Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20060924.htm

THE PREINCARNATE MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
Part VIII: Christ's Ministry To Moses: Trusting God's Equipping ALONE For All True Spiritual Progress
(Exodus 2:11-4:18a)
  1. Introduction
    1. The term "self-help" best describes much in Christendom today: one Christian book advertises itself on "reclaiming our well-being through exercise, mindful eating, soul care and responsibility," and another on how we may "discover" our "innate strengths and abilities," all typical "self-help" activities.
    2. In reality, all true spiritual progress takes God's involvement in every way, a timeless truth affirmed in the call of Moses by the "Angel of the Lord," our Preincarnate Christ, to lead Israel out of bondage:
  2. Christ's Ministry To Moses: Trusting God's Equipping ALONE For All True Spiritual Progress.
    1. When God called Moses from the burning bush, EVERY human "self-help" resource toward delivering the people of God from Egyptian bondage had been fully and fruitlessly expended:
      1. The originally protective human overseer of Israel in Joseph had passed away (Ex. 1:1-8), and ensuing rulers in Egypt saw Israel's growth as a threat, and subjected the nation to cruel bondage, Ex. 1:8-11.
      2. Moses was born in Israel and raised up by pharaoh's daughter to be a sympathetic leader for Israel (Ex. 2:1-10), but Israel rejected his efforts to lead her, and he had to flee from Egypt as an outlaw, 2:11-15.
      3. Thus, Israel was left sighing in hopelessness after all human "self-help" had become fruitless, 2:21-23a.
    2. Yet, the Preincarnate Christ entered the scene in an emphatic way to deliver Israel, Exodus 2:23b-3:2:
      1. In contrast to the sighing of Israel in Exodus 2:23a, Exodus 2:23b-25 notes GOD'S involvement as the turning point of their situation: God received their cry, God heard it, God recalled His unconditional covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Gen. 15:13-21) to deliver them from Egyptian bondage unto the Promised Land, God took note of His people's plight and God felt a concern for them!
      2. Accordingly, "the Angel of the Lord" Whom we have learned in this lesson series is the Preincarnate Lord Jesus Christ, appeared in the flaming bush to Moses to begin to change Israel's situation, 3:1-2!
    3. Accordingly, GOD ALONE supplied the equipping power toward delivering Israel from Egyptian bondage in fulfillment of God's promise to patriarch Abraham, cf. Exodus 3:3-4:18a:
      1. Moses learned that the sight of the bush on fire without its being consumed was caused by God's presence in the bush: he was led to remove his shoes, "a sign of respect toward a superior" as Moses stood on holy ground in the presence of the Preincarnate Christ, 3:3-5; Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn to 3:5.
      2. The Lord then directed Moses to his calling to lead Israel out of Egyptian bondage to the Promised Land in accord with the Abrahamic Covenant of old, Exodus 3:6-10.
      3. Moses' past "self-help" failure to gain an effective following from Israel before the Egyptians led him to make a series of objections and excuses to avoid this task, but, in each case, God's equipping met the challenge offered by Moses, Exodus 3:11-4:17:
        1. Moses' past "self-help" failure to gain a following led him to question his insignificance as a leader, but God revealed He would be with Moses to make up any deficiencies Himself, Exodus 3:11-12.
        2. Moses' past "self-help" failure to gain a following led him to wonder what Name of God to use to convince Israel to follow him, and God revealed he should use the "I AM" Name in association with His work to fulfill the Abrahamic Covenant that the elders of Israel would recognize, Ex. 3:13-22.
        3. Moses' past "self-help" failure to gain a following led him to question if Israel would believe him, but God revealed He would equip him with supernatural abilities to make them believe, Ex. 4:1-9.
        4. Moses' past "self-help" failure to gain a following led him to question his effectiveness to lead due to his slowness of speech, but God revealed He had made Moses' mouth, and already incorporated its speaking tendencies into His plan to make Moses effective in his leadership role, Ex. 4:10-12.
        5. Moses' past "self-help" failure to gain a following led him to ask God to select another man for the role; however, God refused, charging Moses to accept the leadership role in His will, Ex. 4:13-17.
      4. Accordingly, Moses began to heed the Lord, and God began to deliver Israel from Egypt, Ex. 4:18a.
Lesson: When all human "self-help" resources were depleted, the Preincarnate Christ redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage by His power and equipping and leading of Moses and Israel in the process!

Application: May we abandon human "self-help" resources and effort to opt for GOD'S instead!