Evangelism Explosion

When I was a teenager my church held Evangelism Explosion training. I received assurance of my salvation while memorizing 1 John 2:2. That gave me much joy! Then, one of the elders of my church took me along with him to do home visitations. Surprisingly, people were open to hear the Gospel presentation and to profess faith in Christ.
The coaching offered by this curriculum increased my knowledge and confidence to share with people about their soul's need for Christ.

The attached video shows three people, not pastors, sharing their faith with a lady from Mexico.

https://youtu.be/7nyRwAL1UrU?si=NNRlJpmzs_azlsHE

Think About His Love – Exodus 11-12

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. Afterward he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out of here altogether. Speak now in the hearing of the people, and let every man ask from his neighbor and every woman from her neighbor, articles of silver and articles of gold.’ And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.” Exodus 11:1-3

The Lord gave the slaves grace from the Egyptians. This was another of God’s great miracles. The same rulers who previously treated them in impersonal ways, now treated them like people. When they asked the Egyptians for silver and gold, they gave it. Moses, the 80-year-old “has been,” was now famous throughout the land... only because of God.

“Then Moses said, ‘Thus says the Lord: about midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the female servant who is behind the hand mill, and all the firstborn of the animals. Then, there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as was not like it before, nor shall be like it again. But against none of the children of Israel shall a dog move its tongue, against man or beast, that you may know that the Lord does make a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.’” Exodus 11:4-7

In Jeremiah 9:21, the prophet prophesied of death’s deeds in his city. He wrote, “For death has come through our windows, has entered our palaces, to kill off the children—no longer to be outside! And the young men—no longer on the streets!”

We people daily breathe God’s air, eat His food, walk on His earth and enjoy blessings too numerous to count, and yet, seldom acknowledge Him. Which earthly person would tolerate such ingratitude and disrespect? Pharaoh had defied God multiple times. He forced slaves to drown their baby boys in the water. Now, it was Pharaoh’s and his people’s turn to be bereaved of their firstborns. The Egyptians lost many things during the plagues, but the loss of their firstborns would be the proverbial straw that breaks their backs.

“’And all these your servants shall come down to me and bow down to me, saying, get out, and all the people who follow you! After that I will go out.’ Then he went out from Pharaoh in great anger.” Exodus 11:8

Moses was very angry when he left the Pharoah, perhaps, because Egypt’s king was both stupid and stubborn like a mule.

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘Pharaoh will not heed you, so that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.’ So, Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go out of his land.” Exodus 11:9-10

God let Moses know that He was going to use the Pharaoh’s idiot-cracy as a backdrop for His wonders in the lands. How do you detect a corrupt politician? You identify what they think about God. Psalm 14:1 says, “The fool has said in his heart, there is no God, they are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.”

“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now, you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. Then, they shall eat the flesh on that night; roasted in fire, with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Do not eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire—its head with its legs and its entrails. You shall let none of it remain until morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire. And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So, you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord’s Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now, the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:1-13

The Lord commanded that a “Passover” feast be held and lamb’s blood be spread on the doorposts of their homes. The night on which lambs died, and people were liberated was to be remembered.

The Passover celebration prefigures the celebration of the Lord’s Supper in the New Testament. In the New Testament, we partake of the fruit of the vine and unleavened bread to declare our faith in Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. The elements represent His body and blood given for the remission of all our sins. When our sins are forgiven by God, we escape from eternal death and live forever with God.

“So, this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work shall be done on them; but that which everyone must eat—that only may be prepared by you. So, you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I will have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you shall observe this day throughout your generations as an everlasting ordinance. In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening. For seven days no leaven shall be found in your houses, since whoever eats what is leavened, that same person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a stranger or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’” Exodus 12:14-20

Passover was instituted by God as a seven-day event during which normal worked stopped. The penalty for eating leavened bread during Passover week was expulsion from the community. In Matthew 16:6 and Mark 8:15, Jesus warned His disciples to “beware of the leaven” of the Pharisees, Sadducees and of Herod. According to Jesus in Matthew 16:12, the leaven was false doctrine. God instituted the annual commemoration of Passover to keep their faith in Him pure.

Did the Israelites always keep the Passover? No, in 2 Chronicles 30, King Hezekiah reinstituted it after it had been neglected. Some of the northern tribes mocked him for doing it. In 2 Kings 23:21-23, King Josiah reinstituted Passover, after it had not been practiced for a long time.

“Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, ‘Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families and kill the Passover lamb. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the Lord will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. It will come to pass when you come to the land which the Lord will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, What do you mean by this service? that you shall say, It is the Passover sacrifice of the Lord, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ So, the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Then, the children of Israel went away and did so; just as the Lord had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.” Exodus 12:21-28

While living in Hong Kong, I noticed red couplets (春聯) on the doorposts of their flats (apartments). They decorated their doors during the Lunar New Year to ward off evil spirits, and to invite good luck, happiness, and prosperity into the home. Those red papers reminded me of the blood that the Hebrews placed on their door posts during the first Passover.

The Hebrew parents were instructed to use the annual observance of Passover as a teaching moment for their children. In a similar fashion, we, New Testament believers in the Lord annually celebrate the Birth of Christ, Good Friday and His Resurrection Day. These celebrations remind us of the grace that God provided for us in sending His Son into the world to be our Savior. We also celebrate the Lord’s Supper frequently to remember that His body and blood was given to us for the forgiveness of all our sins.

Revelation 12:11 says that God’s people overcame the devil by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. The word of our testimony is Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior. He died, rose and is coming again.

“And it came to pass at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So, Pharaoh rose in the night, he, all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.” Exodus 12:29-30

Every Egyptian home lost a loved one. They wailed and lamented their losses.

“Then he [the Pharoah] called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, ‘Rise, go out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go, serve the Lord as you have said. Also, take your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also.’” Exodus 12:31-32

Finally, Pharaoh’s pride broke. He released the slaves. He asked Moses to bless him.

“And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, ‘We shall all be dead.’ So, the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.” Exodus 12:33-34

The Egyptians were no longer dragging their feet about letting Israel go. They were pushing them out the door. The Hebrews didn’t even have time to add leaven to their bread dough or to bake it. They went out of Egypt carrying bread dough in their clothing and on their shoulders.

In John 6:35, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger.” The bread they carried on their bodies symbolized, “Emmanuel” – “God with us.”

“Now, the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And the Lord had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested. Thus, they plundered the Egyptians.” Exodus 12:35-36

By God’s grace, the Israelites plundered the riches of Egypt without firing a shot and without loss of life. They served them for 430 years. They deserved a generous severance package.

“Then, the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about 600,000 men on foot, besides children. A mixed multitude went up with them also, and flocks and herds—a great deal of livestock. And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they had brought out of Egypt; for it was not leavened, because they were driven out of Egypt and could not wait, nor had they prepared provisions for themselves.” Exodus 12:37-39

Bible commentators suggest that the distance between Rameses to Succoth was 120 miles. They walked this distance on foot. On the one hand, they had sore feet. On the other hand, they were in good shape physically.

In Numbers 1:3, we learn that men were counted at age 20 and above. Adding an equal number for women, boys and girls, to the 600,000 men (4 x 600,000), there was probably 2.4 million people that walked out of Egypt that night.

