Exodus 2
With or without God
Whether you have a Pinto or an Italian masterpiece Ferrari in your garage, you need a common denominator to drive those vehicles. Gasoline. Nowadays, it is so expensive that riding a bicycle doesn’t sound so bad. I saw a $2.79 per gallon sign at one of the gas stations near my home; I had to call my wife to let her know. I got so excited as if I found a chunk of gold.

It doesn’t matter how wonderful your car might be with all the gizmos inside, if you don’t have gasoline in the tank, you are not going anywhere, literally. Of course, you can put your car clutch in the neutral position and start to push. It takes a tremendous energy to push. You are not going very far even if you have a Ferrari which costs about a quarter of a million dollars.

We can apply the same illustration to our spiritual lives. Some people might have everything lined up, but they live outside of God’s will or try to do the things of God with their own power. They are miserable, they face failure after failure. Then, there are people who don’t have a whole lot in the eyes of the world, but they trust God and leave everything in the hands of God. To many people’s surprise, God blesses them beyond their wildest imagination.

This morning we are going to see two individuals – one with a complete trust in God; she released her baby to His hands, and she was rewarded. The other who tried to do God’s will with his own power ended up in the back side of the Midian desert to learn to follow God for forty years.

It is my prayer that we all learn from these two people what to do and what not to do.

A. INTO THE HANDS OF GOD
Exodus 2:1-4 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 3 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. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
The baby Moses opened his eyes to an unfriendly world. He was born in a superpower of a nation, but as an alien, oppressed race during a time when all babies such as himself were under a royal death sentence. Nevertheless, Moses had something special in his favor: he was the child of believing parents.
 
The parents of Moses did not do this only because of the natural maternal instinct. They did it also out of faith in God.
Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
It seemed as though God was doing nothing against the persecution by the Egyptians. The Jews prayed and cried out for help and wondered where God’s deliverance was. If they only had remembered the Word in Gen. 15, they would have known that 400 years had to pass. During these years, God was preparing his people, but He was also waiting in mercy and giving the wicked nations of Canaan time to repent according to Gen. 15:16. No one can say that God did not give a chance to these ungodly heathen Canaan people to repent.
Genesis 15:16 But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.

What Moses’ mother is doing is a great example of trusting the child’s welfare and future to God alone. When Moses’ mother let go of that ark made of bulrushes, she was giving up something precious, trusting that God would take care of it.

Mom and Dad, there is not a better way to raise your precious children than God’s. Teach them about the Lord Jesus at their young age.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Place your children in the hands of God by living for Him with your actions and words. Give them legacy of obedience to the Lord. It is far better than earthly riches that they would waste away.

It took real faith of Moses’ mother to put the child in the river, the very place where the young boys were being destroyed. At the bottom of the Nile, there were countless Hebrew baby bodies. In the midst of these horrible deaths, God’s hands were upon Moses to protect him and to deliver His people through him.

B. A GOD’S BLESSING BEYOND OUR IMAGINATION
Exodus 2:5-10 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. 6 And when she had 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.” 7 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?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 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. 10 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.”
In God’s providence, Pharaoh’s daughter finds baby Moses, and then hires Moses’ own mother to take care of him. Not only does Moses’ mother get to still be with her child, now she gets paid for it.

Being the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses was in the royal family. The ancient Jewish historian Josephus says Moses was heir to the throne of Egypt and that while a young man, Moses led the armies of Egypt in victorious battle against the Ethiopians.

Certainly, he was raised with the highest education that was available in Egypt.
Acts 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds.
We might underrate what the Egyptians knew and accomplished. Their knowledge of astronomy was phenomenal. They knew the exact distance to the sun. They worked on the theory that the earth was round and not flat. They knew a great deal about chemistry which is evidenced by the way they were able to embalm the dead. We have no process to equal it today.

Their workmanship and ability with colors were fantastic. Their colors are brighter than any we have today. I am sure that our paint companies would give anything if they knew the formulas used for color by the Egyptians. They are bright, beautiful and startling after four thousand years. How often do you have to repaint the exterior of your house?

