Exodus: Going With God #5: Going With Assurance

 Exodus: Going With God #5: Going With Assurance

Text: Exodus 4

Ducking into the pastor’s office with a turkey and the roasting pan in his arms, Brian said, "Forgive me, Pastor, for I have done a terrible thing. I stole this turkey to feed my family. Would you take it back, so I won’t feel guilty?"

"Certainly not," said the Preacher. "The right thing to do is to return it to the one you stole it from."

"I tried," Brian sobbed, "but he refused. Oh, Preacher, what should I do?"

"If what you say is true, then it is all right for you to keep it for your family."

“Oh, thank you so much, Pastor. And then Brian hurried off with the turkey in his arms.”

Then the pastor locked up the church and returned home to see his wife in tears.

“Why dear, what’s wrong?”

She looked up with tears in her eyes and said, “Someone stole the turkey I was making for you!”

Sometimes, it’s not easy being a pastor in God’s service. In fact, you don’t even have to be a pastor to know that being a Christian can often be difficult. Whether you are a pastor, teacher, a deacon, or a church member it often seems that this world is always stealing your turkey. In Exodus 4, Moses needs some assurance from God that he can overcome the difficulties that are part of serving the Lord. In the fourth chapter we see what it took for God to bring Moses that assurance and for Moses and Zipporah to fully dedicated themselves and their families to His service.

Seeing God’s Signs - Exodus 4:1-9

  And Moses answered and said, But behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. 

Moses Sees God’ Power

Review last week in Exodus 3, Moses left the sheep while he went to see the burning bush. From that fire God spoke to Moses and told him it was time to bring God’s people home. Time to deliver them from slavery and cruelty. Time to set His nation free. Now in chapter 4 God begins to convince Moses that he is God’s man for that world changing task.

He begins by showing Moses three signs. Signs that would prove to Moses that God’s power would flow through Him.

1st Sign, God turns Moses’ shepherd’s rod into a serpent and then back again. Exodus 4:2-32 And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine 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. I think I fully understand Moses’ reaction here. I don’t care how cool you think you are, if a snake suddenly appears at your feet, you’re going to do some high stepping. But the Lord called Moses back and told him. Exodus 4:4-5 And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine 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, hath appeared unto thee.

The 2nd Sign was also just as shocking. Exodus 4:6-8 6 And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. 7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked 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 thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

At this point, I’m sure Moses isn’t needing any more signs from God. But God promises there will be one more if the people don’t listen to Moses. Exodus 4:9 9 And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

At this point Moses doesn’t need any more convincing that God’s power will flow through him. I sure don’t blame him, at 80 years old his poor old heart was probably beating 200 beats per minute after that snake sign. Moses now has been assured that God can use him to deliver the Children of Israel from bondage.

Seeing The Signs of God

Now before I make application of this first point to our service to God let me say a few things about signs from God. The Bible is filled with them and there are many that claim miraculous signs are all around us today. They make this claim to try and prove that they are God’s leaders, or that they are close to God, like a Moses or an NT apostle. Though when you think about it you don’t see any of these pseudo-prophets turning walking sticks into serpents or giving themselves leprosy. You know why that is? Because no one likes a snake at their feet, I just told you that.

Those who claim signs and wonders today in the same way that Moses, Elijah or the apostles did are charlatans and liars. I say that without any reservations or fear of contradiction. I do not say it to be mean, but it needs to be understood clearly. If you put your trust in one of these scam artists, you are even more naïve that someone who believes in man-made global warm or the benevolence of Big Pharma and the trustworthiness of the mainline media. Sorry is that political, I’ll stop.

Why can I be so sure these people are charlatan? Because I have a Bible and I study it. When you study it, fully, exhaustively, and systematically, which is the only way you should study it, then you find that God’s word clearly shows that miraculous signs are used by God only during critical, crucial times of His Plan of the Ages, His overall purpose for the redemption of mankind. Miracles, signs and wonder do not happen at the whim of someone putting on a show or trying to get rich so they can buy their next Ferrari or Rolls Royce.

The Time for The Signs. Here are those “times of signs” in the Bible.

Miracles of Creation.

Miracles of the Exodus and Conquest.

Miracles of Elijah and Elisha.

Miracles of the Messiah and early Church

Miracles of the Tribulation.

Yet these constitute a very small amount of the total time since creation. The vast majority of the Bible is not about people believing God by miracles but people believing God without miracles. Its called walking by faith, not by sight.

Signs of Our Times. What of our own Biblical time? Do we live in a time of great signs and miracles or a time of faith in God’s promises? Should we expect God to prove Himself to us as he did to Pharaoh?

What did Jesus say? Matthew 16:4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them and departed.

What did Paul say? Romans 1:17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

We are called not to seek signs but to walk by faith.

And yet, and yet that walk of faith is not a blind walk, but one built over centuries of God’s divine revelation of Himself. In the past, God has given us signs, but now those signs mean we are to walk by faith. God has proven himself through His word to us, just as He proved Himself to Moses with a staff.

The signs of God’s reality, of his transcending His creation and involving Himself in the lives of mankind today are still very evident. They are still easily recognized and sometime just as shocking as a snake or a leprous hand. 

