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Transcript

and when the sun was going down

a deep sleep fell upon abraham and lo and horror of great darkness fell upon him

and he said unto abram

no other surety that thy siege will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs

and shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years

and also that nation whom they shall serve will i judge and afterward shall they come out with great substance

in 400 years

is a long time

and so it came to pass

and for years and years

the suffering went on

and the faithful became fewer and further between

would god do nothing about the promises that he had made to abraham so long ago

now the sergeant of the children of israel who dwelt in egypt was 430 years

and it came to pass at the end of the 430 years even the self-same day it came to pass that all the hosts of the lord went out from the land of egypt yes god kept his promise

and he was right on time

right on time

but for the individuals in israel who could not as it were look back as we are doing now over the centuries and say yes god kept his promise for the individuals to whom it was happening day in day out

they were getting weary

nothing seemed to be happening

and i suppose life can be like that even in our little span can't do brethren and sisters when nothing seems to happen

and day in day out the same old grind perhaps goes on

and some may be in circumstances where

it is difficult to live the truth

and no ray of light seems to come

thus it was with israel

and things went from bad to worse

but for the faithful of course there was that

symbol

that sign

that something to cling to

that faithful joseph had said those years before

joseph had said unto his brethren i die and god will surely visit you and bring you out of this land unto the land which he swear to abram to isaac and to jacob

and joseph took an oath of the children of israel saying god will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from hence

and there was the embalmed body of joseph

waiting

and for the faithful in israel they knew that one day they were to observe the promise that had been made by their fathers and that body was to go out of egypt but for many

faith had dwindled

and the faithful were becoming few and further between

there's a striking similarity between the attitude of pharaoh and the attitude of herod in later years before the prophet like unto moses was born

pharaoh charged all his people saying every son that is born you shall cast into the river and every daughter you shall save alive

and so it was that the hebrew baby boys were drowned

to keep down the numbers of those who might be a potential threat to egypt in a time of war

would deliverance never come

for many in israel

it seemed that the egyptians were doing so well

that perhaps it would be more sensible

to observe

the gods of egypt and if we look at ezekiel chapter 20

we find that verse 5

god says to ezekiel

thus saith the lord god in the day when i chose israel and lifted up mine hand unto the seed of the house of jacob and made myself known unto them in the land of egypt when i lifted up mine hand unto them saying i am the lord your god in the day that i lifted up mine hand unto them to bring them forth of the land of egypt into a land that i had aspired for them flowing with milk and honey which is the glory of all lands then said i unto them cast you away every man the abominations of his eyes and defile not yourselves with the idols of egypt i am the lord your god

for many in egypt

the egyptians were doing so well their gods were looking after them our god is doing nothing for us

they beheld the prosperity of the wicked and little by little they came to worship the gods of egypt

how sad

shades of the 73rd psalm

when the psalmist confessed that his feet had well nigh slipped

when he saw the prosperity of the wicked and it's so easy isn't it brother and sisters to see the affluence in the world about us how those who have not the extra demands on their time live a life of enjoyment of pleasure and so on

as for me said the psalmist my feet were almost gone my steps at well i slipped for i was envious at the foolish when i saw the prosperity of the wicked for there are no bans in their death but their strength is firm they're not in trouble as other men neither are they plagued like other men

their eyes stand out with fatness they have more than heart could wish they corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression they speak loftily they set their mouth against their heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth

they say how does god know and is there knowledge in the most high

behold these are the ungodly who prosper in the world they increase in riches

verily i have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocency for all the day long have i been plagued and chastened every morning

and i thought to know this it was too painful for me until

until

i went into the sanctuary of god

then

understood i their end

the psalmist featured well nice slipped

until he stood back and saw things in perspective

the end to which he had been called

and the end to which they were destined

but for many in israel their feet had slipped they'd given up hope their faith had gone

defile not yourselves with the idols of egypt i am the lord your god but they rebelled against me and would not hearken unto me said ezekiel they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes neither did they forsake the idols of egypt then i said i'll pour out my fury upon them and to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of egypt but i wrought for my name's sake

that it should not be polluted before the heathen among whom they were in whose sight i made myself known unto them in bringing them forth out of the land of egypt so there in the land of egypt was a state of idolatry amongst god's own people but

as always

there were the faithful

and two such faithful were amram

and jochebed

faithful

servants of god

in a land of darkness

and surrounded by faithlessness

well it was probably thanks to the midwives shifrar and pura

who faithfully wrought to deliver the young lads of egypt before the final command came to drown the young suns that there was born to amram and jochebed the sun aaron

and thanks to those faithful midwives

aaron was spared

and he started to grow

and reached the age

of three

and then the next child was born at a time when the command was extant that all young hebrew children should be drowned in the waters of the nile

hebrews 11

and i think and the verse that we're going to look at now indicates that something very wonderful happened

in the lives of amram and jochebed

hebrews 11 and verse

23

by faith

moses when he was born so qed it wasn't the faith of moses

by faith moses when he was born was hid three months of his parents

because they saw he was a proper child

and they were not afraid of the king's commandment

now what lies behind these words

why was it by faith

that moses was hidden if they just didn't want their little son to be drowned surely it was the law of mother love that prompted them to hide him for as long as they could but no

it was

by faith

and surely if we're looking for types between moses and the lord jesus christ and they are bound

was it not the case that by angelic visitation mary the mother of jesus

was forewarned

about the birth

of this one who was to save his people from their sins

it would seem that jochebed

and we can only infer this that jochebed

was likewise forewarned

that something at long last was going to happen amongst god's people and there was to be born one who would deliver

the hebrews from egypt

and believing this word it was by faith that they hid him

by faith

that the promise that had been made would be kept by god

and this child was not to suffer the fate of other hebrew children

and so they hid him three months

when they saw that he was

a proper child now what does that mean

two arms two legs right number of fingers and toes a proper child

and behind the meaning of this word proper

is what it literally means belonging to the city

well-born

now

various expressions i might use here i don't know they may mean nothing in america but in england if someone is of the city pronounced like that

a city type

there's something that just a little bit different about him you know so when he walks into a cafe it's not like when banford walks in and they walk past him and serve the other people someone rushes up to him you know and they bow and scrape and

something that'd be different he's of the city city gent

perhaps you've got city gents over here i don't know

belonging to the city well-born a striking child

remarkable in appearance

i don't know in my estimation

i always reckon that newborn babies are very very ugly

i i can't get excited about all this sort of slush about what a darling little soul as a matter of fact i worked in an operating theater for two years and saw many born by cesarean section and never never once did i say what a beautiful baby

and when i was present at the birth of my third child

i gasped with horror and said to the midwife

i wouldn't want to insult any of my relatives by saying he looked like them he looks like a baboon

and she was furious and took it as a kind of sight against her own handiwork

but there was something very striking about this baby just look at act seven would you um here again this word is used but translated slightly differently acts 7

and verse 20

in which time moses was born and was exceeding fair

or is your margin say those with authorized margins fair to god

a striking child

we would say or perhaps

we might say today oh isn't he just divine you know the expression he was

fair to god

now i see in this something that was a a faith booster to amram and joker bed the child that was to be born just look at him

way out a remarkable looking child so here we're introduced to moses as a babe

as a striking physique

and their faith was strengthened

and of course this is how god builds up the faith of his servants

what did they call him

i don't know

nobody knows

what they called him

if i was asked to make a guess

i would say they called him joshua

but i don't know

nobody knows

is not recorded in scripture what amram and jacob called this

young brother of aarons

perhaps it was joshua

but of course that was not to be his name

and uh so we come back to exodus chapter 2

and we find how the well-known story of course you can't keep a young babe hid for any longer than three months i think they did a remarkable job if they kept it hid for three months you wouldn't have kept mine here for three hours but uh

they did their best and then there came the time when they committed him to god they struggled in their own way to preserve this one who was to be the savior of israel

and then it got too much for them and they committed him to god and there the ark

saved that young child in the waters

the waters

that were to be the death

of so many of those babes of unfaithful israelites given to idolatry those were the very waters

that saved

this young child of amram and joker ben

that's a figure of course that runs right through scripture well as we shall be seeing the waters of the red sea they were the saving of israel they were the destruction of egypt

the waters of baptism

by refusing the waters of baptism we're told in luke's gospel record that the pharisees rejected the council of god against themselves being not baptized of him after john's baptism

and yet it's the waters of baptism that save the people of god

the word itself is that which condemns the world

it's the word of life that brings salvation to the children of god and so we could go on but these waters that were the salvation of this young babe were the destruction of so many of the young sons of the hebrews

and then we know how pharaoh's daughter heard the young child crying

and sending her maids the young child was drawn from the water and miriam who'd been set to watch goes to fetch what we'd call today a wet nurse to bring up the young child and when it was weaned

then pharaoh's daughter would take it to herself oh how wonderfully the hand of god operates

that this one who according to the edict of pharaoh was to be destroyed

was destined to come right into his own courts

god delights in paradox and thus it was here

and the quick witted young medium of course rushes to fetch

jochebed

that she might suckle this young child

and then here are the jews god's people she got paid for doing it isn't it lovely

she even got paid for doing it i don't know how the jews do it blessing of god's people marvelous isn't it how god blesses his people

take this child away and nurse it for me and i'll give you thy wages and the woman took the child and nursed it never was a child

reared more carefully by its nurse

and the child grew and she brought him unto pharaoh's daughter and he became her son

and she called his name moses from so from now on we know him as moses

because he was drawn out drawn out of the waters of the nile

and during that valuable time and we don't know how old he would be when finally he came into the care of this princess

during those valuable early years

joker bed

would cram it

everything she knew

abraham isaac jacob the promises and he was the one that one day would deliver his people

and thus it is with young children

they accept what mummy says that's it

they assume that everyone else is uh right down the same line

when my little girl was very little she used to play with one or two of the other little girls at the meeting at a game called meetings

and they used to put a hat on you know get a bit of bread and used to play meetings and that was a good game to play and of course when she went to school the teacher gave them a bit of free time just to observe the children what would they do so that she could assess the children and she began to organize those about her those little girl as well and they said what shall we play and she said we'll play meetings

and their mouth just sagged open and she thought they were a bit dense couldn't understand it and then of course as children grow they slowly find out that the ways of mummy and daddy are the lives

that it's a tiny little exception in a big wide world

but for moses what jochebed told him that was it

and

so later of course

when it was that

moses saw those

two men

and an egyptian

and a hebrew

the egyptian was smiting the hebrew

that uh moses anger was aroused and he slew the egyptian

now one might say well yes that's um we know that

but uh the next day

when uh

he saw two hebrews fighting and abraded them

he was amazed at the retort that he

got stephen in his speech in act seven said this

verse 24 seeing one of them suffer wrong he defended him and avenged him that was oppressed and smote the egyptian for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that god by his hand would deliver them but they understood not and moses was amazed

he thought it was

quite well known

says stephen that he was to be the deliverer he was amazed that they didn't know

and it's little verses like this that lead us to believe

this idea that jochebed was forewarned by god that this one that was to be born was to be the deliverer and it was by faith

that she hid him

and also

the

wonder of foreseeing the day of christ

this was not confined to abraham jesus said abraham rejoiced to see my day he saw it and was glad

i think

people like amram and jochebed and moses and joshua and david

and all these great men of old they too saw the day of christ and were glad

so then moses from a young child was educated in the matter of redemption and that he was to be the one who was to bring god's people out from the land of egypt

when he was adopted by pharaoh's daughter of course and brought into the courts of egypt there he would be educated there he would have this princely upbringing

and no doubt in the archives

and in amongst the scrolls of egypt he would come across

these scrolls

scrolls that had been started from very very early years in man's history

i think it is a reasonable assumption

that although we call the first five books the books of moses

because he set them in order like that yes

but faithful men were picked out by the holy spirit over the years to set down the chronicles of human history that is why in the book of genesis you come across those genealogies in little groups

we don't wait till the end of the book of genesis and then get the whole lot right from adam down

so that as each faithful scribe wrote about what eating let's say for the sake of argument the first one was seth i don't know who it was

and seth was inspired

to set down

the wonders of creation the experiences of adam and eve and went right on up to his own day

and then he died

and the scrolls would be passed on

and the next faithful chronicler would then take up the genealogies that followed on and he would set down the history up to his day inspired to write it correctly and so they would go on and on until they came down to abraham to isaac

to jacob

to

joseph

and then the cobwebs

in the archives of egypt

and then came moses

and as he came in his education to look through the libraries of egypt in all their learning so these valuable scrolls

came into his possession how avidly he would read them

his education

was of the very best if we look at acts chapter 7.

