Exodus, Redemption Revealed

By Jane Owens

The book of Exodus reveals the redemptive plan of God taking the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the land of milk and honey, the Promised Land. After we are born again, our journey with Jesus/Yeshua, our Messiah, is a reflection of the children of Israel.

We go through times of dryness when it seems God has forsaken us, our prayers dont go past the ceiling, and we are constantly distracted by vain imaginations. We are buffeted by the cares of this world and wonder if it will ever end. In the face of that discouragement, we are tempted to give up and return to our old pagan (un-Christian) ways.

The Israelites often murmured against Moses and complained about their circumstance saying, when will we come into the Land of Promise? When will we see that land of milk and honey?

Hang on! Dont give up. If you are looking for Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah, you will find Him throughout the book of Exodus. Its His story and its our story too.

Psalm 145:14 says, The LORD upholds all that fall and raises up all those that are bowed down. He is our redeemer, sanctifier, healer, and coming king.

In these days of instant demands and knowledge, we find an author who gives us a concept that knowledge must come from His Spirit. Jane Owens walks us along that understanding of these books called TorahGods loving teaching and instructions.

Curtis C. Taylor, senior pastor, Beit Lechem Ministries, Colorado

Jane Owens has taken the book of Exodus, which is 3,500 years old, and made it relevant for today. She was inspired to inspire others as a pastor that leads the sheep. This book is a valuable resource and needed in the body of Christ.

Pastor Nicholas Plummer, Beit Tehila Congregation, Brandon, Florida

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Feb 11, 2015
• ISBN: 9781490867984

Jane Owens

Jane Owens is a messianic Christian who loves teaching the Bible and praying for others’ needs. She is a certified lay counselor who has worked in prison ministries and church ministries and writes with frank and honest conviction. Her life’s goal is to speak and ‘write the words of truth correctly’- “For the word of the LORD is right, and all His works are done in truth.” Psalm 33:4 Having been raised in a typical evangelical church, her insight into God’s word was deepened with the discovery of the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith. After a trip to Israel and many hours serving the spiritual needs of Florida’s female prisoners, Jane’s determination to make God’s word easier to understand became her passion. Armed with this insight she has written two other books: Torah Simply Spoken- Genesis (out of print) Biblical View of Sexual Purity Jane has 2 grown children and 2 grandchildren. She is retired and lives in Brandon, Florida. Her blog is psalm1031112.com where she welcomes comments.

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Copyright © 2015 Jane Owens.

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-6799-1 (sc)

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ISBN: 978-1-4908-6798-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015901298

WestBow Press rev. date: 02/11/2015

Contents

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

INTRODUCTION

PORTION ONE

SHEMOT / NAMES EXODUS 1:1-6:1

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): ISAIAH 26:7-28:1-13; 29:23, 24

JEREMIAH 1:1-2:3

BRIT HADASHA (NT): ACTS 7:17-29

PORTION TWO

VA’EIRA / AND I APPEARED EXODUS 6:2-9:35

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): EZEKIEL 28:25-29:21

BRIT HADASHA (NT): ROMANS 9:14-33

PORTION THREE

BO/ ENTER/GO EXODUS 10:1-13:16

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): JEREMIAH 46: 13-28

BRIT HADASHA (NT) I CORINTHIANS 11:20-34

PORTION FOUR

BE’SHALACH / WHEN HE LET GO EXODUS 13:17-17:16

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): JUDGES 4:4-5:31

BRIT HADASHA (NT): JOHN 6:22-40

PORTION FIVE

YITHRO / JETHRO EXODUS 18:1-20:23

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): ISAIAH 6:1-7:6; and 9:5-6

BRIT HADASHA (NT): MATTHEW 5:17-32

PORTION SIX

MISHPATIM / ORDINANCES EXODUS 21:1-24:18

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): 1 SAMUEL 20:18-42

BRIT HADASHA (NT): MATTHEW 5:38-42

PORTION SEVEN

TERUMAH / OFFERINGS EXODUS 25:1-27:19

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): 1 KINGS 5:12-6:13

BRIT HADASHA (NT): MATTHEW 5:33-37

PORTION EIGHT

TETSAVEH / YOU SHALL COMMAND EXODUS 27:20-30:10

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): EZEKIEL 43:10-27 DEUTERONOMY 25:17-19

