What signs has the Lord used in your life to get you to see His purpose for you in your life? For Moses a bush burned without burning up. More signs followed.
Exodus 3: The Burning Bush
1 Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
2 And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.
3 And Moses said, "I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned."
4 When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, "Moses, Moses!" And he said, "Here I am."
5 Then he said, "Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground."
6 And he said, "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.
7 Then the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters. I know their sufferings,
8 and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
9 And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.
10 Come, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."
11 But Moses said to God, "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?"
12 He said, "But I will be with you, and this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain."
13 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?"
14 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.'"
15 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.
16 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,
17 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."'
18 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.'
19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.
20 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.
21 And I will give this people favour in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty,
22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbour, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewellery, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."
Exodus 4: Moses Given Powerful Signs
1 Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'"
2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff."
3 And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it.
4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail"---so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand---
5 "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you."
6 Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.
7 Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh.
8 "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign.
9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."
10 But Moses said to the LORD, "Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent, either in the past or since you have spoken to your servant, but I am slow of speech and of tongue."
11 Then the LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Who makes him mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?
12 Now therefore go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall speak."
13 But he said, "Oh, my Lord, please send someone else."
14 Then the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses and he said, "Is there not Aaron, your brother, the Levite? I know that he can speak well. Behold, he is coming out to meet you, and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.
15 You shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth, and I will be with your mouth and with his mouth and will teach you both what to do.
16 He shall speak for you to the people, and he shall be your mouth, and you shall be as God to him.
17 And take in your hand this staff, with which you shall do the signs."
Moses Returns to Egypt
18 Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."
19 And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead."
20 So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
21 And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.
22 Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son,
23 and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.'"
24 At a lodging place on the way the LORD met him and sought to put him to death.
25 Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses' feet with it and said, "Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me!"
26 So he let him alone. It was then that she said, "A bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.
27 The LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." So he went and met him at the mountain of God and kissed him.
28 And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD with which he had sent him to speak, and all the signs that he had commanded him to do.
29 Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel.
30 Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.
31 And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Things to think about…
1. Note the first line in Ex 3:1. Moses was called from the land of Midian and the burning bush was on Mt Horeb (Mt Sinai). The land of Midian is in modern day Saudi Arabia (As Paul also says in Gal 4:24, 25) – not the Sinai Peninsula as many bibles have it in the colour maps at the back. St Catherine’s monetary is in the wrong place, as completed by Justinian 1 – 545-565AD. The true Mt Horeb/Sinai (mountain of God) is in Saudi Arabia. It is also here tha the Lord said Moses would return top after he had brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. Remember that Moses would be on this mountain receiving the law, Ex 3:12, cf Ex 20. He would also stand opposite the land of Israel, but not be allowed to enter.
2. Jesus is the One who speaks from the bush in Ex 3:14 – this is who Moses is speaking to – John 8:58. How amazing that we speak to this same God when we pray and read scripture!
3. The Lord makes sure His people would be blessed as they left Egypt. They would be given wealth from the Egyptians as they left. The Lord blesses even if it comes from worldly wealth – Ex 3:22. If it is from His hand – let us not call unclean what the Lord has made clean. This blessing is not from illicit gain but general wealth that the world uses to survive, our Lord also uses this for His glory.
4. I love the interaction between Moses and the Lord in Ex 4:1-17. Moses really doesn’t want the job of being the Lord’s mouthpiece. But in all the dialogue, have a look at vs 11. Meditate on this. Nothing happens outside God’s will, even if there seems to be a marring of His image through blindness, deafness and being mute. It all happens for a reason; that reason is that He would get the glory – cf John 9. In weakness our Lord’s strength is shown.
5. It seems amazing that even after the Lord turns Moses’ staff into a snake and then back to a staff. The Lord then turns Moses’ hand leprous, then heals it. But Moses still doubts that the Lord can use him because of his perceived lack or gifting in speech. Moses still had a lot to learn. The Lord is merciful and allows his brother Aaron to speak on his behalf. Let’s never judge but encourage those who are not strong in their faith. Christ is their strength unto salvation. Let’s love as He does.
6. Circumcision was given to Abraham as a sign of the Lord’s covenant with His people. Moses would have known this well having been circumcised as a Hebrew baby before being given over to Pharoah’s daughter. God is about to strike down Moses for not carrying out this act of obedience to his son, Ex 4:24. Note that the Lord was about to put Moses to death, not the child. God has mercy in the level of knowledge and accountability we carry. Circumcision is enacted by Zipporah, the wife of Moses, a Midianite, Ex 4:24-26. Think about this, she stopped the Lord’s wrath against Moses. God was going to kill Moses. We all need to obey a holy God. Praise God this is done through our Intercessor – Jesus Christ. His covenant is more sure than circumcision of the flesh, but of the heart by the power of the Holy Spirit.
7. The Lord knows our weakness and had already prepared Aaron to go to Moses in the wilderness, Ex 4:27. Moses tells him all the Lord had shown him and they return to Egypt. Aaron begins convincing the Elders of Israel that the time of their redemption is near and they believe, vs 31.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Cell groups are encouraged to come to church on Wednesday night 6:30pm at church. Be encouraged and join us for a time of teaching, fun and food.
Prayer Points
1. The conflict in Israel and Ukraine. Thousands of people have lost their loves in these war zones thus far. When there is evil, it needs to be confronted. Pray for the families and lives that will be affected over the coming weeks. May Christ rule and reign in Israel and beyond.
2. Mathys has a prayer time at church on Monday afternoons. He would be happy for you to join him and to send prayer requests.
3. That those who are new to the church are encouraged and settle in well into the church.
4. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you to be saved. Pray for the blessing over the new pastoral care and hosting program.
5. Pray for our Carols program, Sun 17th Dec.
6. Pray for Rosie and the teachers at Kids@church, pray for continued growth of this ministry.
7. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for worship and teaching time on Sunday.
2. Praise God for new folk, pray they can settle into the church.
3. Continue to pray for our Wed mid-week meeting.
4. Good ministry after the service. Continue to pray for this blessing to increase.
5. Some encouraging signs of those wanting to consider who Jesus was. People asking about baptism.
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Mid week topical teaching every Wednesday night – 6:30pm at church.
2. Gaza, Israel and Bible Prophesy – 12th Nov morning service.
3. Annual general meeting – 26th Nov after the service.
4. Carols starting in the afternoon from 4pm Sunday 17th Dec.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for November...
Q. 14. Where do you learn how to love and obey God? A. In the Bible.
