Shemot (Exodus)
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Meaning
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Day Four
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Haftara
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B'rit Hadashah
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1 Our Father, we receive Your Words and hide Your commandments with us; 2 we incline our ear unto wisdom, and apply our hearts to understanding; 3 We cry after knowledge and lift up our voices for understanding; 4 we seek it as silver; and search for it as for hidden treasures; 5 We declare that we shall understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God. Declaration of Proverbs 2:1-5
Exodus 3:18-4:17 (NASB) 1
18 "They will pay heed to what you say; and you with the elders of Israel will come to the king of Egypt and you will say to him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. So now, please, let us go a three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.' 19 "But I know that the king of Egypt will not permit you to go, except under compulsion. 20 "So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My miracles which I shall do in the midst of it; and after that he will let you go. 21 "I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.
22 "But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians." 4 1 Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" 2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." 3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail "-so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand - 5 "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." 6 The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 "If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9 "But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground ; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." 10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 "Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." 13 But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will." 14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 "You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16 "Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 "You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."
22 "But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians." 4 1 Then Moses said, "What if they will not believe me or listen to what I say? For they may say, 'The LORD has not appeared to you.'" 2 The LORD said to him, "What is that in your hand?" And he said, "A staff." 3 Then He said, "Throw it on the ground." So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from it. 4 But the LORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand and grasp it by its tail "-so he stretched out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand - 5 "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." 6 The LORD furthermore said to him, "Now put your hand into your bosom." So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then He said, "Put your hand into your bosom again." So he put his hand into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 "If they will not believe you or heed the witness of the first sign, they may believe the witness of the last sign. 9 "But if they will not believe even these two signs or heed what you say, then you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground ; and the water which you take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground." 10 Then Moses said to the LORD, "Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue." 11 The LORD said to him, "Who has made man's mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD? 12 "Now then go, and I, even I, will be with your mouth, and teach you what you are to say." 13 But he said, "Please, Lord, now send the message by whomever You will." 14 Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, "Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15 "You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16 "Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17 "You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs."
It's a cheery blue sky with the floating white clouds today and that is a good thing! It's a respite from the winter 'dome' cloud cover over every inch of the sky. We had more snow laid down over the past forty-eight hours and our grandson, Kyle, cleared the yard and the driveway with their new “quad” machine with the snow plow attachment. Kyle is here for the week to maintain the trailer for the three that are in New York City. They had their first full day in the city, touring the harbor with the water taxi, and I think they took Paige to a Broadway production. Today its a day in some Brobdingnagian amusement center that has an indoor water park. I'm virtually tripping in New York City this week via android phone! Now we're all going to virtually visit Egypt and catch up with Moses as he has received his call from Yahweh to lead Israel from slavery by confronting their Pharaoh. But first, it appears that Moses is concerned about making his objections to this incredible calling.
1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Exodus 4:1.
10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. Exodus 4:10.
13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. Exodus 4:13.
Mind, these are all somewhat valid objections. When we speak to people, we like to be believed. I think we can understand this. “What if they don't believe me?” When we engage with others, we like to think that we can make ourselves understood. We have difficulty speaking to others that we consider are on a different status or class than ourselves. Moses was no different. He'd become very comfortable in his life as a shepherd. Leading and speaking with royalty may have been his thing as a youth as the adopted grandson of a Pharaoh, but no more. Perhaps it was because he had a stutter or perhaps it was indeed that he felt that his Egyptian Coptic vocabulary was far too rusty. Shepherds are not on par with royalty. Finally his last objection was flat out born of his insecurity that we all feel and fear when we're totally out of our “comfort zones”. He felt that there was absolutely somebody else more equipped that God should send. There are some places or events that we just do not feel comfortable to go 'by ourselves'.
There's been SO many times in my own life where I ducked out of things because I felt exactly like Moses did. Albert Barnes states that it could have been a “weakness of faith”. Considering all of the tumultuous events in his life that led him to shepherding on the back of the desert, it's understandable that he might have this “weakness of faith” and add to that, any sort of motivation to move out of his chosen life's work. He felt quite safe there, and I do stress the 'safe' part. I can't fault Moses for any of his arguments! Multiple commentators sense that Moses knew of the prophecy in Genesis chapter 3, and that the ultimate Savior that was to come, Moses was saying, “Better to send HIM than me, LORD!” Thomas Coke believed this and stated:
“... send by that hand whom thou art about to send: i.e. says he, by the Saviour of the world, who Moses knew was to come; and who, he thought, might properly come at this time, to deliver his people; "and, for this reason," continues Houbigant, "God was angry at Moses; as it was not for him to appoint the time of human redemption...”
