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Exodus 2:11-3:22

The Jewish historian Josephus tells us that Moses was a mighty man in Egypt; that Moses led military conquests and was offered the throne of Egypt, but he refused. This may be what the writer to the Hebrews referred to in:

Hebrews 11:24–25 (NKJV) “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin.”

We also remember Stephen’s words about Moses in:

Acts 7:22 (NKJV) “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.”

Stephen goes on to tell us in Acts 7:23-29 that when Moses was 40 years old, it came into his heart to help his people, to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. Stephen’s speech emphasizes the fact that the people weren’t ready, that the Jews would go on to have a history of resisting the Holy Spirit and the deliverers God sent their way (including Jesus). 

Although it was good that it came into Moses’ heart, he wasn’t 100% ready either. When he killed the Egyptian, he looked to the right and to the left, but he didn’t look up to God. In all reality, it would take 40 more years for both Moses and the people to be ripe and ready for their new beginning. There was more preparation necessary.

Moses fled to the land of Midian and he became a shepherd. That’s fascinating considering the fact that every shepherd was an abomination to the Egyptians (Genesis 46:34). But God had spent 40 years teaching Moses that he was something, He would spend the next 40 years teaching Moses that he was nothing, so that Moses would spend the last 40 years leading the people, knowing that God could do anything with someone who knew they were nothing.

I’ve always loved the scene in the movie/cartoon Prince of Egypt, when God appears to Moses in the burning bush. The burning bush symbolizes Israel, in the fire but not consumed. When Moses drew near he was commanded to remove his sandals from his feet, for the place he stood was holy ground (sandals symbolizing the work of man).

It was time.

Exodus 3:7 (NKJV) “And the LORD said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.’”

The passage above is beyond beautiful when we consider that the God of the universe sees our oppression, God hears our cries, and God even knows our sorrows – in His timing He will “come down” to deliver us.

This was the commission of Moses, who by this time had been reduced to zero confidence in himself.

When Moses asked, “Who shall I say sent me, what’s Your name?” God responded with His wonderful name “I Am.” (Exodus 3:14) Not – “I was,” or “I will be.” “I Am” is in reference to His constant and eternal existence past, present, and future; it’s in reference to His self-sufficiency; it’s a concept we must capture as Christians, that God is all we need whenever we need Him (all the time).

God says, I Am Your Friend. I Am Your Healer. I Am Your Love. I Am Your Strength. He is all we need in every season and situation of life.

We get a glimpse of this in the 7 “I Am” statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John. Jesus said, I Am the Bread of Life, I Am the Light of the World, I Am the Door, I Am the Resurrection and the Life, I Am the Good Shepherd, I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and I Am the Vine. 

As a matter of fact, Jesus took this name – “I Am” for Himself throughout the Gospel of John which presents to us the deity of Christ. We read this explicitly in:

John 8:58 (NKJV) “Jesus said to them, ‘Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.’” (see also John 8:24)

God informed Moses that Pharaoh wouldn’t let His people go, so the LORD would stretch out His hand and strike Egypt…after that, His people would be free. It would require the death of the firstborn, and the blood of the Passover Lamb.

Hmmm, I wonder what that represents? (John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 5:7).

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Matthew 17:10-27

It usually happens in that order (It’s almost like clockwork) immediately following the glory of those mountaintop experiences we descend down into the demon-possessed valleys.

A father had brought his son to the disciples but they couldn’t help or heal, they couldn’t cast out the demon. Jesus was disappointed (to put it mildly) at the lack of faith on the disciple’s part, but He goes on to cast out the demon from the boy, restoring him to his father.

The disciples wonder why they couldn’t do it (Matthew 17:19). Jesus revealed to them 2 things.

1. Their lack of faith  (Matthew 17:20)

2. Their lack of fasting (Matthew 17:21)

May our Lord strengthen us in these areas of our lives.

After that, we have an interesting truth about taxes.

“According to custom every Jew 20 years old and above was required to pay a temple tax of half a shekel or two drachmas each year to help support the temple (cf. Exodus 30:13–15; Nehemiah 10:32).” – Bible Knowledge Commentary

They questioned Peter about it, who took it to the Lord.

“The Lord was demonstrating to Peter that not only should He as King be tax-free, but also His disciples, as sons of the kingdom, should be free from such taxes (v. 26). They too had a privileged position, and the King should provide all they needed. However, the Lord did not intend at this time to make an issue (offend them, v. 27).” – Bible Knowledge Commentary

So the Lord commanded Peter to do something he enjoyed to do – go fishing; and in the mouth of the first fish you catch, you’ll find the money necessary to pay both of our taxes. Wow! The absolute sovereignty and creativity of God!

