Preparation for Deliverance

                   


                                                   Sunday School Lesson                                           

Lesson: Exodus 3:7-17
Golden Text: “Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt: And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey” (Exodus 3:16-17).

INTRODUCTION.  For forty years Moses lived in the desert of Midian.  During that time, he married Zipporah who bore him a son, Gershom (see Exodus 2:16-22).  In 1445 B.C. the sovereign Lord manifested His presence to Moses.  God was summoning this now humble and aged shepherd to liberate His people from bondage in Egypt.  The task that lay before Moses was daunting, but God would give His servant the ability and resources to succeed in his mission.  All Moses needed to do was to trust and obey God every step of the way.
II. BACKGROUND FOR THE LESSON.  In spite of his early upbringing in Pharaoh’s court (see Exodus 2:10: Hebrews 11:24), at the time of our lesson Moses found himself in exile from Egypt.  He had tried, rather ineptly, to help his people by killing an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew.  The incident was made known to Pharaoh, who sought to have Moses killed, so he fled (see Exodus 2:11-15).  Moses arrived in the land of Midian and married a priest’s daughter, raised a family, and committed himself to the life of a shepherd (see Exodus 2:16-22).  On this occasion Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, on “the backside (west side) of the desert” and there he “came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb” (see Exodus 3:1).  Horeb is another name for Sinai and was called the “mountain of God” in anticipation of its later importance as the place where God gave the law.While Moses was occupied with the mundane concerns of shepherding, “the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush” (see Exodus 3:2).When Moses recognized the Lord’s presence, God told him not to come near and to remove his sandals, because he was standing on holy ground (see Exodus 3:5). This ground was holy because God was there.  Before and after this time, it was only a normal spot in a barren part of the Sinai desert.  At this point the Lord revealed His identity to Moses saying that He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Moses hid his face (see Exodus 3:6).  This is where our lesson begins.
III. GOD’S ASSIGNMENT FOR MOSES (Exodus 3:7-12)            
A. God’s observation and plan (Exodus 3:7-8). 
1. (vs. 7).  This verse says “And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows.”  The children of Israel had been under severe bondage for a long time and God reassured Moses that He had “seen the affliction of my people” and “heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters.”  While in bondage in Egypt the Israelites received harsh treatment from the “taskmasters” and God said “I know their sorrows.”  Pharaoh had set taskmasters over the Hebrews because of he feared them (see Exodus 1:9-10) as they continued to multiply.  They were seen as a great threat to Egypt and were made “to serve with rigor” (see Exodus 1:13).  This is what made the people cry out for help.  These humanlike expressions “I have surely seen” and “heard their cry” indicate that God had taken a keen interest in what was happening to His people.  He knew the full extent of their “affliction” or sufferings at the hands of the Egyptians.
2. (vs. 8).  In this verse God tells Moses what He plans to do about the situation. He said “And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”   First, God said that He had “come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.”  The phrase “come down” meant that God took a personal role in human affairs (see Genesis 11:5, 7; 18:21).  In this case, God’s role would result in Israel’s freedom.  Second, the Lord had determined to “bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large.”  The land was good because it was “flowing with milk and honey.”  This indicates that the land was a herdsman paradise.  There his animals would thrive and produce milk abundantly, and there the herdsman would find bees’ honey in the hollows of trees and the crevices of rocks.  It was a place of plenty.  To support His description of the land as “large,” God named the peoples who inhabited it.  This list is not a complete list of Canaanite peoples (see Genesis 15:18-21; Deuteronomy 7:1), but it includes the most prominent groups.  The term “Canaanites” sometimes was used collectively for all the groups of people, but here it probably refers to those people in the northern part of the land.  “Hittites” seemed to have been immigrants to Canaan from the Hittite Empire of Asia Minor.  The “Amorites” were people who inhabited the Judean hills and the territory east of the Jordan River.  The term “Perizzites” most likely means villagers and refers to those who lived in walled villages.  The “Hivites” lived, among other places, in central Canaan at Shechem and Gibeon.  The “Jebusites” were the original inhabitants of the area of Jerusalem.  All these groups of people lived in the “large” land to which the Lord would take Israel.