Adam Clark opposed the notion that Moses was speaking of the Savior to come.
“The Hebrew שלח נא ביד תשלח shelach na beyad tishlach literally translated is, Send now (or, I beseech thee) by the hand thou wilt send; which seems to intimate, Send a person more fit for the work than I am. So the Septuagint: Προχειρισαι δυναμενον αλλονον αποστελεις Elect another powerful person, whom thou wilt send. It is right to find out the Messiah wherever he is mentioned in the Old Testament; but to press scriptures into this service which have not an obvious tendency that way, is both improper and dangerous. I am firmly of opinion that Moses had no reference to the Messiah when he spoke these words.”
I suppose this could be argued until it's time to call the cows home. After all of the things that God said He would supply, like the “signs”, the voice and the eloquence of God in the very mouth of Moses, and then the accompaniment of his long lost brother, Aaron, Moses was still SO reticent to accept this calling! I SO get Moses in this! The Pulpit Commentary, published circa 1890 and Edited by H.D.M. Spence, D.D., Joseph S. Exell, M.A., states the following and also brings out how we all relate to Moses to his calling and the calling of God on our own lives:
“Moses' difficulties resolved themselves into three.
1. The power of Pharaoh. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?". [Ex 3:10] We may be staggered by the thought of the powers that are arrayed against us.
1. The anticipated unbelief of the people (ver. 1). The preacher has to encounter hard and unbelieving hearts, and this may enfeeble and dishearten him.
2. His lack of gifts (ver. 10). Humble natures are easily discouraged by the sense of their own short-comings—by the consciousness of ignorance, defective education, lack of gifts of speech, etc.”
Spence and Exell are so right in this! We do tend more to depreciate ourselves and downgrade our strengths.
“Undoubtedly the general inclination of men is towards self-assertion and self-sufficiency, so that diffidence and distrust of self are commonly regarded as excellences. But there is a diffidence which is wrongful, a self-distrust which Scripture condemns. St. Paul calls it "a voluntary humility" (ejqelotapeinofrosunh) — a humblemindedness, that is, which has its root in the will; a man not choosing to think that he is fit for high things, and determining to keep down his aims, aspirations, hopes, endeavours. The same apostle exhorts his converts "not to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think", [Ro 12:3] but at the same time, by implication, "not to think too humbly, for he tells them to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every one the measure of faith." We ought to take true views of ourselves, of our capacities, powers, faculties, even of the graces to which by God's mercy we have been able to attain; and not to deny them or depreciate them.”
Let this be our homework today: Let's make true assessments of ourselves in our capacities, powers and faculties. It might be as simple as when I answered the ad in our local municipal web page for somebody to clip a cat's claws. I thought, I can do that. And having answered that 'call' if you will, I gained two dear friends in the neighborhood. I've been blessed more than those I serve in this 'capacity'. When they were looking for a new cook for the Senior's club. My dear sister in Messiah, Janice erupted in the conversation at the time, “Anne! You could do that!” Well, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure, but I was willing to try. I heard the 'call' through Janice. I had already been praying for a little job that would supply me with some 'mad money' for those 'rainy days' in the economy of the homestead. It may have been Janice's confidence in me that got me rolling along with God's answer and now I've grown in my own confidence to crank out lunch each Monday and do specials on top of that. Our lunch crowd has grown from an average of sixteen plates served to twenty-two. I'm not crazy enough to believe that it's my cooking that's bringing them in. There's many factors owing to the increased participation in their club. What I mean to say is that I'm growing with it and thanks to God and Janice, I'm saying, “I can do this.”
Learn from the experience of Moses. When he kept undervaluing himself and his capabilities, God actually lost His cool.
13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses...” Exodus 4:13-14.