“Now, the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was 430 years. And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years—on that very same day—it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:40-41

In Genesis 15:13, the Lord told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in Egypt for 400 years. Why was it 430 years then before they left Egypt? I read various comments about this. The most viable answer to me is that they lived in Egypt for 30 years under Joseph and under a Pharaoh that was favorable to them. Exodus 1:8 says that a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He enslaved the Hebrews. This happened after the Israelites had lived in Egypt for 30 years.

“It is a night of solemn observance to the Lord for bringing them out of the land of Egypt. This is that night of the Lord, a solemn observance for all the children of Israel throughout their generations. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘This is the ordinance of the Passover: No foreigner shall eat it. But every man’s servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then he may eat it. A sojourner and a hired servant shall not eat it. In one house it shall be eaten. You shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones. All the congregation of Israel shall keep it. And when a stranger dwells with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as a native of the land. For no uncircumcised person shall eat it. One law shall be for the native-born and for the stranger who dwells among you.’ Thus, all the children of Israel did; as the Lord commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did. And it came to pass, on that very same day, that the Lord brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt according to their armies.” Exodus 12:42-51

The Lord set apart Israel as a holy people to Himself. Only those who were circumcised into the faith of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob could participate in the Passover celebration. The Lord had not given them many laws at this point to follow but this was one that He wanted observed.

What are your thoughts about the Lord? I like the lyrics that Don Moen wrote back in 1998, “Think about His love. Think about His goodness. Think about His grace that’s brought us through. For as high as the heavens above so great is the measure of our Father’s love.”

We don’t have to wait until Sunday each week to worship the Lord, there are free resources on YouTube... worship songs, preaching (I like to listen to Billy Graham’s messages), and videos on how to share your faith in Christ with others.

Attached is a link to a very simple but clear Gospel presentation that Navigators produced:

https://youtu.be/gPvpEnHHeEA?si=B7GSi__WfwUt9feb

When I was 16 years old, my church held weekly Evangelism Explosion (EE) classes for many weeks, and afterwards, we broke into pairs and did home visitations. The head elder and I were paired together. It went well. I still use EE illustrations from time to time now - 50 years later.

Attached is a link to Dot Yanes Horstman signing and speaking the EE presentation for children:

https://youtu.be/ZPxczNe8Bkc?si=T-fvon8kBi7fbsR9

截拳道 – Intercepting The Fist – Exodus 9-10 – 出埃及记 9-10

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go in to Pharaoh and tell him, thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: let My people go, that they may serve Me. For if you refuse to let them go, and still hold them, behold, the hand of the Lord will be on your cattle in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the oxen, and on the sheep—a very severe pestilence. And the Lord will make a difference between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt. So nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel.’” Exodus 9:1-4

Can you imagine seeing fields of dead cows, horses, donkeys, camels, oxen and sheep in the fields where they were usually grazing? What do you do with all the massive carcasses strewn everywhere? The rotting meat must have stunk. Perhaps, vultures, various scavenger animals, maggots and flies were now being seen in great numbers.

“Then, the Lord appointed a set time, saying, ‘Tomorrow the Lord will do this thing in the land.’ So, the Lord did this thing on the next day, and all the livestock of Egypt died; but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died. Then, Pharaoh sent, and indeed, not even one of the livestock of the Israelites was dead. But the heart of Pharaoh became hard, and he did not let the people go.” Exodus 9:5-7

The plague began at the set time that God said it would happen. The plague only struck the livestock of the Egyptians. In God’s economy, the Israelites were the most favored nation.

The King of Egypt saw the destruction. He had no weapons or technology to fight against God. Even so, he refused to humble himself before the Lord.

“So, the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Take for yourselves handfuls of ashes from a furnace, and let Moses scatter it toward the heavens in the sight of Pharaoh. And it will become fine dust in all the land of Egypt, and it will cause boils that break out in sores on man and beast throughout all the land of Egypt.’ Then they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses scattered them toward heaven. And they caused boils that break out in sores on man and beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. But the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh; and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had spoken to Moses. Exodus 9:8-12

The miracle of the boils or sores is repeated on the kingdom of the “beast” in the end times before the Lord returns. Revelation 16:2, 11, “So the first went and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul and loathsome sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.” “They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.”

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh, and say to him, thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: let My people go, that they may serve Me, for at this time I will send all My plagues to your very heart, and on your servants and on your people, that you may know that there is none like Me in all the earth. Now, if I had stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, then you would have been cut off from the earth. But indeed for this purpose I have raised you up, that I may show My power in you, and that My Name may be declared in all the earth.” Exodus 9:13-16

God could have removed Pharaoh from the land of the living instantaneously but He allowed him to live. The Pharaoh wanted to be the star of the show. However, each time he defied the Lord, his fame lessened and the Lord’s glory grew greater.

Years later, in Joshua 2:9-10, Rahab told two Hebrew men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt...” Rahab’s city of Jericho was 447 miles (720 kilometers) from Pharaoh’s city of Pi-Ramesses. In an age without phones, internet, planes, trains or cars that was a very long distance... a six-day walk.

“As yet you exalt yourself against My people in that you will not let them go. Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause very heavy hail to rain down, such as has not been in Egypt since its founding until now. Therefore, send now and gather your livestock and all that you have in the field, for the hail shall come down on every man and every animal which is found in the field and is not brought home; and they shall die.’ He who feared the word of the Lord among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his livestock flee to the houses. But he who did not regard the Word of the Lord left his servants and his livestock in the field. Then, the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt—on man, on beast, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt.’ And Moses stretched out his rod toward heaven; and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire darted to the ground. And the Lord rained hail on the land of Egypt. So there was hail, and fire mingled with the hail, so very heavy that there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation. And the hail struck throughout the whole land of Egypt, all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail struck every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field. Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.” Exodus 9:17-26

What a strange appearance! Fire and ice together! And then, there was the loud booms of thunder. Fire was darting across the ground. People and animals died. Herbs were destroyed. Trees were broken. The Egyptians had never seen or heard anything like it! On top of all this, the slaves, who lived in the slums, enjoyed good weather that day.

“And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, ‘I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked. Entreat the Lord, that there may be no more mighty thunder and hail, for it is enough. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.’ So, Moses said to him, ‘As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands to the Lord; the thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, that you may know that the earth is the Lord’s. But as for you and your servants, I know that you will not yet fear the Lord God.’ Now the flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the head and the flax was in bud. But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they are late crops. So, Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh and spread out his hands to the Lord; then the thunder and the hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth. And when Pharaoh saw that the rain, the hail, and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more; and he hardened his heart, he and his servants. So, the heart of Pharaoh was hard; neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the Lord had spoken by Moses. Exodus 9:27-35

Pharaoh confessed, “I have sinned this time. The Lord is righteous, and my people and I are wicked.” He asked Moses to pray to the Lord. He promised, “I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.”

Did he keep his word? No. Like a gambler who doesn’t know when to stop, as long as Pharaoh had resources (the barley and flax had not been destroyed), he was going to keep placing bets against God.

