Returning to Egypt and Meeting Aaron

If you've ever struggled to stay consistent in reading the Bible, you are not alone. Bible League International has created a free guide called Nine Tip to Get More of God's Word in Your Life. It's packed with simple, practical ideas to help you build a daily rhythm. Scripture. And grow closer to God. Whether you're just starting out, or you want to deepen your faith with the Lord. This resource can encourage you by helping you stay focused on his work. To download your free copy, text study to nine four eight seven eight. That's study to nine four eight seven eight. Life Audio The Bible Study Podcast, episode 967. Today the Bible Study Podcast continues the study of the book of Exodus with chapter four. Welcome to the Bible Study Podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen. We're going to continue on with chapter four, signs for Moses. This could easily be called Excuses from Moses and Signs for Moses. But we'll see more of that afterward from this sponsor. Many believers go through seasons when God feels distant or silent. If you've ever wondered why your prayers feel unanswered. You are not alone. And you're not without hope. Bible League International has created a free devotional called To do when God seems silent. A seven day journey of faith. And healing. Through scripture, reflection, and encouragement. This devotional helps you understand how God is still working. Even in the quiet seasons of faith. It gently reminds us that God's presence isn't based on what we feel. Bible League's mission is to equip The under resource to church. Disciples. Transforming lives through God's Word. And today you can receive this devotional completely free. Just text study. to nine four eight seven eight. That's study to nine four eight seven eight to download. I'm Kirby Kelly, and in my new book, The Fabric of Hope, to walk you through seasons of suffering, uncertainty, and waiting. I remind you of this tree. God is never absent and he is never far away. When life unravels, hope can feel impossible or out of reach. Maybe today you're feeling like things are falling apart and you're wondering if you can trust God's good plans for your life. But what if, even here, God is still working to create something beautiful? Through honest stories and encouragement, the Fabric of Hope invites you to see your story through a new lens. One where your hard seasons have purpose and your waiting isn't empty. If you're longing for hope that will never unravel no matter what comes your way, the Fabric of Hope is for you. Find it wherever books are sold. Chapter four Signs for Moses. Moses answered, What if they do not believe me or listen to me and say the Lord did not appear to you? Then the Lord said to him. What is that in your hand? A staff, he replied. The Lord said, Throw it on the ground. Moses threw it on the ground, it became a snake, and he ran from it. Then the Lord said, Reach out your hand and take it by the tail. So Moses reached out his hand and took hold of the snake, and it turned back into a staff in his hand. This said the Lord is so that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you. Then the Lord said, Put your hand inside your cloak. So Moses put his hand into his cloak, and when he took it out, The skin was leprous. It had become as white as snow. Now put it back in your cloak, he said. So Moses put his hand back into his cloak. And when he took it out, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. Then the Lord said if they do not believe you or pay attention to the first sign. They may believe the second. But if they do not believe these two signs or listen to you. Take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground. The water you take from the river will become blood on the ground. Moses said to the Lord. Pardon your servant, Lord, I have never been eloquent. Neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue. The Lord said, Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now go, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say. But Moses said, Pardon your servant Lord Please send somebody else. Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses, and he said, What about your brother Aaron the Levite? I know he can speak well, he is already on his way to meet you. And he will be glad to see you. You shall speak to him and put words in his mouth. I will help both of you speak and will teach you what to do. He will speak to the people for you. It will be as if he were your mouth, and as if you were God to him. But take this staff in your hand. So you can perform the signs with it. And you see why I say this could easily be Moses' excuses. Because Moses tries three times. To say I don't really want to do this. And if he comes up with excuses at first. It's like Talking here a little bit. What if they don't believe me? I'm not sure that this is gonna work because they may not believe me. Well God gives him two signs to show them and tells them a third one. So he can he's got this staff and this would be the tool of a shepherd. Right, you use a crook and a staff as a shepherd. A staff you use against the wolf and a crook you use to pull the sheep back. It was so From the Lord is my shepherd, thy rod and thy staff. This is the staff. It's that it's that Long stick. That's a bit like a club. So he's carrying this because it's what shepherds do. And God uses what he has. In a new way. We'll see when this staff is referred to in the future. We won't necessarily hear it by the term Moses staff. So Keep an eye out for that. But he says, Throw it on the ground, it turns into a snake. Moses runs because He doesn't like snakes. And it Probably turned into something that was not a pleasurable snake. And so God says pick it up by the tail, he picks it up, it turns back into a staff. So that's one thing. And then he says, Put your hand on your cloak. Comes out leprous, put it back in, it comes out clean. Okay, so we've got two signs to show people, and then says this third one, pour water on the ground from the Nile, it'll become blood. Okay, but that wasn't really the problem so Moses goes on and says Okay Lord I'm not that good at speaking. Neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. God just started speaking to Moses. This is this is something that's happened minutes ago. So I have not become a good speaker here in the last few minutes, is what he's saying. I am slow of speech and tongue. Well he's been out with sheep. been spending as much time with people as someone might have who was in a different line of work. And he hasn't been in the court. uh as he was as a kid. Now maybe he was a good speaker at that point, but that's a long time ago. So he says I really I don't think I'd be very good at this. Maybe you should just find somebody who would be better at it. And then he says, Well, you know, who who gave people speech? Who makes them talk? Who makes them dumb? Who makes them blind? Well isn't it isn't it I isn't it the Lord? I will help you. I'll tell you what to say. And then finally we get to the real thing. Lord Send someone else. God gets a little mad at Moses and says, Well Aaron's coming to Aaron's gonna help. You'll talk to Aaron, Aaron will talk to the people. But I don't want to hear anything else. Basically at this point, you're going. I wonder Whether We sometimes sound like this to God. If God wants us to do something, do we come up with excuses like this? I don't have I'm not sure it will work. I'm not sure I have the skill to do it. And maybe this should just be somebody else's mission. And Clearly in the case of Moses, those excuses were not listened to by God. God had a plan For his people, and that plan included Moses. Even if Moses thought it sounded like a bad idea. Was Moses also afraid of going back where he there was a price on his head? Was he afraid if he goes back to Egypt he gets killed? Maybe. Was he just wondering what people would think of him? As somebody who is a fugitive, possibly. Whatever excuses he came up with. God had a plan, and that plan included Moses. And sometimes God has a plan and that plan includes you. Or that plan includes me. Whatever excuses we may have. Moses returns to Egypt. Then Moses went back to Jethro his father in law and said to him. Let me return to my own people in Egypt and see if any of them are still alive. Shethrow said, Go, and I wish you well. Now the Lord had said to Moses and Midian, Go back to Egypt, for all those who want to kill you are dead. So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. The Lord said to Moses, When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh All the wonders that I have given. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let People go. Then say to Pharaoh, This is what the Lord says, Israel is my firstborn son. And I told you, let my son go, so that he may worship me. But you refuse to let him go. So I will kill your firstborn son. At a logic place in the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zapora took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin, and touched Moses' feet with it. Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me, she said, so the Lord let him live. And at that time she said Bridegroom of blood, referring to circumcision. The Lord said to Aaron, Go into the wilderness to meet Moses. So he met Moses at the mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told Aaron everything the Lord had sent him to say. and also about all the signs he had commanded him to perform. Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, bowed down and worshipped. So Lots of stuff going on. He tells his father in law Jethro, I'm gonna go back and see if people are alive. He doesn't In this