Sundays at Home

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The Ordinary for the Extraordinary

Sunday, February 14, 2021
Pastor Jojo Ma

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Exodus 3:16-4:9

I.          God’s specific instruction [3:16-22]
II.        Moses’ fearful objection [4:1]
III.       God’s powerful demonstration [4:2-9] 

I.         God’s specific instruction [3:16-22]
16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, "I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."' 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."

God’s primary way of governing His people, whether in the Old Testament or the New Testament, is through a group of men called elders.

The best and most wise and most sustainable path forward is always by sharing responsibility, working with a team, raising up leaders, and listening to others.

18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'

We are wiser together, we are stronger together, we can serve more people together, we are encouraged to press on when we are together and not alone. And hopefully, the local church is the main source for these relationships in your life.

19-20 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.

21-22 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians."

These two verses are all about God’s care and provision for His people. God will not only get them out, He will give them gifts for the journey.

We have been spiritually rescued and now we have been given spiritual plunder for the journey ahead. Church, don’t waste these gifts from the Lord. Use your spiritual plunder and gifts to bless and love and serve.

II.        Moses’ fearful objection [4:1]
1 Then Moses answered, "But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, 'The LORD did not appear to you.'"

Does this describe you? What excuses can you own up to when God’s Word clearly calls you to something?

Church, the Lord is calling you to the obedience of faith. The power is not in you, it’s in the One who sends you. Trust and obey, trust and obey. Speak His truth. Show His love. Serve His bride. Die to self. Trust and obey.

III.      God’s powerful demonstration [4:2-9]
2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" He said, "A staff." 3 And he said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Put out your hand and catch it by the tail", so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand, 5 "that they may believe that the LORD, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you." 6 Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand inside your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, "Put your hand back inside your cloak." So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 "If they will not believe you," God said, "or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground."

God uses the ordinary for the extraordinary. Maybe it says something about you and me and what God wants to do through us as well.

God has already given His greatest sign, greater than any wonder or miracle that Moses and Old Testament Israel ever saw. What is that sign? It’s the empty tomb.