BRIT HADASHA (NT): HEBREWS 13:10 – 17

PORTION NINE

KI TASA / WHEN YOU ELEVATE EXODUS 30:11-34:35

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): 1 KINGS 18:1-39

BRIT HADASHA (NT): 1 CORINTHIANS 8:4-13

PORTION TEN

VAYAKHEL/ AND HE ASSEMBLED EXODUS 35:1-38: 20

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS): 1 KINGS 7:13-26 & 40-50

BRIT HADASHA (NT): 1 CORINTHIANS 3:1-23

PORTION ELEVEN

PEKUDE / ACCOUNTS OF EXODUS 38:21-40:38

HAFTARAH (PROPHETS) 1 KINGS 7:51-8:21

BRIT HADASHA (NT) 2 CORINTHIANS 3:7-18

CONCLUSION

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am more than grateful to our High Priest, Yeshua (Jesus), the Creator of the Universe, for giving me the awesome privilege of putting into words the things He has infused into my heart. To HIM is the Glory! He is Holy and to be worshiped.

My undying gratitude to the Friday night Shabbat ladies:

Ruth Severs

Myrna Munson

Kathi Harwell

Marla Thomas

Audrey Kelley

And others who have been at my table as we discussed and shared our insights about the weekly Torah portions including the prophets and New Testament.

Special thanks to Kathie Parris who spent many, many hours with me discussing and editing the content of this book and asking thought provoking questions which created more clarity in the manuscript.

Thank you to the Beit Tehila Prayer Team for the many prayers regarding this endeavor.

And, last but certainly not least, thank you Pastor Nick Plummer of the Beit Tehila Congregation for your encouragement and the gleanings I have harvested from the Monday night Bible studies.

My heartfelt apologies to anyone I may have failed to mention. I could not have done this without your encouragement and prayers.

Be Blessed

Jane Owens

©2014

INTRODUCTION

In 2005 I began mentoring women prisoners at a state women’s facility in Hillsborough County, Florida. After completing a simple messianic based discipleship course, (with the goal of introducing them to Jesus Christ and teaching the Hebrew roots of the faith), I was left with a dilemma. Although there are other books written about discipleship, I found few that had a Hebraic perspective. What do I do now? I saw a need for a Hebraic commentary/devotional on the Bible that was simple enough for a new believer to understand. So I created this meditative commentary for the benefit of my mentees who were reading the weekly Torah portions. When we do not know the freedom found in Christ Jesus (Yeshua) we are all bound in a prison of confusion and disorder. Christ came to set the prisoner free and with this purpose in mind I wrote this commentary/devotional. This book is about God’s redemption and the progressive revelation going forward to achieve that purpose.

Having been raised in a typical evangelical Christian church, I had no concept of the Hebraic roots of the faith but the study of the ancient foundations of our faith has changed me, especially my relationship with our Messiah and High Priest Yeshua. He is Jewish and will always be Jewish. I have learned that this is the old, old story of the ancient foundation of our faith.

"Tell me the story slowly, that I may take it in,

That wonderful redemption, God’s remedy for sin.

Tell me the story often, for I forget so soon;

The early dew of morning has passed away at noon."

"Tell me the same old story when I have cause to fear,

That this world’s empty glory is costing me too dear.

Yes, and when that world’s glory is dawning on my soul.

Tell me the old, old story: Christ Jesus makes thee whole.¹

This book is not the same teaching that one finds in a typical commentary or devotional. My goal is to gain a deeper Hebraic understanding of God’s word and to teach others. My sources were the Holy Bible, scripturally based commentaries and my own Biblical convictions. When reading and meditating on these Scriptures, you may receive different insights because the Holy Spirit is speaking to you as well. My prayer for you is that you will find Yeshua, as I have, in every portion. O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! Romans 11:33.

The Torah Portions (Genesis through Deuteronomy) are a yearly cycle that begins and ends at the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). These same Torah and Haftarah (the prophets) portions are read each Sabbath (Saturday) in every synagogue worldwide. If you read one portion each week, by the end of the year you will have completed the first five books of the Bible, plus the corresponding Scriptures in the Prophets and New Covenant (Testament). By doing this you will have read about the foundation of the church which is the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith.