B. God’s plan revealed to Moses (Exodus 3:9-10).
1. (vs. 9).  Here the Lord continued to say “Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.”  God directly told Moses that the “cry of the children of Israel” had risen to Him, and that He had personally observed the “oppression” they were experiencing.  It’s noteworthy that Scripture does not say that the people cried unto God (although many probably did) or that the Lord even came to their minds (see Exodus 2:23-24).  However, because of His covenant with their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, God paid attention to their plight.
2. (vs. 10).  In this verse God went on to say “Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.”  This was the climax of God’s conversation with Moses whose assignment was to lead the Exodus, one of the greatest of all events recorded in the Bible.  While God would do all the deeds necessary to rescue His people, He would do them through Moses.  Moses would represent Him before Pharaoh.  The Lord had waited a long time before finally coming to the aid of Israel, but His timing was just right as always.  
C.  God’s reassurance and promise (Exodus 3:11-12). 
1. (vs. 11).  Now Moses speaks and “said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?”  The phrase “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh” expressed how inadequate Moses felt for this job.  He had become genuinely humble during his years as a mere shepherd in Midian.  If the the Lord had called Moses to “bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt” forty years earlier while he was in Egypt, he no doubt would have accepted it eagerly, but with unwarranted self-confidence (see Acts 7:22-29).  Now he had the opposite problem.  He was a simple shepherd and he doubted his fitness for the job.  The credentials he once had as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter no longer meant anything.  He was a shepherd, not a statesman and probably felt that there had to be someone else who could fulfill this role better than he could.
2. (vs. 12).  In this verse, we find that God had an answer ready for Moses.  He said “Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.”  The Lord assured Moses that He would be with him every step of the way.  Note:  Notice that God didn’t try to make Moses feel better about himself, for Moses was indeed inadequate for the task.  Instead, God promised that His own presence and power would compensate for Moses’ weakness.God wanted to teach Moses the truth that the Apostle Paul later learned through his “thorn”---that God’s strength was made perfect in his weakness (see II Corinthians 12:9-10).  We must not focus on our limitations or inabilities, but we must focus on God’s power, presence and His provision.  God is not looking for eloquent speakers.  He’s looking for those who will trust Him and depend on Him to fulfill His promises.  Remember, true success is finding, following, and finishing God’s plan for our lives.  After assuring Moses that He would be with him, God added that He would give Moses a “token” or sign that He was sending him on this assignment.  The sign to confirm that God was sending him to bring “forth the people out of Egypt” would be that after leading the Israelites out of Egypt, he would “serve God upon this mountain.”  Of course the mountain God referred to was Sinai where God and Moses were now conversing.  One might wonder how this could be a sign since it wouldn’t happen until after the deliverance had taken place.  The answer is simple.  The sign in this case wasn’t designed to strengthen faith: it required faith.  When Moses’ faith was victorious, God would fulfill His word and bring him and Israel back to this spot.  Note:  The fact that the delivered Hebrews would “serve God upon this mountain” indicates that Moses’ responsibility included more than leading his people out of bondage.  It also included leading them in worship of the true God.  It was this realization that led Moses to tell Pharaoh that Israel had to go out and hold a feast to the Lord in the wilderness (see Exodus 5:1).  Our God deserves full-time worship, especially when He has been true to His word.
IV. GOD’S REVELATION FOR ISRAEL (Exodus 3:13-17)
A. God identifies Himself (Exodus 3:13-14). 
1. (vs. 13).  Again Moses speaks and says to God “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?”  Despite the reassurance of the Lord, Moses continued to remain reluctant.  It had been forty years since he was in Egypt so now Moses imagined going to the Israelites and telling them that “The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you.”  Moses also anticipated them asking him “What is his name?” or what is the identity of this God?  In other words, Moses was afraid that the people would want to know what characteristics of their father’s God could have meaning to them in their present need.  The name of a deity or god revealed its nature and character, and a certain name often accompanied a certain revelation (see Genesis 14:19-20; 17:1; 21:33; 22:14).   So, what was His name and what did His revelation mean to His people were the questions that Moses thought he may have to answer.  Therefore, Moses asked God, “What shall I say unto them?”
