Saved from the Water
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
A-Team (Col. Hannibal Smith): “I love it when plan comes together.”
Me too!
Building my studio - soundproofing and treatment
But it was no accident
Took research, testing, planning...
In the end, I was confident when I started
But then I’d face an obstacle, and worry it was all for nothing
In the end, the plan came together!
God has had a plan for mankind from day 1
Part of that plan included a nation called Israel
To begin this series, we look at Moses’ role in making Israel a nation
And although things looked grim sometimes, God’s plan came together
YouVersion: Saved from the Water
In Exodus 1 through 2:10
Exodus 1:1–6 (ESV)
1 These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household: 2 Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, 3 Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, 4 Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher. 5 All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt. 6 Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat
Had a dream his brothers bowed down
Brothers tried to kill him, but sold him to Egypt
Jospeh worked his way up, became second ruler of Egypt!
Saved Egypt from famine (with God’s vision)
Brothers came looking for help, didn’t know it was Joseph
Joseph reveals who he is, brothers were afraid
Genesis 50:18–20 (ESV)
18 His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? 20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
This is the theme for Joseph’s life
Now, 430 years later, it’s the theme for the Exodus
Reflected in today’s story as well
Man is capable of intense evil, but God still works for good
God established the Hebrew people through Joseph and his brothers:
In fact, each brother has a tribe represented (well, almost)
Joseph’s sons (Ephraim and Manasseh get their own)
Levi was for priests so they had no land
Exodus 1:7 (ESV)
7 But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.
Started with 5 people - Jacob and 4 women
Ended up at 600,000 men (about 2.4 million total) in 430 years!
God was growing His nation - and doing a good job
Growth rate of over 3%
We’re currently a little over 1%
Average just under 2 kids today - that means 6 kids per family
But modern death rates are 4.6% before 15
Back then was 46.2%!
That means 10 kids per family on average!
Either Hebrews had a specific way to spend leisure time
God made them extremely fertile
Or He protected their kids
Maybe a combination
The Egyptians were not to excited about this...
Exodus 1:8–11 (ESV)
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.
Ancient Egyptians are known for believing racial superiority
Afraid of Hittite in the north
Felt Hebrews may join them
Made them slaves to keep them controlled
Used them to build large cities and structures
Likely not the pyramids
Show Thebes image
This is a painting of Semitic and Nubian slaves
In Egypt building a temple to Amun-Re (ray - sun god) in Thebes
In Scripture, they built Pithom and Raamses
Show map
See Egypt, the Red Sea, and these two cities
What’s the point of this text?
1. Too much good tends to go bad
1. Too much good tends to go bad
You win championships, people hate you
You drive a nice car, people hate you
You have a successful career, people hate you
Sometimes, bad things make sense
Sometimes it’s just jealousy
Don’t know about this case, but the Egyptians didn’t like the growth of Hebrews
So to start, they enslaved them
Exodus 1:12–14 (ESV)
12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel. 13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.
Egypt was a womb for Israel
Grew from small clan to large nation
For God’s people, affliction leads to growth
Whether numbers or in faith
Think of the judges, exile, Christian persecution...
Turtullian: “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church.”
I believe this is largely why the Church is shrinking today
We’re comfy, “don’t need God”
Now we see growth, even as Pharaoh tightens his grip
Reality: God is on the move
Nothing man can do will stop Him
As we go, it’s hard for Israel to see, but it’s true nonetheless
And so, like a stubborn human, Pharaoh tries even harder
Exodus 1:15–16 (ESV)
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”
Not the only two midwives - probably leaders of the local midwives 214...
Leaders overs midwives, so Pharaoh gives the rules
Names: Shiphrah means “beauty”
Puah means “friend of Christopher Robin” - no takers? Okay...
That’s Winnie the Puah...
Puah means “splendor”
Satan’s probably behind this
Like a masterful chess player, he sees this is God’s move to bring redemption to the world
From this nation, the Messiah would come - Jesus
He would try this again with Herod after Jesus was born
Imagine being a midwife - you have to kill small children
These women were forced into murder!
These ladies made a living bringing life into the world!
Now they’re ordered to take it right back out
Quick paper testing story:
Forced to fudge numbers
I wrote the real results on every single test
But it was still lying...
I can’t imagine when the highest authority in the land forces you to kill babies
But watch this:
Exodus 1:17 (ESV)
17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.
These women are very wise, very brave, and have great integrity
No doubt they feared the king, but they feared God that much more
The choice was clear to them: obey God, or obey government
Awhile back Mark spoke on obeying government...
Romans 13:1–2 (ESV)
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.