And as the saying goes, “If it’s God’s will, it’s God’s bill.” Thank you Lord! (Philippians 4:19)

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Psalm 22:1-18

Again, I sigh as I type. 

This is the Psalm that prophesied the cross of Jesus Christ, 600 years before the Phoenicians even invented crucifixion. The Romans would later go on to master this form of execution, which offered the maximum amount of pain over the maximum amount of time.

Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1 from the cross (Matthew 27:46). It was the 9th hour (3PM), the sky was darkened, and it was then that the Father placed on Jesus all the sins, of all the world, of all time. The Father was therefore forced to turn His back on His Son. It was the first time in all eternity that the Father was separated from His Son (that’s what sin does – Isaiah 59:1-2).

This is was what Jesus dreaded the most. This is why Jesus prayed for the cup to pass from Him. SUFFERING WAS THE START OF IT, SIN WAS A PART OF IT, BUT SEPARATION WAS THE HEART OF IT.

He was forsaken so that we would never be forsaken if we place our faith in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 13:5).

They mocked and surrounded Him; His mouth was dry, His bones were dislocated, His heart was broken.

They pierced His hands and feet (Psalm 22:16).

They gambled for His clothes (Psalm 22:18).

This chapter, along with Isaiah 53 are two of the most vivid prophecies of the cross. He suffered to save us, He died that we might live…may we believe and receive, and never forget the extent of His love (Romans 5:8).

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Proverbs 5:7-14

Proverbs 5:7-8 (NKJV) “Therefore hear me now, my children, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. ⁸ Remove your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.”

Father-God speaks to His children, “Do not depart from the Word of God, but DO depart from the ungodly woman. Set up Biblical boundaries, holy hedges; careful in conversation, never justify any type of flirtations.

Remove your way far from her…run…like Joseph did (Genesis 39:6-12).

Paul gave the same advice to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:22, “Flee also youthful lusts…” (but it’s not just for the youth) and it’s no just physically, it’s internally as well.

Proverbs 7:25 (NKJV) “Do not let your heart turn aside to her ways, do not stray into her paths;”

It’s not simply something going on on the outside, physically; it takes place on the inside, emotionally, and even spiritually, that’s why Jesus said in: 

Matthew 5:28 (NKJV) “But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”

Proverbs 5:9-14 (NKJV) “Lest you give your honor to others, and your years to the cruel one; ¹⁰ Lest aliens be filled with your wealth, and your labors go to the house of a foreigner; ¹¹ And you mourn at last, when your flesh and your body are consumed, ¹² And say: “How I have hated instruction, and my heart despised correction! ¹³ I have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined my ear to those who instructed me! ¹⁴ I was on the verge of total ruin, in the midst of the assembly and congregation.”

The lips and lies of an immoral woman will take away all that is honorable to you – your name will be mud, you’ll be famous for your foolishness, your years will be cruel, your tears will be constant – you’ll suffer financially, physically, dollars, disease, let me tell you as Solomon says, sexual sin is extremely expensive!

How many unfaithful men are now paying child support – starting at 20% of their income and they only enjoy their children – part-time.

Verse 14 is better translated in the (NLT) “I have come to the brink of utter ruin, and now I must face public disgrace.” (such a sad claim to fame)

Sometimes people will point to David and say, “See, it’s not that bad, David was a man after God’s own heart and he fell and remained king over the nation of Israel.” But they forget the consequences of his sin!

2 Samuel 12:9-15 (NKJV) “‘Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ “Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. ‘For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’” So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. “However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” Then Nathan departed to his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill.”

The sword would never depart, there would be adversaries from his own family, his wives would be raped publicly, the enemies of God were given fuel for the fires of their blasphemy; his child would die and according to v. 8 of 2 Samuel, God had so much more for David, but he ruined his reward. The bottom line is, the plan for the life of David was radically changed…for worse.

Consider Samson; we read his sad story in Judges 13-16; Hebrews 11:32 – he’s in heaven, saved, and he served for a season, but he was caught by the enemy and spent the end of his life grinding at the mill and died of suicide. It can happen to any of us…for Samson it was only a good beginning.

Another necessary reminder.

Stay close to wisdom.

Stay far from the immoral man or woman.

May we learn from the Scriptures and the many men and women who live with regret for the rest of their lives – if only they would have listened to the Lord and the teachers sent their way! Any sin can be forgiven, but the law of the Lord is we reap what we’ve sown – the seed of sexual sin is horrible harvest.

If you have any questions or comments on today’s reading, or you’d like to share something the Lord showed you, feel free to leave a reply below. I’d love to hear from you as we grow forward in 2021.