Years ago, when I was going to Bible college there was a whole series of billboards signed by God do you remember those. I thought they were great.

One of them said, You know that love thy neighbor thing I said. I meant that. -sign God. Another said, “Don’t make me come down there. – God. And one that applies here said, “Here is your sign.” – God

When it comes to signs from God today, they aren’t written on billboards, but they are written down, here in His Word. You want a sign from God? Here is your sign, the Bible.

The Bible is God’s word, literally. It is His revelation, and it is the greatest sign ever given by God to mankind.  

The Bible took 1500 years to complete. It was penned through God’s inspiration over 40 generations, by 40 different authors, who wrote in 3 different languages on 3 different continents. It was the first book translated into another language. It has been translated into more languages than all other books combined. It has been printed more than any other book in all of history. It has been distributed more than any other book in history.

All this despite the facts that it has been prohibited, censored, burned, ridiculed and attacked more than any other book in all of history.

You want God to give you a sign, then open this book and read it. God has not hidden himself; He has revealed Himself, through creation, through His Son and for us today through His word.

And just like Moses when we have seen the signs of God, then we must take and show those signs to a world that needs to see God for themselves. Moses had his staff and you and I have ours, the staff of God’s Word. Share it, for God is seen in its pages, and through those pages the Holy Spirit begins to act upon lost hearts.

Here is Their Sign. Not only must we show them the Word of God in the Word of God, but we must also show them the Word of God in us, the Children of God. The world is looking for proof, for a sign that God is real and loves them. God intends that you and I would be that sign of His love.

1 John 4:7-16 7 Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. 8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.  12 No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. 13 Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him.

As Moses was to be a sign himself to the Children of Israel that God had come to deliver them from slavery, you and I are to be a sign that Jesus has come to deliver the lost from sin.

You would think after all that, Moses was raring to go, but you’d be wrong. You might also think the sermon is about done but in that you’d also be wrong. Look at vs. 10…

Speaking God’s Words - Exodus 4:10-17

 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?  Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.  And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send.  And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.  And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.  And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.  And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs.

Moses Hears God’s Promise

Moses was afraid to speak publicly, or as some believe that he might have had a stammer. Whatever the reason he give the excuse that he was adequate to the task of calling God’s people together or of speaking before the court of a King. It is interesting that Moses seems to have a greater fear of the disbelief of God’s people than he does of Pharaoh.

Now God gives him two assurances.

First, God gives himself to empower Moses’ speech.

Verse 11-12 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?  Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.

 God promised Moses, He would speak for him. He would put the words that needed to be said in Moses’ mouth.

Secondly God also gave Aaron to empower Moses’ heart.

 Still Moses was afraid, so much so that he asks God to send someone else.

 Vs. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. (Lord choose someone else.)

God until now had not been angry with Moses but this near refusal after God’s promise stirred the Creator to anger. Yet He does not give up on Moses even in His anger. Exodus 4:14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

 God seems to say, I’ll give you Aaron to be your spokesman, He is on his way and at least he will be glad that I have called him.

So, God then gives Aaron, his brother to be his helper in order to empower Moses’ heart and assure him that God can use even a slow-tongued, old, on the run, lowly shepherd to do great things.

Hearing God’s Promise For Us

There is only one Moses and God used him and only him in this special way for a unique task but the way that God empowered and assured Moses is not unique to Moses. We have all been called to serve the Lord and we have all been given promises that should give us the courage that will empower our hearts in the service of our Lord.

Listen to what God told Jeremiah, “Jeremiah 1:9-10 9 Then the LORD put forth his hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth. 10 See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.

Just like Moses, He has promised us the words to speak and one who will be with us to give us what we lack.

Look at Matthew 10:19-20 19 But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak: for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak. 20 For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father which speaketh in you...

Luke 21:14-16 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

Also like Moses, the Lord has also promised us, One to walk with us, One who will bless our hearts, even more than Aaron was a blessing to Moses.

John 16:7-14 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. 8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; 11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged. 12 I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. 13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. 14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine and shall shew it unto you.

With the promise of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Jesus has given us One who will always be with us to strengthen, comfort and guide us as we follow and serve the Lord. With the Spirit of God in us, what task for God can we not face? What challenge can we not meet? What obstacle can we not overcome?

As Paul said in Romans, “If God we for us, who then can be against us?

The Most Caring Child - Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four-year-old child, whose next-door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry." – By Ellen Kreidman from A 3rd Serving of Chicken Soup for the Soul

Sometimes that is exactly what we need. We just need to know that God is knows what we are going through, and that He has not left us alone. He is there in the person of the Holy Spirit to comfort, console and just be there though the pain, the trials and the challenges of serving the Lord.

There is one more point in this chapter and it is the toughest one to talk about for many reasons, go to vs. 18 and lets talk about…

 Sanctifying God’s Family - Exodus 4:18-31

And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the LORD met him, and sought to kill him. 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 art thou to me.  So, he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.  And the LORD said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. And he went, and met him in the mount of God, and kissed him.  And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which he had commanded him.  And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:  And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.  And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.

