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Sunday, June 29, 2008 TEXT: Exodus 18:5-27 TITLE: Pulling TogetherOPEN: Neil Rudenstine was president of Harvard University in the mid-90s For three years - since he became the school’s president -… …he methodically raised a $1 million a day for a school that was already… …flushed with a $4 billion endowment Rudenstine was passionate about big and small things. Besides spending twelve hours a day on a demanding job,
One morning in November, he overslept and just couldn’t manage to make himself go to work, He was diagnosed with “severe fatigue and exhaustion.” The directors insisted he took an indefinite leave of absence to recover from … … severe weariness from exertion. (Newsweek 3/6/95, U.S. News & World Report 12/12/94). The university president did not return not only the next seven days Nor even for the next seven weeks, but spent the next seven months recovering from his fatigue. (Courtesy of Victor Yap Sermoncentral.com)
APPLY: Watching Moses put in long hours day after day - Jethro said to him: "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone.” Exodus 18:17b-18
When Moses led the people of God out of Egypt……there were at least 600,000 men with their wives and children (Exodus 12:37) …And all day long, every day he’d been with the people in the desert… …there was this long line of people waiting to have Moses settle their problems.
This has probable been going on for about a couple of weeks since they’ve left Egypt And when Jethro sees what’s going on… he realizes something is wrong.
It’s obvious that it’s tiring Moses out… (Moses is doing this from early morning til late nite) And it’s obvious that the people aren’t real happy with this arrangement either… It’s wearing them out as well too
? Have you ever stood in a long line at the Grocery store or at the Post Office? ? Have you ever gotten impatient if you had to wait more than a few minutes? (me too) Imagine what it would be like if you had to wait in line for HOURS to get service.
Out here in the desert… there’s over a million people… and only one line to stand in. You kind of get the idea.
So Jethro watches what’s going on… and he realizes his son-in-law needs some help. So he makes a suggestion… He says: “Moses, you need help.”
LOOK WITH ME TO EXODUS 18:19-21 “Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people’s representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people— men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain— and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens.”
In other words… don’t quit doing what you’re doing… just learn to share it with others
God never designed us to work alone? You remember back in Genesis – when God created man Do you remember the reason He gave for creating Eve? He said “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him." Gen. 2:18
It’s an abiding principle in Scripture that when we work for God… we need to work with others
That’s part of the reason Jesus selected 12 men to work along side of Him And THEN - when he sent them out to do their work - do you remember how he sent them out? “He sent them out two by two” (Mark 6:7 & Luke 10:1)
Why? Because trying to work for God all by yourself can wear you out. Ecclesiastes 4:10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:12 says: “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
In science it’s called the principle of SYNERGISM Two can carry more than one.
ILLUS: I once read the story is told of a horse pulling contest in Canada. The winning horse pulled 9000 pounds and the runner up pulled 8000. Together you'd expect them to pull 17,000 lbs. Not so! When teamed together, they pulled 30,000 lbs.
That’s part of the reason Jesus created the churchCongregations are filled with imperfect people… … but when they “pull together” they can accomplish a great deal for God.
And so… when Jethro sees Moses is trying to do his job all by himself – he says – “This isn’t good – you need help”
That’s why God created the role of Elders for the church.Paul wrote to Titus and told him… The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you. An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. Since an overseer is entrusted with God’s work, he must be blameless— not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. Titus 1:5-7
Elders are called Pastors in Scripture… because their job is pastor/ or shepherd the congregation. Elders work as shepherds protecting the church and leading fellow Christians to follow Jesus
Now… preachers also shepherd/ protect / lead / the congregation too… …but God wanted to make sure the preacher didn’t work at that alone. Elders and preachers are called to work together as a team to make the church stronger
Another passage that figures in here is the one Paul wrote to a preacher named Timothy: “…the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2
Now this tells me two things: 1st – it’s my job (and the Elders’ job) to make sure that reliable men get trained in what we know. I do that from the pulpit/ and I do it one on one whenever I can. When many of became Christians we used the Jule Miller Video series… … and so a lot of you are already trained to share your faith with others… … all you have to do is find someone to teach. And if you decided that was what God wanted you to do… I’d go with you.
2ndly – this tells me that it should be the objective of every man in this congregation… … to reach the point where they are entrusted w/ God’s Word so they can share it w/ others
Why would God want us to do it that way? Why should He want you to do what the preacher does? Because God understands that a preacher can preach and preach and preach… … a preacher can do all kinds of ministry in the church… … but if he does his job all by himself… the church won’t grow/ mature.