God gave Moses 'tools' if you will, to operate in his calling. There's more homework but just this and no more: Let's look for the tools that God has given us to operate in His calling for us. Moses was given the “signs”, the “brother” and the “rod”. I had fifty years as a cat owner and a pair of claw clippers. I have cook books and videos and an interest in the 'science and physics' of cookery (dated videos with Graham Kerr are my go-to for an excellent source of the science and the physics). I now know the difference between a roux and a béchamel sauce. Maybe what Moses lacked was just the knowledge that he would 'grow' with the calling. He just was afraid to move ahead, even with the 'tools' God gave him. And then, of course, there is overcoming that fear of leaving his 'safe' zone. We can relate to that.
We're definitely living in such tumultuous times. Just like Moses. Our world is a little nutty, no, a lot nutty. As a society, we're terribly spiritually stunted. That's the sort of success that the enemy has had in thwarting God's plan and ultimate destiny for mankind. If there is to be a revival of grand nature, then we can be ready for it if we simply take the time now to realistically accept and categorize our strengths and skills in use for HIM. The Pulpit Commentary urges that:
“We prevent ourselves from attaining heights to which we might have attained, we keep ourselves down in this world and make our position low in the next, by similar folly... If we would rise high we must aim high; if we would aim high we must not be too diffident of ourselves.”
I had to look up that word diffident. Diffident means being shy and timid, wanting confidence and distrustful of our own powers. Yes, that describes me and a lot of other believers too. We can change that. After all, we ARE made in HIS image. Don't know about you, but I'm going to do my homework now.
1 And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee. Exodus 4:1.
10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. Exodus 4:10.
13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. Exodus 4:13.
Mind, these are all somewhat valid objections. When we speak to people, we like to be believed. I think we can understand this. “What if they don't believe me?” When we engage with others, we like to think that we can make ourselves understood. We have difficulty speaking to others that we consider are on a different status or class than ourselves. Moses was no different. He'd become very comfortable in his life as a shepherd. Leading and speaking with royalty may have been his thing as a youth as the adopted grandson of a Pharaoh, but no more. Perhaps it was because he had a stutter or perhaps it was indeed that he felt that his Egyptian Coptic vocabulary was far too rusty. Shepherds are not on par with royalty. Finally his last objection was flat out born of his insecurity that we all feel and fear when we're totally out of our “comfort zones”. He felt that there was absolutely somebody else more equipped that God should send. There are some places or events that we just do not feel comfortable to go 'by ourselves'.
There's been SO many times in my own life where I ducked out of things because I felt exactly like Moses did. Albert Barnes states that it could have been a “weakness of faith”. Considering all of the tumultuous events in his life that led him to shepherding on the back of the desert, it's understandable that he might have this “weakness of faith” and add to that, any sort of motivation to move out of his chosen life's work. He felt quite safe there, and I do stress the 'safe' part. I can't fault Moses for any of his arguments! Multiple commentators sense that Moses knew of the prophecy in Genesis chapter 3, and that the ultimate Savior that was to come, Moses was saying, “Better to send HIM than me, LORD!” Thomas Coke believed this and stated:
“... send by that hand whom thou art about to send: i.e. says he, by the Saviour of the world, who Moses knew was to come; and who, he thought, might properly come at this time, to deliver his people; "and, for this reason," continues Houbigant, "God was angry at Moses; as it was not for him to appoint the time of human redemption...”
Adam Clark opposed the notion that Moses was speaking of the Savior to come.
“The Hebrew שלח נא ביד תשלח shelach na beyad tishlach literally translated is, Send now (or, I beseech thee) by the hand thou wilt send; which seems to intimate, Send a person more fit for the work than I am. So the Septuagint: Προχειρισαι δυναμενον αλλονον αποστελεις Elect another powerful person, whom thou wilt send. It is right to find out the Messiah wherever he is mentioned in the Old Testament; but to press scriptures into this service which have not an obvious tendency that way, is both improper and dangerous. I am firmly of opinion that Moses had no reference to the Messiah when he spoke these words.”
I suppose this could be argued until it's time to call the cows home. After all of the things that God said He would supply, like the “signs”, the voice and the eloquence of God in the very mouth of Moses, and then the accompaniment of his long lost brother, Aaron, Moses was still SO reticent to accept this calling! I SO get Moses in this! The Pulpit Commentary, published circa 1890 and Edited by H.D.M. Spence, D.D., Joseph S. Exell, M.A., states the following and also brings out how we all relate to Moses to his calling and the calling of God on our own lives:
“Moses' difficulties resolved themselves into three.