2. (vs. 14).  God’s response to Moses was direct and profound.  This verse says “And God said unto Moses, I Am That I Am: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I Am hath sent me unto you.”  God identified Himself as “I Am That I Am,” therefore Moses was to tell the children of Israel that “I Am hath sent me unto you.”  This name is from a single Hebrew word “hawah” which means “to be.”  Thus, “I Am That I Am,” can also be rendered “I am who I am” or “I will be what I will be.”  The name “I Am” reveals to us that the One we worship is the living God.  He exists eternally, without beginning or end.  He is both the source and the sustainer of life.  The name “I Am” also refers to the covenant-keeping heart of God in His relationships with both Israel and with us.  Only the Creator could have a name like this.  Note:  Of all the names for God in Scripture, this one uniquely sets Him apart from every false god.  It underscores the fact that He is entirely faithful and dependable.  The Hebrew word translated “I Am” is related to God’s name, Yahweh, which is rendered “Lord” (in large and small capital letters in the Bible) as in verse 15.  Yahweh, which means He is, He will be, or He causes to be, comes from the verb hawah, which means to be.  Although the divine name was probably pronounced “Yahweh,” it was regarded by Jews as being too sacred to pronounce.  That’s why Jewish scribes added the vowel signs of the name Adonai to the consonants of YHWH (known as the tetragrammaton) to alert the reader to say Adonai (which also means Lord) wherever they saw the name Yahweh.  Jehovah is the spelling that resulted from this practice.          
B. God’s message for the Israelites (Exodus 3:15-16). 
1. (vs. 15).  The Lord continued to say “moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”  Moses was to be able to explain to the Israelites in detail who had sent him.  He was to tell them that “the Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you.”  In other words, the covenant-keeping, all eternal Yahweh, or Jehovah, the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was the One who sent him.  The Lord also said that “this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.”   Simply stated, Jehovah would be the name of God forever and the name that He wanted to be remembered by forever.  By this name, God’s people would perpetually remember, worship, and serve Him.
2. (vs. 16).  In this verse God instructed Moses to “Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.”  First, Moses was to get all “the elders of Israel together” to let them know what was going to happen.  The “elders” were representatives of Israel and probably included heads of homes, heads of family groups, tribal leaders, and religious leaders.  These leaders needed to be convinced first of what was going to take place so they would be able to lead the people in support of Moses.  This was going to be a tremendous undertaking and Moses would need everyone’s cooperation.  Second, Moses was to tell the elders that God said “I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt.”  God wanted the leaders to know that He was with them and had seen the treatment His people were getting.
C. God’s promise of deliverance (Exodus 3:17).  In our final verse, God continued with what Moses was to say to the elders.  The Lord said “And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.”  To emphasize what He was going to do, God repeated what He said in verse 8.  First, He assured them that He was going to bring them out of the affliction they were suffering in Egypt.  This deliverance was significant because these people were going to be removed from the worst possible conditions of slavery (see Exodus 1:8-11; 5:6-13).  Second, the Lord said that He was going to take the Israelites to “the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.”  These were some of the Gentile nations that occupied Canaan and were going to be replaced by the Israelites.  In Deuteronomy 7:1, Moses added the Girgashites to this list and also said that every one of these groups were mightier than Israel.  This reveals how miraculous taking the land of Canaan would be.  Finally, God gave a description of the land they were going to have as their own.  He said that it was “a land flowing with milk and honey.”   Again, this is a repetition of the description God had previously given to Moses in verse 8.  The fact that this land was “flowing with milk and honey” indicates that it was one of the best pieces of land on earth (see commentary on verse 8).    
                    
V. Conclusion.  Moses made several attempts to excuse himself from what God wanted him to do (see Exodus 3:13; 4:1, 10, 13). However, graciously God answered each of Moses’ excuses and Moses finally said he would go.I’m sure he was still afraid, but as he followed the Lord’s instructions, the Israelites were delivered from Pharaoh’s stronghold.  We too can take courage as God leads us to do great things for Him.We can trust Him.  He is as good as His word.  Don’t think that God expects more of you than you can be or do.  Remember, God’s assignments for us are always accompanied by His enabling.