God wants the church to work by the principle of synergy When everybody in the church pulls together they’ll get far more done than one man in a pulpit.
ILLUS: The first church I served was fun for me. I did everything. I NOT only Preached, I taught/ led singing/ led the youth group/ gave the communion meditations, sang in choir etc. Now I had a great time… … but I didn’t raise up Godly men to do ministry as well as I should have.
The beauty of this church is – lots of people doing a lot of things The atmosphere is literally contagious… We have a strong Eldership We have men who enjoy getting up at Communion time and telling about Jesus We have great teachers who take their teaching seriously We have wonderful youth leaders/ a mission committee w/ people who love missions… … people who have a card ministry – writing shutins/ those in the hospital etc. … and volunteers that help me with the newsletter and the office work … and people who serve Jesus by driving the church bus And I could go on and on and on.
I can’t tell you how proud I am to serve people like you.
But I realize I still could do more to help you and train you. I MEAN - Moses was a great leader of Israel… but he had a blind spot … he did too much by himself… and wasn’t training others to do God’s work. … so if you see that I could do a better job of equipping you – you tell me … because I’m sure I have a blind spot or two. … and I want to do my level best to make you the best you can be for God
For example… let’s say you want to be one of those “reliable people” that I can entrust with God’s teachings so that you can be qualified to teach others … you tell me … I might have overlooked you
People should be challenged to ministry They should be challenged to share their faith. And they should be equipped to do so.
And part of my role is to equip you/ challenge you/ make sure you have the tools to do ministry Now, I don’t know if I do that as well as I could… … I could be like Moses – and not realize where I’m falling short
Moses was humble enough to take advice… and I hope I am too So if you see that I’m not training people sufficiently
Why
should that be the way it is? When you make it your objective to get information you can share w/ others… … the church will grow.
Now when Paul told Timothy “…the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others.” 2 Timothy 2:2 … I believe this advice can also apply to YOUR specific ministries for Christ.
Are you a Sunday School teacher? Eventually that trainee should be able to start their own class… … or take over yours so that you can go start another class.
Do you have a mid-week Bible study?Find people to lead that study so you can start another one with other people.
When you share your job with others… you don’t wear yourself out… … and you get more done. … and you get more people interested in your ministry
PLUS… Church-growth experts have told us that a strong growing church… … should have at least one or two new groups starting up every year. … because when more people want to share their faith… they draw more people in
So let’s revue: God designed us to be able to work
CLOSE: During World War II, a church building in Strasbourg was destroyed. After the bombing, the members surveyed the area to see what damage was done. They were pleased that a statue of Christ with outstretched hands was still standing… …because it had been sculpted centuries before by a great artist.
Taking a closer look however, the people discovered both hands of Christ had been sheared off by a falling beam. It seemed like a great tragedy at the time.
But later, when a sculptor in the town offered to replace… … the broken hands as a gift to the church, the church leaders refused.
They had had long enough seeing the statue that way that they realized… … the damage done to Christ actually symbolized a powerful teaching from Scripture. They said that the statue had taught them that the work of Christ had been given to them. They were called to be
the hands of Christ… and to serve God with all their hearts.
Sunday, June 22, 2008 TITLE: The Bitter Root TEXT: Numbers 16:1-50 OPEN: Back in 1840, the Bethlehem Church of Christ had a problem. According to a page out of their history book, “We had fighting right here at home. The Democrats and Republicans were so bitter against one another, it broke the church up.” One eyewitness reported a fist fight over the issue: “Two of our best men fought to a finish. One wanted to know if the other had enough. He said he had, so he let him up.” Tom Claibourne, Restoration Herald. Sept. 07
A fist fight on the church property? Yeah, I’ve heard of it happening.
But it doesn’t seem to make any sense. You wouldn’t think such a thing would happen These people are saved by the blood of Jesus Christ… … they should be the kindest, gentlest, most understanding people you’ve ever met. But (pause) they aren’t always
ILLUS: According to a survey conducted in 2004, preachers across the nation were asked what topic wasn’t properly covered in their Bible college training… and the top answer was: Conflict management (31%) John C. LaRue is Vice President of “Online Services for Christianity Today International”
Now,
why wouldn’t Bible colleges cover that topic? But there often is.