Antichrist-type kings are opportunities for God to gather all those who have hardened their hearts against Him into one place and then, humble them. God repeats the miracle of hail and fire on the kingdom of the antichrist in the last days. In Revelation 8:7, He sends down hail and fire to burn up a third of the trees. Then, in Revelation 16:21, He sends great hail. Each hailstone weighs about 110 pounds. The God haters don’t repent. They blaspheme Him.

“Now the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the Lord.’ So, Moses and Aaron came in to Pharaoh and said to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God of the Hebrews: how long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your territory. And they shall cover the face of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains to you from the hail, and they shall eat every tree which grows up for you out of the field. They shall fill your houses, the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians—which neither your fathers nor your fathers’ fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.’ And he turned and went out from Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, ‘How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?’” Exodus 10:1-7

Moses and Aaron asked the King of Egypt how long he would refuse to humble himself before the Lord. His servants asked him, “Do you not yet know that Egypt is destroyed?” Like family members of an alcoholic, they tried to get him to change. He was destroying his life and theirs.

“So, Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, ‘Go, serve the Lord your God. Who are the ones that are going?’ And Moses said, ‘We will go with our young and our old; with our sons and our daughters, with our flocks and our herds we will go, for we must hold a feast to the Lord.’ Then, he said to them, ‘The Lord had better be with you when I let you and your little ones go! Beware, for evil is ahead of you. Not so! Go now, you who are men, and serve the Lord, for that is what you desired.’ And they were driven out from Pharaoh’s presence.” Exodus 10:8-11

Pharaoh suggested a compromise with Moses. The men could go but women and children must stay behind. However, he was not in a position to dictate the terms of his surrender.

“Then, the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come upon the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land—all that the hail has left.’ So, Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and the Lord brought an east wind on the land all that day and all that night. When it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt and rested on all the territory of Egypt. They were very severe; previously there had been no such locusts as they, nor shall there be such after them. For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. So, there remained nothing green on the trees or on the plants of the field throughout all the land of Egypt.” Exodus 10:12-15

The land was darkened with locusts. Locusts are short-horned grasshoppers. They ate the herbs and fruits that the hail left behind.

“Then, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and said, ‘I have sinned against the Lord your God and against you. Now, therefore, please forgive my sin only this once, and entreat the Lord your God, that He may take away from me this death only.’” Exodus 10:16-17

The Pharaoh confessed to Moses and Aaron that he sinned against the Lord. He asked them to forgive his sin. He asked Moses to pray to the Lord his God that God would take away the death.

“So, he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. And the Lord turned a very strong west wind, which took the locusts away and blew them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the territory of Egypt. But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he did not let the children of Israel go.” Exodus 10:18-20

Moses prayed! Pharaoh betrayed!

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Stretch out your hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, darkness which may even be felt.’ So, Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days. They did not see one another; nor did anyone rise from his place for three days. But all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Exodus 10:21-23

For three days God placed thick darkness over the land of Egypt, but God’s people still had light. Once, while living in San Francisco, I experienced darkened days due to fires burning in the nearby mountains. It was very eerie! The light that we did have was a very dark hue of orange. I remember wanting that experience to end quickly, but it lasted three days.

“Then, Pharaoh called to Moses and said, ‘Go, serve the Lord; only let your flocks and your herds be kept back. Let your little ones also go with you.’ But Moses said, ‘You must also give us sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. Our livestock also shall go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind. For we must take some of them to serve the Lord our God, and even we do not know with what we must serve the Lord until we arrive there.’” Exodus 10:24-26

Pharaoh still wanted to dictate the conditions of his surrender. How often do we do that with God? We act like we are in a position to tell God what part of ourselves that we will surrender to God when He is in a position to cast us into everlasting hell.

Pharoah told Moses that the Israelites could take their children with them but needed to leave their livestock behind. Moses responded, “Not a hoof shall be left behind.” He stood up to the bully in the Name of the Lord. Good for him.

But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go. Then, Pharaoh said to him, ‘Get away from me! Take heed to yourself and see my face no more! For in the day, you see my face you shall die!’ So, Moses said, ‘You have spoken well. I will never see your face again.’” Exodus 10:27-29

The Pharaoh demanded that Moses leave and threatened to kill him. Moses no longer feared him. In fact, Moses and Pharaoh will meet again in chapters 11-12 of Exodus. The Pharaoh will not kill Moses. He will let the Hebrew slaves go, and they will plunder the wealth of Egypt.

When I served the Lord in China, I heard stories about Mao Zedong. Some of my students told me about the interrogations they experienced. One student told me how when he was in elementary school, “the Party” sent an interrogator to their classroom. The students were asked to tattle on any classmate that was not loyal to the party. Then, he waited. One time, they sat silently so long that some children began to wet themselves. They could not hold it any longer. The man was determined to extract a confession from them, but no one confessed. Another student told me how his father was a surgeon. Red Guard members wrapped his father’s fingers in piano wire and tied the other ends to a ceiling fan and turned the fan on, ripping his fingers to pieces. His brother refused to praise Mao Zedong so they stuck him in the buttocks multiple times with a pitch fork. Another student told me how they learned to tell lies skillfully to protect themselves and their loved ones.

I also heard positive testimonies connected to Mao Zedong. He wanted everyone in China to be literate so they could read his little red book. So, he promoted a successful literacy movement. He wanted everyone to hear his political speeches so he placed radios in villages with public address systems all across China. These radios could receive signals from faraway. He also wanted better roads so that his officials could oversee the country more easily.

Mao Zedong once boasted that he would cut out the tongue of God. Well, his three great leaps forward helped God to reach more people. Christians beam the Gospel into China via radio waves. We move millions of Bibles to people all over China on the roads he built. We meet people who can read and read well. Praise the Lord!

Bruce Lee was famous for using an attacker’s energy to defeat him. Jeet Kune Do (截拳道) focuses on maximizing efficiency by not opposing force with force, but rather by redirecting it. Lee used his attacker’s energy to move him off-balance. He used his attackers forward momentum as an opportunity to attack him. He studied the mechanics of Judo to understand how to throw and manipulate balance efficiently. He used footwork movements to manage distance, allowing him to hit an attacker while remaining safe.

Bruce Lee was a master at using his opponent’s energy against him. His skills were amazing to watch. However, God is even greater at this art than Bruce Lee. In the Book of Exodus, God used a humble 80-year-old man to chop a proud king down to nothing inch by inch. In this way, God let the world know that He alone is God, and Pharoah was not. God will do even greater miracles in the days ahead when another “Pharaoh” rises up and assumes that he is greater than God.

What to Do about Kings - Exodus 7-8

“So, the Lord said to Moses: ‘See, I have made you as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you. And Aaron your brother shall tell Pharaoh to send the children of Israel out of his land. And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt. But Pharaoh will not heed you, so that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.’ Then, Moses and Aaron did so; just as the Lord commanded them, so they did. And Moses was 80 years old and Aaron 83 years old when they spoke to Pharaoh.” Exodus 7:1-7

God promised Moses and Aaron His presence, even to the point of saying Moses would be as God and Aaron as his prophet to Pharoah. This was God’s response to Moses saying in the previous chapter, in Exodus 6:30, “Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?” Moses and Aaron had no authorization from earth to speak to this king, but they did have authorization from heaven, and God is above all earthly authorities.