we see there in verse 22

moses was learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians

now let's just think about that for a moment he was not a specialist not like today when

one can study silicon chips or something and not know how to cook an egg

and

because we live in an age of specialization he was educated in all the wisdom of the egyptians

in engineering in languages

mathematics

all their spheres

a brilliant man he became

but the verse goes on in acts 7 22

moses was learned in all the wisdom of the egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds

now remember we mentioned yesterday the idea of moses being a rather me man

and there is the danger that we confuse the word meek with weak

and they completely dissimilar these words

a meek man a humble man yes but weak never

he was mighty in words

he was a man that could command

he was a prince in egypt

and in deeds

and if we turn back the pages of josephus the hebrew historian

we find that he became a great general in the armies of pharaoh he led successful campaigns even against the ethiopians that were mighty

in battle and always he was victorious

a man of tremendous physique exceptionally strong

fine looking well educated

kind of man that made the girl's heart flutter

this was the one

this was the vessel that god was shaping for his great mission

mighty in words and in deeds

and all this time

the jealousy

of his older brother was mounting

why do we say that

well you'll see as we go on

but it was

there was his older brother aaron

in all the wretchedness

of the slavery of egypt

and there was his kid brother living it up in the courts this one that was going to be the deliverer

he's taking a long time isn't he

having a fine time of it

and the years passed by

forty years

passed by

and then

then there came that momentous day

and reading on in acts chapter seven

and reading on in acts chapter seven

we read verse

23

when he was full 40 years old it came into his heart

to visit his brethren the children of israel

it came into his heart

who planted the thought in his heart

here surely moses was moved

by a power from on high

it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of israel

and not only visit but to stand alongside them

in

all their hardship

hebrews 11.

there was more here than just a casual sightseeing tour he'd known what was going on over the years here there was an identifying

of himself with his brethren hebrews chapter 11 and verse 24.

by faith moses when he was come to years as we just read when he was 40

refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter

choosing rather to suffer affliction with alongside the people of god

than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season

and what pleasures they were for him to enjoy in the courts of pharaoh

and so he associated himself

with the slaves

he renounced his title

as the son of pharaoh's daughter

verse 26 esteeming the reproach for christ greater riches than the treasured in egypt

reproach for christ

the fellowship of his suffering

and christ hadn't been born but moses had seen the day of christ as that abraham his forefather

and he esteemed reproach for christ

greater riches in the treasury treasured in egypt here was the man of faith

for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward

the promises that have been made to abram to isaac and to jacob

by faith he forsook egypt not fearing the wrath of the king for he endured as seeing him who is invisible

seeing with the eye of faith

what a man

we turn back to keep a finger there in hebrews 11 and we turn back to exodus chapter two

and verse

11 there he saw the egyptians smiting a hebrew and having looked cautiously this way and that

when he saw that there was no man he slew the egyptian and hit him in the sand

and then he saw the two hebrews striving the next day and said wherefores mightiest ally fellow and receive the retort who made the uh prince and a judge over us

intended how to kill me as thou killeth the egyptian

and here there was this

rejection

god who had sent them a deliverer

his people rejected here of course is a superb type of christ he came unto his own

and his own received him not

and so he was spurned

and moses realized that the truth was out and he feared and said surely this thing is known now you notice what it says there

moses

feared

and said

surely this thing is known now when pharaoh heard this thing he sought to slay moses but no moses fled from the face of pharaoh

so there we have it moses

feared

and he fled

from pharaoh

now keep a finger in there and return back

to uh hebrews

11

27

by faith he forsook egypt not fearing the wrath of the king

well did he or didn't he

and of course the critic leaps on verses like this in glee

there you are the bible contradicts itself but of course it doesn't

but we must of course find some explanation here

what exactly does it mean

this word forsook

in hebrews 11 verse 27

by faith he forsook egypt it's translated left in acts 24 27 just to get the feeling of the meaning it might be worth just turning that verse up acts 24 27

there we read after two years porsche's festus came into felix room and felix willing to show the jews of pleasure left paul bound

now that doesn't mean to say

that um

felix

had sort of been rubbing shoulders with paul in prison and then he eventually said well paul i'm going to leave you and went out of the prison and left him it doesn't mean that at all

it just means he

forsook him he left him just

dropped him

and that is what moses did with egypt and all

that it offered moses he just forsook it dropped it renounced it cut it off

this is the meaning here of this word left and of course it refers back to a few verses before in hebrews 11 by faith moses when he was come to years refused to be called the son of pharaoh's daughter choosing rather to self-reflection with the people of god

he renounced his title he forsook egypt and all that it meant and in effect said to pharaoh i don't care what you think about it i'm not going to be called the son of your daughter anymore

and in this he feared not the reaction of pharaoh

and associated himself with the hebrew slaves

that's right

but then after he had slain that egyptian then then he feared the wrath of pharaoh and fled

moses the deliverer had struck

a blow

for freedom and had killed

one egyptian

just one

it wasn't to be like this

moses was to see far greater things than this in his delivering of israel but then he fled and went into the land of midian

now why did he go to midian if we turn quickly to genesis 25 i think we'll see

genesis 25

and verse

1. abraham took a wife and called her name keturah and she bear him zimran and jokshan and medan and midian

now midian then was a son of abraham and one thing that we can be certain of is that abraham instructed all his sons whether

born of concubines or not

in the fear of god

so somewhere back in the history of midian there was this knowledge of god

and if moses was looking for somewhere to flee then it is understandable that he would flee to a place where at least there would be some knowledge of the god that he feared and worshiped

and so he makes this great journey to midian and he sits down by well

and the seven daughters of jethro the priest or prince of midian

came to water their father's flocks

and there were the bully boys there of course they're always the bully boys about and the shepherds the local shepherds came and drove them away and here we see the

attitude of moses he could not bear the idea of unfairness of oppression

and the hand that slew the egyptian was here again raised in anger as he drove away the shepherds

and this after a journey that he'd just undertaken a weary man

but not too weary with the air of authority to drive away these local shepherds and he a lone stranger there it is you see it comes out doesn't it a striking man a man used to command

a powerful man

not flat out like we'd have been after a trek like that

and he couldn't stand unfairness

and oppression of the weak and he has to intercede not only does he intercede and drive away the shepherd but he waters

the flocks of jethro

and so the girls come home to father

and they say he says you've been quick today girl so moses with this great physique of his he did the job quickly even

and as far as we know he'd never watered sheep before he was just quick

they'd like some of our weight as a table you know

get on with feeding the sheep quick

and they gave the explanation an egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds

so he'd still got his square beard or whatever it was you know to them he was an egyptian

still with that appearance that style that dress

an egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and also do water in a forest and water the flock and they said well where is he you've left him outside call him that he made bread

and moses came a friendship was struck up and he dwelt with them now you see how at home moses is with this prince or this priest of million

sort of upper class getting on with upper class

they felt at home at one together

whether the seven girls quarreled i don't know

but zipporah was the lucky one

and she got moses

and so they were married the king of egypt died

nothing else seemed to change life went on

and the children of israel sighed by reason of the bondage and they cried and their cry came up unto god by reason of the bondage and god heard their groanings and god remembered his covenant with abraham with isaac and with jacob

god never never forgets

and in the worst of our problems that we have to deal with in life

let us always remember that it isn't that god hasn't noticed

he notices

and he never forgets

and he knows what we can take and what we can stand

and god looked upon the children of israel and god had respect unto them but to moses in the desert of sinai searching for pastures for the flocks of jethro

it must have seemed that after all what he learned from his faithful mother jochebed must surely have been wrong he'd slain one egyptian and that was 40 years ago

and still

nothing happened but of course god was completing the education of moses this one who was to be the great deliverer not only was he to be a mighty general mighty in word indeed but he was to be

a shepherd

a shepherd who could lead the flock of god

with patience with perseverance

alone

and this was the great point

alone

and then the burning bush and moses turns aside and the voice draw not nigh hither put off thy shoes from off thy feet for the place where on that stand is this holy ground

i am the god of thy father the god of abraham the god of isaac the god of jacob and moses hid his face and he was afraid to look upon god

elohim god

mighty ones

but there was more that he was to learn

and he was afraid

and then this wondrous news

i know their sorrows i am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the egyptians and to bring them up out of that land and to a good land and a lodge into a land flowing with milk and honey

now therefore behold the cry of the children of israel is come unto me and i have also seen the oppression where with the egyptians oppressed them come now therefore and i will send thee unto pharaoh that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of israel out of egypt

and moses said

who am i

who am i

and god said

i will be with thee

people like david said that who am i and you put those two things together and you've got a successful leader the one who says who am i

and god says

i will be with thee and in a humble and a meek spirit the almighty can operate

well who shall i say has sent me when i come to my people

and god said i am that i am

or as it is more correctly translated i will be that i will be

say unto them my will be has sent me unto you

the lord god of your fathers the god of abraham the god of isaac and the god of jacob hath sent me unto you this is my name forever and this is my memorial unto all generations i will be that i will be

lord god

yahweh elohim he who shall be mighty ones god had been manifest and revealed in his angels but he was yet to be revealed in this people that he was calling out for his name

this was the purpose

of almighty god and this was his memorial name and of course that in itself is a study

verse 19 of exodus 3 and i am sure that the king of egypt will not let you go

no not by a mighty hand

so there he was forewarned

but he said they shall come out and every woman shall borrow of her neighbor i like that word borrow

borrow of her neighbor

jewels of silver jewels of gold and these jewels of gold were to play such a part

in the bringing out of god's people

and yet moses now a man of 80 is doubtful

too long has gone by

they'll doubt me he said they won't believe it and then come the the signs

the rod into a serpent and moses fled from the serpents and then he sees it by the tail and it becomes a rod again this rod that was to play such a part

in the delivering of god's people

and then put now thine hand into thy bosom

and he draws it forth and it's leprous as white as snow

and he places it in again

and it is healed

and the sign of the serpent

and the sign of leprosy

were not without significance

in the experiences of this people that god was to deliver and bring them forth

through the waters that they should be his people

and they were to think very bitterly in later years of this sign of the serpent

symbols of course not lost upon us in their significance

and then

there was to be the pouring out of water that it should become blood on the dry land that was to be the third sign and of course it was that outpouring of blood and water

that brought deliverance from the serpent's bite

and the dread plague

of leprous sin

but there those are just types in passing

moses still makes excuses verse 10.