C. DOING GOD’S WORK IN OUR OWN WAY AND OWN SCHEDULE
Exodus 2:11-14 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. 12 So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 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?” 14 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!”
Between v10-11, according to Hebrews 11:24-26, we find that Moses made up his mind that would change his future from riches to rags in the world’s eyes. But in the eyes of God, he was doing a right thing.
Hebrews 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.
However, from what we see in v12, Moses was not walking by faith but by sight. He planned the deliverance of Israel the way any man would, and logically saw himself as the key man. The problem was that God was going to deliver Israel and use Moses in a way that no man would ever dream of. Moses tried to do the Lord’s work in man’s wisdom and power. It wouldn’t work.

D. THE SECOND PHASE OF TRAINING
Exodus 2:15-22 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. 16 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. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?” 19 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.” 20 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.” 21 Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”
After 40 years of seemingly perfect preparation, Moses had another 40 years of seemingly meaningless waiting to perfect God’s preparation.

In v21-22 Moses is getting a B.S.D. degree – Back Slide Desert Degree – from the school of Hard Knox. The Lord uses our “desert” experience to peel away our masks so that we may discover who we really are.

How important it is that any service we offer to God must be offered in the Spirit, in the power of the Spirit, and through the anointing and guidance of the Spirit! So much of our effort for God is futile because, although we’re doing it out of a heart that has a desire for God, we’re doing it in the energy of our flesh, in our own ability, in our own way rather than waiting upon the Lord and being led by the Spirit.

We see how unsuccessful the efforts of our flesh are. And yet we see how dynamic it is when God begins to work. And so Moses was premature and he didn’t realize that the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but spiritual.

It is an interesting comparison to see how a godly woman who obeyed and did what the Lord led her to do and was blessed beyond her imagination vs. Moses who tried to do God’s work in his own power and ended up running for his life.

E. THE ISRAELITES’ GROANING UNDER PERSECUTION
Exodus 2:23-25 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. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.
It seemed that God was doing nothing, yet He heard the groans of His people and was waiting for the right time to act. Whenever God works, He chooses the right worker, uses the right plan and acts at the right time.

Moses was taking care of a few sheep, but soon he would be shepherding a whole nation. The shepherd’s crook would be exchanged for the rod of power, and he would be used of God to help create a mighty nation. Because he was faithful to do the humble job of shepherding, God used him to accomplish greater tasks as liberator, lawgiver and leader.

It is always an exciting thing to see how God is able even in adverse circumstances to work His will, to work His purposes.

God is getting ready to deliver the children of Israel. Moses has been trained to be that deliverer. God did not choose to deliver the Israelites because they were superior to the Egyptians, or because they had been true and faithful to Him. These people had been most unfaithful to God.
God gives two reasons for delivering Israel:
1. God’s desire was to deliver them because they were in a helpless, hopeless position in slavery.
2. God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He is faithful.

Why do you think God has redeemed you – that is, if you are redeemed? God saved us for the same reason He saved Israel. He found nothing in us that called for His salvation. He makes it quite clear that we are not saved because of any merit we possess.

F. DOING THINGS WITHOUT GOD?
In light of what Moses did outside of God’s timing and will, there are many churches in America sucked into the latest wind of doctrine from the pit of hell, known as Seeker-Sensitive Church or Emergent Church movement.

These churches do not believe these:
1) Jesus is the only Way to salvation.
2) People are sinners and need salvation through Jesus Christ.
3) The Bible has complete authority and inerrancy.

In turn, they believe these:
1) All the good people go to heaven.
2) Homosexuality is not bad. It is just a different lifestyle. Homosexuals and lesbians are Christians as long as they love God.
3) There is nothing wrong with Eastern religions with their practices of meditation through Yoga and special breathing techniques or repeating a mantra to hear God speak to people.

These are heresy and damnable things from satan.

There are those who say that the Emergent movement has some good points, but so does a porcupine. You are better off if you don’t get too close! So, let us not turn to our own understanding, but rather return to our own first love in Jesus.

G. APPLICATION
1) God wants to do His will in our lives in His way and in His time.
If you need something from God, be patient and wait on Him. God will meet you wherever you are to lift you to where He wants you to be.

Some of you might think that it seems rather unfair for God to decide everything and you don’t get to have your own input. Would you put your business or job in the hands of a two year old? You wouldn’t. God knows better than us. He is worthy of our trust.
 
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