A man cannot stop a speeding 18-wheel truck coming at him with muscle. But if that man is wearing a police badge and uniform, the driver will stop because he fears what the authority behind that man will do. When God has authorized a work to be done, the demons that would normally destroy a man or woman who defies them, fear to do so.

James 2:19 says, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” The demons tremble in the presence of God. He has the power to throw them into the lake of fire. In Matthew 8:29, when two demon-possessed men met Jesus, the demons asked Him, “What have we to do with You, Jesus, You Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time?” The demons were afraid of Jesus because they knew He is the Son of God. Thus, although Moses and Aaron did not have access to New Testament teaching, they had a knowing from God that He had endued them with His power to confront Pharaoh.

Moses and Aaron were renewed and strengthen by God’s Word and Spirit. God told Moses Pharaoh’s heart would be hard and resistant to His Word, but that He would multiply signs and wonders in Egypt and bring their Hebrew brothers out from under him.

The Lord showed me a parallelism with Exodus and the Gospels. God did signs and wonders in Egypt so the Egyptians would know He is God. Jesus did signs and wonders in Jerusalem so the religious Jews would know He was Messiah. Moses faced resistance from hard-hearted unbelievers and so did Jesus, but their unbelief did not thwart God from accomplishing His Word among them.

Moses had ten confrontations with Pharoah before it became obvious to Pharoah that God was God and he was not. The religious leaders would have killed Jesus early on, but could not until Jesus allowed it, and after He allowed it, He resurrected three days later. No Jewish person today identifies as a “Pharisee” in the historical sense, but many Jews are now believers in Jesus Messiah. Praise the Lord!

“Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ‘When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, show a miracle for yourselves, then you shall say to Aaron, take your rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and let it become a serpent.’ So, Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, just as the Lord commanded. And Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent. But Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers; so, the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For every man threw down his rod, and they became serpents. But Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods. And Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” Exodus 7:8-13

According to the Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary, the magicians of Egypt would press at the nape of the snake’s neck to render it stiff and immovable — thus seeming to change it into a rod. They concealed the snake, and by sleight of hand produced it from their dress, stiff and straight as a rod. Paul identified these tricksters as Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy 3:8. Paul brought up their names in the context of exposing corrupt leaders who always resist the truth

The snake that God formed from the rod was no imposter. It swallowed up the snakes of Jannes and Jambres. Even so, Pharoah refused to respond to God’s commandment to let the slaves go.

“So, the Lord said to Moses: ‘Pharaoh’s heart is hard; he refuses to let the people go. Go to Pharaoh in the morning, when he goes out to the water, and you shall stand by the river’s bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand. And you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has sent me to you, saying, let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness; but indeed, until now you would not hear! Thus, says the Lord: by this you shall know that I am the Lord. Behold, I will strike the waters which are in the river with the rod that is in my hand, and they shall be turned to blood. And the fish that are in the river shall die, the river shall stink, and the Egyptians will loathe to drink the water of the river.’ Then, the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, take your rod and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their streams, over their rivers, over their ponds, and over all their pools of water, that they may become blood. And there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in buckets of wood and pitchers of stone.’ And Moses and Aaron did so, just as the Lord commanded. So, he lifted up the rod and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants. And all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. The fish that were in the river died, the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink the water of the river. So, there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. Then, the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, as the Lord had said. And Pharaoh turned and went into his house. Neither was his heart moved by this. So, all the Egyptians dug all around the river for water to drink, because they could not drink the water of the river. And seven days passed after the Lord had struck the river.” Exodus 7:14-25

The sight of such vast rolling streams of blood could not but strike a horror upon people. Now, the Egyptians must either drink blood or die for thirst. The fish died probably causing a great stench along the shoreline where they rotted in the hot Egyptian sun. [1]

The Egyptians idolized the Nile River. They did devotions to its streams. God humbled it. [2]

They had stained the river with the blood of Hebrew babies. Did this blood red river jog their memories of the times that they had previously seen dead Hebrew baby boys floating in it?

This plague of Egypt is alluded to in Revelation 16:3-4. There the sea, as well as the rivers and fountains of water, are turned into blood.

Moses turned water into blood. Jesus turned water into wine. The Law which curses sin was given by Moses. Grace and truth, which, like wine, makes glad the heart, came by Jesus Christ. [3]

The Egyptians sought relief from the plague by digging round about the river for water to drink. Perhaps, they found some. God does show mercy amidst releasing His wrath. [4]

The plague continued seven days. Pharaoh’s pride would not let him ask Moses for mercy.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh and say to him, thus says the Lord: let My people go, that they may serve Me. But if you refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all your territory with frogs. So, the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into your house, into your bedroom, on your bed, into the houses of your servants, on your people, into your ovens, and into your kneading bowls. And the frogs shall come up on you, on your people, and on all your servants.’ Then, the Lord spoke to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, stretch out your hand with your rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up on the land of Egypt.’ So, Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their enchantments and brought up frogs on the land of Egypt. Then, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, ‘Entreat the Lord that He may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may sacrifice to the Lord.’ And Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘Accept the honor of saying when I shall intercede for you, for your servants, and for your people, to destroy the frogs from you and your houses, that they may remain in the river only.’ So he said, ‘Tomorrow.’ And he said, ‘Let it be according to your word, that you may know that there is no one like the Lord our God. And the frogs shall depart from you, from your houses, from your servants, and from your people. They shall remain in the river only.’ Then, Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh. And Moses cried out to the Lord concerning the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh. So, the Lord did according to the word of Moses. And the frogs died out of the houses, out of the courtyards, and out of the fields. They gathered them together in heaps, and the land stank. But when Pharaoh saw that there was relief, he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.” Exodus 8:1-15

God could have plagued Egypt with ferocious lions or bears, but He chose contemptible little frogs to magnify His power. 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” 2 Corinthians 4:7 says, “We have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.” [5]

Pharaoh with all his chariots and horsemen could not defeat this army. Neither would they be able to combat the coming plagues.

The frogs entered their houses, their beds, and their tables. They croaked through the night making it hard for any Egyptian to sleep.

Egypt’s magicians could supposedly bring frogs up but could not remove them.

In Revelation 16:13, unclean spirits come out of the mouth of the dragon in the form of frogs. They go forth to the kings of the earth, to deceive them. The dragon, like the magicians, wants to deceive people, but God uses them to destroy the deceivers.

In Exodus 8:8, Pharoah begs Moses to remove the frogs. He promised to let the people go, but like so many politicians today, once pressure is off, so are his promises.

The purpose of God’s judgments and mercies is to convince people that He is God.

Moses gave to Pharaoh the honor of naming the day for the plagues to end. Then, he cried out to the Lord and the frogs died. There were dead frogs everywhere. They piled them into mounds. Egypt stunk. Even so, Pharaoh hardened his heart and did not let the people go.

“So, the Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to Aaron, stretch out your rod, and strike the dust of the land, so that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.’ And they did so. For Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and struck the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. Now, the magicians worked with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not. So, there were lice on man and beast. Then, the magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.’ But Pharaoh’s heart grew hard, and he did not heed them, just as the Lord had said.” Exodus 8:16-19

God has many tools. He used a tiny foe to humble Egypt. Lice! They bite. At first, Pharoah thought he could erase the hope of freedom from the hearts of the slaves by increasing their misery. He made them gather straw for their brick making which request was never made of them before. Now, Pharoah and his people are getting a heavy dose of misery from God. May God, likewise, humble tyrants today who are making the lives of their nations miserable.

