God's Grace and God's Judgement

Exodus 7.1-7

There are two levels of the LORD's work here in these few verses.
Pharaoh is falling under God's judgement. Israel is about to experience God's grace, power, might and deliverance.

For Pharaoh, his troubles began back even before he became king. Exodus 1.8 Then a new king, who did not know about Joseph, came to power in Egypt. Nations take a step towards judgement when they lose touch with their activities with the LORD in their past. Joseph was used by God to save Egypt in a time of famine. He made it plain that the ability to interpret Pharaoh's dreams was God's. Genesis 41.16 "I cannot do it," Joseph replied, "but God will give to Pharaoh the answer he desires." This was all forgotten among Egypt's leadeship 350 years later when Moses was born.

The Pharaoh of the Exodus took it a step further. His question and statement started the Hand of God upon himeself and the nation he led. Exodus 5.2 "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."

1. When a person or a nation forget about God and their past with Him they will be judged.
That is what was happening to Pharaoh and Egypt.
This attitude towards God and His Word is a frightening and sobering thing.

Pharaoh was given a simple command by the LORD. "Let My people go."
He disobeyed. Disobedience brings judgement. Ten plagues followed.

Pharaoh could have escaped the great judgement upon him and his nation if he would have taken the warning from God. We've all watched Gpod warn people when they are going the wrong way and the many who do not heed His warning- well we just don't understand.

2. Israel was kept by the LORD during Egypt's Judgement.
*He delivered them
*They were set free- God uses judgement at times to set His people free- Paul and Silas in the Philippi jail (Acts 16.25-34) The earthquake caused everyone's chains to come loose.
*God's Hand was guiding and protecting Israel as opposed to Egypt going against God andHis Hand extended (nathan) upon them in mighty acts of judgement. God vindicates and punishes..
The LORD brought Israel into the Land of Promises.

3. Egypt was given many opportunities.
Before jugdement God always warns.
ex/ Noah and the ark- Noah was a preacher of righteousness.
Luke 13.1-5 Repent or perish

Judgement begins on earth- the consequences of sin.
ex/ A person who abuses their body with substance- body falls apart, liver disease from alcohol
Worry is not good for us internally- ulcers from acid
Hatred has physical and spiritual conditions.

These are two ways to know the LORD- by His Grace or His judgement.

God judges when the people He is speaking to leaves Him no other option.

Hebrews 12.14-29

Lessons From the LORD In The Desert

Exodus 2.11-3.1

Moses went from the palace of Pharaoh at 40 years of age to the fields, tending the sheep of his father-in-law, Jethro. We are told in Acts 7.22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. He fled because he killed an Egyptian and now Pharaoh was going to kill him. Moses acted alone in this murder. He took matters into his own hands. Now he ends up doing what we were told in Genesis 46.33-34 is detestable to the Egyptians- shepherding, for the next 40 years.

Moses tended the sheep of his father-in-law Jethro, a far cry from the palace comforts and position he had in Egypt. 40 years in the desert tending sheep- What did he learn out there in the desert?

1. Moses was taught to wait.
He wasn't alone. For David it was 10 years between the time he was anointed until the time he became king. for Joseph 13 years elapsed from the time he had those dreams until their fulfillment began to come to pass. Perhaps David penned Psalm 27.14 after that decade of running from Saul and waiting.

Difficult to wait while others of your age are going on with their lives.

When we are waiting we need to find things to do, even when we are in line at the bank or the grocery store or waiting in the doctor's office. We are told we will spend 5% of our lives in lines or waiting in one form or another. Bring a book, text, pray, journal. Work- Moses was working, not realizing God was training him, preparing him for something that was beyond his dreams. He would need patience- lots of patience for the next 40 years as he led an unbelieving people across the desert. God was preparing him in this forty.

Loneliness is a part of waiting and a part of leading. Jesus spent time in the wilderness, Paul spent 3 years in the Arabian Desert after God called him. God, in times of preparation, calls His men and women aside so He can speak to them.

2. He was taught to lead people God's Way.
Moses had been groomed for leadership in Egypt. The Egyptians drove the Israelites. God leads His people, He doesn't drive them.

Jacob was the first to say it, "God, Who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day." (Genesis 48.15) The way of the shepherd is the way God leads us. It is in our hymns: Like A Shepherd, Savior Like a Shepherd, He's the Great Shepherd...

Moses, the man of God, out in the desert, taking care of sheep, belonging to his father-in-law, Jethro. Before he was a warrior, ruled by emotions; now a shepherd taking care of sheep.

He had Israel on his heart, when he murdered the Egyptian but it wasn't God's time. Habakkuk 2.3, Acts 7.23-25

Shepherding in the desert- after 40 years of leading a flock of sheep he was ready to lead a nation.
*Humbled Moses- broke him, tested him
*Molded Moses
*Taught him to do things God's way
Remain teachable. Moses, because he had a teachable spirit, was learning skills for leading the nation. He received his marching orders there.

