Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 4 * BOOK 7

MOSES, THE DELIVERER OF ISRAEL

Exodus 4-8

Continued…

Once again, let’s pick up where we left off last lesson. And as you are turning to Exodus, I’ll remind you that the only reason I teach, is to help people understand what they read. And I think we are making some headway. I had a young man the other night tell me how thankful he was for my Bible teaching, because he had never understood what he read. Well, hopefully, this is what we can accomplish. What does the Book really say. In Exodus Chapter 6, we left off at verse 6, where God speaks of redeeming the children of Israel out of Egypt:

Exodus 6:7-9

“And I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.”

Here again, is the Abrahamic Covenant. A nation of people; land; and one day their King. That was all in the Abrahamic Covenant.

“And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob (Now those three names pop up all the way through your Bible; well into the New Testament – well into the Book of Acts; everything is based upon that promise God gave to those three men.); and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the LORD.”

He is the Creator, the Sovereign God.

“And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage.”

Exodus 6:13

“And the LORD spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.”

So everything is getting ready now for God to move. We won’t go through the next series of verses, giving the names of all the tribes and the heads of them and etc. But I do want you to see something in verse 26:

Exodus 6:26

“These are (In other words, all these families) that Aaron and Moses, to whom the LORD said, Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies.”

Not armies as we understand, because they had no weapons. As I pointed out sometime ago, they were just like the locust I gave you an example of, that was wrapped in the spider web. They had no way of doing anything. They had no arms, swords, spears, or shields. They had no way of overthrowing the Egyptian slave masters. They had to wait completely for the power of God to come in on their behalf.

But, I think we must understand even as you look back into the holocaust and other aspects of Jewish history, they had a resilience, and I think a lot of it was based on their tribal organization. Even here in Egypt, they had an organization. They didn’t have loud speakers, or radios, phones in their cars, and yet how did Moses communicate with those several million Jews.? Through an organization. He would just bring the heads of the tribes together, and they would go out like a military command; communication would go down through the chain of command.

So, you never see Israel coming out of Egypt, in just a mob. They were organized. And when they get the Tabernacle set up (and we’ll be coming to that in future lessons), God organized them in such a way, every time they set up camp the same three tribes are on the East, West, North, and South. When they moved out, they always moved out in the same order. They were a nation of orderly people.

Exodus 6:27

“These are they which spake to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt: these are that Moses and Aaron.”

Now, we are going to come and confront Pharaoh, and I want you to come on over to Chapter 7

Exodus 7:10-12

“And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.”

We are going to see the use of signs again, only now, why are they being used? To convince Pharaoh that God is the God of Israel. But we see something interesting happen. And I think we are living in a time that we had better see what the Scripture says.

“Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers (Those who practice the occults, they drew their powers from the powers of Satan): now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.”

“For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents (They had the Satanic power to copy what Aaron had just done by the power of God.): but Aaron’s rod swallowed up their rods.”

Now, God is the Creator of life, the Sustainer of life, the very God of life. But Satan is not the Sustainer of life, he is the sustainer and giver of death! Death came by sin. Death is on the scene everyday because of sin. Sin and death are synonymous. Let’s see what happens in that same connotation in our New Testament. Turn with me to I Corinthians 15. Don’t forget what we just read. As Aaron placed his rod on the ground it became a serpent. The magicians did the same thing, but Aaron’s serpent swallowed up the magicians serpents.

Now, what is the picture? The New Testament will always tell you. Verse 51, and we think we are getting closer and closer to the day all the time, as we see the world falling apart. Governments on shaky grounds and turmoil all around the planet. I got a kick out of one of the world seismologists again the other day. He was explaining the increase in earthquakes, and they know there is a tremendous increase, but of course they don’t know why. We do. The Bible tells us there will be an increase in the number of earthquakes, and so everything is coming on, just piling up for the soon return of Christ. Paul describes it here:

I Corinthians 15:51-54

“Behold, I shew you a mystery (He reveals a secret, and you want to remember the Scriptures give no indication of a group of living people who will suddenly be gone and translated, until Paul writes about it. And that’s why he calls it a mystery or secret. Jesus never mentions this; the Old Testament never mentions it; but Paul does.); We shall not all sleep (or die physically), but we shall all be changed,”

The reason, of course, is that we can’t go to glory in this old body. Those who are dying and will experience resurrection, we can understand that they will have a new body. But what about us who are alive? Well, our body has to be changed. And that is what Paul is teaching here. I didn’t mean to make this a point of lesson, as we will come to this later, but we can’t pass over it lightly. Now verses 52,53:

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we” (believers) shall be changed.” Suddenly! Why?