Throughout my life, I’ve heard of churches that have had
… but who would refuse to even sit on the same side of the aisle with others
Why would this happen? Well… often times it occurs because of something called “the root of bitterness”
Hebrews 12:15 warns the church to “See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
That’s what has happened here in Numbers 16There’s a whole of bunch of really bitter people in the camp of Israel… … and their anger has reached the boiling point.
What’s made them so bitter? Well, for one thing, a couple of weeks before… (Numbers 13 & 14) … they had been on the verge of entering the Promised Land.
12 spies had been sent into Palestine to scout out the territory
“If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.” Numbers 14:8
infected the rest of Israel so that the people refused to enter the land
So, God said “Fine, you don’t want to go in… you don’t have to… … you’ll spend the next 40 years in the wilderness… … and when you’re dead, I’ll let your kids go in your stead”
Hearing this, the people suddenly changed their minds and they literally rushed into Palestine… … but God didn’t go with them and they ended up being chased out w/ tails between legs
That was about a couple of weeks ago. And there are people who are still angry about what happened… and they blame Moses. There’s a whole laundry list of complaints against Moses and Aaron, one of which is: “… you HAVEN’T brought us into a land flowing with milk and honey or given us an inheritance of fields and vineyards…" Numbers 16:14
“It’s your fault Moses (they say) You broke your promise!” And so now, they’re upset. They’re mad/ angry. They’re filled with the root of bitterness… and it’s eating them alive
So they form a “committee of the concerned” and select some leaders
…the 1st born of the 12 sons of Israel
They say to themselves: Not only has he broken his promise to bring us this Promised Land filled w/ milk and honey… … but he shouldn’t even be in charge… … WE SHOULD!
But they’ve got a problem: Moses has the priesthood of God on his side… … so they decide to even the playing field… and play their own “religious card”
They approach Aaron’s cousin – Korah (the Levite) – and get him to back their play. And once they get enough people on their side… …they confront Moses and Aaron and challenge their leadership.
And - in the end - over 14,000 Israelites die from God’s judgment In 1 Corinthians 10 Paul lists a number of punishments God brought down upon … … the Israelites for their sinfulness as they wandered in the wilderness… and then he says: “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.” 1 Corinthians 10:11
In other words, the story here in Numbers 16, was recorded for our benefit… … there’s something God wants us to see here…. But what?
Well, one of the lessons is – be careful about getting into “power struggles” in the church It’s not healthy… …and God tends to take it kind of personally. It’s HIS church… not yours or mine.
Another lesson is: don’t let bitterness (over problems you encounter in church)… … take root in your soul … bitterness/ anger/ venting your frustrations isn’t healthy… … and these emotions can cause you to sin against God… … and God will punish you for that.
But there’s a different angle I want to take on this passage. I don’t want to look so much at the sin that Israel committed here… … as I want to focus on the way Moses handled the problem. I don’t want to look at what Israel did wrong/ as Moses did right
We need to learn how to handle problems like this one… Because – even in the church
Even those people will misbehave once in a while. Even these folks will get caught up in bitterness and anger… … and behave badly when things don’t go their way.
How would Moses handle people like that?First… he dealt promptly with the He didn’t let it fester for a couple of months/ couple of years He immediately confronted the problem (sleeping dogs lie)
Look with me to Numbers 16:3-4 “They came as a group to oppose Moses and Aaron and said to them, ‘You have gone too far! The whole community is holy, every one of them, and the LORD is with them. Why then do you set yourselves above the LORD’s assembly?’
(And what does Moses do????) Vs. 4 When Moses heard this, he fell facedown.
Why on earth would he do that? Well, when faced with conflict… body language says a lot. If someone is angry with you - they’ll frown, fold their arms, clench their fist… … and hold their heads in a certain way.
Moses’ body language was intended to show humility and humbleness… He fell on his face before his accusers because… … he’s not looking for a fight/ doesn’t want to fight… … he just wants to resolve the problem … he’s NOT taking this personally.
Even more than that… Not only is Moses not taking this personally… … he’s reacting to these people the way he does because he actually cares for them. Throughout this passage Moses prays for these folks He reasons with them He goes the extra mile
It’s only when they show that they have no intention of being reasonable that he gets tough Look at Numbers 16:12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab. But they said, "We will not come!”