Pharoah’s magicians acknowledged that God was with Moses. In John 3:2, a Pharisee named Nicodemus admitted to Jesus, “No one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘Rise early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh as he comes out to the water. Then say to him, thus says the Lord: let My people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you will not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies on you and your servants, on your people and into your houses. The houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground on which they stand. And on that day, I will set apart the land of Goshen, in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, in order that you may know that I am the Lord in the midst of the land. I will make a difference between My people and your people. Tomorrow this sign shall be.’ And the Lord did so. Thick swarms of flies came into the house of Pharaoh, into his servants’ houses, and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted because of the swarms of flies. Then, Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, ‘Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.’ And Moses said, ‘It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us? We will go three days’ journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the Lord our God as He will command us.’ So, Pharaoh said, ‘I will let you go, that you may sacrifice to the Lord your God in the wilderness; only you shall not go very far away. Intercede for me.’ Then, Moses said, ‘Indeed I am going out from you, and I will entreat the Lord, that the swarms of flies may depart tomorrow from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. But let Pharaoh not deal deceitfully anymore in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the Lord.’ So, Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the Lord. And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. Not one remained. But Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also; neither would he let the people go.” Exodus 8:20-32

The flies were relentless pests... bizzing about their faces and around their ears. Flying into their mouths when possible. Landing on their food. Finally, Pharoah gave the Hebrews permission to sacrifice to their God outside of Egypt. Moses warned the Pharaoh not to go back on his word. Then, Moses asked the Lord to remove the flies and He did. Not even one fly remained.

Did Pharaoh rejoice and give thanks to the Lord? No, he hardened his heart again and did not keep his promise to Moses.

Certain plagues that God released on Egypt, He shall release against the kingdom of the antichrist before Christ returns. These are signs that the Lord’s return is soon. The plagues include water turned into blood, sores on people, hail, and darkness during daylight hours. [6]

God’s plagues against Pharaoh precede their trip to the Promised Land. God’s plagues in Revelation precedes their trip to the New Heavens and New Earth.

You or I may not be given the mandate by God, as Moses and Aaron were, to speak directly to a king, but we can pray for kings and all who are in authority.

In 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Paul wrote, “Pray for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. We can pray Ezekiel 36:26 for them: “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

God does miracles. For example, in Daniel 5:20–21, when King Nebuchadnezzar’s heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, God deposed him until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone He wishes.

In Acts 26:27-28, Paul asked a king, “’King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.’ Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’”

“For nearly 300 years, the Roman Empire frequently and brutally persecuted Christians, viewing their refusal to worship Roman gods as treasonous, until Emperor Constantine legalized the religion with the Edict of Milan in 313 A.D., shifting it from a banned, marginal group to a protected, eventually state-sanctioned faith.” [7]

Proverbs 21:1 says, “The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water: He turns it wherever He wishes.” Let us pray for the hearts of our world’s leaders to turn to God.

Recently, I’ve been praying for governments in light of Samson’s pushing over the pillars that held up the temple of Dagon. He did this by the power of God’s Spirit. God’s Spirit is still moving among us. I pray that He will push down the pillars that are holding up crime networks which do everything possible to discourage, sabotage, overwhelm and destroy godly leaders from institutionalizing laws based on the Word of God.

One thing is for certain, evil empires have an expiration date. When King Jesus returns those kingdoms will expire and be no more. The kingdom of Jesus Christ is a good and everlasting kingdom.



[1] Matthew Henry Commentary
[2] Ibid
[3] Ibid
[4] Ibid
[5] Edited insights from Matthew Henry Commentary

[6] Exodus 7:19-21 - Revelation 16:4-7; Exodus 9:8-12 - Revelation 16:1-2; Exodus 9:22-26 - Revelation 16:17-21; Exodus 10:21-23 - Revelation 16:10-11; Matthew 24:31
[7] Google sources

All Things are Possible with God – Exodus 5-6

“Afterward, Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, nor will I let Israel go.’ So, they said, ‘The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please, let us go three days’ journey into the desert and sacrifice to the Lord our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword.’ Then, the king of Egypt said to them, ‘Moses and Aaron, why do you take the people from their work? Get back to your labor.’ And Pharaoh said, ‘Look, the people of the land are many now, and you make them rest from their labor!’ So, the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying, ‘You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves. And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’ Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.’” Exodus 5:1-9

The first miracle I see in this account is that Moses and Aaron could get an audience with the King of Egypt. According to Exodus 7:7, Moses was 80 years old and Aaron was 83 when they spoke to Pharoah. The second miracle I see is that Moses and Aaron had sufficient faith in God to command the King of Egypt to let his slaves go.

Pharoah confessed that he did not know the Lord. He asked, “Who is the Lord that I should obey His voice?” He was going to find out, but until he did, he was determined to make life miserable for Moses, Aaron and the Hebrews.

In Song of Solomon 2:15, Solomon wrote, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes, that ruin the vineyards, for our vineyards are in bloom.” Just as tiny foxes can destroy a vineyard full of ripening grapes, so relentless agitation can weaken resolve. Packs of small predators have taken down mighty beasts in the past by wearing them down.

Pharoah took quick action to quell thoughts of freedom from the minds of his slaves. He commanded his taskmasters to make their work harder. He told the taskmasters to be sure that their slaves did not believe the words of Moses and Aaron.

“And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying, ‘Thus says Pharaoh: I will not give you straw. Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’ So, the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw. And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying, ‘Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.’ Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked, ‘Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?’ Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying, ‘Why are you dealing thus with your servants? There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us, ‘Make brick!’ And indeed, your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.’ But he said, ‘You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say let us go and sacrifice to the Lord. Therefore, go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.’ And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said, ‘You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.’” Exodus 5:10-19

Imagine how worn out the feet of the slaves were at night! They had to search for straw, carry the straw and then, tread the straw into the mud to make bricks. The phrase “the straw that broke the camel’s back” originated from the Middle East, perhaps, even from this event. On top of that, the Pharoah mocked them, saying that their request for time off to sacrifice to the Lord was made due to their laziness.

What kind of methods do abusive people use to control others? Some, like Pharoah, persuade their victims to believe that they are getting just what they deserve. Some isolate their victims from friends, family, and the outside world to remove their support system and ensure they are the sole source of information and support. Some use threats of violence or harm against the victim or their loved ones to ensure compliance. Some might withhold food, sleep, or medical care to make their victim less likely to think critically or resist. Chronic abusers want their victims to believe that noncompliance is futile and that escape is impossible, effectively breaking their will to resist. [1]

God called Moses and Aaron to free an entire race of abused people.

“Then, as they came out from Pharaoh, they met Moses and Aaron who stood there to meet them. And they said to them, ‘Let the Lord look on you and judge, because you have made us abhorrent in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.’ So, Moses returned to the Lord and said, ‘Lord, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your Name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all.’” Exodus 5:20-23

The slaves were now angry at Moses and Aaron for making things worse between them and their taskmasters. Their taskmasters treated them with disgust. They were ready to execute anyone who got out of line.