Each chapter has the Hebrew/English name for that portion. All portions include the Haftarah which is scripture from the prophets and the New Testament known in Hebrew as the Brit Hadasha. Messianic believers include a corresponding New Testament scripture linking the weekly portions into one study. When reading the Scriptures God often repeats what He has already said, and this is true in the book of Exodus. When something is repeated in the Scriptures, I believe it means that what God says it is important. It is also a rabbinical method of teaching, because reiteration helps the student remember.

Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Haftarah: Prophets

Brit Hadasha: New Testament (NT)

The goal for my students was that they find Yeshua/Jesus in all these readings because He is found from verse one in Genesis to the last verse of Revelation. I believe I have successfully achieved this noble goal by writing this book, EXODUS, REDEMPTION REVEALED, and hope you enjoy it.

I have chosen to use Jesus’ Hebrew name, Yeshua for most of the Scriptures and comments. Unless otherwise noted, all scripture portions have been paraphrased by me from the King James Version or are a direct quote from same.

Be blessed

Jane Owens © 2014

Book Cover by Susana Pruitt

PORTION ONE

SHEMOT / NAMES

EXODUS 1:1-6:1

HAFTARAH: (PROPHETS)

ISAIAH 26:7-28:1-13; 29:23, 24

JEREMIAH 1:1-2:3

BRIT HADASHA (NT): ACTS 7:17-29

Exodus Chapter 1

Verses 1-7: These are the names of all the children of Israel who went down into Egypt: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulon, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. All those who were of the seed of Jacob were seventy souls, for Joseph was already in Egypt. Joseph died as did all his brothers and all that generation.

The children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and became strong. The land was filled with them.

Verses 8-14: A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come let us deal wisely with them. If they become too numerous, they might join our enemies and fight against us and escape out of our country.

Therefore they set slave drivers over them to afflict them with their burdens, and made the children of Israel build the treasury cities of Pithom and Raamses for Pharaoh. But the more the children of Israel were afflicted, the more they multiplied and grew. The Egyptians became unhappy because of the children of Israel. Thus the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve them by doing hard labor. They made their lives bitter with hard bondage, working in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field. Wherever they were made to serve, they served by doing hard laborious work.

Verses 15-22: The new king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; one was named Shiphrah and the other Puah. He said, When you deliver the Hebrew women of a baby, when you see them on the birthing stool, if it is a male, you must kill him. If it is a female let her live.

The midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the son’s lives. When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he said, Why have you saved the boy infants and kept them alive? The midwives replied, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women. They are vigorous women and have already delivered their children by the time we arrive. God blessed the midwives and the Hebrew people multiplied even more and became stronger. Because the midwives feared God, He gave them homes.

At this, Pharaoh commanded all his people, Every son born of the Hebrews, you will cast into the river, but every daughter may live.

What happened? Things were going good for the children of Israel when we left them at the end of Genesis. Verse 8 says that a new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. Who was this new king?

Egypt became very powerful during the Ramesside period, much like the Hittite Empire and Assyrian Empire, after which it began a slow decline. Foreign powers invaded and conquered Egypt such as the Canaanites/Hykso, Libyans, Babylonia and others. These historical events may explain why this new king did not know Joseph.

And, what a murderous heart this Pharaoh had!

The midwives feared God (it is better to obey God) and He blessed them with homes and every provision they needed because of their obedience. See Acts 5:29

Exodus Chapter 2

Verses 1-4: A man of the tribe of Levi had a wife from the same tribe. She conceived and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a lovely child and hid him for three months. When she became unable to hide him any longer, she made a basket of bulrushes². She daubed the basket with pitch and placed him in it. Then she laid the basket in the reeds by the river’s bank. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

This must have taken a great deal of courage and faith. If her son was found by the authorities he would be killed. If she put her son in the basket and put him in the river, there was a chance that whoever found him, would kill him. This child’s mother was between a rock and a hard place.