he's an old man now 80 years old

oh my lord i am not eloquent neither here to for nor since i have spoken unto thy servant but i am slow of speech and of slow tongue

oh

was he

but didn't we read

only a short time ago that he was mighty in word

was this some sort of false modesty then

now let's get it quite clear moses was a man of great power in his words and in his command what did he mean then when he said i am slow of speech and of a slow tongue

well there isn't time to go into a great study of these words perhaps those of you are jotting notes might make like to make a note that the first word slow

is really cabbad in the original or great

and

we'll just look at one example of it there are several is in one kings chapter 10

and

verse 2

the queen of sheba came to jerusalem with a very great train with camels of their spices and very much gold and precious stones a great train

terrific impressive

great

and the second word slow i am slow of speech and of a slow tongue [Music]

that means

um we have it uh translated heavy in 1

kings 12. if we just look at that for a moment one kings while we're in that part of scripture 1 kings 12

and verse 4 thy father made our yoke grievous now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us lighter and we will serve thee

and uh

the first word grace that great company the queen of sheba is also used of armies in the scripture too so we have this idea of mighty

great

slow moving but unstoppable

steady

and what moses is saying to god here

with that crowd in israel now i'm too old you need the slick talker

now i'm not going to go amongst the politicians of america and pick out the slick talkers but you know that's what i mean you can sway masses like this you know up today and down to bother the quick slick talk that sort of thing and we've got them in england too i'm not getting an american the quick slick talk is the politician kind of that's the man you want lord

not someone like this steady powerful words words of sense that need to be thought about considered right words

and god rebukes motives

who made man's mouth

or who maketh the dumb

now therefore go and i will be with thy mouth

oh my lord send i pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt send or the margin says whom now should it send

and the anger of the lord was kindled against moses and he said he's not heir on the levite thy brother i know that he can speak well so that teaches us something about aaron does he not

behold he cometh forth to meet thee and when he sees thee he will be glad in his heart

well you'd expect him to be glad in his heart after not seeing his brother for 40

years wouldn't you

or

or would you

living it up in the courts of pharaoh for 40 years

and what good's it done

and where is he

and why are we still here in our slavery

young waster

and yet aaron was to be glad

and

that expression aaron the levite

was god really reminding moses that his own brother was of his own tribe of levi

no

aaron the levite was a title

and aaron as the son of a faithful man amram was looked up to by the faithful

amongst the slaves of egypt

and somebody was going to come

who was to be higher than aaron

and he wasn't going to go down well

you know what brothers are

but it was moses

who was to be the great deliverer

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 you shall do and he shall be thy spokesman unto the people and he shall be even he shall be to the instead of a mouth and thou shall be to him

instead of god

and that was the position of moses

in the site of israel

and later in the site of egypt this one who had been prepared

by god to be the great deliverer

Transcript

and so they came

out from the land of egypt

right on time

in ranks of five

in an orderly company

a mixed multitude we read

many of the egyptians

saw sense

and joined the ranks of those who left egypt

and with them they were taking the bones of joseph chapter 13 verse 19

moses took the bones of joseph with him that faithful forefather of theirs who had left that command that one day

they were to take up his coffin and bury him in the land of his fathers

for he had

sworn the children of israel saying god will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones away hence with you and for the faithful there had always been that body of joseph that one day they would take with them

and there was the guidance of god the lord went before them by day in the pillar of cloud to lead them

and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light

to go by day

and night he took not away the pillar of the cloud by dane or the pillar of fire by night from before the people

and there was the wondrous provision of god for his people he never failed he always went before them seeking out the way

there was light by night

and the cooling shadow of the cloud by day

how wondrous was the provision of god for his people and always there was that visual comfort of his presence with them

and then there was this apparent reversal the pursuing egyptians no wonder the people cried to moses in their anguish and feared

if we look at chapter 15 verse 9 it is quite clear

what would have happened had pharaoh's forces overtaken them

i will pursue i will overtake i will divide the spoil my lusts shall be satisfied upon them i will draw my sword my hand shall destroy them

and it is quite clear that there would have been much of that vented upon the fleeing slaves

and there stood moses alone the sea before him the might of egypt behind him

but the lord was with him

stand still

and see the salvation of the lord which he will show you today for the egyptians whom you've seen today you shall see them again no more forever the lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your peace

and with this he's still the multitude

and then we know there was this wondrous provision whereby

israel was commanded to walk forward

you notice the order of events it's interesting isn't it again this act of faith verse 15

speak to the children of israel that they go forward and they were commanded actually to move forward towards the waters as yet there had been no dividing of the sea

it seemed a suicidal a foolish thing to do

and here faith was tested they were to go forward

and god's promise was that they would walk through on dry land

and then the east wind

that drove back the sea that night

and we can imagine the incredulity of israel as they moved forward on dry land

verse 22 the children of israel went into the midst of the sea upon dry ground

the wind would be contrary

a wind powerful enough to drive back those waters was a wind they got right in their teeth as they headed eastward

and so they battled against that mighty wind

and then we think of the new testament comment on this wondrous fact one corinthians 10

and it shows us the stature of moses in his type of christ

1 corinthians 10

and verse 2

they were all baptized into moses

in the cloud and in the sea more correctly translated there into rather than unto they were all baptized into moses

in the cloud and in the sea the exact expression of course that we have in romans 6

baptized into christ in a later dispensation the antitype of what was happening here but we mention this because it shows the stature of moses they were all baptized into moses

and then of course

the egyptians pursued

it's interesting to see how wonderfully

the almighty

prevented the egyptians from overtaking them as they approached the waters

the pillar of cloud went from before their face and stood behind them and it was a cloud and darkness to the egyptians but it was light to the camp of israel

and here is another case of that which the lord employs in this matter of salvation being a source of help

to the faithful and a source of hindrance

to the unfaithful

it was the same cloud it gave light to god's people and darkness to his enemies

thus it is with the word of god

it is foolishness to those who will not submit themselves to the will of god

it is a word of life

to those who do it is the condemnation of those who reject it well here it was in the cloud

and then of course we know how the waters of the red sea returned

and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of pharaoh that came into the sea after them

thus the lord saved israel that day out of the hand of the egyptians

and israel saw the egyptians dead upon the seashore

there they were

those that once they'd envied

those that had worshipped the gods of egypt and had seemed to do so well their eyes stood out with fatness they were all going the same way in this affluent and prosperous land

and there they all were

dead

their heads

lulling

in inane and thinking sameness

the waves broken on the shore

then

understood i

their end

and the joneses

they would see no more

how glad they were

that they had broken rank

with the joneses that once they'd envied

and so god

vent his wrath upon egypt for the sake of his great name and his people israel

when thou passest through the waters

i will be with thee

and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shall not be burned

neither shall the flame kindle upon thee for i am the lord thy god the holy one of israel thy savior i gave egypt for thy ransom

said isaiah in his 43rd chapter

i gave egypt

for thy ransom

a tool

in the hand of the almighty

as he redeemed his people

thus saith the lord which maketh away in the sea and a path in the mighty waters which bringeth forth the chariot and horse the army and the power they shall lie down together they shall not rise they are extinct they are quenched

thus the prophet goes on in that 43rd chapter

egypt had now been given

for the redemption of god's people

and israel saw that great work which the lord did upon the egyptians and the people feared the lord and believed the lord and his servant moses then sang moses and the children of israel this song to the lord

i understand we're going to enjoy listening to singing on saturday evening all being well

and in order that this shall be an enjoyable evening there is some hard work being done day by day and practice

i wonder when they practice this song

i wonder

that terrific congregation

joined in singing

i wonder when they'd been doing their practice

before it had all happened

that thus they could sing

well now they'd worship god marvelous things were going well of course they worshipped god of course they could sing his praise

he saved them from the hand of him that hated them and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy 106 psalm verse 11 and the waters cover their enemies there was not one of them left then believed they his words they sang his praise they soon forgot

the very next verse he just runs straight on

they sang his praise

they soon forgot his works

oh what sad irony in that song

and we shall see just how soon it was that they forgot

and moses sang and the people with him a wonderful song this in itself a study we just want to pick out one or two phrases that's all we have time for

verse 2 of exodus 15

this song of moses the lord is my strength and song and he has become my salvation he is my god and i will prepare him and habitation

my father's god and i will exalt him

now there was the vow of moses and all who were faithful as they joined in that singing

i will prepare him

and habitation

and he wasn't singing about the tabernacle that was to be built

if a man love me said christ

he'll keep my commandments

and i'll love him and my father will love him

and we will come and make our abode with him

i stand at the door

and knock

there's the habitation that the lord seeks that great spiritual temple in which there are many mansions or many dwelling places many rooms

that vast company of the faithful each one part of that habitation of god through the spirit i will prepare him and habitation and in this wilderness journey of trial there were those who would be faithful and would humbly submitting themselves to the will of god

prepare for him a habitation

in which god would be pleased to dwell

forever

verse 6 thy right hand o lord has become glorious in power thy right hand o lord hath dashed in peace is the enemy and one day he who was the right hand the right arm of the lord almighty would dash in pieces the greatest enemies of all of sin and death

there's so much wrapped up in this wondrous song of moses

verse 20

then miriam the prophetess the sister of aaron took a timbrel in her hand and all the women went out after her with timbers and dances and miriam answered them and so we get these responses

as singing and dancing before the lord they praised him and thanked him for all that had happened

and it would seem that the refrain is sung by the women here miriam answered them the men sing you to the lord for he hath triumphed gloriously the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea until the various parts are taken up of this wondrous song

so moses brought israel

from the red sea

well just let's keep this little family touch moses brought them

just let's look at micah 6

4.

we must not forget the family of moses these were people

with their own family problems already aaron has had to stand down and moses has had to move forward into chief position

micah 6 4

i brought thee up out of the land of egypt and redeemed the out of the house of servants

and i sent before thee

moses

aaron

and miriam

looks like a committee of three

and that's how aaron and miriam figured it should be

but

they were not to lose sight of the fact

that it was moses

who brought israel from the red sea exodus 15 22.

moses was their leader but this little verse in micah gives us a hint

of trouble to come in the wilderness journey so just make a little mental parcel of that one and keep it there

moses brought israel from the red sea hosea chapter 12

these little comments of scripture fascinate me from all over the scripture old testament and new there are just these little verses

that throw such light on these exciting accounts in exodus

josiah 12 13

by a prophet the lord brought israel out of egypt and by a prophet was he preserved

and that prophet was moses

the power of those words

by a prophet the lord brought israel out of egypt and by a prophet was he preserved

so moses brought israel from the red sea

and then they came to mara and the bitter waters and the people murmured

what are we going to drink

they soon forgot

but then there was provided a tree

that life-giving waters

might result oh and the types are all there aren't they

that tree that was to be

that there might be

waters of life

and then god's assurance as moses and the people faced with their backs to the sea

they faced that great and terrible wilderness

had they come from the frying pan to the fire [Music]

or had they come as it were to quote the scripture from the iron furnace

to a great and terrible wilderness

we considered yesterday the horrors of the iron furnace

god had said to moses in later years the lord hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace even out of egypt to be unto him a people of inheritance as you are this day

they'd come out of the iron furnace but surely they had come into a great and terrible wilderness

i wonder what we'd have felt like

if we had stood

in moses shoes

and faced that terrible wilderness with that great company of people behind us a fickle people

a people that could rise in rebellion a people that could take up stones to stone

and here they were now facing

this great wilderness

psalm 105.