What did Moses do? He expressed his disappointment to God. He asked God, “Why?” The last thing that he wanted to do was to make life worse for his fellow Hebrews. Moses told God plainly what was happening. He didn’t say a scripted prayer. He said to God, “I spoke in Your Name.” What happened? More evil! No rescue!

Moses shared his grief with God. He lamented. In Matthew 5:4, Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Evil doesn’t just rollover and die when we offer ourselves to the Lord. It often rises up. The evil one uses fear, discouragement, trials and temptation to stop us.

In Ephesians 6:12, Paul wrote, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” We must not attempt to conquer evil in our own strength. We must rely on the Lord and on the provisions that He has given to us.

2 Corinthians 10:4 says, “The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds.” What are our weapons? Paul lists them in Ephesians 6:14-18. They are truth, righteousness, the Gospel, faith, salvation, the Word of God and prayer. These weapons help us to maintain strong faith in God, and God responds to faith. The battle against the enemy is won by faith in God.

While temporarily in prison for his faith, Paul wrote in Philippians 1:27-28, “Stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel, and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.” In 2 Timothy 1:7, Paul wrote, “God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

No matter how formidable our foe is, God is bigger. Hebrews 11:1 says, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:3 says, “By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.” God did not create the world with already developed resources, He spoke the world into existence. God can speak whatever it is we need into existence out of nothing. He doesn’t need help.

Hebrews 11:27 says that Moses endured by seeing Him who is invisible, namely, GOD.

Salvation comes forth as we believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord. Lord means He has authority over all that exists. There is no one higher than Him.

“Then, the Lord said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand, he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’ And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the Lord. I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My Name Lord I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant. Therefore, say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the Lord.’ So, Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit and cruel bondage.” Exodus 6:1-9

The Lord assured Moses that the fireworks had not yet begun. Initially, God gave Pharoah an opportunity to respond to His Word without a threat of consequence for non-compliance. From this point forward, each command of God will be followed with a stated consequence for non-compliance.

The ten plagues that God released on Egypt were ten opportunities for Pharoah to repent and believe God. Imagine if Pharoah had complied with God! God’s mighty power would have worked with him instead of against him. However, God used Pharoah’s hard-heart to serve as an example of what He can do to tyrants who refuse to bow their knee to Him.

As to Moses, God reminded him of His faithfulness in the past.

I praise God for such reminders. I have often panicked amidst trials, that is, until God calmed me down by reminding me of His faithfulness to me in the past.

God reminded Moses of His covenant promise to His forefathers. God promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that their descendants would inherit the land of Canaan. He told Moses to speak to the Israelites on His behalf, saying, “I will rescue you. I will redeem you. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God.”

God has promised us New Testament believers in Him a far greater inheritance than an earthly property. He has promised to us a new heaven and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness. In Luke 23:43, Jesus promised a thief next to Him, “Today, you will be with Me in paradise.” Jesus must have taken the time to be with him when he arrived. Of course, God is omnipresent. He can be all places at the same time. Which is hard for us to fathom!

Moses spoke God’s Word to his fellow Hebrews, but they did not regard his words. They were experiencing anguish and cruelty.

“And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.’ And Moses spoke before the Lord, saying, ‘The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?’ Then, the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.” Exodus 6:10-13

At this point, Moses is down on himself. He no longer sees talking to Pharoah as a valid option, but the Lord doubled down on Moses and Aaron. He gave them a command for his fellow Hebrews and for the Pharoah. The command was to release His people.

In Exodus, the Lord set people free from physical bondage. In the New Testament, Jesus set people free from spiritual bondage.

Exodus 6:14-25 is a genealogy of Reuben’s, Simeon’s and Levi’s sons. Verse 16 notes that Levi lived 137 years. Verse 18 notes that Levi’s son Kohath lived 133 years. Verse 19 notes that Amram the father of Moses married his father’s sister, his Aunt Jochebed. Verse 20 notes that Amram lived 137 years. Verse 25 notes that the people in this genealogy were Levitical leaders.

“These are the same Aaron and Moses to whom the Lord said, ‘Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.’ These are the ones who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are the same Moses and Aaron. And it came to pass, on the day the Lord spoke to Moses in the land of Egypt, that the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘I am the Lord. Speak to Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say to you.’ But Moses said before the Lord, ‘Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh heed me?’” Exodus 6:26-30

Moses is known as the lawgiver, but desperately needed God’s grace. When Moses looked at himself, he did not see a deliverer. As he kept his eyes on God, miracles happened. All things are possible with God!



[1] Referred to Google sources for insights

Called of God – Exodus 3-4

“Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So, he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then, Moses said, “I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.” Exodus 3:1-3.

Moses tended his father-in-law’s flock. He’s been at it for about 40 years by now. His son Gershom was likely in his mid-to-late 30’s. Perhaps, he was content to be a husband, father, son-in-law and shepherd.

The life of Moses can be divided into three 40-year periods. Acts 7:23 says that Moses was 40 when he decided to visit his people. That’s when he killed the Egyptian and fled from Egypt. Acts 7:30 says “after 40 years passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.” Acts 7:36 says he led Israel out of Egypt and in the wilderness for 40 years. Deuteronomy 34:7 says that Moses was 120 years old when he died.

An Angel of the Lord appeared to Moses in a burning bush. Moses wanted to know why the fire was not consuming the bush. It was an amazing sight to see.

“So, when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then, He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’ Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. 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. So, I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them. Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’” Exodus 3:4-10

The fire caught his attention, the voice changed his life. God identified Himself to Moses as the God of his forefathers. God had a burden. He shared it with Moses. God had seen what the Egyptians did to the Israelites. He was well aware of Israel’s sadness. He was ready to rescue them and give them new homes in a land where there was abundant food. God told Moses that He was sending him to Pharoah to bring Israel out from Egypt.

This was an amazing calling for Moses. When he turned inward, he realized he was wholly inadequate for it.

“But Moses said to God, ‘Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?’ So, He said, ‘I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’” Exodus 3:11-12

God’s presence with you is the vital ingredient for the success of a divine mission. In Matthew 10:9-10, when Jesus sent His disciples on a mission, He told them, “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep.”

I wasted two years of my life after graduating from college trying to find an organization that would send me to China to do evangelism. Finally, after fasting four days, the Lord gave me the name of a man in Hong Kong named David Chu. He was the Director of Hong Kong Youth for Christ. I wrote to him about my desire to evangelize China. He told me to come immediately.

My service was voluntary (no pay), but he did put me, and later, my wife and daughter too, up in an apartment that he owned. He sponsored our visas to stay there. I went to Hong Kong with $200 in my pocket, for what most assumed would be a short-term mission, but that mission lasted from June 1985 until June 1997. God opened so many doors for me to share the Gospel with people all over Hong Kong, and into Guangzhou City, China, as well. Glory to God.

The point here is that when God calls you, don’t turn inward. The answer is not in you to do God’s work. The answer is in Him. When God calls, God supplies. Missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, put it this way, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.”

God told Moses, “when” not “if” you bring this people out. Hebrews 11:1-2 says, “Faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.” Hebrews 11:6 says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him.” God convinced Moses... and God convinced me that He would be with me, and that was enough.