By their behavior they show they’re not open to reason And so – in verse 15 it says “Then Moses became very angry and said to the LORD, ‘Do not accept their offering. I have not taken so much as a donkey from them, nor have I wronged any of them.’" Numbers 16:15
ILLUS: Years ago I preached in a church where the piano player of the congregation had this “root of bitterness” toward me. During the sermon, she’d sit in the 2nd row… … she’d fold her arms, clench her fists, and glare at me throughout the sermon. I couldn’t get the Elders to address the issue, and I really didn’t dislike the woman… … so – on the advice of the Elders – I ignored her and just did my job. One day, however, she decided to up the ante. She was holding her granddaughter in her arms, and the child fussed, and cried and yell. All thru the sermon I end up competing with this child for the attention of the audience. After the sermon was done, she got up and took the child to the nursery. Now I had a pretty good idea what she was doing… … but I couldn’t prove it. But I told the Elders they had to talk to her before next Sunday… …or I’d take care of the matter myself the next time it happened. SHE REFUSED TO TALK WITH THEM. So I told the Elders, this woman was in rebellion to their authority and they needed to take care of that.
That’s what happened with Moses… …he told God – these people are in rebellion… YOU take care of it. … and of course – God did!
So, let’s revue: Moses loved these people/ cares about them He didn’t want to fight… he wants to help these people deal with their anger. And so he does everything he could to resolve the conflict In fact, he even proposed a solution to the conflictLook with me to Numbers 16:5-7 Then he said to Korah and all his followers: "In the morning the LORD will show who belongs to him and who is holy, and he will have that person come near him. The man he chooses he will cause to come near him. You, Korah, and all your followers are to do this: Take censers and tomorrow put fire and incense in them before the LORD. The man the LORD chooses will be the one who is holy. You Levites have gone too far!"
Essentially, Moses rebukes Korah for handling this whole situation wrongly… (digress) How should Korah have handled this? Matthew 18 says if I have a problem with a brother what am I to do?
THE WHOLE OBJECTIVE IS TO WIN YOUR BROTHER But Korah hadn’t done that… … he had joined with the Reubenites to stage a full scale rebellion
ILLUS: Now, several times during my ministry here I have asked you folks to join me in a vow It’s a vow that we – as a church will always do things that way. It is a biblical teaching that if you are upset with someone you are to go to THEM first That you will not talk behind their back You don’t enlist people to back your play You go to them… you seek to win them over How many of you agree that that is something every Christian should do? Well, I’m going to ask you to make a vow that YOU will always try to do that (STAND)
So there is a proper way to deal with conflict – And Moses attempts it He talks to Korah… then he tries to summon Dathan and Abiram
And he proposes a solution… let’s take it to God. Fill your censers, we’ll take them before God and let Him decide.
Now, notice, Moses doesn’t ask to have this settled by a church vote… He doesn’t ask for a show of hands to see who approves of how things are Israel isn’t a democracy… it’s a theocracy The only vote that’s going to count (particularly on a doctrinal matter) – is God’s You can’t expect to “outvote God” in a church and then rec’ His blessing.
Whenever God’s people voted in the Bible… the result was rarely a good one. REASON? = people tended to vote their emotions rather than their obedience to God’s will
Now – WISE Church leaders should listen to their people… And when there is not a direct Biblical command being considered… … they should take the feelings of the people into consideration … and they should it do that way because the church doesn’t belong to them either
It belongs to God… and God is the one who has to be pleased with what they do.
CLOSE: Back when we decided to go to two services – we didn’t put it to a vote. We were crowded back then and the Eldership decided that this was the best thing to do… … so that we could continue to make room for more people. But now there were some people who weren’t happy with the ideaPeople I loved and cared for were upset.
And without realizing it – I followed Moses example in dealing with this problem I explained that the idea meant the staff had to work twice as hard. I had to preach two times a Sunday morning There had to be a people in the sound booth, at the piano, leading singing… … for two services. But we felt this was the only way – short of building a new building (no money)
But then I gave folks an option: I said let’s let God decide I said “I give you permission to ask God to make this project fail” If God doesn’t want 2nd service – if not enough people show up to make it worthwhile… … then we’ll kill the project.
And to the credit of those who were upset… they were willing to let God decide And the early service has been going on now for about 3 years… … and they give us room for new people to come to the 2nd service.