“For this corruptible must put on incorruption (this body that is prone to die), and this mortal must put on immortality.”

We have to be made fit for eternity in God’s presence. We have to be given this new body. This is what I really wanted you to see. I wanted to point out what took place back there with Aaron and the magicians’ rods. Remember Aaron’s serpent swallowed up the magicians’ serpents; that was representative of Satan and his death. Verse 54:

“So when this corruptible (this body that we have, that is prone to corruption) shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written (now look at it), Death is swallowed up in victory,”

Oh! Do you see how it all fits together? As those serpents of the magicians of Egypt were lying on the ground, and Aaron’s serpents swallowed them, it was the picture, of exactly how God is finally going to control the situation. And death is swallowed up in victory. Where was the victory over death accomplished? At the Cross. That’s where Satan was defeated, and since Christ has now been put to death, has been buried, and He has risen from the grave, that’s the power that separates us from the power of sin and death, and Satan. We could go on and spend some more time on this, but we need to get back to Exodus before we complete this lesson. So let’s go to Exodus once again to Chapter 7. In spite of what Pharaoh saw happen:

Exodus 7:13

“And he hardened Pharaoh’s heart”

It says here that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart. This throws a curve at a lot of people, and they say, “Is God being fair with poor old Pharaoh?” That, contrary to anything that Pharaoh may have wanted to do, God is making him become the rebel. That’s not the way it is. Come back to Romans Chapter 9 because, after all, the only way we can do these things is search the Scripture, and compare. The apostle Paul is writing–

Romans 9:14-17

“What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God (Can God be unfair?)? God forbid.”

“For he saith to Moses, ‘I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.'”

“‘So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy (It all depends on God).'”

“For the scripture saith unto (Who?) Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.”

How many people, even on the earth today in this age of spiritual darkness, haven’t heard of the Exodus? How many people, even today, don’t know at least something about the plagues that came upon Egypt? Just about everyone. And out of it God has intended that He get the glory, not the blame. Now, the human race tends to say, “Well, that was God’s fault.” But that’s not the way God intended it to fall. He wants the human race to realize His power and Sovereignty, and, in it all, His righteousness, His mercy:

Roman 9:18-24

“Therefore hath he (God) mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will be hardeneth.” That’s hard to comprehend.

“Thou wilt say then unto me, why doth he yet find fault? For who hath resisted his will?

In other words, Paul is asking a question: if God is putting this man in this kind of a position, then Who is God to put the blame on him? Continue at verse 20. Paul is going to answer it for us:

“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?”

“Hath not the potter power over the clay; of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?”

“What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.”

“And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.”

“Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?”

Now, that’s a tough one to explain, and don’t think that I don’t know it’s tough. Number one, God is Sovereign. He is absolute in His power. We are in no position to argue with what He does, or why He does it. The Old Testament says His thoughts are higher than our thoughts and His ways are higher than our ways, and it’s not for us to question. But, realizing that God is righteous, He can do no sin, or no wrong. He gives every human being that exercise of free will. So when Pharaoh was confronted with letting the Jews go, what could he have done? He could have done just that – he could have let them go. But you see, when God brought him to the point of making a tough decision, and like the average human being, how did Pharaoh decide? In his own direction. Undoubtedly, that was a tough economic decision to make.

As we come through each of these plagues, Moses goes back and, in so many words, says to Pharaoh, “Are you ready to let the Jews go?” What could Pharaoh have said? “Let them go.” But instead he says, “I’ll not let them go.” I think we see this even in the Hebrew nature today. When people are brought to a place of making up their minds, for or against God, and they say, “No.” The next time it’s easier for them to say no than it was the last time.

Consequently, their whole concept of rebellion grows. And their concept of recognizing God’s mercy get smaller. This is why when people get old (now this is not in any way pointing a finger at the elderly), but as people get old, and they get up into those 80’s and 90’s, if they are still a rebel against the grace of God, it’s hard to break through it. It is almost impossible.They have become so hard. I’ve talked to some of them, and you just can’t get through to them. Sometimes you can, but not often. Every time they have been confronted with that choice of BELIEVING the Gospel and they reject it, then it becomes that much harder for them at some future time to break down those barriers of resistance.