“When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.” The Lord gave Moses the long-term plan. Deliverance from Egypt was the easy part. God would shatter all resistance. The hard part was getting the recipients of His grace and love to serve Him. They tended to complain about food and conditions. Most failed to see that God wanted them to join Him in His mission to reveal His glory to all the sons of Adam.

“Then Moses said to God, ‘Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you.’ Moreover, God said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My Name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey. ’ Then, they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So, I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So, you shall plunder the Egyptians.” Exodus 3:13-22

Moses was to approach God’s people in the Name of “I AM WHO I AM” or in Hebrew, “Yahweh.” He had to believe what God told him and trust that people would believe God’s Word as well. There’s no getting around that! God’s work requires faith in Him and in His Word. Moses needed to trust that God would compel the Egyptians to send Israel out with gold, silver and clothing.

“Then Moses answered and said, ‘But suppose they will not believe me or listen to my voice; suppose they say, the Lord has not appeared to you.’ So, the Lord said to him, ‘What is that in your hand?’ He said, ‘A rod.’ And He said, ‘Cast it on the ground.’ So, he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Reach out your hand and take it by the tail’ (and he reached out his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand), ‘that they may believe that the Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.’ Furthermore the Lord said to him, ‘Now put your hand in your bosom.’ And he put his hand in his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, like snow. And He said, ‘Put your hand in your bosom again.’ So, he put his hand in his bosom again, and drew it out of his bosom, and behold, it was restored like his other flesh. ‘Then it will be, if they do not believe you, nor heed the message of the first sign, that they may believe the message of the latter sign. And it shall be, if they do not believe even these two signs, or listen to your voice, that you shall take water from the river and pour it on the dry land. The water which you take from the river will become blood on the dry land.’” Exodus 4:1-9

A dry stick became a living snake. A diseased hand became a healthy hand. God would also turn water to blood. God demonstrated to Moses that He has power of life and death. He has the power to inflict and to heal. Soon, God would be doing miracles on a grand scale as Moses spoke God’s Word to Pharoah. God would wound and heal nine times over until He put to death the firstborn sons of Egypt.

Shepherds carried a rod and a staff. The rod was a stick or club that could be used to discipline, protect and count the flock. The shepherd’s staff was a longer and thinner stick with a hook on one end, used for guiding the flock and for capturing or saving sheep.

Kings are often pictured holding an ornamental scepter—a rod symbolizing their power and sovereignty. Some priests carry staves as a symbol of their power and authority.

In Psalm 2:9, the Lord says, “You will break them [the nations] with a rod of iron. You will dash them to pieces like pottery.” Jesus quotes from this passage in Revelation 2:26-27, “ To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’—just as I have received authority from my Father.” Sometimes when I pray, I imagine swinging an imaginary rod and visualizing God shattering the strongholds of evil over nations. The strongholds of drug and sex trafficking! Strongholds of abuse and violence! Strongholds of atheism and false religions! Strongholds of persecution of Christ’s servants! May God shatter every evil work of the devil as an iron rod shatters pots of clay!

“Then Moses said to the Lord, ‘O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue.’ So, the Lord said to him, ‘Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes the mute, the deaf, the seeing, or the blind? Have not I, the Lord? Now therefore, go, and I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say.’ But he said, ‘O my Lord, please send by the hand of whomever else You may send.’ So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses, and He said: ‘Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know that he can speak well. And look, he is also coming out to meet you. When he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. Now, you shall speak to him and put the words in his mouth. And I will be with your mouth and with his mouth, and I will teach you what you shall do. So, he shall be your spokesman to the people. And he himself shall be as a mouth for you, and you shall be to him as God. And you shall take this rod in your hand, with which you shall do the signs.” Exodus 4:10-17

Moses assumed that his lack of oratory skills disqualified him from carrying out his commission from God. No, the same God who made a dead stick into a living serpent, could make his slow tongue soar like an eagle. God would teach him what to say. Moses insisted on support so the Lord promised to recruit his brother Aaron to speak for him. However, Moses will eventually do a lot of speaking and writing for God. He also had the rod for doing signs.

“So, Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said to him, ‘Please let me go and return to my brethren who are in Egypt and see whether they are still alive.’ And Jethro said to Moses, ‘Go in peace.’” Exodus 4:18

His father-in-law released him from his duties. When the Lord calls you, He takes care of the work that you leave behind. Trust God to fill the voids you leave behind. I like to say, “God’s grace fills the gaps.”

“Now the Lord said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are dead.’ Then Moses took his wife and his sons and set them on a donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.” Exodus 4:19-20

The Lord confirmed to Moses that during his 40-year absence from Egypt, those who previously wanted him dead, are dead. Moses brings his family with him. This is the first time that we hear that Moses has two sons. Exodus 18:4 informs us that Moses named his second son Eliezer.

“And the Lord said to Moses, ‘When you go back to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in your hand. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord: Israel is My son, My firstborn. So I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. But if you refuse to let him, go, indeed I will kill your son, your firstborn.’” Exodus 4:21-23

Imagine what these words meant to Moses! Previously, a Pharoah had commanded his biological parents to drown him and all baby boys in a river. He was alive because his parents feared God more than the Pharoah and did not comply. He was alive because of God’s saving grace.

God called Isreal His firstborn son. This is a reference to Jesus Christ who would be born from the family line of Israel. What the Pharoah did to the least of Christ’s brothers, he did to Christ.

“And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the Lord met him and sought to kill him. Then, Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses’ feet, and said, ‘Surely you are a husband of blood to me!’ So, He let him go. Then she said, ‘You are a husband of blood!’—because of the circumcision.” Exodus 4:24-26

Not only was Moses slow of speech but slow to circumcise his son. My guess is that this is a reference to Eliezer. Gershom would have been nearing midlife by now. Eliezer must have been born later in life to Moses and Zipporah. More than eight days had passed and Moses had not yet circumcised Eliezer. Yes, Moses, go save Israel from Egypt, but don’t neglect your own son.

“And the Lord said to Aaron, ‘Go into the wilderness to meet Moses.’ So, he went and met him on the mountain of God and kissed him. So, Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him. Then, Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel. And Aaron spoke all the words which the Lord had spoken to Moses. Then, he did the signs in the sight of the people. So, the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.” Exodus 4:27-31

Moses did not need to recruit Aaron to help him. God took care of that. Aaron greeted Moses before he even left the mountain. In the Gospels, Jesus recruited two pairs of brothers to be His ambassadors. The Apostles James and John were brothers. The Apostles Andrew and Peter were brothers. Psalm 133 says, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down on the beard, the beard of Aaron, running down on the edge of his garments. It is like the dew of Hermon, descending upon the mountains of Zion, for there, the Lord commanded the blessing—life forevermore.” Praise the Lord!

God’s people in Egypt observed the signs. They listened to Aaron. They believed the Word of the Lord! They bowed down and worshipped God! Aaron and Moses must have been so happy.

A Hope And A Future – Exodus 1-2

“Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; each man and his household came with Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah; Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin; Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. All those who were descendants of Jacob were 70 persons (for Joseph was in Egypt already). And Joseph died, all his brothers, and all that generation. But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them.” Exodus 1:1-7

The sons of Jacob and their wives were a fruitful branch. God loves people. As a farmer wants a great yield from his farm so God wants people to produce people. If we produce people, God will feed them. Psalm 127:3 says, “Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from Him.” Psalm 128:3-4 says, “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house. Your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Yes, this will be the blessing for the man who fears the Lord.” Every time we see a parent with a child, we should think, “God rewarded that person (or me) with a child.” Having children around your dining table to eat, listen and talk with is a great blessing from the Lord.

