan in our life, God can do it. He will help us.
He will accomplish His plans through us. God assures Moses of His power to help him.
13 Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?”
14 God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” 15 God also said to Moses, “Say to the Israelites, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you.’
“This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation.
Moses was concerned that the people would not believe that God had called him and sent him to deliver them.
The name of God, “I AM WHO I AM,” means “the self-existent one.” God is all-powerful and self-existing. He has no beginning or end. He was not created. He alone is God and has all authority over heaven and earth. This is Who was sending Moses.
Certainly, Moses could trust in God. God can do all things and is willing to use us to accomplish His purposes if we will let Him.
God will go before us in any task.
Exodus 4
Signs for Moses
1 Moses answered, “What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say, ‘The LORD did not appear to you?” 2 Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied. 3 The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it. 4 Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So, Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand. 5 “This,” said the LORD, “is so that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob—has appeared to you.” 6 Then the LORD said, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” So, Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, the skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow. 7 “Now put it back into your cloak,” he said. So, Moses put his hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out, it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. 8 Then the LORD said, “If they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second. 9 But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you, take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground.”
Now Moses begins to bring up some “what-ifs.” He asks,
“what if they do not listen to me or do what I say?”
It seems Moses is preoccupied with considering all the problems that might arise.
This was, without doubt, a big task for God to ask Moses to take on.
Yet, even at 80 years old, Moses will be learning he, certainly, can depend on God.
We need to learn that lesson as well.
If God calls us, He will equip us. He will go before us and be present with us.
Rather than look at our circumstances, we can rest, for the great “I AM” is with us.
10 Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.”
11 The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”
Moses felt like he was not a very good speaker.
He felt like he could not present himself to the people and to Pharaoh.
Moses questions his ability to do the task;
God responded patiently, as He did to Moses’ other concerns.
God explained to Moses’ that it was He who created him; and with certainty, it would be He who could enable him, despite his weakness.
God has made us all and has specific plans for each of us.
Our weaknesses and lack of the number of available resources" can be opportunities for God to demonstrate His strength in our lives.
13 But Moses said, “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” 14 Then the LORD’s anger burned against Moses and he said, “What about your brother, Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well. He is already on his way to meet you, and he will be glad to see you. 15 You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth; I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. 16 He will speak to the people for you, and it will be as if he were your mouth and as if you were God to him. 17 But take this staff in your hand so you can perform the signs with it.”
Does it sound like Moses wanted this special task? Perhaps his life is pretty comfortable out in the desert all by himself. He’s just tending sheep for his father-in-law, no worries or cares. He provides for his family and does not have to deal with too many problems; life is pretty good for him right now.
We do not know what was in Moses’ heart—
perhaps it was fear or the feeling of inadequacy that made him reluctant to go.
We do see a lack of faith.
Our own failure to believe and trust in God and be secure in His plans for us can cause us to miss out on God’s best in our lives.
God wanted to bless Moses and speak through him, now Moses’ brother Aaron would be the spokesman.
Moses would now miss out on God’s best plan.
Later Aaron, in a leadership role, would cause problems for Moses and the children of Israel.
God called Moses to an exciting task.
God has a plan and a purpose for our lives.
In Jerimiah 29:11 God says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”
May we obey God fully and see His purposes accomplished in our life.
Remember, our weaknesses and inabilities are not a concern to our mighty God, the Great “I AM.”
PRAYER
Snack Time!
MEMORY VERSE
“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.”
JOHN 10:27”
Comments