However, there’s a little bit more to that picture
in Acts, Peter and John are in front of the council
They performed miracles, but were preaching Jesus
So here’s what they said:
Acts 4:18–20 (ESV)
18 So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, 20 for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
They wanted to obey the government, but there was a line they wouldn’t cross
Mark’s message was this:
2. Obey the government, but don’t put it in place of God
2. Obey the government, but don’t put it in place of God
That’s what these women did - refused to murder
Obviously, Pharaoh would eventually hear about this...
Exodus 1:18–22 (ESV)
18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
One challenge here: were they lying?
R. Alan Cole: “We are not told whether the midwives were lying, or whether the quick delivery of ‘Hebrew’ babies was a biological fact…Even if they lied, it is not for their deceit that they are commended, but for their refusal to take infant lives.”
Honestly, I don’t know
Was Rahab wrong for lying?
Was God wrong for telling Abraham to sacrifice Issac
Were the protectors wrong for lying to Nazis when they has Jews hiding under the floorboards?
Here’s what I do know
I am not God so I don’t pretend to know His purposes
God instructs us not to lie
Jesus teaches that the Law does not come before people
Are you supposed to rest on the Sabbath? Yes!
But if a sheep falls into a ditch, you pull it out
If someone is hungry, you feed them
If someone is sick, you heal them
In this case, these women did what they had to to save the lives of helpless babies who were bing murdered
How did God react about THAT?
“God dealt well with them”
Am I saying it’s okay to tell a white lie? Nope!
I’m saying I don’t know
AND that what these women did was right by God
One more truth here:
3. Realize that unbelievers are against God
3. Realize that unbelievers are against God
If someone doesn’t believe in God, they’re going to want wrong things
That doesn’t mean it’s okay, but we should expect it
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
This is a Spiritual war we are fighting
Means the solution is also spiritual...
Expecting good behavior from people who don’t know God is ridiculous
We cannot force them to be good
We love them so God will encourage them to be better
But what do we do when they try to force us into something?
Let’s flip to chapter 2:
Exodus 2:1–2 (ESV)
1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
This man’s name is Amram, woman is Jochebed
They had at least two kids already: Aaron and Miriam
Now Moses was a beautiful baby!
That’s one reason they didn’t want to kill him
But also:
Hebrews 11:23 (ESV)
23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
It was their faith in God that kept him alive
But you can only hide that type of thing so long
9 months of pregnancy, 3 months of a crying baby
Exodus 2:3–6 (ESV)
3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him. 5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
Technically, Moses’ mom did what Pharaoh said!
He said put them in Nile, so she did!
But he was in a basket
Says bulrushes, but papyrus is probably better
Why did she float her baby? She had faith in God...
This crying baby comes to Pharaoh’s daughter
She’s been taught to dislike Hebrews
Knew he should die...
But never underestimate the power of a cute baby...
And never underestimate the power of God!
David Guzik: “God had this beautifully planned for the deliverance of both Moses, and eventually for the people of Israel. He skillfully guided the parents of Moses, the currents of the Nile, and the heart of Pharaoh’s daughter to further His plan and purpose.”
4. If it’s God’s plan, He will make a way
4. If it’s God’s plan, He will make a way
So often we try to control...
But as believers, we know God will get His way
We don’t need to manipulate; just trust and obey
Exodus 2:7–10 (ESV)
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Think about this - 2 choices
Hide the baby or trust God
She trusted, so now she gets to keep Moses AND get paid for loving her son!
And now, Moses gets some benefits too
Being adopted in the royal family...
Josephus wrote Moses was in line to become Pharaoh
He led Egyptian armies in battle
Acts 7:22 (ESV)
22 And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
He was educated!
Learned science from the most advanced of the day
Likely learned geography, writing, history, philosophy, music...
Things that any other Hebrew would not have access to!
Here’s something interesting… you think God might have use for those things?
Maybe as the guy who would rescue Israel and lead them to the promised land...
5. Your passions, skills and opportunities are God’s resources
5. Your passions, skills and opportunities are God’s resources
That’s interest in photography you have? Belongs to God...
That ability to lead you have? Belongs to God...
That opportunity to travel the world… Belongs to God
He gives us these things, and He has a right to use them!
We have to learn to view those things through that lens
How could you better serve God with those things?
Communion
Communion
Today is all about making a way
At the end of Moses story in Egypt, Israel is rescued
How? The blood of a lamb
Smeared on doorposts to protect from God’s vengeance
The delivery of death
More than 3,000 years later, Jesus was with disciples
They were remembering the story of Moses
Jesus explained that He was to be that lamb that rescued from death
Just like Jews remembered that rescue...
We now remember how Jesus rescued us...