From Slavery to Worship: The Mission of Moses

Devotional

Day 1: Liberation Leads to Worship

The mission of Moses was not merely about freeing the Israelites from physical bondage in Egypt; it was about leading them into a life of worship and relationship with God. This reflects the broader purpose of salvation, which is not just liberation from sin but a call to a greater purpose—worshiping God. Our redemption is not just from something but to something greater. This understanding challenges us to see our own salvation as a call to worship and relationship with God, not just a release from sin. [04:32]

Exodus 9:1 (ESV): "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Go in to Pharaoh and say to him, "Thus says the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, 'Let my people go, that they may serve me.'"

Reflection: In what ways can you transform your daily routine into acts of worship, acknowledging God's presence and purpose in your life today?

Day 2: Miracles Authenticate God's Message

Miracles in the Bible serve a specific purpose: to authenticate God's messengers and their message. They are not merely displays of power but are meant to confirm the truth of God's Word. This understanding helps us see the purpose behind the miraculous events in Scripture, which are not random but intentional acts to validate God's revelation. By recognizing this, we can appreciate the miracles in the Bible as affirmations of God's truth and His active presence in the world. [11:32]

Acts 14:3 (ESV): "So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands."

Reflection: How can you be more attentive to the ways God might be affirming His truth in your life, even if not through miraculous signs?

Day 3: Miracles Cluster Around Key Figures

The clustering of miracles around key figures like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus highlights their role in redemptive history. These miracles validate the law, the prophets, and the ultimate revelation of God in Jesus Christ. They are not random but serve a divine purpose, underscoring the truth of God's Word and His plan for humanity. This pattern invites us to see the continuity and purpose in God's redemptive work throughout history. [13:21]

1 Kings 18:36-39 (ESV): "And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, 'O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.'"

Reflection: Consider a time when you felt God's presence in a significant way. How did it affirm your faith and understanding of His purpose for you?

Day 4: True Miracles vs. Deceptive Signs

Satan's signs and wonders are deceptive and cannot compare to the true miracles of God. While Satan may perform astonishing tricks, he cannot replicate the genuine acts of creation and resurrection that only God can do. This distinction is crucial in understanding the nature of true miracles and recognizing the authenticity of God's power. It reminds us to discern the source of miraculous events and to trust in the true power of God. [18:33]

2 Thessalonians 2:9-10 (ESV): "The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved."

Reflection: How can you cultivate discernment to recognize and trust in the true power of God amidst the deceptive signs in the world?

Day 5: Jesus' Miracles Affirm His Divine Identity

The miracles of Jesus, while compassionate acts, ultimately serve to authenticate His identity as the Word of God. They confirm that Jesus speaks the truth and that His message is divine. This reinforces our faith in the reliability and authority of Jesus' teachings, inviting us to trust in His words and His work in our lives. By understanding the purpose of Jesus' miracles, we can deepen our faith in His divine mission and message. [21:20]

John 10:37-38 (ESV): "If I am not doing the works of my Father, then do not believe me; but if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father."

Reflection: In what ways can you strengthen your faith in Jesus' teachings and His divine mission in your life today?

Sermon Summary

The mission of Moses, as given by God, stands as one of the most significant and challenging tasks ever assigned to a human being. This mission, second only to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, was not just about liberating the Israelites from Egyptian bondage but about leading them to worship God. The story of Moses begins with his encounter with God at the burning bush, where God reveals His sacred name and commands Moses to lead His people out of Egypt. Despite the enormity of this task, God assures Moses of His presence and power, promising that Pharaoh will eventually relent after witnessing God's wonders.

Moses, however, is filled with doubt and questions how he will convince both the Israelites and Pharaoh of his divine commission. God responds by granting Moses the ability to perform miracles, such as turning a rod into a serpent, to authenticate his message. These miracles are not merely displays of power but serve to validate Moses as God's chosen messenger. This pattern of using miracles to confirm divine revelation is seen throughout the Bible, notably during the ministries of Elijah and Jesus. Miracles cluster around pivotal moments in redemptive history, underscoring the truth of God's Word.

In the New Testament, Jesus' miracles serve a similar purpose. They not only demonstrate compassion and meet immediate needs but also affirm Jesus as the true Word of God. The miracles of Jesus, unlike the deceptive signs of Satan, are genuine acts of divine power that authenticate His message and mission. The story of Moses and the miracles he performed remind us of the importance of worship and the truth of God's revelation. We are called not just to be freed from sin but to live lives of worship, acknowledging the truth and power of God in our lives.

Key Takeaways

1. The mission of Moses was not just about liberation from slavery but about leading the Israelites to worship God. This reflects the broader purpose of salvation, which is to bring us into a relationship of worship with God. Our redemption is not just from something but to something greater. [04:32]
2. Miracles in the Bible serve to authenticate God's messengers and their message. They are not merely displays of power but are meant to confirm the truth of God's Word. This understanding helps us see the purpose behind the miraculous events in Scripture. [11:32]
3. The clustering of miracles around key figures like Moses, Elijah, and Jesus highlights their role in redemptive history. These miracles validate the law, the prophets, and the ultimate revelation of God in Jesus Christ. They are not random but serve a divine purpose. [13:21]
4. Satan's signs and wonders are deceptive and cannot compare to the true miracles of God. While Satan may perform astonishing tricks, he cannot replicate the genuine acts of creation and resurrection that only God can do. This distinction is crucial in understanding the nature of true miracles. [18:33]
5. The miracles of Jesus, while compassionate acts, ultimately serve to authenticate His identity as the Word of God. They confirm that Jesus speaks the truth and that His message is divine. This reinforces our faith in the reliability and authority of Jesus' teachings. [21:20]
** [21:20]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:31] - The Mission of Moses
[01:16] - God's Command to Moses
[02:18] - Assurance of God's Power
[03:16] - Moses' Doubts and Questions
[04:32] - From Slavery to Worship
[06:04] - Moses' Interrogation of God
[09:25] - The Miracle of the Rod
[11:32] - Purpose of Miracles
[12:47] - Clustering of Miracles
[15:45] - Nicodemus' Understanding
[16:59] - Satan's Deceptive Signs
[18:33] - True Miracles vs. Tricks
[19:18] - Moses vs. Pharaoh's Magicians
[21:20] - Jesus' Miracles and Truth

Sermon Clips

"I think it's safe to say that the greatest mission ever accomplished in the history of the world is the mission that was accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption of his people from sin. But I would have to say that the second most important act of redemption ever accomplished in history, and the second most difficult mission ever given by God to a human being, is the mission God gave to Moses to perform." [00:00:09]

"Now, again, don't miss this; the point of the exodus was not simply to redeem people from oppression, to redeem them not just from something but to something. From slavery to worship. And, that's true in an even higher manner in the redemptive work of Christ in the New Testament. We are not saved simply out of God's grace for our needs, but we are his called ones to worship him." [00:04:12]

"How can I prove that this message is not something I dreamed up in the heat of the afternoon in the desert -- but that I am speaking the unvarnished truth that you gave to me? How would you answer that? Is Moses supposed to say to the people, 'Well, that's the experience I had. You fellows have to just take it by faith'?" [00:07:55]

"God said, 'That 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. I'm giving you this ability to turn this stick into a snake so that these people might believe that you are truly communicating my Word.'" [00:10:37]

"The purpose of the miracle in the Bible is not to prove the existence of God but it is to prove the legitimacy and the validity of an agent of revelation. Of someone whom God has commissioned to speak his Word. The purpose of the miracle is to verify the messenger of the Word of God." [00:11:34]

"There are all these miracles that attend Moses in his mediatorial office. And then, very little miraculous activity takes place for centuries. Until when? Not Jesus. Elijah. That's the next redemptive historical period that has a cluster of miracles. Isn't that interesting that God verifies the law and then the prophets through the giving of miraculous powers." [00:12:25]

"And so, notice that, that there is a special focal point for the clustering of miracles in biblical history -- all surrounding the issue of the Word of God. And so, after this miracle that God gives Moses, he adds this. 'Furthermore, "Now put your hand in your bosom."' And so he put his hand in his bosom (like Napoleon), and when he took it out, behold, his hand was covered with leprosy, like snow." [00:13:30]

"This is exactly what happens with a series of plaques that fall upon the Egyptians, designed to demonstrate to Pharaoh that Moses is not some dreamer with a poppycock vision but that Moses is speaking the words of the Lord God omnipotent. We come to the New Testament where the greatest blaze of miracles ever in recorded history takes place during the ministry of Jesus." [00:14:59]

"Do you know who really understood why Jesus did the miracles he did, the principle reason? This fellow came to him at night. His name was Nicodemus. And he said, 'Good teacher, we know you are a teacher sent from God or else you would not be able to do these things.'" [00:15:45]

"Real miracles that God uses to authenticate his messengers and authenticate agents of revelations are acts that only God can do. Like bringing something out of nothing. Like raising people from the dead. Satan can't do that. Satan can't create something out of nothing. Satan can't make an ax head float. Satan can't control the laws of nature." [00:18:21]

"And all the trickery and machinations that the court magicians that Pharaoh had could not really turn the Nile into blood or bring about the plagues, and certainly did not have the power of the Passover. And so, we see these miracles in the New Testament that have an immediate purpose of healing people who were sick, raising people from the dead, ministering to suffering and all of those things that are acts of compassion." [00:20:33]

"But in the final analysis, those miracles authenticate and vindicate that Jesus is the Word of God, that Jesus speaks the truth, that no demon can possible duplicate. So we see in this burning bush the revelation of the person of God, the revelation of the power of God, and the revelation of the eternality of God, the revelation of the compassion of God, the revelation of the redemption of God, and now finally the revelation of the truth of God." [00:21:08]

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