This exposition of Exodus 4:18-31 by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday morning, May 13, 2018.
May 13, 2018
Intro:
The older I get, the less I know. That’s not due solely to memory issues, though I think I may be well on my way down that road but I’ll save that for another day.
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No, my loss of knowledge is due to growth or maturity. It’s not that I’m losing knowledge across the board but that I’m less certain about some things while more certain about others. There is a mellowing that comes with maturity. It’s not that I’ve lost confidence in the truth or that I no longer believe in the authority, and sufficiency of Scripture (In fact I’m more convinced than ever on that subject) but I’m less certain about my ability to always discern the truth and thus I’m less dogmatic on certain subjects. I’m no longer afraid to answer a question by saying, “I don’t know.” I am more willing to be tolerant of those whose views differ from my own. I’m also more willing to embrace the mystery of our faith. There are certain things we simply do not know. We don’t know because God hasn’t bothered to tell us! His ways are not our ways, neither are His thoughts our thoughts. The secret things belong to Him. While there may be more holes or unanswered questions than I’d like, I’m not concerned because here is what I’ve come to understand, the Sovereign, Eternal, All-wise, All-sufficient God is worthy of my trust. God has revealed himself to us. That revelation is sufficient. It is trustworthy and reliable. It is factual and it is true, thus I believe. I embrace the truth of God as He has revealed it in Scripture. God is not silent. He has spoken to us in His Word and I believe it, I embrace it as revealed, regardless of what the culture thinks of the truth revealed. Now, such a stance will put you at odds with the culture. It may, as the culture now claims, put you on the “wrong side of history,” but along with the apostle Paul I will declare, “let God be true and every man be a liar” (Romans 3:4). God has spoken, God has revealed himself and honestly some of what He reveals is troubling. This morning we come to consider a gracious, affirming and terrifying truth, the assurance of God’s sovereign presence with His people. Our text is found in the 4th chapter of Exodus.
Text: Exodus 4:18-31
Remember Israel has been in Egypt 400 years, most of that time enslaved.
They have been crying out to God for centuries and nothing (as fare as they could tell).
Moses has been 40 years on the backside of the wilderness tending sheep.
For a chapter and a half he’s been standing before the burning bush - objecting to God’s call.
God has deal with him loving, patiently and graciously.
Even to the point of accommodating his stubborn refusal.
Now, Moses has agreed and he is heading down to Egypt and all is well…not so fast.
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As we work our way through this text I want us to note…
Thesis: Assurance of God’s sovereign presence brings the comfort of His gracious provision, the peace of His guiding hand, and terror of divine accountability.
This is another of those, “Good news/Bad news” texts in Scripture.
Moses agrees to go to Egypt and he goes with the blessing on his father-in-law - that’s good.
Along the way God decides to kill him - oh, that’s bad.
But God spares him and he is reunited with his brother and Israel rejoices - that’s good.
3 great truths in our text and then I want to leave you with an epilogue or a postscript.
- The comfort of our God’s gracious provision. (4:13-17, 27)
- The peace of our God’s guiding hand. (4:18-23, 27-28)
- The terror of Divine accountability. (4:24-26)
Postscript:
There is a postscript in our text. It is there in 4:29-31 - Then Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the people of Israel. Aaron spoke all the words that the LORD had spoken to Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people. And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.
Worship is the only appropriate response to the assurance of God’s sovereign presence among His people.
Nothing has happened yet, but the exodus has begun.
God is at work.
He has heard their cry.
He has seen their affliction.
He has come down to deliver and therefore they bowed their heads and worshiped!
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