CLOSE: The problems in most churches begin when people get upset. But that doesn’t have to end up in fist fights/ power struggles/ church splits
When those problems are handled in love/ and in obedience to God… … most churches can work their way thru the problems
But even when they aren’t… if we’re patient with God… allow Him to work in ways we cannot.. … in time, God can heal what we cannot … in time, God deals with the sin in people’s hearts … and in time, God can root out the root of bitterness and heal us. Monday, June 9, 2008 Sunday, June 8th, 2008TITLE: The Curse Of The Mummy TEXT: Exodus 1:6-22 OPEN:Back in 1922, archeologist Howard Carter led a team that unearthed the tomb of King Tut Shortly before the tomb was opened, Carter’s canary was bitten by a Cobra And a year afterward Lord Cameron – the man who financed the expedition – died of an infection he got while shaving. Add to that the rumor that King Tut’s tomb held a curse for any who would open his grave… …and the media had a field day. By 1935, they claimed there were 21 victims of the Mummy’s curse.
Now, that was not really true… but because the supposed Mummy’s curse… …the interest of the public in mummies and curses spawned over 500 movies… … featuring actors wrapped in cloth wreaking their wrath… … on foolish mortals who dared to disturb their tombs.
APPLY: The story of the curse of King Tut is interesting to me… And the reason its interesting is because there really was a curse associated with his family… …BUT it didn’t effect King Tut. It effected his father, his uncle and his grandfather.
Now, Tut’s mother was Nefertiti (the famed beauty of ancient Egypt) And his father was a Pharaoh named Amenhotep IV
Amenhotep was not quite as famous as King Tut… …but he caused quite a stir in his day because he made a major change in Egypt’s worship Amenhotep took what had been a worship many gods (called polytheism) … and forced Egypt to worship only ONE God (monotheism)
Scholars are divided as to why Tut’s father made this dramatic change… … but you can be assured it wasn’t real popular at the time In fact, it was so unpopular that once King Tut took the throne… … he immediately changed Egypt back to the many gods that everybody seemed to want
Amenhotep IV (King Tut’s father) was the heretic King of Egypt He wanted Egypt to worship only one God (interesting)
Even more interesting Amenhotep IV wasn’t actually supposed to be Pharaoh That title should have gone to his older brother – the 1st born of his family - died mysteriously
To my way of thinking this family sounds a lot like one that might have suffered from a curse … a curse known as the 10th plague = the death of the first born.
God told Moses say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’" Exodus 4:22-23
Now, I could be wrong, but… IF King Tut’s father (Amenhotep IV) was the 2nd born… … and he became Pharaoh because his elder brother, the 1st born, had died of unknown causes … and once he became Pharaoh he then abandoned the many gods of his family for ONE god My guess is: Amenhotep was probably the 2nd born son of the Pharaoh that Moses confronted
If that’s true… then Amenhotep IV would have seen the failure of Egypt’s many gods And he would have known 1st hand that his family’s gods couldn’t save his family … and in bitterness he would have abandoned them for a more powerful god.
If that’s true, that would make King Tut’s grandfather Amenhotep III - … the Pharaoh of Egypt during the Exodus Amenhotep III was a powerful ruler who ruled Egypt for nearly 40 years And his reign was one of the most prosperous and stable periods of Egypt’s history But it was Amenhotep III’s son - his 1st born son - that died mysteriously
So let’s revue: King Tut’s grandfather would have been the Pharaoh during the Exodus And his father would have become the next Pharaoh (once Israel was gone)… because his 1st born brother had died in the last of the 10 plagues
Got that??? Ok, but we still have one Pharaoh we haven’t identified. Who would have been the “new king who didn’t know Joseph”? in Exodus 1 He reigned 80 years before Moses came back to free Egypt. Who was THIS Pharaoh?