3. Moses was maturing.
Maturity was a by product, a fruit of waiting and learning.
Ephesians 4.11-16
Maturity eliminates a load of problems- immaturity is fraught with all kinds of things. Deeper and Deeper... If we keep in step with the Spirit, He will take us on into maturity. The desert purges us- gives us time to make changes. Takes away frustrations.

4. The LORD was at work while Moses was in the desert.
He is at work in your life today.
"God keeps on working"- Mike Mancini

God brought Moses to the appointed time- God has set times. Moses' family was established there.

Many are the lessons the LORD teaches us in the desert, when we think we are just working hard. Like the original Karate Kid movie... Daniel LaRusso waxed cars, painted the fence, sanded the deck, and painted the house. What he thought were menial tasks was really Mr. Miyagi teaching him the moves in the art of self defense.

While we are going through life and its challenges, deserts, God is at work teaching us invaluable lessons so He can use us in His Kingdom.

September 12, 2010

A Promise For Life

Psalm 55.22

I Peter 5.7

My family in Florida was in shock at the death of Christopher. Two weeks ago this morning, in my cousin, Lori's home, I got up early before we were to leave for church and was reading my Bible and journaling. The day before I was on a Southwest Airline flight out of MacArthur. I had been reading Psalm 50-70 while I waited. These are some of David's psalms of difficulty written while Saul was pursuing him and trying it take his life. I encourage people to read these psalms while going through deep grief. I discovered how much they can help from my own experience.

Suddenly Psalm 55.22 jumped out and grabbed my heart there in MacArthur Airport. That is the verse for my family I thought. I took my journal out the next day, on that Sunday morning and wrote down the verse, "Cast all your cares on the LORD and He will sustain you." I had no sooner written it than Lori my cousin, came out and greeted me with a "Good morning". She picked up what had been our Nana's (Rose Biggs) old Promise Box, full of scriptures, Nana had based her life upon.

Then my cousin Lori began to tell me a story about it.

She showed me how she had one card sticking out of it. She said that during a very difficult night in her life, she could not sleep, so she got up to clean. She was dusting and she accidentally knocked Nana's Promise box off. It fell on the floor and one card flew out. She showed it to me. It was Psalm 55.22 and I Peter 5.7. I showed my journal in which I had just written out Psalm 55.22 and how the day before as I began my trek to Florida the LORD had given this to me for my family there. And suddenly we realized we in the Presence of God. We prayed, thanking God for the wonderful gift of our heritage. Our Nana had gone to heaven 22 years ago but the influence of her life lived on and the LORD was showing us that and that those promises were as true today as the day He gave them and the day our Nana read them and the night that card popped out. Our God is an Awesome God.

There are times when we find life's situations to be unbearable. I think of Tiffany, Christopher's fiance. Wedding Invitations all sent out and now he is gone and what was to be three weeks of wonderful expectation has become difficult beyond description. Horatio Spafford and Joseph Scriven knew about this. They wrote, It is Well With My Soul and What a Friend We Have in Jesus. Scriven's fiance drowned the night before they were to be married.

God's people turn to God's Word when faced with the times in life where they have more than they can bear. During times of terror and shock, unspeakable pain and loss, the Word of God stands!

1. The LORD Cares For You I Peter 5.7

God Almighty, the Maker of Heaven and Earth cares about you and all the things you carry on your heart, the things you are perplexed over. Life can bring us into places where there are no answers, where we have to fall back on the fact the LORD loves us and cares about us.

Matthew 6.25-34

2. The LORD Calls Us To Cast Our Burdens On Him. Psalm 55.22

Hurl, fling, throw your burden, your lot on Him.

Why do we continue to mentally carry them?

1- Hard to let go.

2- Lack of faith in His ability

3- Fear

4- Pride- trying to reason- leaning on our own understanding

5- We have become used to carrying them- pheasants for sale- man bought them and said untie them and let them go. He cut the ropes and the poor birds just kept running around in circles as if the ropes were still around their necks.

3. The LORD Sustains his People. Psalm 55.22b

He holds our hand Psalm 37

He holds us up Psalm 16.8

He nourishes us with His Word. Deuteronomy 8.3

He supplies our needs Philippians 4.19 What a supply! Glorious, Endless, Heavenly

On the bottom of that promise card

in my Nana's box were these words:

And shall I still the load retain,

Which Thou hast offered to sustain?

No! At Thy bidding I will flee

And cast my burdens all on Thee.

Next Week

Due to Hurricane Earl my return flight ws canceled. I am planning on flying out tomorrow and will have, LORD willing, the Sunday Morning Message up and running again.