verse 37

he brought them forth also with silver and gold and there was not one feeble person among their tribes

that's a wondrous thing isn't it just imagine that night as they came forth from egypt that terrific exodus to the red sea

a sick child

a mother going into labor

an old grandfather

about to die

the chaos it would have caused in those families

but no woman brought forth no child was sick

no elderly person died

as the lord overruled

there was not

one feeble person among their tribes not one

and so

moses had done it

he brought them forth from egypt

he brought them to the wilderness

and the news would spread

and it did

it would spread to the land of midian

to zipporah

all the grief

of that woman in a fit of paddy

she'd sent back she'd been sent back

she lost her prince

that wonderful man

and it wasn't a wild goose chase

he'd done it

but god was right

the impossible had happened

she lost him

in a fit of paddy

all the grief of mine that they must have been there

but uh

the triumph

of the red sea was now passed

and they faced this great and terrible wilderness

and when we departed from horeb we went through all that great and terrible wilderness moses later said which you saw by the way of the mountain of the amorites as the lord our god commanded us that great and terrible wilderness

and again in deuteronomy 32

moses paints graphically for us

what they had to encounter

and how wonderfully the lord had catered for them

deuteronomy 32

verse 10

he found him israel

in a desert land

in the waste

howling wilderness

what a terrible place

for those people to camp

that's waste

howling wilderness

you know

brothers and sisters

camping can have its problems in ideal conditions

i just didn't know how we'd have got on in that

those terrific hot winds that could sweep across that peninsula

just think about the your ecclesia

imagine all those characters

just think about it for a minute but they were people just like us we sort of tend to think it was a lump of people israel there they were but they were all individuals just like us

think about this room now

young and old

easily adaptable those rather british who like things you know just the same as they've always had them and don't like change you know

all there

in that great howling wilderness

jeremiah chapter 2 verse 6

neither said they where is the lord that brought us up out of the land of egypt that led us through the wilderness through a land of deserts and of pits

through a land of drought and the shadow of death through a land that no man passed through and where no man dwelts

they're interesting verses on pain

that's what they were facing

the lord would provide

never will they be left

in any kind of doubt of this

that verse in deuteronomy 32 concerning that waste howling wilderness we go on to the very next verse eleven as an eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them bared at them on her wings so the lord alone did lead him

and there was no strange god with him

so when they came through the waters of the red sea

there was no strange god among them

now that's wonderful isn't it the gods of egypt yes they've renounced them

in those first plagues they'd had them sort of tugged out of their hands they'd had to drop them

there was no strange god among them

as they went through the waters of baptism

for the start of this wilderness journey

and it's like that in baptism

just for that happy time

that great enthusiasm that passing through the waters the gods of this world renounced

no strange god

if only if only it could stay like that

but they seem to come back

and they did with israel but just for this happy time just now fresh through the waters there was no strange god among them and the lord their god was leading them

and he would provide

well what would be the practical problems that we would think of

here in america

food

well i mean that's just the first i've got on my list

what would they do with food about food but it's all there psalm 105

and verse

40

the people asked

and he brought quails

and satisfied them with the bread of heaven

no problem

food and drink were to be provided psalm 78

here was the drink

psalm 78

verse

15. he claimed the rocks in the wilderness and gave them drink as out of the great depths

not

rather warm tepid sort of water near the service surface but cool

clear water as from the great depths

iced water lovely to drink

verse 16 he brought streams also out of the rock and caused waters to run down like rivers

then read verse 20

having read all that about the provision of all this plentiful water then read verse 20.

behold he smote the rock that the waters gushed out and the streams overflowed

so this provision of water didn't have to wait until moses took a rod and struck the rock

and here we see an insight into the hardness of hearts of these people

as they move forward into that great and terrible wilderness a land of drought

streams opened up before them

how else would those

thousands of people

have kept all their flocks and herds and cattle that would not only suffice for eating

but for sacrifices too

so the streams opened up provision was made

they didn't go thirsty for years and then just a couple of happy occasions had water provided out of the rock

but god was to test their faith and just for a little while

the water supply diminished just to see

the murmuring started straight away

so don't let us think they went all the way from the sweetened waters of mara to the striking of the rock without water that didn't

it was just that for a little while

god withdrew the water to test them but we should come to that shortly

what are we going to do if there are no traders there no tray route trade routes what are we going to do about clothes

especially under circumstances like that and there is the provision in deuteronomy 29

verse 5 moses in later years was to say i have led you forty years in the wilderness your clothes are not waxing old upon you and thy shoe is not waxing old upon thy foot

there was no need for clothes

no need for shoes

but uh

supposing the children became sick

supposing there was an epidemic

where were all the medicines of egypt

deuteronomy 7

verse 14

there thou shalt be blessed above all people there shall not be male or female barren among you or among your cattle and the lord will take away from thee all sickness

and will put none of the evil diseases of egypt which thou knowest upon thee but will lay them upon all them that hate thee

no sickness

no disease

perfect health

waters in abundance

food plentifully and good food too

what a provision

and uh

supposing by night

there were troubles in the camp

you know brother and sister i think we should keep this idea of family experiences before us they were people like us you know you're camping

and just at three in the morning when elusive sleep has come at last those precious short hours

daddy

daddy i want it yes all right the tent is unleashed you know and it's pitch black outside and you trip over the guy ropes

but in this camp

they got street lighting

straight down the avenues of all that orderly encampment

it was never dark

it was light

all the time

psalm 78

verse 14

in the daytime also he led them with a cloud and all the night with a light of fire

wasn't lights out at 12 o'clock the light was there all the time

no problems

but uh how about allies

they were attacked during their wilderness journey that's true

by those who saw the approaching danger of the advances advancing armies of israel

how about if they were attacked where would be their allies oh deuteronomy 1 verse 30.

the lord your god which goeth before you he shall fight for you according to all that he did for you in egypt before your eyes

the might of god would be there

no danger from the forces of men

and we think of the words of the lord jesus in later years

take no anxious thought for the morrow

what shall we put on and where with all shall we be clothed

for after all these things that the gentiles seek

god knows what you have need of and he knew what his people had need of in this great wilderness and he provided

exodus chapter 16

just for a little while it seemed that he might not and food supplies

would run low

unleavened bread would run out

exodus chapter 16

the whole congregation verse 2 murmured against moses and aaron in the wilderness and the children of israel said would to god we died by the hand of the lord in the land of egypt brethren and sisters what did this remark sound like in heaven

after all he done

and graciousness

unthankfulness

what must it sound like in heaven and the lord who has provided for us in life

far more than we need

and the grumbles come

what does it sound like in heaven

word to god we had died by the hand of the lord in the land of egypt when we sat by the flesh pots when we didn't eat bread to the full you brought us forth into the wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger

here was this testing and that was their response

that was their reaction

well here was to be a great lesson

verse 6

moses and aaron's said to the children of israel

this was at the command of god at even

then you shall know that the lord has brought you out from the land of egypt

and in the morning

then you shall see the glory of the lord

two points then

that even they were to see something that would remind them of that from which they'd come

out of the land of egypt

and the flesh parts that they hankered after now

and in the morning

they would see the glory of the lord

so what happened

well verse 10

it came to pass as aaron spake unto the whole congregation of the children of israel that they looked toward the wilderness and behold the glory of the lord appeared in the cloud ah but god had said it would be in the morning that they would see the glory of the lord

and the lord never makes mistakes with his timetables

always on schedule right on time

so this wasn't the glory of which he had spoken

well evening came

verse 13

it came to pass that had even the quails came up and curled the camp

meeting plenty

are at even then you shall know that the lord hath brought you out from the land of egypt they'd hank it after those flesh bots and now here was all this flesh to eat

and then the morning verse 14

and when the dew that lay was gone up behold upon the face of the wilderness

there lay a small round thing as small as the frost on the ground

and when the children of israel saw it they said one to another

it is manner

for they wish not what it was

which literally translated means

what's it

and to many in israel that's all it was

just so much what's it

and every day they went out and gathered up the watches

that's it manner that's what it means

but to those with eyes to see with eyes of faith it was the glory of the lord

there is more to the glory of the lord

than a very bright light

as we shall see later in the heights of horeb

for here

was a provision

of life

by a loving father

for his undeserving children

never let us lose sight

of that aspect

of god's glory

as we glorify his name

in the morning they were to see

the glory of the lord

and there it was

and to many it was so much watson

on sunday morning brethren just as god willing

we shall all take bread

and see in it

the glory of the lord

in a faithful provision

for the life

of his children that he loves

and so mana was provided

and then they come

to first

exodus 17

verse 3 the people thirsted for water and the people murmured against moses same old refrain wherefore is this that thus brought us up out of egypt to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst

if it had been the days of tape recorders that have had a little tape and just played the same old tape every time something went wrong

and moses cried to the lord saying what shall i do to this people they be almost ready to stone me

you notice it doesn't say stone us

you usually find that aaron isn't just sort of around when these things happen

moses knew what it was

to stand alone

he was the one who

in later years

was thus to cry

wherefore hast thou afflicted thy servant

and wherefore have i not found favor in thy sight

the thou layest the burden of all this people upon me

and you imagine an inverted pyramid

and at that base

the shoulders of one man

moses

you've got the picture

the burden of all these people

upon me

the lord said to moses go before the people and take with thee the elders of israel and thy rod where with thou smotish the river take in thine hand and go behold i will stand before thee there upon the rock in horeb

and with this angry mob behind him moses had the comfort of seeing there the angels of god's presence on the rock

and thou shalt smite the rock and they shall come water out of it and the people may drink

and thus moses did

interesting verse eight

then

came amalek

and fought with israel

in referendum now all the types that lie behind that striking we shall leave until a later day's study suffice to say that here was provision of water in abundance for the people as it had been before the water supply was back marvelous murmuring stops

but that first word in verse 8

we must look at all the words

then

then came amalek and fought with israel

in referendum

now that word then is not without its significance

water in the desert was in short supply it is already attracting attention

amongst surrounding nations that seem to be water in sinai and here amalek wants to lay claim to this fantastic water supply now at refidem this was trouble that abram had that isaac had that when wells were digged then there was fighting and squabbling over the wells and that was in canaan how much more in the sinai peninsula

deuteronomy 25

and verse

18

17

god says remember what amalek did unto thee by the way when you came forth out of egypt how he met thee by the way and smote the hindmost of thee even all that were feeble behind thee when there was faint and weary and he feared not god

and so the spies of amalek

must have seen this wondrous provision as moses struck the rock

and feared not god

and the sign of this miracle but simply came down and attacked israel in a most cowardly way

the little kiddies that were tired at the back

what a rotten way

of trying to claim waters that were not theirs and god never forgave amalek for that that cowardly attack as they came for the waters and feared not god

but that word then at the beginning of verse 8 shows that it followed hard on

the heels of that miracle

and then at last

jethro brings

a very humble zipporah

chapter 18

when jethro the priest and midian moses father-in-law heard of all that god had done for moses and for israel his people and that the lord had brought israel out of egypt just as he promised he would

then jethro moses father-in-law took zipporah moses wife after he had sent her back and her two sons

and brought them to moses

and jethro verse 5 jethro moses father-in-law came with his sons and his wife unto moses into the wilderness where he encamped

at the mount of god

and he said unto moses i thy father-in-law jethro and come unto thee and thy wife and their two sons with her

and moses went out to meet his father-in-law and did a basement and kissed him and they asked each other of their welfare and they came into the tent and moses told his father-in-law all that the lord had done and to pharaoh unto the egyptians for israel's sake and all the travail that had come upon them by the way and how the lord delivered them and jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the lord had done to israel whom he had delivered out of the hand of the egyptians

and so here now the family is reunited

as they come towards

the mount of god

to receive

the law of god

that royal law

which we shall consider tomorrow but let us just think again along the family line as we leave our study for today

all that time

as moses came

forth from egypt with those great armies when there were so many problems

when the comfort of talking it over with his wife in his tent unburdening himself someone to talk to

and he'd been alone

and sometimes it is in the will of god

that the difficult paths of life

are walked alone

as regards marriage by some of his children

and through that difficult period moses stood

alone

but he stood

and didn't fail

and god knows best

for all his children

what a man this was

who could stand alone with the burden

of all that people

on him

Transcript

good morning brothers and sisters [Music]

let's take up the account in exodus from where we left off yesterday in chapter 18.