If my math is right… that might have been Tut’s great, great, grandfather – Thutmose III Thutmose loved to build things… great monuments/ temples/ and cities And that kind of building would have req’d a lot of slave labor… slave like Israelites
In addition - Thutmose also hated people that weren’t like his people – the Egyptians. Years before Thutmose became king Egypt had been taken over by foreign people called Hyksos The Hyksos ruled for about 150 years… but they weren’t “like” the Egyptians They lived different, ate different, worshipped different And eventually the Egyptians overthrew the Hyksos Kings
When Thutmose became king he decided to completely remove any remaining threat of/ Hyksos … and he mounted 23 campaigns to finally destroy what power they still had
He was a mighty warrior that some have called the Napoleon of Egypt
And like I said – he hated people who weren’t like his people – like the Hyksos… … and like the Israelites (because they weren’t like the Egyptians either) · They lived different · Ate different · And they worshipped different than Egyptians did. And many conservative scholars believe Joseph came to Egypt during the reign of the Hyksos …thus Israel would have been identified as being part of the hated rule of those foreigners And so Thutmose III would have sought to destroy Israel because he saw them … … as posing the same threat the Hyksos had had over his beloved nation
So THIS is how it would have all played out (according to my way of thinking) Thutmosis III – was the New King who didn’t know Joseph (Exodus 1:8) Amenhotep III – (Thutmosis’ great grandson) was the Pharaoh during the Exodus Exodus chapters 3 - 14 Amenhotep IV – was the 2nd born son who became Pharaoh due to his brother’s death… … and who forced Egypt to worship only one God And King Tut was the king who brought Egypt back to worshipping its many false gods
Now.. that’s nice but YOU MIGHT ASK “what difference does that make?” (wait) Well, it’s important for us to realize the Bible tells us the truth about history… There are many “scholars” out there who would like you to think that the Bible is unreliable… … they’d like you to think you can’t trust it … that it’s historically inaccurate … that its authors borrowed from other cultures to arrive at its theology. for example they’d like us to think that Moses learned his theology about… … there being only “one God” from Amenhotep IV… … rather than the other way around.
Why would these skeptics believe this? They believe it… because they don’t believe in the God of the Bible… And since they don’t believe in Him… they need to explain how… … the Israelites could have lived in such a polytheistic world… … and still ended up worshipping only ONE God. To their way of thinking – if there is no REAL God – then men had to make Him up
But there is a REAL God – and His Bible makes no errors in its telling of history. Archeologists have used the Bible for more than a century as a road map to find… … cities and civilizations that have been long buried by the sands of time. THERE IS NO OTHER RELIGIOUS BOOK CAPABLE OF THAT KIND OF ACCURACY
God didn’t give us the Bible as a history book… but it IS historically accurate … you CAN depend on it to be correct even in the smallest details. And I believe God didn’t do that just with the Bible. I think He left a little “trail of crumbs” in history-crumbs of evidence pointing back to His Word …evidence like the lives of King Tut and his father Amenhotep IV
Now… I want to shift gears a little here. The curse of the Mummy was the curse of God’s judgment upon Pharaoh’s house. Ever since the days of Thutmose III (this new king that didn’t know Joseph) … God had been at war with Egypt. The Pharaoh had arranged to kill the babies of the Israelites… …and so God would not only free His people from their slavery… …but would bring judgment upon all of Egypt… …and especially on the house of Pharaoh. In Exodus 5 -when Thutmose’s great grandson – Amenhotep III was Pharaoh… … and Moses came into his throne room & asked permission to take Israel away Pharaoh declared: "Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORD and I will not let Israel go." Exodus 5:2
Well, over the next weeks God showed this Pharaoh WHO He was. He brought 10 terrible plagues upon Egypt… … and the last of those plagues was the death of the firstborn (blood on doorposts)
Now, what I found interesting in this part of the story was Pharaoh’s comment: Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? And you know… that’s exactly the same attitude Satan had … that’s exactly the mindset that set Lucifer against God.
Satan had declared in his heart – who is the LORD that I should obey Him. In Isaiah 14:13 we’re told that Satan had said in his heart "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain.” And so began his rebellion against God.
Reading that, I began to realize that Pharaoh was a “Type” of Satan. Pharaoh was to Israel was Satan is to us.
Pharaoh
In the same way – before we became Christians – Satan
Colossians 1:18 tells us that in His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus was “… the firstborn from the dead”
By His resurrection, Jesus opened the gates of hell and freed us from death’s power.
Thus… just as the death of the firstborn heralded the freedom of Israel So also, the death of the only begotten Son of God made Him God’s firstborn… … and His death and resurrection = bought us our freedom
Every time we see someone accept Jesus by being buried in the waters of baptism and… … risen up to live a new life we should be reminded of this great truth. Because in their baptism they are re-enacting the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus
One last thought. There is one troubling aspect of Israel’s relationship with Pharaoh that has always puzzled me
Whenever they ran into difficulties – it seemed they always talked of going back to Egypt In Numbers 11 we’re told that Israel began to be bored with their diet. They wanted more variety… more meat = And they said: We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost— also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. Numbers 11:5
They’d forgotten the bitterness of their slavery when life didn’t go their way And they were tempted to return to their old way of life.
