Moses' Conversation with God

  

 

Exodus 3:13-22

 

August 9, 2024

 

Moses' Conversation with God

 

Then Moses said to God, “If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ what shall I say to them?”  God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he said, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘I am has sent me to you.’”  God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘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, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.  Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt,  and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’  And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’  But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.  So, I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that, he will let you go.  And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty,  but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So, you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

 

Our God who is one yet three, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, has said my name, how I will be known by earth people is: “’ 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, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations.”

 

Go, was not a request, this was the order;  Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt,  and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”’  

 

 You may be wondering if God told you to go, and the answer is yes.  Do you recall in Luke 9:59-60 where Jesus told a man to follow him, and he wanted first to bury his dad?  Do not get hung up on his dad. When Jesus says to do anything and it does not become our priority, then we are not open to Jesus’ authority.  This is what Jesus said to the man: “And Jesus said to him, 'Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”

 

Our marching orders are as you go, make disciples. How are you doing?  Mark 16:15, “And he said to them, 'Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.”

 

Do you recall the man whom Jesus sent the demons into the herd of pigs, and he wanted to go with Jesus, I would have also.  But Jesus did something greater for me; He redeemed me from a life of sin and sent His Holy Spirit to live in me.  These are Jesus' words to that man, “The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 'Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.”

 

We, as followers of Christ, have been given orders we are to go and tell what Jesus has done for us.  But, like the man with the excuse first, let me bury my dad, we allow our desire to fit in with our family, friends, and people we work with to keep us from obeying the Lord. How can we then hope to seek His face?

 

God made it clear that their word would not have any effect on the King of Egypt, but His hand of power and might would.  They would leave Egypt with gold and silver, clothing, yes, they would go, but you must recall, they still had a Red Sea encounter, and so will we.  Jesus has made that clear, John 16:33, I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

 

From our Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice