DAILY DISCIPLINE #55
By Colleen Donahue

 

Our last study left us in Egypt. Joseph, the son of Jacob, had risen to great power in Egypt. The seeming disaster in Joseph's life had been used by God to save His people, the Israelites, from death by famine.

In their new home of Egypt "the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous so that the land was filled with them." (Exodus 1:7)

400 years passed during which Joseph, all his brothers, and their whole generation of children died. During these four centuries the rulers of Egypt came and died also until finally a king came to rule Egypt who knew nothing of Joseph and how the Israelites had come to be part of Egypt. This Pharaoh was threatened by the massive numbers of the Israelites and therefore made them Egypt's slaves. He oppressed them with forced labour. But, the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and spread!

It was during this period of agonizing slavery and humiliation that Moses, our subject this month, came to be born. We know very little about the background years of Moses except what is stated briefly in Exodus 2. His parents were from the house of Levi.

Now Pharaoh was trying to exterminate the Jews by killing all male Hebrew boys. So Moses' mother sent him down the Nile River in a basket. We can only imagine the agony of Moses' parents in giving up their son and yet trusting God to save this son and use him for his glory. And use him God did! He is the only man in history that God spoke with face to face and the only man that God Himself buried. Surely such a man is worthy of our study....

MOSES - A Life With Purpose - Part I

Day 1- How did God intervene in Moses' life to save him from death as an infant?
Exodus 2:1-9

Day 2- Despite Pharaoh's hard heart toward the Hebrews, his daughter was not filled with the same hatred. We see here God's detailed planning for Moses as he brings him to the centre of palace life.
Exodus 2:10

Day 3- Moses was still an Israelite at heart despite his Egyptian upbringing. He felt deeply for their suffering and one day--in his own strength--sought to help them.
Exodus 2:11-14

Day 4- Moses was fearful of man's wrath and hopeful for man's favour. These two reasons were clear indications that he wasn't ready to be the Israelite's leader. A servant of God does not look all around him. His actions are based on heavenly counsel alone.
Exodus 2:12 / Exodus 2:14

Day 5- After 40 years in Pharaoh's house, Moses began his next 40 years of training in the desert. God had many things to work in his life in private before he could be used by God in public.
Exodus 2:15-23

Day 6- While Moses was quietly tending his sheep and his family in the desert, what was happening in Egypt and in Heaven?
Exodus 2:23-25

Day 7- In God's own time He now called Moses definitely to a specific purpose.
Exodus 3:1-10

Day 8- It is the same way that God calls to each of us--individually and definitely.
Revelations 3:20

Day 9- What should be our only response?
Exodus 3:4b / I Samuel 3:10 / Isaiah 6:8 / Psalm 40:8

Day 10- Such an honour to be asked by God to be his leader might have been jumped at by Moses 40 years earlier as an impetuous youth, but not now!
Exodus 3:11

Day 11- God then promises Moses a sign for encouragement. Notice however that the sign was to come only AFTER Moses obeyed!
Exodus 3:12

Day 12- Moses had been gone from the Israelites and Egyptians for almost 40 years. Who would remember him? Why would the Israelites listen to him as their leader? God's lengthy answer of assurance should have relieved Moses.
Exodus 3:13-22

Day 13- But Moses kept thinking ahead--thinking about all the "what ifs"!
Exodus 4:1

Day 14- Now we are meant to walk by faith and not by sight. But God in his love for us will often give us something we can "hold onto" as He did here for Moses.
Exodus 4:2-9

Day 15- Moses' next excuse comes because he turns from looking at the Almighty God and he looks in on himself.
Exodus 4:10

Day 16- In ourselves--apart from God--we are weak and inadequate.
I Corinthians 1:25-29

But when united with God what does He do through us?
1 Corinthians 1:30-31 / Exodus 4:11-12

Day 17- Now comes the real truth behind all of Moses' objections!
Exodus 4:13

Day 18- Has God been speaking to you about some kind of action and you've been hesitating or even refusing?! Then it is sin and it will separate you from God if you keep refusing.
James 4:17

Day 19- What was God's reaction and answer to Moses?
Exodus 4:14-17

Having his brother Aaron as a spokesman for Moses was God's second best. But this is a good example of how God in His love for us will allow a second best if we refuse His best! Later Aaron becomes a "thorn" to Moses and the people.

Day 20- When we obey God everything "falls into place". Notice in these verses all the circumstances God brought together..... Jethro's blessing---All the men died that wanted to kill Moses-- God's use of Zipporah to circumcise Moses' sons --- God speaking directly to Aaron to go and meet Moses---- Preparation of the Israelite elders.
Exodus 4:18-31

Day 21- Moses' first failure had been 40 years earlier when he took things into his own hands. But now he had done what God had commanded and everything went from bad to worse!!
Exodus 5: 1-21

Day 22- At times even when we follow God's way we may end up being a failure in the eyes of men. Our only action at this time is to fall in dependence at God's feet and continue to trust.
Exodus 5: 22-23

Day 23- Moses in this instance died to self-esteem, to any castle building, to pride in his miraces, to the enthusiasm of his people and to everything a popular leader loves. God wanted him to know these blessed truths.....
Psalm 127:1 / John 15:5 / 2 Corinthians 3:5

Day 24- It seems to be a principle among the saints of God that we must be brought low before God can raise us up. We must come to an end of ourselves before God can live His life through us.
John 12: 24-26 / Mark 9: 35 / Philippians 3:8

Day 25- God shares His glory with no one----- not even His closest servants. We are to live to the praise of HIS glory alone. Count in these next verses how many times God uses the pronouns "I" , and "my" referring to Himself and what HE would do!
Exodus 6:1-8

Day 26- But the amazing fact is that God will only do all these things if we let Him use our hands, or feet, or mouth as His own!
Galatians 2:20 / I Corinthians 3:16

Day 27- Even when we are hesitant and not very confident, God will work with us!
Exodus 6:9-12 / Exodus 6:28-30

Day 28- Moses was afraid and had absolutely no confidence in his own ability to speak to Pharaoh. In his own eyes he was a little nobody. But what amazing fact did God reveal to him?
Exodus 7:1

Day 29- God has continually through the centuries used ordinary men and women like ourselves to be "as God" to those around us that live in darkness.
Acts 1:8 / Acts 4:33 / Acts 19:11 / 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10

Day 30- Even though God had asked Moses to say certain things to Pharaoh, what had He already predicted and moved to do?
Exodus 4:21 / Exodus 7: 2-4

Day 31- This seems like such a contradiction and cruel trick for Moses but shows God's deep love for the Egyptians as well as the Israelites.
Exodus 7:5

Moses' adventures had only begun at age 80. The next 40 years were to go down into world history as God used this leader to lead the Israelites out of the bondage of Egypt and into the promised land. We'll continue his story in the next study.

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