[Music]

here now a humble zipporah has been reunited with her prince

and jethro is appalled at what he observes

verse 13.

it came to pass on the morrow that moses sat to judge the people and the people stood by moses

from the morning

unto the evening

and when moses father-in-law saw all that he did to the people he said what is this thing that thou doest thy people why sit as thou thyself alone

and all the people stand by thee from mourning unto even

the thou layers the burden of all this people

on me

it was

it doesn't seem to have struck moses he says well the people come unto me to inquire of god

when they have a matter they come to me and i judge between one and another and here is the main point and i do make them know

the statutes of god and his laws

but they hadn't had the law yet

so

what were these statutes and laws

the same statutes and laws that had been from the beginning

man was not left without a written code of laws right from the beginning

as the various writers of holy writ

starting probably with seth

and the chronology was added to by faithful men from time to time

the next one was it no

the next one was it shem we don't know but each one brings us up to date with the family tree and then adds a bit more of the narrative of the history of god's work with men on earth

and these statutes and laws had been in existence

right from the beginning

possibly they were added to from time to time

they could well have come into the hands and ministrations of melchizedek

and this of course was one of the reasons why god wanted abraham to come into the company of melchizedek

that he might learn things he would never learn in er of the callees

and abram would become well versed in the laws of god if we look at genesis 26 verse 5

where the promises

were renewed to isaac

verse 4 for connection god says i will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven and give unto thy seed all these countries and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed because abraham obeyed my voice

and kept my charge

my commandments

my statutes

and my laws there they are again they've been right the way through

but now in a far greater sense

the law was to be given

in that here there had to be as well as a law for moral conduct

a law for the ritual

the sacrificial worship and song

there had to be now also a civil law

that would apply to a nation

and we can divide the law into these three categories

and it was all going to be set down by moses and coded in a far more splendid way than ever before

but these were the statutes of god and his laws that were extant at this time and moses was teaching them

to the people

well said jethro if you go on like this you'll in so many words you'll have a nervous breakdown you're doing too much moses

there was the burden of all that people on him verse 23 if thou shall do this thing and god command thee so what thing well the delegation of responsibility to responsible people

verse 21 moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear god men of truth have hating covetousness and place such over them to be rulers of thousands rulers of hundreds rulers of fifties and rulers of tens and let them judge the people at all seasons and you just decide the great matters now if you will do this thing and god command thee so then thou shalt be able to endure and all these people shall also go to their place in peace

and moses saw the sense of this and chose men to whom he could delegate some of the responsibility

and then

they come to the foot of that great mount

mount horeb in sinai

and the people in camp there

it is a high mountain if you've ever looked at photographs

of horeb in sinai

um it isn't the sort of thing you do for the before breakfast

walk in the morning to just slip up heaven back

it's a very big mountain and i for one would be worn out by the time i'd gone up and down it once

but it seems in the ensuing chapters

that moses went up and down some seven or eight times

quite incredible that this man of what was he now about 82

should go up and down this mount all these times

a man of terrific physique of great strength was moses

and he was to receive this royal law as james calls it in his epistle

just turn to deuteronomy chapter 4

and we'll see the

importance of this law

in the outworking of god's purpose in israel

deuteronomy 4

at the end of their wilderness journey moses was to say

verse 5 behold i have taught you statutes and judgments even as the lord my god commanded me that you should do so in the land whether you go to possess it keep therefore and do them

for this is your wisdom

and your understanding in the sight of the nations which you'll hear all these statutes and say

surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people for what nation is there so great who hath god sown i unto them as the lord our god is in all things that we call upon him for and what nation is there so great

and you notice the phrases coupled with that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which i set before you this day

you observe these laws said moses and you will rise to a position of supremacy among the nations of the world and it would be the law which would be the at the root of the whole matter of their greatness

now certainly uh in great britain the law of our land was founded absolutely on the civil law of the law of moses

any solicitor or barrister will tell you this

i don't know so much about america i i'm hoping to learn but certainly in our country it was based on that and over the years as it has been adapted and slightly watered down and adjusted

so the fortunes of our country have gone downhill

it is a brilliant law as a civil law to keep a nation together and it was to be their wisdom and the secret of their greatness amongst the nations

of the world

and of course there was this opportunity for israel

to be the vehicle or the vessel of the outworking of god's purpose and plan that all nations should turn to them come to worship the god of israel and his name be glorified throughout the earth there was that opportunity given them yes god knew through his foreknowledge that they would not take that opportunity but it was there

and the secret of it was this great law

so coming back to exodus 19

those 3 the first ascent

moses went up unto god and the lord called unto him out of the mountain saying

thus shall thou say to the house of jacob and tell the children of israel you've seen what i did unto the egyptians and how i bear you on eagle's wings and brought you unto myself now therefore

if you will obey my voice indeed and keep my covenant then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people for all the earth is mine and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests

and a holy nation

and that was it

moses made that ascent to receive

just that

the almighty thought it was worth that one journey up and down to receive

just

that how important

are those words

a kingdom of priests

and an holy nation if

you will obey my voice

and keep my government

so moses called the elders together and he lays these words before them

and there is this joyful response all that the lord has spoken we will do and moses brings the words of the people back to god the second ascent

and then another important fact we see how important these phrases are because each one is the subject of a separate ascent of moses [Music]

verse 9 the lord said to moses lo

i come unto you but he didn't say you

he didn't come to israel

though i come unto

thee

moses

i come unto thee in a thick cloud

so that the people

may hear

when i speak with thee

and believe thee

forever

so moses

was to be seen by the people to ascend into the mountain

they were to hear the thunderings

and to have it impressed upon their minds

that the almighty god was speaking to moses

and when moses came back and spoke to them they were the words of god [Music]

see i have made thee a god unto aaron see i have made thee a god unto pharaoh

and now

a god

unto his people

here was the position of moses the representative of the almighty

to his people

verse 10 the lord said unto moses go unto the people

and sanctify them today and tomorrow so he tells them tells moses to go back to the people with this special message

let them

sanctify themselves today

and tomorrow and let them wash their clothes

and be ready against the third day for the third day the lord will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount sinai

and you just said bounds unto the people round about

they were not to break through the bounds and so there is now

this idea

forced home upon israel

i will be sanctified

in them the drawn i mean

there had to be a preparing a physical washing

as an indication

of a cleansing of thoughts of preparing the mind

of a smartening

a respect

a reverence

a time of preparation

they were going to meet

their god

and i think here brother and sisters in passing there's a lesson for us

we do not likely waltz

into the presence of that consuming fire

it is well to sit quietly

for a few moments

before

we sing our first hymn

he's the same god

it is also good

after we leave the address of the almighty in our concluding prayers

to sit for a moment

in quiet reverence

before we take our leave of the almighty

and talk one with another

they may sound just little things

but their tokens of respect

for almighty god

he's the same god

he alters not

and so moses comes down

and the people are sanctified

even to the washing of the clothes

are preparing

and then on the third day verse 16

there are the thunders and lightnings and thick cloud upon the mount as god brought down a great and wondrous veil

lest that people be consumed

by the glory of his presence

it must have been [Music]

a very thick cloud

that covered that mountain

because we know

that the almighty

as paul describes into timothy

is that blessed only potentates the king of kings and lord of lords who only hath immortality dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto whom no man hath seen nor can see to whom be honor and power everlasting amen

it must have been a thick clown

and then with this terrifying manifestation of the closeness of god

the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud

so that all the people that was in the camp trembled

and when it says all the people there

it means

all the people moses included and the writer to the hebrews years later was to record the confession of moses on this great occasion

when they heard the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words which voice they that heard entreated that the word should not be spoken to them anymore for they could not endure that which was commanded

and so terrible is the sight that moses said i exceedingly fear

and quake

and i don't suppose it did anything for the comfort of the people when they turned as they always did at moments like this to their leader and saw that moses was shaking

and this sound of a trumpet

that sound of a trumpet that one day

will even call forth

the dead in christ

what a thrilling sound

and then the voice of the almighty

and mount sinai verse 18 was all together on a smoke because the lord descend upon it in fire and the smoke that i've ascended to the smoke of a furnace and the whole mountain quake greatly and so by earthquake and by fire the lord impressed his people

and the voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder and moses spoke and god answered him by a voice

and moses was called up

to that darkness

of that great cloud

no wonder he was shaking

and god called him up for this third visit

to give him one message what was it

verse 21

go down charge the people lest they break through unto the lord to gaze and many of them perish

and let the priests also which come near to the lord sanctify themselves lest the lord break forth upon them

and moses said but we've set the bounds lord as you command him

wasn't good enough verse 24 away get thee down and thou shall come up thou and air and with thee but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the lord lest he break forth upon them

there was that special message

and so moses returned to the camp and then to the unspeakable terror of israel

god spoke to them all direct

from the mountain so where is all the

the civil law and the law of ritual and so on was passed by moses

there were these ten cardinal commandments that came direct from god to the people

and thus they thundered from the heights of horeb those words that we know so well in exodus 20

now known as the ten commandments

the people were obviously terrified

deuteronomy chapter 4

verse 33

did ever people hear the voice of god speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard and live

