Studies in Faith – Moses

Joseph  when his end was near spoke about the exodus of the Israelites.

24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. 26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward. 27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:24-27 NIV

Forty years had passed since the birth of Moses In Exodus. Moses is now 40 years old. We do not know a great many specifics about his life, but there are a few historical          tidbits that can be put together.

• Egypt was the most powerful and greatest land of the day.
• He was probably raised in the palace with his mother. The daughter of the Pharaoh and the rest of his family for at least 37 years.

We can understand from this that Moses had everything. He was raised in total opulence. The prestige of being the grandson of the Pharoah put him at the top of all of Egyptian life.

One commentator wrote “Being part of the Royal Family, if he rode out on a chariot, the people on the street bowed. He would have had the best. If Moses traveled down the Nile by barge, it was among the finest in Egypt.”

That same writer: “When it came to education, he probably had the finest tutors available in the land. We know for sure, from written records, that they had a great university, in its time comparable in esteem to an Oxford or a Harvard today. He would have been instructed in astronomy, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, music, and art.

37 years in the palace but never lost contact with his roots. Miriam his sister and a prophetess of Israel even helped him in the Exodus as we will later see.  He knew the Hebrew language, and no doubt still saw Jochebed and Amram from time to time. He knew the history of the Israelites and was loaded with knowledge.

What caused him to leave this land of plenty?

Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his     brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the   wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”    
Exodus 3:11-13 NIV

 What was Moses thinking when he killed the Egyptian?

Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 
Acts 7:5 NIV

• The faith of Moses directed him to choose the ways of God over treasure of Egypt.                 
• Disowned his adoptive family.
• He knew that he would walk away from all that he had gained by being in Pharaohs house.
• He knew that if he stood by his Hebrew brethren, he would be disgraced.
• When he was forty years old, he left in fear but when he was 80

He left not in fear but in obedience.

• For his life he chose to be a part of something more important than all the glory and praise of Egypt.
• It took another 40 years for him to do this.

27 By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible.
Hebrews 11:24-27 NIV

He Chose sides between the children of Israel and the Egyptians and finds himself in a place called Midian where he rescues 7 daughters of a priest from a group of shepherds…

16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.
18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 “And, where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,[c] saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them. 
Exodus 2:16-24

• 3 months old when he left his mother
• 3 years old when Moses went to be with Pharaohs daughter
• 40 years old when he left Egypt
• 80 years old when he encountered the burning bush and was called of God to complete what he had started.

The Faith of Moses gave him the ability to be the voice of God to the pharaoh.

By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.
Hebrews 11:28 NIV

This morning Kim and I were talking — what is different today than yesterday? Biden and the national panic.

Major doctrine in this passage having to do with the reconciliation of gods will and the will of man. At the end of the day, gods will is done for his glory!

7 For Scripture says to Pharaoh: “I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” 18 Therefore God has mercy on whom he wants to have mercy, and he hardens whom he wants to harden.
Romans 9:17-18 NIV

If your pastor makes doctrine boring, get a new pastor.

• What led up to this verse in the book of Hebrews?
• Moses encounter with God at the burning bush.
• Moses was called to return to Egypt and be the deliverer of the children.
• This is the message that God gave to moses:

7 Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.”
Exodus 7:1-5

• Tell them what I tell you
• I will harden Pharoahs heart
• He will not listen but eventually he will free my people.
• 9 Plagues
• Water to blood. 7 days had to dig for water along the nile.

22 But the Egyptian magicians did the same things by their secret arts, and Pharaoh’s heart became hard; he would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said. 23 Instead, he turned and went into his palace, and did not take even this to heart. 24 And all the Egyptians dug along the Nile to get drinking water, because they could not drink the water of the river.
Exodus 7:22-24 NIV

Plague of frogs, everywhere.  Pray to your God and Moses did, and they all died.

15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron, just as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:15

Gnats pharaoh would not give in.

 Since the gnats were on people and animals everywhere, 19 the magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.
Exodus 8:19-19 NIV

Flies pharaoh would not give in. Plague of all the livestock. Cattle, sheep, goats, horses and all died except for the Israelites

The Lord set a time and said, “Tomorrow the Lord will do this in the land.” 6 And the next day the Lord did it: All the livestock of the Egyptians died, but not one animal belonging to the Israelites died. 7 Pharaoh investigated and found that not even one of the animals of the Israelites had died. Yet his heart was unyielding and he would not let the people go.
Exodus 9:5-7 NIV

21 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward the sky so that darkness spreads over Egypt—darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward the sky, and total darkness covered all Egypt for three days. 23 No one could see anyone else or move about for three days. Yet all the Israelites had light in the places where they lived. 24 Then Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the LORD. Even your women and children may go with you; only leave your flocks and herds behind.” 25 But Moses said, “You must allow us to have sacrifices and burnt offerings to present to the LORD our God. 26 Our livestock too must go with us; not a hoof is to be left behind. We have to use some of them in worshiping the LORD our God, and until we get there we will not know what we are to use to worship the LORD.” 27 But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he was not willing to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get out of my sight! Make sure you do not appear before me again! The day you see my face you will die.” 29 “Just as you say,” Moses replied. “I will never appear before you again.”
Exodus 10:21-29 NIV

Killing of the first born , Blood over the doors and door posts, Remember this.

“Obey these instructions as a lasting ordinance for you and your descendants. 25 When you enter the land that the Lord will give you as he promised, observe this ceremony. 26 And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ 27 then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to the Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when he struck down the Egyptians.’” Then the people bowed down and worshiped. 28 The Israelites did just what the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron.
29 At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne, to the firstborn of the prisoner, who was in the dungeon, and the firstborn of all the livestock as well. 30 Pharaoh and all his officials and all the Egyptians got up during the night, and there was loud wailing in Egypt, for there was not a house without someone dead.  And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this.
Exodus 12:24-30 NIV

5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, “What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!” 6 So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. 7 He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them,8 The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. 9 The Egyptians—all Pharaoh’s horses and chariots, horsemen and troops—pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
Exodus 14:2-9