Verses 5-10: The daughter of Pharaoh came down to the river to bathe herself and her maidens walked on the riverbank. When Pharaoh’s daughter saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. When she opened the basket, she saw the child and he was crying. She had compassion on him and said, This is one of the Hebrew’s children.

Then the baby’s sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and get a nurse from the Hebrew women so that she may nurse the baby for you? Pharaoh’s daughter replied, Go. And his sister went and called the baby’s mother.

Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Take this child and nurse it for me. I will pay you for your services. The woman took the child and nursed it.

The child grew, and the woman brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, because she said, I drew him out of the water.

What a wonderful God! Not only did He save this child from certain death, but He also caused the baby’s mother to have favor with Pharaoh’s daughter who paid her to nurse him! The sister was Miriam who obviously loved her brother Moses and was used by God to accomplish His plans for all Israel, even though her name means rebellion³ As we have seen in the past, God had a good plan. As we will see in the future, God has a good plan. It was common in those days for children to be named after the circumstances of their birth. The midwives trusted God that He would take care of them. They remained obedient to God although they were taking a chance that they would be killed by Pharaoh. God looks for that kind of commitment in us.

Verses 11-15: When Moses was grown; he went out to see his brothers and looked at their burdensome life. He saw an Egyptian beating one of his brothers, a Hebrew. After looking this way and that, when he saw no one was looking, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

When he came out the second day, he saw two Hebrew men fighting each other. Moses said to the one who was in the wrong, Why are you beating your brother? The man replied, Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?

This made Moses afraid, and he said to himself, Surely my deed is now known.

When Pharaoh heard about it, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and lived in the land of Midian. When he came there he sat down by a well.

Question: How did Moses know he was a Hebrew when he was raised in Pharaoh’s court as a son of royalty? I think his birthmother taught him who he was. Another thought is that Moses was circumcised. That was the sign that he was a Hebrew as circumcision is typical for Hebrew children. It is the sign of the Abrahamic covenant.

Verses 16-22: The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to the well and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up to help them and watered their flock.

When they came to Reuel, their father, he said How is it that you have come home so soon today? They said, An Egyptian delivered us from the hands of the shepherds and also drew water for us and watered the flock. Their father replied, Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Call him that we may invite him to eat with us.

So Moses was content to dwell with the man Reuel, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses as his wife. She bore him a son and he called his name Gershom, for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Does some of this sound familiar? The servant of Abraham met the wife meant for Isaac at a well. Jacob also met Rachel at a well. Now Moses meets his wife Zipporah at a well. What do you think God has in His mind about wells? A well is a place from which to draw water as we cannot sustain life without water. And, it is a place where people gathered to socialize.

It is a symbol spiritually that we cannot sustain life without the water of life who is Yeshua. John chapter four is about a woman from Samaria who meets Yeshua at a well. He told her But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14). The water is the word of God.

I believe this is a picture of some of the shepherds (church pastors) of today, who do not give their sheep the living water of life. Their sermons speak only of social issues, and current event commentaries. They give sermons without any call to repentance and growth in the Christian life. These pastors drive away those who come to churches and are spiritually dying for the living water. The pastors are careless about the eternal future of their flock. The shepherds (those who are called the ministers of the gospel of Yeshua) have a higher calling and accountability.

Verses 23-25: After due time, the king of Egypt died. The children of Israel groaned because of their bondage and slavery. They cried, and God heard their groaning. God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And God looked on the children of Israel, and God knew their condition.

In the KJV, verse 25 says, God had respect unto them. The word respect is the Hebrew word, yä·dah’ and means to be made known, be or become known, or be revealed⁴. Another meaning would be that God perceived their condition. He saw! And He remembered! God had made a covenant with Abraham that he would have a son of the promise (Isaac). The covenant with Abraham was reiterated to Isaac and later to Jacob. Genesis 17:7, 8 And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

GOD REMEMBERED! He never forgets His promises. Granted it may have seemed like a long time, but God was always aware and never took His eyes off them.

Nor is God unaware of your difficulties and the groaning of your bondage. He knows. He is more than able to come to your aid.

Exodus Chapter 3

Verses 1-6: Moses kept a flock for his father in law Jethro⁵, the priest of Midian. He led the flock to the backside of the desert and came to Mount Horeb, the mountain of God.