36 out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice that he might instruct thee and upon earth he showed thee his great fire and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire

chapter 5 verse 22

these words

and he's just recited there you'll notice the ten commandments these words the lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire of the cloud and of the thick darkness with a great voice and he added no more

he wrote them in two tables of stone and delivered them unto me so you'll notice that it was after those words were thundered from the heights of horeb and the people heard them direct that they were then written by the hand of god on tables of stone ready for the time when moses should come up to receive them

and it came to pass when you heard the voice out of the midst of the fire for the mountain did burn with fire that you came near unto me even all the heads of your tribes and your elders and said behold the lord our god hath showed us his glory and his greatness and we've heard his voice out of the midst of the fire we have seen this day that god doth talk with man and he liveth now therefore why should we die for this great fire will consume us if we hear the voice of the lord our god any more we shall die for who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living god speak out of the midst of the fire as we have and lived

go thou near and hear all that the lord our god shall say and speak thou unto us all that the lord our god shall speak unto thee and we'll hear it and do it

and here there was this terror moses no more

you go moses

you listen and you tell us

that's what it meant

to hear the voice of the almighty

and we noticed the reaction verse 28

the lord heard the voice of your words

and the lord said to me i have heard the voice of the words of this people which they've spoken unto thee they have well said all that they've spoken

oh that there was such an heart in them that they would fear me and keep all my commandments always that it might be well with them and with their children forever

god was pleased at this response of the people this terror this fear this reverence

they're all lessons for us brethren and sisters

yes we must love the lord our god

we must also fear him

he still is

a consuming fire

and you notice in those words that we just read how frequently the word fire occurs

and then

the people stood afar off back to exodus 20

and verse 21 the people stood afar off and moses drew near unto the thick darkness where god was

that thick darkness that indicated the closeness of god's presence

that thick darkness that one day

was to come down

upon golgotha

as the almighty

drew

very

near to his son

and to his people in anger

that thick darkness

where god was

and then the

law followed

and moses remains there in the mount receiving

a wondrous law

we turn over quickly to chapter 23

hear words of comfort

verse 20 behold i send an angel before thee to keep thee in the way and to bring thee into the place which i have prepared

beware of him and obey his voice provoke him not for he will not pardon your transgression for my name is in him

so here was a wondrous and comforting promise the angel bearing the name of god

was to go before them

chapter 24

and he said unto moses

come up unto the lord thou and aaron nadab and abihu and 70 of the elders of israel

and worship afar off

and moses alone shall come near the lord but they shall not come nigh neither shall the people go up with him so with this concluding commandment verse 3 moses returns now from his fourth visit into the heights of horeb

and moses came and told the people all the words of the lord and all these judgments

and you notice the response of the people is the same all the words which the lord has said will we do

and then moses wrote all these words of the lord so now he sits down

in writing all that he has learned in the mount

aided by the spirit to do this with unfaltering accuracy

and then there is the offering the shedding of blood

at the altar

as this solemn moment arises

when the people having responded to the law of god

the matter the covenant

is now sealed

in blood

they were to observe god's law

and would be

a holy nation

a kingdom of priests

his people

and there were the two sides of the covenant

verse 7

he took this book

that he'd just written

this book of the covenant and read in the audience of the people

and they said

all the lord hath said will we do and be obedient and moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people and said behold the blood of the covenant which the lord hath made with you concerning all these words

there it was the matter now sealed

the covenant made

and agreed upon solemnly sealed in blood

then those rather strange verses

difficult for us to imagine really from verse 9 on

then went up moses aaron nadab and the bahu and 70 of the elders of israel

and they saw the god of israel and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness

and upon the nobles of the children of israel he laid not his hand

and they saw god and he'd eat and drink

you notice this is god

capital g small o small d

here these angels

were seen by the nobles of israel

and there they at and drank in their presence

and there was this wondrous vision

under his feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness

that wondrous blue

purity

eternity

the almighty

what thoughts are conjured up

what an experience

what responsibility they lay now upon the shoulders of aaron nay down and abihu

having had this privileged experience

verse 12 the lord said unto moses come up to me into the mount and be there and i will give thee tables of stone

he'd already written them they were all ready

always there is this timing the people had to be ready against the third day the stones were got ready for the visit of moses everything always ready on time no hitch

the lord and commandments which i have written the thou mayest teach them and moses rose up and his minister joshua and moses went up into the mount of god

and before he left the camp he said to the elders

tarry ye here for us until we come again unto you and behold aaron and her with you if any man have any matter to do let him come unto them and moses went up into the mount and the cloud covered the mount

and the glory of the lord abode upon man sinai and the cloud covered it six days and the seventh day he called unto moses out of the midst of the cloud and the sight of the glory of the lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of israel and moses went into the midst of the cloud and got him up into the mount and moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights

that's a long time to go without bread or water

miraculously preserved by god

he couldn't have done what he did even a man of his strength and prowess

unless he'd been preserved by god

some six weeks almost he was there

and now right into the law of ritual and sacrifice

thrilling thoughts contained amongst here we just pick out one or two verse 8

of chapter 25

let them make me a sanctuary that i may dwell among them

and we learn from hebrews 8 5 that there was a pattern and a type that was showed moses in the mountain he had to make it exactly according to that type and that pattern

because of the lessons it was to teach and it was drilled into moses here that it had to be exactly according to the pattern

moses who learnt

that it wasn't enough to circumcise one of his sons it had to be all sons

and it did matter

that god would be sanctified in them that were to draw nigh him

the pattern here had to be exact approximations wouldn't do

the exact materials the exact dimensions

according to all that i show thee after the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof even so shall you make it

and of course amongst the pattern in the tabernacle verse 21 thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark and in the ark thou shall put the testimony that i shall give thee and there i will meet with thee and i will commune with thee from above the mercy seat from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony of all things which i will give thee in commandment unto the children of israel there was to be the meeting place between god and man the mercy seat and in our last address hopefully we shall take up this thought as we come as inevitably one is led to in a study like this to the lord jesus christ himself there i will meet with thee

and then there was the specifications for the tabernacle building

we turn over to chapter 29

verse

42 speaking of the burnt offering this shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the lord where i will meet you to speak there unto thee

where i will meet you plural to speak there unto thee

there would be the meeting for the people but god would still speak to moses and there i will meet with the children of israel and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by my glory

and i will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation verse 45 and i will dwell among the children of israel and will be their god and they shall know that i am the lord their god that brought them forth out of the land of egypt for that expressed purpose what purpose so that i may dwell among them

this could not be done amongst the gods of egypt they had to be drawn out

separated

sanctified

so that i may dwell among them

what thrilling words these were for moses

the lord their god

dwelling among them

chapter 32

and here we see

the indispensability

we sometimes say no one's indispensable but if ever a man was indispensable in those days it was moses

in the absence of moses chapter 32

when the people saw that moses delayed to come down out of the mount

as day followed day it's the delay that did it

and for many in christ alas

it's the delay

that causes the drift how impatient we are

when they saw that he delayed to come down out of the mount the people gathered themselves together to aaron and said unto him up make us guards which will go before us they'd never said that to moses

never

they'd have known what the answer would have been

but they said it to aaron

as for this moses the man that brought us up out of the land of egypt we want not what has become of him

and there and said unto them

break off

the golden earrings

there they were

all that gold

that had been borrowed in inverted commerce from the egyptians on that last dreadful night before they left

with such a purpose in mind that the almighty had for it who gave them the command to borrow it

and here now this that was to be should have been sanctified for the making of the very tabernacle that was being given to moses in plan in the mount at that time here was this very gold now given freely

for the making of a golden calf

and then those awful words at the end of verse 4

these be thy gods

o israel

which brought thee up out of the land of egypt

and when aaron saw it he built an altar before it and aaron made proclamation and said tomorrow is a feast

to yahweh

it's almost unbelievable

and they had their

and the people sat down to eat and drink

and rose up to play

and we can only conjecture

what the play was that went along with the worship of the idols of egypt

and this was in sight of the very mount

still screamed with the cloud

and moses wouldn't have been able to believe his ears

verse 7

go

get thee down for thy people which thou brought it out of the land of egypt have corrupted themselves

which people

but weren't they now

my people

why then

thy people moses

almost a disowning

and god tells moses what they've done

verse 9 then the lord said unto moses i have seen this people and behold it is a stiff neck people now therefore let me alone that my wrath may wax hot against them and that i may consume them and i'll make it thee a great nation

and there was a command step aside moses let me alone that i may consume them

as though these people now

had gone

too far

in their provoking of their god

and moses

dares

to disobey

and stands in the breach that's been made between god and his people

never must we underestimate the stature of this man

as he stands before this consuming fire

and pleads

for god's people

and the two desperate arguments that bring are brought forward by moses what will the egyptians say when they hear that you have not brought them into the land flowing with milk and honey remember your great name

and the second point remember the covenant to abram isaac and israel like servants

the second point not such a strong one

because if god had made of moses a great nation he would still have kept the covenant with abram with isaac and with jacob

but moses desperately brings these arguments before god

and

there is a stay of as it were immediate execution

but the mediation isn't over yet deuteronomy 9

when moses returns to the camp

he said verse 16

i looked and behold you had sinned against the lord your god and had made you a molten calf you had turned aside quickly out of the way which the lord had commanded you and i took the tables and cast them out of my two hands and break them before your eyes

and i fell down before the lord as of the first

40 days and 40 nights

i didn't either eat bread nor drink water because of all your sins which you'd sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the lord to provoke into anger do not let us think that there was just two slick little arguments that moses brought in five minutes

as he prostrated himself before the almighty for nearly six weeks

pleading

that's some prayer

what a mediator

verse 19

for i was

afraid that's an understatement if ever there was one

i was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure with the lord was wrath against you to destroy you but the lord hearkened unto me at that time also what a man

and the lord was very angry with aaron to have destroyed him

that i prayed for aaron at the same time

whatever jealousy there may have been on the part of air and for his brother there was nothing but love shown

by moses for aaron

and he pleaded for his brother's life

back to exodus 32

moses descends now for the sixth time this mounts

and picks up joshua on the way down and they hear the sound of the play

that is going on involved in this worship of this scarf

and moses beheld the calf and the dancing

and here we see this character of moses moses a man meek yes

but not weak humbly was but he was a man of great passion

he could slay a man in anger

he could go out from pharaoh in a great rage

he was a dynamic man

forceful words

and here now

the scene must have missed it out in red

and fury he hurls the stones and breaks them

and calls for his brother

verse 21

what did this people unto thee that thou has brought so great a sin upon them

note the form of address verse 22

let not the anger of

my lord

wax hot

thou knows the people they said on mischief they said make us gods

and i said well if you've got any gold let them break it off so they gave it me and i i cashed it into the fire and this cart came out

oh deary me

to die layers the burden of all these people

on

me and then the cry went forth

who is on the lord's side

and they came forth the tribe of levi

thus saith the lord god of israel put every man his sword on his side and go in and out from a gate to gate throughout the camp and slay every man his brother and every man his companion and every man his neighbor

and the children of levi did it and they fell of the people that day three thousand men

and because of this the house of levi was selected as the priestly tribe this was it

that's why levi was selected as the priestly drive because they did this

they'd been weak yes how sad it was that they had to have a leader stand up and say hey who is on the lord's side why didn't they say that before

and stop aaron in his madness and folly and doing what he did where were they then they needed a leader and there's such a lesson for us brethren and sisters

we must always be prepared to be stand up and

to stand up and be counted

shouldn't need a leader in our midst that we are servants of god and brethren in christ

and right is right and wrong is wrong

we shouldn't need someone to say the first words for us which men did they slay which women did they slay

there were some

who lost

their golden earrings

probably those were the ones

that they went for

that was the sign

and then moses

says

you've sinned a great sin and now i will go up unto the lord for adventure i shall make

an atonement

for your sin

and moses returned to the lord and said

all these people have sinned a great sin and have made them gods of gold

yet now

if thou forgive their sin

and if not blot me i pray thee out of thy book which thou hast written

here was

self less

utterly selfless

mediation

what a wondrous type of christ

there was

in this great mediator moses

if thou wilt forgive their sin

and with that if

we will leave our study

until tomorrow

Transcript

shall we behold the promised land

a big question mark seemed to hang over that

as moses prostrated himself before the lord

all these people have sinned the great sin

and have made them gods of gold

yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin

and if not blot me i pray the out of thy book which thou hast written and so yesterday we left moses there in that selfless pleading mediation for that wayward people of israel

and as we think on them

let us remember the one

that pleads in heaven now

for an israel sometimes just as wayward

we're made of the same stuff that they were

do we always appreciate what's being done for us in heaven israel didn't appreciate all that was being done for them

