Monday Bible Study Life in Christ Bible Church LICBC Headquarters, 154 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA 91024, USA http://www.licbc.org ********************************************************************************************** Systematic, Expository Study of God's Word Study 5: GOD'S POWER IN HIS SERVANT Exodus 4:1-31 In our last study we learnt of the purpose and plan of God to send Moses to deliver God's suffering people. Instead of responding with gratitude that God had chosen to use him, though unworthy, he questioned, "who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?" In response to this God assured him that He would be with him. Today's study begins with Moses' further objections. He continued to object to the call because of the people's unbelief, his own slowness of speech and obvious inability to do such a great task. God, then, endowed him with supernatural power, granted him the assistance of his brother who eloquent and promised to be with his mouth and use him to deliver Israel. 1. SUPERNATURAL SIGNS ACCOMPANY DIVINE CALL Exodus 4:1-9, 3:11, 4:17,20; Mark 16:17,18,20; 1:40-42,45; John 14:10,11; 10:25,38. Moses was very human and his faith appeared weak. Notwithstanding the gracious re-assurances God gave him, Moses continued to raise objections. "Behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee" (Exodus 4:1). In response God endued Moses with power to do miracles and manifest the supernatural. The manifestation of God's supernatural power through Moses was an evidence that God had appointed him to deliver Israel from Egypt. The rod in his hand was made the subject of a miracle, a double miracle. His hand itself next became the subject of a miracle, also a double miracle. And he was directed that on arrivial in Egypt, when it became necessary, he would turn water into blood. These signs and wonders had a purpose in God's plan of redemption or deliverance. Moses had said "they will NOT BELIEVE me, nor hearken unto my voice" (Exodus 4:1). The signs were to make them BELIEVE. "And it shall come to pass, if they will not BELIEVE thee... that they will BELIEVE the voice of the... sign". When Moses and Aaron "did the signs in the sight of the people, the people BELIEVED... then they bowed their heads and worshipped" (Exodus 4:30,31). This is the grand purpose of supernatural signs - to lead people to believe for salvation and redemption. "And many other signs truly did Jesus ... but these are written, that ye might BELIEVE that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that BELIEVING ye might have life through His Name" (John 20:30,31). The three signs in our study today are the first recorded signs in scripture. There are important lessons to learn from them. The rod, a common, ordinary shepherd's staff, when surrendered to God, becomes a wonder through which God manifests His power. Simple things in your possession used under God's direct command can be the means of miracles, signs and wonders. When a man is truly called of God, his ordinary talent, like a mere rod, can be used supernaturally by God. The miracle should also have convinced Moses that he would be able to deal with the Old Serpent at God's command. Being commissioned by God, he was also empowered by God. The sign of the leprous hand obviously taught Moses and others the marvellous power of the great God who sent him. To be instanteneously smitten with leprosy and cured immediately without the use of means was an astonding wonder. This signified that Moses, by the power of God, would be able to bring sore diseases upon Egypt, and that, by his prayer to God, they could be cured instantaneously. Also, leprosy, symbol of sin and defilement in Egypt, can be instantly removed by God's power through Christ, the Mediator. The third sign was to be wrought only if the testimony of the first two was refused. Therefore it tells us of the consequence of refusing to believe, if man rejects the testimony of God's word and refuses the One who alone can deliver, nothing but divine judgment awaits him. The blood, sign of war and judgment, assured retribution upon the wickedness of the Egyptians. The water turned into blood speaks of life giving place to death. 2. MOSES' COMPLAINT AND GODS CONDESCENSION Exodus 4:10-17; Jeremiah 1:6-10; Exodus 6:12; Judes 6:14-16; 1 Corinthians 15:9,10 Moses had every reason, after these signs were given, to accept God's assignment and believe His word. But his willingness was still present, and a further excuse was offered - he was slow of speech and of a slow tongue. Moses supposed as many do today, that the gift of eloquent speech is a prime re-requisite for effective ministry. Those who are being trained for the ministry in Christian schools and colleges must always have a course in rhetoric and elocution, since the majority of people think that they must come into the ministry "with excellency of speech or of wisdom". Such trained people' often produce "preaching with enticing words of man's wisdom" but lack "the demonstration of the Spirit and of power" (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). All the schooling in the world is of no avail whatever unless the Lord is "with the mouth" of the minister, teaching him what to say. God has used the simple language of unlettered John Bunyan far more than He has the polished writing of thousands of Seminary graduates. The unbelief, fear, timidity and complaint of Moses brought God's anger kindled against him. Yet God's wrath was tempered with mercy. The only punishment given to Moses was the sharing of leadership with his brother Aaron. That arrangement was really a second-best. Aaron proved to be a mixture of great help and great hinderance (Exodus 32:1-25; Numbers 12:1-15; 20:7-12). God said that as Moses returned to Egypt he would find Aaron coming forth to meet him (Exodus 4:14,27). What an illustration this is that when God works to bring two people together, He works at both ends of the line. The eunuch and Philip, Saul and Ananias, Cornelius and Peter supply us with further illustrations of this same truth. 3. OBEDIENCE AND RETURN OF MOSES TO EGYPT Exodus 4:18-31; Jeremiah 1:7, 17-19; Ezekiel 2:6,7; Acts 26:13-20; Hebrews 10:6,7; James 1:22-25. Moses, now submissive to God's plan, first obtained permission from Jethro to leave for Egypt. This act of Moses was very commendable. It would have been wrong and the mark of ingratitude had Moses gone down to Egypt without first notifying Jethro. Jethro had taken him in while a fugitive from Egypt, had given him his daughter to wife, had provided him with a home for forty years. Moreover, Moses had charge of his flock. Moses did not give all the reasons for going back to Egypt. He said nothing about the Lord's appearing to him, of the call and commission he had received, nor of the positive assurance from God that He would bring His people out of Egypt into Canaan. Was he so reserved, being not yet excited about the plan? God had to give him further assurance in the next verse: "Go, return into Egypt: for all the men are dead which sought thy life" (Exodus 4:19). At last Moses began the journey that took him to his epoch-making mission. He was accompanied by his wife and his sons as he returned to Egypt. God was about to fulfill His covenant with Abraham but the sign of that covenant, circumcision, had not been performed for one of the sons. This neglect was about to bring severe judgment but the son was quickly circumcised and judgment was averted. Here are striking lessons we must not overlook. A man may be united to a woman who opposes him as he desires to maintain a scriptural discipline in his home, but he is still the head of the house who must not fail in his duty. Also, this incident teaches us that before a man can fulfill God's call ministry, he must set his life and house in order. Moses and Aaron "met in the mount of God" where God had earlier appeared to Moses. (Exodus 4:27; 3:1). Then the two brothers returned to Egypt and met with all the elders of the children of Israel. As the Lord had said, they believed that Moses was sent of God and that he would be their deliverer after showing them the signs.
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