The Angel of the LORD appeared in a flame of fire in the midst of a bush. As the bush burned; Moses became curious and said, I will go see this great sight that although the bush is burning it is not consumed.

When the LORD saw that Moses turned aside to see, He called to him out of the midst of the bush saying, Moses, Moses! And Moses answered, Here I am.

The LORD said, Don’t come any closer, take off your shoes, for where you are standing is holy ground. I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

Moses had certainly experienced a radical change in his life and God wasn’t finished with him yet. Moses had gone from a prince in Egypt to a shepherd of sheep. Now he was in the backside of nowhere at the mountain of the LORD, Mount Horeb⁶.

God works circumstances in our lives, leading us out of our comfort zone into thorny challenges and we come face to face with ourselves and our frailties, only to find that God, in His faithfulness is already there.

What would you do if you saw a burning bush out in the middle of nowhere? We would probably be curious like Moses and wonder why the bush, although it was on fire, was not consumed. What is more remarkable is that the LORD called to Moses out of the bush and Moses answered! When God identified Himself, Moses became afraid to look upon God because He was holy and Moses was not.

When God speaks to you, you are on Holy Ground.

Verses 7-12: The LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of My people in Egypt. I have heard their cry because of their cruel taskmasters. I know their sorrows. I have come down to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good land that is large and flowing with milk and honey. It is at the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites.

Behold the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me. I have also seen the oppression of the Egyptians over them. Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

Moses said to God, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt?

God said, Certainly I will be with you and this will be a token to you that I have sent you, when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will serve Me upon this mountain.

God heard! He was not answering in the way most people might imagine He would. Human nature, being what it is, usually indulges in vain imaginings about how something is to progress toward a resolution. God has a better plan. Calling Moses, of all people! He had been a prince of Egypt, was a murderer and now a shepherd of smelly sheep.

Numbers 12:3 is a parenthetical comment from God about Moses, which says Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. God was calling someone who didn’t think he had any special gift to lead His people. Moses was not arrogant, or over self-confident, but humble. So who are we that God should choose any of us? Is that not grace?

O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out! (Romans 11:33)

Verses 13-22: Moses replied to God saying, When I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘the God of your fathers has sent me to you’ and they say to me, ‘what is his name?’ what shall I say to them?

And God said to Moses, I AM THAT I AM, and He said, Thus shall you say to the children of Israel, I AM has sent me to you. Moreover, you will say to the children of Israel, the LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has sent me to you; for this is My name forever and this is My memorial to all generations. Go, gather together the elders of Israel and say to them, the LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob appeared to me and said, ‘surely I have visited you and have seen what is done to you in Egypt. As I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt into the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and bring you into a land flowing with milk and honey.

And they will listen to your voice and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt and you will say to him, ‘The LORD God of the Hebrews has met with us. We ask that you let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.’

The LORD said, I am sure the king of Egypt will not let you go. No. Not even by a mighty hand. I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in their midst and after that he will let you go. I will give the children of Israel favor in the sight of the Egyptians and it will happen that when you go, you will not go empty handed. Every woman shall borrow from her neighbor and from her that dwells in her house, jewels of silver, jewels of gold, and clothing. You will put them on your children and thus you will plunder the Egyptians.

What wonderful promises! I AM THAT I AM, what does that mean? God gave Moses His name because He was calling His people out of Egypt. In Strong’s Concordance the definition of I AM is: to exist, be in existence; to accompany, be with.⁷ I AM THAT I AM might read thus: I exist, I am in existence, and I accompany you. God the Creator of the Universe is the All Existing One, and is the One who is always with us. This same God is still in existence; as He was with Moses, so He is with us today. What more could a person want? What can we ever say to such wonderful things as these? If God is on our side, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)

The land flowing with milk and honey is the land of Israel. Although God tells Moses he will not be successful in the beginning of the quest asking Pharaoh to let his people go, in the end, God will stretch out His mighty hand and the king of Egypt will give them gifts just to get rid of them and send them OUT of Egypt! This was the favor of God for the supply of their journey. One thing is certain when God orders something He pays for it and the Israelites did not have MasterCard or Visa.