by their leader moses now in this his

seventh journey

as he approaches his seventh journey into the mount

the reply of the lord

is i suppose we would say today

cool

chilling

it's there for us in exodus chapter 32

and verse 33

whosoever hath sinned against me him will i blot out of my book

therefore now go lead the people to the place of which i have spoken unto thee and it's then that the chill comes for moses

because in his fourth ascent of the mount had been that wondrous promise

of an angel that would go before

and

then in the subsequent journey there was the

far greater promise

i will dwell in the midst of thee

not only was the angel going to go before

but god brings moses to higher things

i

will dwell among you

god was going to be in their midst

thrilling things had been planned for israel

and now the chill of this next phrase

behold

mine angels will go before thee

and its sinister tones were not lost on moses

we've gone back juan peg

in the wondrous

opportunities

that god was offering to israel

verse two of the next chapter

i will send an angel before thee

verse three unto a land flowing with milk and honey

for i will not go up in the midst of thee

without a stiff neck people

what had israel done

and so moses descends from the mount the seventh time

and he comes to the people and shows them in symbol what they've done

verse 7 moses took the tabernacle and pitched it without the camper far off from the camp and called it the tabernacle of the congregation

you stupid people

look what you've done

look what you've thrown away

and he takes this tent of meeting

that that preceded the main tabernacle that was to be built and pitches it outside the camp

to show them

the horror

of what god now threatens to withdraw

that is the promise that his presence would go with them and he would dwell among them

and so this tabernacle is pitched outside the camp

and there at the door of that tabernacle verse 11

the lord spake unto moses

face to face

as a man speaketh

to his friend

all the elevated status of moses

as he rises to the ranks

of abraham the friend of god these great giants of all

the lord spoke to moses face to face as a man speaketh to his friend

but moses now

is in the depths

our brother paul mentioned in his opening prayer

to which we all said amen [Music]

that there are those who

go through the trough of depression

right now

sometimes depressions

made the worse because

they're not known to others

but known to the lord and moses was in a trough here now

have deep depression

see thou sayest to me bring up this people

and thou hast not let me know whom thou would send with me thou has said

i know thee by name

god knew moses name of course he knew his name

what an absurd statement yes in the english but here

as moses talks with god this meant far more than that to know the name in this sense was to know the person through and through

moses said to god

that he had said i know thee motors

verse 13 therefore now i pray thee if i have found grace in thy sight

show me now thy way

that i

may know thee

moses long to know god as god knew him

to know absolutely the one with whom he dealt

and then this

pinnacle of his mediation

that i may find grace in thy sight

and consider that this nation

is

thy people

remember what the lord has said to moses go get thee down for thy people which thou brought his forth out of the land of egypt and now moses in his mediation hands them back to the lord

consider

that this nation

is thy people

and the answer the lord in verse 14

must have done so much to comfort moses

and the lord said

my presence

shall go with thee thus it was that when the great tabernacle was built it was pitched in the midst of the camp

and so we see here this

conclusion to this long period of mediation on the part of moses

there had been that stay of immediate execution in the mount

and then this pleading this imploring this beseeching

that eventually god relents

and says

my presence shall go with thee

what a mediator

what a man this was

god had said in that psalm we read it that he would destroy them had not moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away his wrath lest he should destroy them

but moses hadn't stopped at that

and now the wonder of the promise was there again god would dwell in the midst of his people

and then moses implores god

verse

17 the lord said unto moses i will do this thing that thou hast spoken

for thou hast found grace in my sights and i know thee by name

and moses said i beseech thee

show me thy glory it seems here in this pleading of moses now for himself that there is a feeling of great need in his trough

that god would manifest himself to him

absolutely that he might know god

well it was not to be there and then

thou canst not see my face for there shall no man see me and live

and yet there was provision made for this

manifestation of the glory of god to moses in the mount

and there was proclaimed before moses

the name of the lord verse 5 of the next chapter

as moses makes his eighth ascent into the mount this time

this aging man

has to carry with him two tables of stone like unto the first

and he carries these two great tablets up this mount

unaided

a man of great physique

an exciting man

waiting for this manifestation whatever it may be

verse 5

and the lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of the lord and the lord passed by before him and proclaimed the lord of the lord god merciful and gracious long suffering and abundant in goodness and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty

a merciful god

and yet a god who would punish sin

would be forgiven yes

but because sin was forgiven did not mean to say that it would go unpunished

and we do well to take note of these words in our lives

god will forgive sin yes

because his mercy endures forever

but that does not mean to say

that sin will go

unpunished

and sometimes in our lives

the rod of correction of a loving father

will bring his children back

here now is this opportunity to gaze

verse 8

moses made haste

and bowed his head toward the earth

and worshiped

for the sight of the

back parts of god

this receding glory this afterglow

of the brilliance of the divine presence

and he could not gaze

and bowser his face to the ground

what a tremendous experience this was for moses

but there was the glory of the lord revealed

not just in the brilliant light wondrous though that was

and from that light he he he hid his eyes

but it was in the name and the character of god that mercy that grace that pity that long-suffering nature of god

in this was his glory proclaimed to moses now

and then there follows this long sergeanting of moses in the mountains he receives

these great laws of ritual

from god

the people are forgiven verse 11

observe thou that which i commanded this day behold i drive out before thee the amorite the canaanite the hittite the perizzite the highlight and the jebusite the plan will go on

the people have been forgiven of this great sin of attaching the name of yahweh to a golden calf

verse 28 and he was there with the lord forty days and forty nights he did neither eat bread nor drink water and he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant the ten commandments and so now god wrote again these words on the stones that moses had hewed and taken into the mountain

and when moses returns from the mount verse 29

he was unaware that this afterglow of the glory of god was reflected in his own face

it must have been an astonished israel

that gazed on their leader as he descended

a frightened israel we turn for a moment to the words of the apostle paul in 2 corinthians three

verse seven if the ministration of death written and engraved in stones was glorious so that the children of israel could not steadfastly behold the face of moses for the glory of his countenance which glory was to be done away yes that glory reflected in the face of moses was to fade

how shall not the ministration of the spirit be rather glorious

verse 12 seeing then that we have such hope we use great plainness of speech and not as moses which put a veil over his face that the children of israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished they were not to see the fading of the glory

and the veil was over the face of moses but their minds were blinded for until this day remain at the same veil and taken away in the reading of the old testament which veil is done away in christ

as far as the jews of paul's day were concerned that glory of the first government was still there

they were still blinded

they couldn't see the glory that christ brought in that new covenant

but it must have made its mark

on the people of israel

and then the tabernacle was built and those who had been faithful while moses was in the mount before

and had not resorted to the worship of the golden calf had not provided the wherewithal at least to make it these now bring their golden earrings for a far greater service exodus 35

they came both men and women as many as were willing hearted and brought bracelets and earrings and rings and tablets of old jewels of gold and every man that offered offered an offering of gold unto the lord

here now was the real purpose for which that spoiling of the egyptians had been made

these were the faithful who had kept their talents for the real work of the lord

and so the tabernacle is made exactly according to the pattern that was shown moses in the mount and we come to the 40th chapter where the tabernacle is reared and at verse 34 then a cloud cover the tent of the congregation and the glory of the lord filled the tabernacle and moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation because the cloud abode thereon and the glory of the lord filled the tabernacle and there it was in the midst of israel [Music] because of that successful mediation of moses that's superman

and then there is the

inaugural consecration

of the tabernacle leviticus chapter 9

and there is the offering brought verse 5 they brought that which moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation and all the congregation drew near and stood before the lord and moses said this is the thing which the lord commanded that you should do and the glory of the lord shall appear unto you and moses said to aaron go unto the altar and offer thy sin offering and thy burnt offering and make an atonement for thyself and for the people and offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them as the lord commanded

verse 22

and aaron lifted up his hand toward the people and blessed them and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and peace offerings and moses and aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation and came out and blessed the people and the glory of the lord appeared unto all the people and there came a fire out from before the lord and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat which when all the people saw they shouted and fell on their faces and god has accepted their offerings

this tent whereby he might dwell among his people what a wondrous moment this was as god showed his acceptance of this dwelling

and we can hardly believe our eyes

as the next verse reads

and nadab and abihu those two who had been privileged with 70 elders to see that wondrous manifestation

of the angels

in horeb

with that wondrous pure blue

that eternal sign

those two who'd been privileged to eat and drink in the presence of those angels who had seen this fire come forth from the lord and now

nadev and the by you the sons of aaron took either of them his censer and put fire therein and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the lord which he commanded them not

there were strict commandments

as to not only what should be offered but where the fire should be taken from

from the altar

but it seems that nadev and the vahu brought strange fire

was it from their own tents

we don't know

but we do know the response of god

as the fire went out from the lord again

so soon after and devoured them and they died before the lord

and moses said to aaron this is it that the lord spake saying and here is the lesson again which moses had learnt which israel must learnt

which aaron had to learn

i will be sanctified in them that come nigh me and before all the people i will be glorified

this lesson had to be learned

and these things are written for our admonition

it may be

that there is

just a clue

as to the reason for why this happened

if we turn over a page

um

to verse eight

immediately this has happened and the bodies of a nadav and by you are carried forth before a horrified israel

immediately afterwards

they say the lord spake to aaron saying

don't drink wine nor strong drink

thou nor thy sons with thee when you go into the tabernacle of the congregation lest ye die

it shall be a statute forever

now why was it brought in just there and then like that is not the influence strong

that nadav and abihu

had been drinking

strong drink which had dulled their senses

made blurred their appreciation

of what they were doing

whom they were serving and before whom they were standing

and the lesson was there for aaron and his remaining sons to learn there from

and it's a lesson for us today that nothing

must blur our clear perception

of just who it is that we serve

that's the lesson have made everybody be a lot too

and so after nearly two years the camp moves on numbers chapter 10

and verse 11 began to pass on the 20th day of the second month in the second year that the cloud was taken up from off the tabernacle of the testimony and the children of israel took their journeys out of the wilderness of sinai

and so they moved forward

but it is not long before the people are murmuring again chapter 11 verse

4

who will give us flesh to eat we remember the fish which we did eat in egypt freely the cucumbers the melons the leeks the onions the garlic and our soul is dried away there's nothing at all beside this manner before our eyes

they were sick of it the provision of god for his people

it is then that that cry of moses goes up in verse 11.