“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. And he said to his people, ‘Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.’ Therefore, they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Rameses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So, the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.” Exodus 1:8-14

The new king over Egypt was a fool. He was led by fear not by faith. He feared that the Israelites would join with Egypt’s enemies against them so what did he do? He alienated them. He had his officials afflict and embitter them with hard bondage. He loaded them down with burdens. Not a good tactic for winning friends and positively influencing people! He should have treated them well so that the last thing they would want is for some enemy nation to invade their borders and remove their king.

In 1 Kings 12:4, after King Solomon died, the people complained to his son, saying, “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.” In 1 Kings 12:6-7, Solomon’s son asked his father’s advisors, “How would you advise me to answer these people?” They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants.” Great advice! Did Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, act on it? 1 Kings 12:8 says that he rejected their advice and in 1 Kings 12:14, he told his subjects, “My father made your yoke heavy. I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips. I will scourge you with scorpions.”

How did that work out for Rehoboam? Not well. His nation broke in two. Eventually, both nations were overcome by the false religious practices of the nations around them, and after that, conquered by other nations over and over again. That breaking in two happened between 930-975 BC. Israel was finally reunited after about 1,800 years as a result of winning the Six-Day War on June 27, 1967.

The method the new king of Egypt used to preserve his nation ended up destroying it.

“Then, the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, ’When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.’” Exodus 1:15-16

The king of Egypt chose a path of war against newborns as his method of choice to maintain his reign. How foolish to think that murdering innocent babies was a good foundation for his government! Oh, he got away with it for awhile because he could torture and execute anyone who disagreed with him, but eventually, giant walls of water fell on his nation’s army and killed them instantaneously. His nation was left in shambles.

“But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them but saved the male children alive. So, the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, ‘Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?’ And the midwives said to Pharaoh, ‘Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.’” Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them. So, Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘Every son who is born you shall cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.’” Exodus 1:17-22

The midwives feared God more than the Pharoah. When questioned about the baby boys that were being born to the Israelites, the midwives blamed their mothers. The mothers were giving birth to their babies before the midwives arrived. It is likely that the midwives were purposely not showing up on time because God blessed them. Finding the midwives unreliable, the Pharoah demanded that the Israelites drown their own newborn baby sons in the river.

Little did he know that in condemning the baby boys of others to be drowned, one day, his son and his son’s army would be drowned in the Red Sea.

Many years later, the children of Israel were guilty of sacrificing their sons and daughters in fire to idols. In Jeremiah 19:5-6, the Lord told them that in the place where they slaughtered their children, they too would be slaughtered.

A famous American once said, “I’ve noticed that everybody that is for abortion, has already been born.”

“And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So, the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Then, the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So, she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ Then, his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?’ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ So, the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then, 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. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So, she called his name Moses, saying, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’” Exodus 2:1-10

The devil wants to ensure that boys are not born to godly families who will raise them up to serve the Lord, and thus perpetuate godliness in the world. King Herod thought he could eliminate the Messiah by slaying all the baby boys that were born in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. God has His way of preserving those He has predestined to be His witnesses in the earth. God preserved His servant Moses right under the Pharoah’s nose via his daughter.

I have heard the testimonies of those who served the Lord in totalitarian atheistic nations. At times, God caused seeing eyes to be blind to them. I had a family in China tell me that their neighbors thought that I was the mother’s brother. I am not Chinese but her neighbors perceived me as a Chinese man. Once, many bags of Bibles were transferred from a sidewalk to the back of a truck. This happened near the front window of a restaurant while police sat behind that window talking and having a good time. Some of the people with me were afraid when they saw them, but the Lord gave me a word to tell them, “Don’t worry, God likes David and Goliath situations.” Every Bible reached its destination.

The preservation of baby Moses is a beautiful story. Much like our forefather Noah, his life was saved from water while in an ark. The ark was a type of Christ. It is in Christ that our souls are saved from eternal destruction. The advocate of Moses was his sister Miriam. She was a type of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit comes alongside of us and speaks up for us when we are unable to speak for ourselves. The Lord filled Pharoah’s daughter with compassion for Moses. She became a type of the Heavenly Father when she adopted this son of another as her own son. Then, Miriam advocated once again for baby Moses. He needed a nursemaid. Who got the job? The mother of Moses! And what’s more, the Egyptian princess paid his mother to nurse him. God does miracles when we stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves.

While in China, the Lord led me and others to advocate for the life of an unborn baby girl. The mother was told that she needed to abort the baby. She was a Christian and could not bring herself to do it. I told others with more connections than myself about her situation. Long story short, she had her baby. A missionary married the mother and got her and her daughter out of the country. Praise the Lord!

“Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So, he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, ‘Why are you striking your companion?’ Then, he said, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ So, Moses feared and said, ‘Surely this thing is known!’ When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.” Exodus 2:11-15

The tyranny of Pharoah was not going to be crushed by a caped crusader with brute strength. Moses was able to end the life of one of Pharaoh’s cruel taskmasters, but his passion for his brothers was insufficient to stop the crimes of Pharoah.

Moses was a prince of Egypt. He was accustomed to receiving great respect from people. However, his people, the Israelites, did not accept him to lead them just because he killed one Egyptian. Perhaps, it was just a ploy to gain their trust. Why would a wealthy and powerful politician risk his career for slaves? All they had to offer him was blood, sweat and tears.

After Moses murdered a man, Pharoah sought to kill him. Moses lost his title, his home, his family, his income and his nation all very suddenly! He went from being a man who could kill another to being a man on the run. Was he disappointed?

Hebrews 11:24-27 says, “By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt because he was looking ahead to his reward. By faith he left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw Him who is invisible.”

His relationship with God was more precious to Moses than earthly wealth, power and fame.

I like what Jim Elliott said, “He is not a fool who gives up what he cannot keep. To gain what he cannot lose.”

“Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Then, the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock. When they came to Reuel their father, he said, ‘How is it that you have come so soon today?’ And they said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.’ So, he said to his daughters, ‘And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.’” Exodus 2:16-20

What did Moses get after leaving Egypt? He met seven working women. They were honoring their father by gathering water for his flock. When bullies sought to drive these ladies away, Moses stood up for them. The bullies must have had a habit of mistreating them because their father wondered how they brought back water so quickly on this day. They told their father about the Egyptian who helped them. He told them to invite the Egyptian to eat with them.

“Then, Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land.’” Exodus 2:21-22

How could a former prince of Egypt be content to live with a priest of Midian? What could the man offer him? His daughter! Proverbs 18:22 says, “He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.” A wife is a great blessing from the Lord! Moses now had a covenant relationship with another person. They committed to existing as one. They were going to raise children together. The Lord blessed Moses and Zipporah with a son. Praise the Lord!

“Now, it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So, God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.” Exodus 2:23-25

Praise God that He responds to groans and prayers! Praise God that He does not forget the promises that He made! He looked on His children and was ready to act on their behalf. Thus, they had a hope and a future.