Seeing God’s Ownership

Moses returns the flock to Jethro, tells his father-in-law what has happened and that he must go. Jethro gives his blessing. Moses gathers his wife and children and sets off for the Mount of God to meeting Aaron. So far so good. It seems like the end of this chapter of Moses’ calling. But now things take an interesting, even bizarre turn.

As Moses is traveling back to Egypt via Mt. Sinai the Bible says that God meets Moses where he and his family are lodging and He seeks to kill him. Now if you were writing this story would you have written this. It seems out of place. It seems contradictory. God has just taken all this time, sent all these signs to convince and assure Moses and no He is going to kill him.

Whoa, what turn of a plotline. Have you ever heard anyone preach on this? Well, maybe I shouldn’t either. But you can’t help but wonder. Why would God take such an unyielding stance against the man he had just commissioned to save His people?

I think the key is in verse 22, Where the Lord says, “Israel is my son, even my firstborn.”

Foremost in God’s priority was his relationship with the nation of Israel. He viewed them as his son. To mark that relationship, He had instituted the rite of circumcision upon all the males of Israel. The removal of the foreskin was the mark of a people trusting God and identifying with Him.

Now God has called Moses who is destined to be the greatest leader of God’s people until the Messiah and that is not an overstatement. Yet, Moses, this greatest leader of the Hebrews, has neglected his own son’s circumcision.

We are not given details but it seems that Zipphorah did not want the rite performed upon her son.

 The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his wife, Kittorah and so probably practiced the rite of circumcision though perhaps not at the same time. It may have been at 13 years old according to the example of Ishmael. The Muslims who are descendants of Ishmael, still circumcise at 13.

 Perhaps Zipporah just didn’t want it done and Moses let it go, but God would not let it go. When they stopped to rest, God sought to kill Moses. This may have been through sickness, or perhaps as dramatic an event as the Angel of the Lord with a sword in his hands as Joshua was confronted.

 However, it happened Moses was incapacitated, and Zipporah had to circumcise her son with a stone knife, a sharper than a razor flint knife,  to save her husband’s life.

 She then threw the foreskin at Moses feet and said, “You are a bloody husband to me.”  She complied but did so in anger, having to do so in order to save her husband’s life.  Moses probably sent her back at this time to Jethro to wait until he returned from Egypt as we do not hear about her again until Moses and Aaron leave Egypt and meet Jethro once they are out.

 Accepting God’s Calling Even For My Family

This is a passage I don’t readily preach on. Its not one I would quickly pull out when I get asked to preach at a conference. It is difficult in its interpretation and difficult in its application, but I believe it is a very important aspect of God’s calling to service.

God in this passage is making it very clear that when he calls a man into leadership, he calls his family as well. It also applies to the head of every Christian home. When God saves, he calls and when He calls, that calling involves much more than just the person called.

There is no getting around it, no way of ignoring it, as Moses found out. When God calls a man to serve him, He is also laying claim to that man’s family.

This is what God’s word says.

1 Timothy 3:1-13  This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.  A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;  Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;  One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;  (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)  Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.  Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.  Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre; Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience.  And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.  Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.  Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.  For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

Many of God’s leaders have been called to serve only to find that their families will not follow. The conflict and hurt we see in this incident with Moses and Zipporah is a small reminder of the conflict and pain that is seen in a leader of God whose wife or family will not follow their husband as he tries to follow the Lord.

 Pastors have left the ministry; missionaries have left the field, deacons have left their office, and husbands have left the church because the conflicts that sometime come when the wife or family will not allow God’s man to be God’s man.

 Worse still those men who God called but they did not serve because their wives told them “I will not go with you!” Oh, to stand one day before God and have to explain why they refused God’s call.

Listen, a pastor is only as faithful as his family enables him to be. A deacon is only as faithful as his family enables him to be. All men of God are only as faithful as their family enables them to be. You may rightly say, “That isn’t fair” and you would be exactly right. I’m sure that is exactly how Zipporah felt and she was also right. Its not fair. God called Moses, not her, not her children. It’s not fair, its just faith and its just a fact of serving the Lord.

I thank God every day for LeeOra and my kid, who the Lord has used over and over and over again to bless me by honoring me as both their father and their pastor. I never had to choose between my love for God, my love for His church and my love for my family. What a terrible choice that would have been to make.

The man of God, whatever office or service he holds, must also have a family of God. God knows that the family is vital, without the family it is near impossible to fully serve the Lord. This is why God claims the man and the family for Himself. I also that He abundantly blesses and will one day greatly reward that family according to their sacrifice and service. It may not be fair but it is worth it. Truly worth it.

Conclusion

Servants of God let me conclude by asking you.

Do you know the real signs of God’s using you in His service? The testimony of His Word, the presence of His Spirit and the touch of His love. Are you fully trusting in the Lord to supply what you lack, knowing that the one who made the mouth will supply the words for that mouth to speak.

And finally for the men of God, do all you must do for your family that God can use them to make you a good and faithful servant. I believe it is the man’s responsibility to make sure your family is faithful to God, by being faithful to them. And to the wives and children understand how essential your support of your husband and dad is. You can make him or you can break him as he tries to serve the Lord and care for you.