wherefore have i not found favor in thy sight that thou layest the burden of all his people upon me have i conceived all these people have i begotten them that thou should say unto them carry them in thy bosom as a nursing father beareth the sucking child unto the land which thou swearless unto their fathers

there it was israel a babe

in the arms

of that mighty man moses

but to ease that burden the lord says verse 16

gather unto me seventy men of the elders of israel whom there knows to be of the elders of the people and office it over them and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation that they may stand there with thee and i'll come down and talk with thee there and i will take of the spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them and they shall bear the burden of this people with thee that thou bear it not thyself alone

wise counsel from the almighty

and seventy were chosen to help make a mental note of that

put it in a little parcel and keep it till tomorrow will you

70 were chosen to help with the work

as they go on in their journeys then comes this sad family bothered of chapter 12 and we see all that moses had to contend with in his journeyings

miriam and aaron spake against moses because of the ethiopian woman whom he had married for he had married an ethiopian woman it's incident incidentally it's interesting if you compare numbers 25 6

in your own time and habakkuk 3 verse 7

you may see connections between midian

and ethiopia and it could be that because of intermarriage there was ethiopian blood

in the veins of zipporah not just a little bit of study in your own time there isn't time now

and they said hath the lord indeed spoken only by moses has he not spoken also by us

and we remember of course those words from the prophet micah

at which we looked a little while ago

and uh miriam and aaron were beginning to feel it

i brought the up out of the land of egypt and redeemed the out of the house of servants and i sent before thee moses aaron and miriam

and now there seems to have been this loss of face

moses their brother now seems to stand such a giant

the incident of the golden calf had humbled aaron so much

then it is that we read the man moses was very meek above all the men which were upon the face of the earth and despite that physique that prowess that spiritual stature he was nevertheless still humble

and then there came that voice which must have sent a chill

through the blood of aaron and miriam

verse 4 there it is

come out you free

takes us back to our school days isn't it

come out you at the back

you know and then the math goes dry and we realize that our little secret discussions have not gone unnoticed well there it was god dealing with his children come out you free

and god addresses himself to them

here now my words if there be a prophet among you i the lord will make myself known unto him in a vision and will speak unto him in a dream my servant moses is not so who is faithful in all mine house

what a commendation from the almighty

moses my servant who is faithful in all my house

a phrase which the writer to the hebrews is not slow to take up in that epistle

with him will i speak mouth to mouth even apparently and not in dark speeches and the similitude of the lord shall he behold

wherefore then were you not afraid to speak against my servant moses

and the anger of the lord was kindled miriam is struck leprous

and we notice now that aaron once again is brought low verse 11 note the phrase of address aaron said to moses alas

my

lord i beseech thee

my lord

lay not the sin upon us wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned

and aaron bows before his brother

intercession again takes place

and miriam is healed

moses that great intercessor

but how sad

that even his own family envied him

what a curse envy is

and then at last they brought to the borders of the promised land there is that great moment and the spies go out and come back ten of them with their evil report and only two faithful

and the response of the people must have been distressing beyond measure to moses chapter fourteen verse one the people lifted up their voice and cried and the people wept that night

and the whole congregation said would god that we died in the land of egypt or would god we died in the wilderness

how foolishly they spoke and god took them up on their very words

lord god we died in this wilderness

and then verse four let us make a captain and let us return to egypt they had their elections we read in the book of nehemiah

and they elected a captain we don't know what his name was

it's in chapter 9 verse 17 of nehemiah that they elected one

i wonder who it was to go back to egypt

and moses and aaron fell on their faces before the assembly of the congregation of the children of israel and then it is that joshua rushes forward and pleads

but the stones are taken by israel

to stone moses and aaron that their new leader might take them back to egypt

and just in time verse 10 all the congregation birds stone them with stones and then the glory of the lord appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation and they dropped their stones oh why had there always to be this visible manifestation of the brilliance of god's glory before israel would heed

how long will this people provoke me how long will it be they believe me for all the signs which i have shown among them

i'll smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them and i'll make of thee a greater great nation and mightier than they said god to moses and yet again he's to hear these words

could he do it again

could he intercede

yet again

with this threat of god hanging over his people

and moses brings forward his same argument the egyptians will hear

but this time

he brings in a fresh argument

verse 17 i beseech thee let the power of my lord be great according as thou hast spoken saying

yahweh

his long-suffering

and of great mercy forgiving iniquity and transgression and moses recites the very name that had been proclaimed before him in the mount and brings it back to god pleading that name

verse 20

i have pardoned

according to thy word

what a man

but as truly as i live all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the lord i will be that i will be despite israel

and so they shall not see verse 23 the land which i swear unto their fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it save my servant caleb

and of course joshua too the two faithful spies

just look at that word that phrase in the middle of verse 25 would you

tomorrow

turn you and get you into the wilderness

tomorrow

keep your finger in there and just flick to hebrews chapter 3

verse 7

wherefore

as the holy spirit says today if you'll hear his voice harden not your hearts as in the propagation in the day of temptation in the wilderness when your father's tempted me prove me and saw my works forty years

verse eleven so i swear in my wrath that they shall not enter into my rest

well this swearing in his wrath has taken place here

and whereas there was a provoking at meribah yes

here was the provoking for which there was no going back after the golden calf incident yes they were still going on to the land but now no more they shall not see

and this phrase today keeps going through this epistle of hebrews verse 13

exhort one another daily while it is called today lest any of you be hardened to the deceitfulness of sin

next chapter verse 7

he limiteth a certain day saying david today after so long a time as it is said today if you'll hear his voice harden not your hearts

today today the day of opportunity and israel had thrown away there today

so that for them

there was a dreadful

tomorrow

tomorrow turn you

and get you into the wilderness

there

today

had ended

for them now there was only that awful

tomorrow

38 years of it

today

is our day

of opportunity brethren

envy now spreads to others in israel

chapter 16

cora dayton and the byron they gathered themselves together against moses and against aaron and said you take too much upon you seeing all the congregation are holy every one of them and the lord is among them wherefore they lift you up yourselves among the congregation of the lord and moses heard it and fell on his face all the different attitudes that are there who do you think you are up starts

and moses

with that commendation of god

is the one on his face

meek above all men but not weak

or demonstration

of humility

and the insult to the almighty

verse 13

is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of the land that flowers with milk and honey to kill us and now they give that phrase that god had chosen for his holy land to the land of egypt and sin and darkness

the insult to the almighty was there no end to it

and as god threatens again verse 22 they fell upon their faces and said oh god the god of the spirit of all flesh are one man's sin and will thou be wrath with all the congregation

and so there is then this separating

this departure from the tense

of these wicked men verse 26 depart i pray you from the tents of these wicked men and touch nothing of theirs lest you be consumed in all their sins

and the dust of the earth parted

the dust of the earth claimed them

and there is their eternal habitation

thus israel was rid

of this element of rebellion

who for envy

spoke against moses

we come now to the 20th chapter

one of the saddest chapters

in the pentateuch

once again the lord tests and tries israel

for a short time the water supply is withheld to test them will they now show faith in god

but there is the murmuring verse for why have you brought up the congregation of the lord into this wilderness that we in our cattle should die there the same murmuring they're right back where they started

and so they fall on their faces again verse six you see how much time moses spent on his face

he spent a lot of time on his face did motors

that supreme character

meek above all men

prostrate before the lord

there's a lesson for us there

perhaps we don't spend enough of our lives

with our face bowed to the ground but rather

it is lifted up to see the science the dazzle

his face is towards the ground again and then goes the command take the rod gather thou the assembly together down there and thy brother and speak you to the rock before their eyes and it shall bring forth water and thou shall bring forth to them water out of the rock so thou shall give the congregation and their beast drink and moses took the rod from before the lord

and moses and aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock and said to them here now you rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock and moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote the rock twice and the water came out abundantly and the congregation drank and their beasts also

the lord spake unto moses near and saying because he believed me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of israel therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which i have given them

and moses was thunderstruck

did the sentence

really

fit the crime

his life's ambition

swept away

at a stroke

some have said

ah because of this elevated position of moses it had had at length gone to his head and when he said here now your rebels must we fetch you water out of this rock he was taking to himself the credit

well that's just a non-starter

never never

would a man of the spiritual stature of moses

think that he was providing the water from the rock and not god

forget it

just not on

in any case he was only quoting the words of god just look back at verse eight

it shall give forth his water and thou moses shall bring forth to them watch out of the rock so thou shalt give the congregation their beast drink

so he was only repeating the words of god there was nothing wrong with the actual words that he used

but moses who had received that terrific lesson

i will be sanctified in them the drawn i mean

here was israel same position thirsting again take the rod go to the wrath over and over again they're no further forward no progress has been made in their spiritual development and moses takes his rod and in his anger and impatience he says must we fetch you water out of this rock and strikes the rock

he spake

unadvisedly

with his lips

and god in effect says moses

i did not ask for it to be done like that

and we know that that rock was christ

who should be stricken but once

that life might be provided

and this is the only example in the whole of scripture of a type of god that went wrong

there is no other example in the holy scripture

god who delights in precision and accuracy

and that figure was spoiled for all time

because moses

became impatient

and didn't follow through the command of god

and he had not obeyed god and because he had not obeyed he hadn't sanctified god

it's quite clear

verse 24

aaron shall be gathered to his people for he shall not enter into the land which i have given unto the children of israel because you rebelled against the word

at the water of marybar he had not obeyed

all the sadness of it

and so aaron dies

chapter 21 verse 4 and the people become discouraged by reason of the way

there is more murmuring fiery serpents are sent

moses pleads again

and so this

wilderness journey continues with this same pattern

israel's sinning moses pleading

until they come to the borders of the promised land deuteronomy chapter one

wrote it now rehearses all that has happened to them

verse 37 the lord was angry with me for your sakes it was because of their sin

that moses did what he did and was denied the privilege of taking this people into the promised land for your sakes and that expression comes again and again

but joshua the son of none which standeth before thee said god he shall go in this encourage him for he shall cause israel to inherit it and here is the sign of the selfless character of moses not only was he not to be given his lifetime's ambition but it was actually to encourage the man that should do it for him

chapter 3 verse

25

i pray thee let me go over and see the good land that is beyond jordan that goodly mountain and lebanon that the lord was wrath with me for your sakes and would not hear me and the lord said unto me let it suffice thee speak no more unto me of this matter

and then moses was given

that wondrous opportunity towards the end of his days

of blessing israel

in the 31st chapter he exhorts them

to be strong and of a good courage

verse 6 be strong and of a good courage fear not nor be afraid of them for the lord thy god he it is that that go with thee he'll not fail thee nor forsake thee

the sermon and moses called to joshua and said to him in the sight of israel be strong and of a good courage for thou must go with his people into the land which the lord hath sworn to their fathers to give them and thou shall cause them to inherit it and the lord he it is that that go before thee he'll be with thee he'll not fail thee neither forsake thee fear not neither be dismayed

selfless encouragement how much those words must have cost moses and moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests the sons of levi

sad words in verse 29

i know that after my death you will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which i've commanded you and evil will befall you in the latter days all the sadness and the disappointment of moses as thus he had to prophesy

then chapter 33

this is the blessing where with moses the man of god bless the children of israel before his death and so as a father he turns and blesses that great congregation

verse 26 of chapter 33. there is none like unto the god of jeshurun who writeth upon the heaven in thy help and in his excellency on the sky the eternal god is thy refuge and underneath

are the everlasting arms

and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee and say destroy them israel then shall dwell in safety alone the fountain of jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine also his heavens shall drop down due happy art thou o israel who is like unto thee o people saved by the lord the shield of thy help and who is the sword of thy excellency and thy enemies shall be found liars unto thee and thou shalt tread upon their high places

and thus moses work

came almost to its conclusion

and the final command of god to moses

to go up

to the mount

verse 4

of chapter 34

there in the height of that mountain

as he looked over all the land

a wondrous land

the lord showed him all the land of gilead unto dan and all naftali and the land of ephraim and manasseh and all the land of judah unto the utmost sea and the south and the plain of the valley of jericho the city of palm trees and azar

and the lord said unto him

this

this is the land

and don't we feel for moses

this is the land moses

and you can see it

and then at the age of 120

he died

his eye was not dimmed or his natural force abated

that physique that prowess that alertness that keenness of eye

was there until he dropped dead

and the lord buried him

we know not where

and there arose not a prophet since in israel

like unto moses

whom the lord knew face to face

what a fitting testimony to that man

who said

i beseech thee

show me thy glory

he showed him the land

and as we shall see in our last study tomorrow

in a wondrous sense

he was yet to behold

the glory

but for a while

the sleep of death

and then his prayer was answered

and tomorrow god willing

we look the answer to his prayer