That happens to some new Christians as well. They become bored with Christianity… Or they face troubles that shake their faith… … and they long for how life had been before they were saved. And some even return to their old ways.
And because they turn back… they embrace the curse
CLOSE: Michael P Green (Illustrations For Biblical Preaching) tells this final story When Howard Carter and his associates found the tomb of King Tutankhamen… … they opened up his casket and found another within it. They opened up the second, which was covered with gold leaf, and found a third. Inside the third casket was a fourth made of pure gold. And the pharaoh's body was in the fourth, wrapped in gold cloth with a gold face mask.
But when the body was unwrapped, it was leathery and shriveled.
No matter how elaborate the caskets No matter how beautiful the wrappings What lay within was death And no matter how they tried to preserve their bodies… … the Pharaoh’s couldn’t escape that final curse … the curse of death.
But through Jesus we have escaped Hebrews 2 tells us “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death— that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 Sunday, June 1, 2008 TITLE: Love in the Desert TEXT: Exodus 4:19-26 OPEN: Jeffrey Sackett once observed: Think of how often in scripture it is the woman who is the vehicle for ministry. Who prompted Jesus
to perform His first miracle? A Woman! (His mother)
APPLY: One person has observed that women are more naturally religious than men. Women understand the need for God more readily than men They are often touched by the emotional appeal of Jesus easier than men are
And because of their potential for faith, women often serve as the backbone of many churches They have the potential to develop their husbands and sons into great leaders Men may be called to positions of leadership in the church… … but without Godly women beside them… they’re not going to get much done.
This morning we’re being introduced to a woman named Zipporah – the wife of MosesAnd from I’m reading I believe that Zipporah deeply loved her husband & childrenShe’d been married to Moses for about 40 years She’s born him two sons – Gershom and Eliezer In fact - Exodus 2:22 tells us that not long after their marriage “Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom (Gershom mean “alien”), saying, ‘I have become an alien in a foreign land.’”
But now, their 2nd son - Eliezer seems to be a different story. He seems to have been born around the time when God met Moses on the Mt…. …because his name doesn’t reflect Moses’ isolation in exile… …but rather his new found encouragement in God Eliezer means “God is my helper”
Zipporah & Moses have herded her father’s sheep for about 40 years … and they’ve had a fairly peaceful… uneventful existence all that time
But then Moses comes home and tells her that he’s just talked to God at a burning bush God has told him that he is to go down into Egypt and tell Pharaoh – “Let my people go!” …And all of a sudden - life becomes dramatically different
Now, Zipporah believes in God. Her daddy – Jethro – is a priest of God in Midian (the same God that just talked to Moses) And I’m suspecting that she’s a pleased as punch that her husband has rec’d a promotion He is now going to work for this great and powerful God her father serves
So she excited!! they pack up their belongings, get the boys ready to travel…and down the road they go But they don’t get too far down the road when this event we read about in Exodus 4 takes place And this is perhaps one of the most confusing stories in all Scripture Let’s revue it:
And that’s it Now… does that make ANY sense?Well, yeah, if you read a little between the lines.
You see: Circumcision was the mark of the Covenant God had with Israel Gen 17:10-12 Abraham is told: "This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born in your household or bought with money from a foreigner-- those who are not your offspring.”
So God had commanded that every Israelite had to circumcise their boys… And - obviously - one of Zipporah’s boys was not circumcised Most likely – it’s Eliezer
Why hasn’t he been circumcised? Well, I can guess… Now understand, I’m speculating here, but from what I know of people …this scenario makes sense:
… She’s been raised in an different culture than the one God established for Israel.
… she was appalled and disgusted - too much blood and screaming from her baby. You can visualize her saying"Moses, I love you, but you are NOT going to do this to any of our other children." Thus, later when Eliezer is born, mamma puts her foot down. No blade of flint would perform that ceremony on this child!
Now, we have a conflict! God has a law that He expects His people to obey, but… Zipporah basically said: I don’t care what God said, this isn’t going to happen!