Exodus Chapter 4

Verses 1-9: Moses said, But they won’t believe me, nor pay attention to what I say. They will say, ‘The LORD has not appeared to you.’

The LORD answered, What is that in your hand? and Moses said, A rod.

The LORD said, Throw it on the ground.

Moses threw the rod on the ground and it became a serpent and Moses ran from it.

The LORD said to Moses, Put out your hand and pick it up by the tail. Moses put out his hand picked it up by the tail and it became a rod in his hand.

The LORD said, This is so they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has appeared to you.

Furthermore, the LORD said to him, Put your hand into the bosom of your garment. Moses put his hand into his garment. When he pulled his hand out, it was leprous as snow. The LORD said, Put your hand into the bosom of your garment again. And Moses did so. When he took it out, his hand was as his other flesh. The LORD said, It shall happen, if they do not believe these two signs, and do not listen to your voice, you shall take water out of the river, pour it onto the dry land and the water you take out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

The LORD had Moses complete two different miraculous signs; a serpent from a shepherd’s rod, and a leprous hand from a healthy one. God also gave Moses the promise of a future miracle. Moses, however, remained hesitant about the whole affair.

God asked Moses what is that in your hand? God asks us the same question. What is in your hand to do for the benefit of God’s kingdom and other people? Too often we think of talents such as singing, playing the piano, and even preaching as what is in our hand. God used an ordinary inanimate object (Moses’ staff) to carry out His extraordinary purposes by an ordinary man. It is not necessary for us to look around for something glamorous or attention getting – we already have what God wants us to use. Our part is to begin using what He has given us to realize the great things that can be accomplished if we are willing to follow God’s direction.

Verses 10-17: Moses said to the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent now nor have I ever been eloquent. I am slow of speech and tongue.

The LORD responded, Who made man’s mouth? Who makes the dumb, the deaf, the seeing or the blind? Is it not I the LORD? Now, go, and I will be with your mouth, and teach you what you shall say.

Moses said, O my Lord, I beg of you, send someone else.

The anger of the LORD came against Moses and He said, Is not Aaron the Levite your brother? I know he can speak well, and look, he is coming to meet you and when he sees you his heart will be glad. And you will speak to him and put words in his mouth and I will teach you what you are to do. Aaron will be your spokesman to the people. He shall speak for you to the people and you will be as God to him. Take the rod that is in your hand and with it you will do signs.

Does your mouth ever get you in trouble? Were you speaking God’s words? If you are a parent, you may relate to this scene. You may have told your child to do something and he says he cannot when you know perfectly well, he can. Instead he says to you, Let Johnny do it! or I can’t! God knew what Moses was capable of just as He knows that you are able to do what He has called you to accomplish.

God reveals in these verses His compassionate and patient love for His people. He had chosen Moses to be the deliverer of the children of Israel and He will not be dissuaded in His plan.

God gave levels of authority by telling Moses that Aaron would be his spokesman, but it was Moses’ leadership, under God, that was to prevail.

The word ‘sign’ occurs 76 times in 67 verses in the KJV. Each ‘sign’ is for certain circumstances to prove that God has made a promise and it will certainly come to pass.

Verses 18-23: Moses returned to Jethro his father in law and said to him, Please let me go and return to my brothers who are in Egypt. I want to see if they are yet alive. Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.

The LORD said to Moses in Midian, Go, return to Egypt; for all the men who sought your life are now dead.

And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them on a donkey and he returned to the land of Egypt. Moses took the rod of God with him in his hand.

And the LORD said to Moses, When you return to Egypt, see that you do all those wonders before Pharaoh that I have put in your hand. But, I will harden his heart and he will not let the people go. You shall say to Pharaoh, ‘The LORD God says, Israel is My firstborn son and I say to you, let My son go that he may serve Me. If you refuse to let him go, I will kill your firstborn son.’

Verses 24-26: On their way as they were at the encampment, the LORD met Moses and sought to kill him. Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and casting it at Moses feet said, Surely you are a husband of blood to me.

At this, the LORD let him go. Then Zipporah said, You are a bloody husband because of the circumcision.

In Genesis 17 verses 10-12 as God was speaking to Abraham and the covenant between them was being ratified, God said, ‘This is My covenant, which