1. The power of Pharaoh. "Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?". [Ex 3:10] We may be staggered by the thought of the powers that are arrayed against us.
1. The anticipated unbelief of the people (ver. 1). The preacher has to encounter hard and unbelieving hearts, and this may enfeeble and dishearten him.
2. His lack of gifts (ver. 10). Humble natures are easily discouraged by the sense of their own short-comings—by the consciousness of ignorance, defective education, lack of gifts of speech, etc.”
Spence and Exell are so right in this! We do tend more to depreciate ourselves and downgrade our strengths.
“Undoubtedly the general inclination of men is towards self-assertion and self-sufficiency, so that diffidence and distrust of self are commonly regarded as excellences. But there is a diffidence which is wrongful, a self-distrust which Scripture condemns. St. Paul calls it "a voluntary humility" (ejqelotapeinofrosunh) — a humblemindedness, that is, which has its root in the will; a man not choosing to think that he is fit for high things, and determining to keep down his aims, aspirations, hopes, endeavours. The same apostle exhorts his converts "not to think of themselves more highly than they ought to think", [Ro 12:3] but at the same time, by implication, "not to think too humbly, for he tells them to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every one the measure of faith." We ought to take true views of ourselves, of our capacities, powers, faculties, even of the graces to which by God's mercy we have been able to attain; and not to deny them or depreciate them.”
Let this be our homework today: Let's make true assessments of ourselves in our capacities, powers and faculties. It might be as simple as when I answered the ad in our local municipal web page for somebody to clip a cat's claws. I thought, I can do that. And having answered that 'call' if you will, I gained two dear friends in the neighborhood. I've been blessed more than those I serve in this 'capacity'. When they were looking for a new cook for the Senior's club. My dear sister in Messiah, Janice erupted in the conversation at the time, “Anne! You could do that!” Well, to be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure, but I was willing to try. I heard the 'call' through Janice. I had already been praying for a little job that would supply me with some 'mad money' for those 'rainy days' in the economy of the homestead. It may have been Janice's confidence in me that got me rolling along with God's answer and now I've grown in my own confidence to crank out lunch each Monday and do specials on top of that. Our lunch crowd has grown from an average of sixteen plates served to twenty-two. I'm not crazy enough to believe that it's my cooking that's bringing them in. There's many factors owing to the increased participation in their club. What I mean to say is that I'm growing with it and thanks to God and Janice, I'm saying, “I can do this.”
Learn from the experience of Moses. When he kept undervaluing himself and his capabilities, God actually lost His cool.
13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses...” Exodus 4:13-14.
God gave Moses 'tools' if you will, to operate in his calling. There's more homework but just this and no more: Let's look for the tools that God has given us to operate in His calling for us. Moses was given the “signs”, the “brother” and the “rod”. I had fifty years as a cat owner and a pair of claw clippers. I have cook books and videos and an interest in the 'science and physics' of cookery (dated videos with Graham Kerr are my go-to for an excellent source of the science and the physics). I now know the difference between a roux and a béchamel sauce. Maybe what Moses lacked was just the knowledge that he would 'grow' with the calling. He just was afraid to move ahead, even with the 'tools' God gave him. And then, of course, there is overcoming that fear of leaving his 'safe' zone. We can relate to that.
We're definitely living in such tumultuous times. Just like Moses. Our world is a little nutty, no, a lot nutty. As a society, we're terribly spiritually stunted. That's the sort of success that the enemy has had in thwarting God's plan and ultimate destiny for mankind. If there is to be a revival of grand nature, then we can be ready for it if we simply take the time now to realistically accept and categorize our strengths and skills in use for HIM. The Pulpit Commentary urges that:
“We prevent ourselves from attaining heights to which we might have attained, we keep ourselves down in this world and make our position low in the next, by similar folly... If we would rise high we must aim high; if we would aim high we must not be too diffident of ourselves.”
I had to look up that word diffident. Diffident means being shy and timid, wanting confidence and distrustful of our own powers. Yes, that describes me and a lot of other believers too. We can change that. After all, we ARE made in HIS image. Don't know about you, but I'm going to do my homework now.
14 And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart. 15 And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do. 16 And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people: and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God. 17 And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs. Exodus 4:14-17.
1 NASB www.lockman.org for daily reading and KJV in commentary unless otherwise specified
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