Why isn’t it going to happen? Well, she doesn’t like it – it offends her This wasn’t how she was raised This wasn’t how she was taught Her theology will not allow for it. And so she basically tells God to take a hike Now, as I said before, Women have a great potential for faith… and because of that potential of faith… … they often serve as the backbone of many churches/ministries And they have the potential to develop their sons & their husbands into great leaders
Men may be called to positions of leadership in the church… … but without Godly women beside them… men are not going to get much done.
Now Zipporah has been raised in a Godly homeHer father Jethro is a priest of the most high God. And she’s married to Moses - a man has personally commissioned to ministry by God BUT she is now opposing God She will not allow Moses to obey God with respect to their children
What we’re finding here =God has one agenda… and Zipporah has another entirely different one And because she had a different agenda, she created an obstacle to Moses’ ministry She wants HER way
ILLUS: At a family gathering, the women were being teased by their husbands… … about how they always seemed get their way. One woman said to her husband "Honey, when I get my way, that’s a compromise."
Ephesians 5 tells us that a husband should be the head of his house… …but this leadership in the home includes treating his wife with respect …and listening to her opinions.
However, there are times when a husband is trying to follow God’s will… … that he finds his wife doesn’t like the direction he’s going.
ILLUS: The Old Testament story of Rebekah is an excellent example of this. Isaac wanted to bless Esau, but that didn’t appeal to Rebekah… …so she conspired with Jacob to deceive Isaac and steal the blessing. While that ultimately fulfilled God’s plan for Jacob… … HER plan of
action created problems for her son that lasted for years. "There is a way that seems right unto a man, but the end thereof is death" (Proverbs 14:12). That’s true both of husbands AND wives. That’s why Elder’s wives are advised in I Timothy 3:11 "In the same their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy
in everything." In other words, these women should not be bossy
troublemakers. ILLUS: An older preacher told me of a time he was opposed by the wife of one of the elders. She apparently wanted him to retire so the church could hire a younger man for the pulpit. She caused a great deal of trouble in the church thru gossip and back biting. She was a bossy troublemaker The preacher finally said to her husband "you’re an elder of this congregation and you can’t
even control your wife?"
Wives, do you remember the story of Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac on Mount Moriah? How many of you wives could do what Sarah did Abraham when he told her … … God wanted him to sacrifice their only son?
I Peter 3:4ff tells women "(your beauty) should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear."
Now in our feminist oriented society that isn’t smiled on There are women in this world that basically tell God: I don’t care what You said, that’s not going to happen!
And they’re welcome to do that Women don’t have to obey if they don’t want to.
But there is a price to be paid when we ignore God’s guidance. A disobedient heart can hurt your children/ husbands/ your entire family. Because God doesn’t lay down His commands just to be mean. He’s not asking women to roll over and play dead… He’s asking you to have a gentle submissive heart… …to let your men lead … and then to trust Him for the outcome. He asks that because He knows what works… what is best for us.
The last thing I want you to see out of this passage is this: One of Zipporah’s problems here was that she refused to sign God’s contract in God’s way
In Genesis 17 we’re told that Circumcision was sign of the Old Covenant. Those who were not circumcised under that covenant were to be cut off from fellowship. In refusing to have her child circumcised, Zipporah was basically telling God I know this is what Moses has said You wanted, but it doesn’t appeal to my religious background
But God doesn’t take rejection of His commands lightly. If circumcision was required as part of the Old Testament Covenant … then circumcision was what you had better do. But now, in the New Testament book of Acts… …we’re told that God no longer had the intention of using circumcision as… … the sign of the covenant for Christians.
In fact Circumcision was, , replaced by something else. In Colossians 2:9-12 we’re told: It was to replace circumcision because it better symbolized what… God wanted His people to remember: that when they became Christians,
That’s why Romans 6:3-5 tells us “…don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.
There are all kinds of religious traditions that don’t include baptism But a wise wife and mother (and father/ grandparent/ uncle or aunt) realizes that… … if you want God’s blessings… you do things God’s way
CLOSE: Dave Thomas (the founder of Wendy’s Restaurants)… … was a staunch advocate of family values and faith. He once wrote in his book “Well Done!”
"When I was 11 years old, my adoptive grandmother took me to Michigan's Gull Lake to be baptized by immersion," "I really felt that I was accepted by God when I was baptized. But what I remember most about my baptism was that my Grandma Minnie made it happen. For her, Christianity meant more than doctrine you talked about on Sundays.... It meant teaching her grandson about faith."
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