Daejeon Onnuri English Ministry: "Whom Do We Trust?"(Exodus 4:12-23)

Exodus 4:12-23

Most people know who Moses was. They know he was a Hebrew who was raised as an Egyptian prince. While a young man, Moses killed an Egyptian to avenge the Hebrew people. Although he did this in secret, some Hebrews knew about this murder and were talking about and some even threaten Moses with this information. Moses then fled Egypt because of this murder. He goes to Midian and lives there for forty years before he sees God in a thornbush.

In Exodus 4, Moses demonstrates his diffidence and his doubt in God. When Moses was younger, he tried to bring justice in his own way, but this did not go well. He had killed a man and then had to flee as a murderer. Returning to Egypt as a much older man to lead a people who did not know him did or worse might remember him as the murderer who had fled did not inspire confidence in Moses.

He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

Exodus 2:12 ESV

When God calls on Moses, Moses is 80 years old. It does not seem obvious at first, but Moses had been trained and equipped by God.

And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.

Acts 7:22 ESV.

God also gives Moses a staff which symbolically contains God's power. The staff is just a staff, but it was dedicated to being used to show and allow God's power to manifest.

So, Moses took his wife and his sons had them ride on a donkey and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

Exodus 4:20 ESV

Moses and Aaron did as the Lord commanded. In the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants he lifted up the staff and struck the water in the Nile, and all the water in the Nile turned into blood.

Exodus 7:20 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your hand with your staff over the rivers, over the canals and over the pools, and make frogs come up on the land of Egypt!’”

Exodus 8:5 ESV

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Say to Aaron, ‘Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth, so that it may become gnats in all the land of Egypt.’”

Exodus 8:16 ESV

We may be asked to do things that are bigger than our abilities or seems impossible, yet God will also give you strength to accomplish all that God asks you to do.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 ESV

May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Psalm 29:11 ESV

God had plans not only to take His people out of Egypt but also to prove to the Egyptians that He was the one true God.

And the Lord said to Moses, “When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I have put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.

Exodus 4:21 ESV

Therefore, God hardened Pharaoh’s heart so that the signs and wonders, which are often called the ten plagues of Egypt, to show the Egyptians who God really was and to disprove the gods of Egypt.

Moses had his role to play and although he had been reluctant at first, God equipped him to do the work God had set for Moses. Pharaoh also had a role to play, but Pharaoh also hardened his heart towards God at different times without God's intervention. God found two leaders to do his will. One was willing, even though he was hesitant at first, and succeeded as a hero of the Bible. The other was stubborn and became more stubborn through God hardening his heart and is known as a foolish leader who needlessly lost his son and brought grief to his Kingdom.

Let us put our trust in God that he will train and equip us to do the good works set before us and do this with faith and a willing heart.