And so it was with Pharaoh. It was that much harder each time he had the opportunity to obey God. So the only way we can look at this, is when God hardened Pharaoh, He put him in this place of having to make a decision. We know that the plagues begin, and we are not going to take them one by one, because I think we are all aware of each one of them. Except, I would like to make this comment. A lot of people can’t believe the Book of Revelation. They just can’t believe that such things are going to come to pass upon the earth. But what I always tell them when I teach Revelation, is that these things have all happened before. Most of what takes place in the Tribulation and the Book of Revelation are almost a rerun of the plagues on Egypt. Only in the Tribulation it will be world-wide in its scale, where as here it was limited to Egypt. So if you can believe that these things happened back here in Egypt, then you shouldn’t have any trouble believing that it is still going to come upon the earth again. So let’s go to Chapter 8:

Exodus 8:20-23

“And the LORD said unto Moses, ‘Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh (Now I’ve got to explain that. How did Moses and Aaron have such access to the king of Egypt? You have to depend on what other people write sometimes, on things like this. But I read, had this been Babylon they would have never been able to do it. The Babylonian Kings would never allow someone to come before them, except in their own court. But the Egyptians did. The Egyptian Pharaoh was open to people to come into his presence. Consequently, Moses and Aaron had no obstruction when they wanted to come before him.) lo, he cometh forth to the water; and say unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Let my people go, that they may serve me.”

“Else, if thou wilt not let my people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thy houses: and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon thy are.”

This is why we jumped this far. Look at verse 22, where God says to Moses and Aaron, and I’m sure they repeated it to Pharaoh:

“And I will sever in that day (evidently the first two or three plagues struck everyone including the Jew, but beginning with this plague) the land of Goshen, in which my people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there; to the end thou mayest know (Here it is again, God is proving His point. He is showing the Egyptians that God can draw an invisible line around Goshen, that even the insects wouldn’t cross. This is something isn’t it?) that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.”

“And I will put a division between my people and thy people: to morrow shall this sign be.”

A division, a setting apart of the children of Israel, from those of Egypt. We will see this throughout Scripture, what was drummed into them. You are different. You are to be a set-apart people; you are the Covenant People, you are to have nothing to do with those pagan Gentiles all around you. There is a New Testament analogy in II Corinthians. Paul comes on the scene and he gives us the same set of directions. Remember, Paul writes in Romans Chapter 15, verse 4 that all these things were written back in the Old Testament for our learning. We are to learn from this. Now, just as sure as God put a separation between The children of Israel and the Egyptians, God puts a line of demarcation between the believer and the world. And God says you cannot serve two masters. We will either serve one and hate the other, or vice versa. Look at what Paul teaches here:

II Corinthians 6:11-15a

“O ye Corinthians, our mouth is open unto you, our heart is enlarged.”

This is the apostle Paul, just pouring out his innermost being. Even though it’s by inspiration.

“Ye are not straitened in us, but ye are straitened in your own bowels (or innermost being).”

“Now for a recompense in the same, (I speak as unto my children,) be ye also enlarged.”

In other words, have that same kind of a spiritual relationship.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with (who?) unbelievers:”

We don’t hear that much anymore, do we? We don’t hear much about separation. In fact, I maintain this is exactly why Christianity has lost its power. We can’t see any difference between the average Christian and the average person of the world. But God did not intend it to be that way. Just as sure as He separated Israel from Egypt, He wants to separate you and I from the world. As I have mentioned before, we are not to be odd-balls. We shouldn’t constantly be asking for persecution by our actions, but the world should know where we stand.

