Old Testament: Isaiah 46:1-13
New Testament: Hebrews 11:23-27
God Has Spoken
“The Call of Moses”
Exodus 2:1-3:8
The whole Bible is God’s Spoken Word – it is God’s own revelation of Himself to man.
- Even though it was written by many different writers, from many different backgrounds, over a period of hundreds of years, the Bible is still “one book”, with “one story” – God’s plan for the redemption of man.
- God’s story begins with His creation of all things, and it ends with His culmination of all things.
- God’s story begins with God and a perfect world, and human beings created in the image of God, yet with a free will to choose between good and evil; knowing the consequences of their choices.
- God’s story ends with Him having triumphed over evil through Jesus Christ, and with those who put their faith and trust in Him for their salvation, living with Him forever, in glory.
While the Bible is “one book” with “one story”, each book within the Bible stands alone in its purpose of God’s revelation, but each book connects with the other 65 books to develop and illustrate God’s plan for our redemption.
- The Book of Genesis reveals the power of God through His creation of the world and all things in it.
- The Book of Exodus reveals the power of God through His redemption of His people from their bondage.
- The word “Exodus” means – “the way out”!
- The Book of Genesis ends with God’s promise of redemption, but man still living in bondage to sin.
- The Book of Exodus shows lost man the “way out” of his sinful condition – through the blood!
- Moses wrote the Book of Exodus, as confirmed by the Lord Jesus in John 5:46.
- While the Book of Exodus was written as God’s instruction to the Israelites as to how they were to live and worship, the Apostle Paul said Moses wrote those instructions down for our benefit.
- Everything God did to release the Israelites from their bondage was a “type” or “illustration” of what God did for us through Jesus Christ to deliver us from our bondage to sin.
- For just as the Israelites were redeemed by the blood of a lamb, as the Apostle Peter said, “we were not redeemed with corruptible things…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot!” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
In Exodus 2:23-25, God said He had “heard the groaning” of His people; that He had “remembered His covenant” with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and that He “looked” upon the children of Israel and “had respect” unto them.
- God’s response to the cry of His people was His next step in His plan for OUR redemption, and that was the calling of a leader – a Deliverer – for God’s people.
1. The Call of Preservation – Exodus 2:1-25
To reduce the growth in the Hebrew population, Pharaoh had issued a decree that all male children be thrown into the Nile River. (Satan’s attempt to destroy the Seed)
- God told Moses’ parents to preserve their baby boy by building an Ark out of reeds and placing it in the Nile River at the same place other babies had been thrown.
- Hebrews 11:23 says Moses’ parents did not do this because of their “feelings” for their baby, but because of their “faith” in God.
- When Pharaoh’s daughter came to the River to bathe, she saw the child and decided to keep it, and God so arranged it that Moses’ own mother nursed him and raised him.
- God was giving us a picture of our own salvation. For just as Noah and his family were in the flood, but saved in the Ark, so was Baby Moses in the River, but saved in the Ark, and so is everyone who is saved by God’s grace: we are in the world, but sealed in the Ark of Jesus Christ, until the day of our redemption. (Eph. 2:5-6)
2. The Call of Separation – Exodus 2:11-2
In Acts 7:22, Stephen said, “Moses was trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds!”
- In Hebrews 11:24-26, the writer said Moses was separated from the “desires” of the flesh:
- He “refused” to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter – he refused to be the King of Egypt.
- He “esteemed” the reproach of Christ as being more valuable than the riches of Egypt.
- In Exodus 2:11-15, we see Moses being separated from the “power” of the flesh!
- He attempted to do God’s work in man’s way, and in his impatience, he killed a man.
- His fear of Pharaoh caused him to flee for his life.
3. The Call of Desperation – Exodus 2:16-21
God led Moses to the backside of the desert, to a specific well owned by the Midianites, who were of the seed of Abraham, and who worshipped the One True God!
- Moses was used to having everything he wanted because he lived in Pharaoh’s court.
- Now he sat by a well, tired, weary, and alone; desperately wanting to know God’s will for his life.
4. The Call of Revelation – Exodus 3:1-8
Working as a shepherd for his father-in-law, Moses led the sheep to a pasture at the base of the Mountain of God!
- The “Angel of the Lord” appeared to Moses in the flame of fire out of the midst of a bush.
- The “Angel of the Lord” was God’s revelation of Himself to Moses; the Pre-incarnate Son of God.,
- Before Moses could be sent on his mission for God, he must first see the “glory” of God, and become so “captured” by that glory that he would abandon himself unto God as His servant.
- There was a vision of the “grace” of God – the fire symbolized God’s judgment – His holiness burned the sin yet preserved the sinner.
- There was a vision of the “glory” of God – the fire symbolized the slavery of God’s people, yet they were not destroyed, because He was WITH THEM in the fire.
- There was a vision of the “holiness” of God – once God saw that Moses was “captured” by His glory, He SPOKE to Him from the bush and said, “Moses, don’t come any closer – take off your shoes – you are standing on holy ground!”
- The first thing God revealed to Moses was not His plan for the world, or His power over evil, or His assignment for Moses to be His deliverer – it was His HOLINESS!
- God’s FIRST CALL to us is to BE HOLY!