“And what concord (or what relationship) hath Christ with Belial? “ So all the way through we must be separated.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 3 * BOOK 7

MOSES, THE DELIVERER OF ISRAEL

Exodus 4-8

Continued…

Let’s pick up where we left off last lesson, by turning to Exodus Chapter 5. Moses and Aaron have confronted Pharaoh; have made their demands that Israel is to leave Egypt, for at least the three day journey into the wilderness for their sacrifice to the Lord their God. Remember, Pharaoh, rebelled at such a thought. After that, he made it more difficult for the children of Israel. Look at verse 7:

Exodus 5:7a

“Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore:”

I don’t know how many of you have heard the term “higher criticism,” but higher criticism was that group of theologians of the late 1800’s who began to scoff at certain parts of Scripture, that they thought were unbelievable. And this is one of them. They didn’t believe you could use straw to make bricks. Who had ever heard of such a thing! But you know, as I’ve said so often in this class, bless the archaeologist, most of them are agnostic and atheists, or whatever. But, at least, when they find something that is in line with Scripture, they do report it. About 1920-30, the archaeologists coming out of Europe, working in the Middle East, found the ancients did, indeed, make brick with straw. It was part of the binding. The Word of God is so very, very true! So they had to go out and get the straw themselves, rather than having someone bring it to them, and yet maintain their quota of production. And so they began to cry:

Exodus 5:8b-10

“herefore they cry, saying, ‘Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'”

“‘Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein, and let them not regard vain words.'”

“And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spake to the people, saying, ‘Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.'”

Exodus 5:11

“Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it: yet not ought of your work shall be diminished.”

Your quota maintains the same. So things keep getting worse, and finally, the children of Israel are beginning to wonder if Moses and Pharaoh know what it’s all about. And they come unto them in verse 22:

Exodus 5:22,23

“And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said LORD, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me?”

“For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast thou delivered thy people at all.”

That is a common reaction from the human standpoint. God has said He would deliver them, He would take them out. Moses and Aaron confront Pharaoh, who in turn lays more burdens on the children of Israel, and makes life even more miserable. Now, they are beginning to wonder, is God really going to do what He said He would do. Let’s look at Chapter 6:

Exodus 6:1-3

“Then the LORD said unto Moses, ‘Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land.'”

“And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, ‘I am the LORD:'”

“And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty,”

Now, in the Hebrew, that’s El Shaddai, and it is unfortunate really that it was translated simply Almighty, because the word “Shaddai” implies so much more than that. It implies the sustainer, the providing, the provisions, the security blanket. God was literally the security of His people, and that was all involved in that Hebrew word of Deity, El Shaddai, “But by the name JEHOVAH was I not known unto them.” Remember, the name in Jehovah implied I AM. We studied about Moses and the burning bush a couple of lessons back and the I AM. There are seven distinct names of Jehovah, that are used in God dealing with the nation of Israel. In fact the name Jehovah, primarily the Name of God, as He deals with His Covenant People. I don’t know if I can remember all seven of them, but when Abraham found the ram in the thicket, he called the place Jehovah-Jireh, which meant, “The LORD will provide.“

If you go to Psalms 23, What’s the first verse? “The Lord is my shepherd,… – in the Hebrew it is Jehovah-Rohi, which means “The LORD our shepherd.“ Another one is Jehovah-Rophe, which means “The LORD that healeth.“ When He brought Israel out of Egypt, He told Israel if they would be true to His commandment He would keep them from the disease of Egypt. And as a result He was called Jehovah-Rophe, the healer. Another one is Jehovah-Nissi “The Lord my banner.” This came about when they had to hold up Moses’ arms during battle for victory, it was Jehovah who won the battle. Then there is Jehovah-Tsidkenu, which means “The LORD out righteousness“ Then we have Jehovah-Shammah, “The LORD is there or present.” We also have Jehovah-Shalom “The LORD our peace“ or “The LORD sends peace.” Now verse 4:

Exodus 6:4,5

“And I have also established my (What’s the next word?) covenant (those of you who have been with me from Genesis l, now realize why we spent so much time on the Abrahamic Covenant. To reiterate, all of Scripture is going to rest on the Covenant that God made with Abraham.) with them (The nation of Israel), to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.”

“And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered my covenant.”

God will never forget this Covenant, but there are a lot of people that think God is all through with the Jew. They think God’s forgotten all about that Covenant that He made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But don’t you believe it.

Exodus 6:6

“Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you (The Nation of Israel) out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will (What’s the next word?) redeem;”

I tell you all the time that this is a Book of Redemption. Here it comes: God says I’m going to buy you back, I’m going to pay the price to set you free from the bondage of Egypt. Paul, as well as others, also speaks of our redemption. We, too, have to be redeemed. In fact, let’s look at the little letter of I Peter:

I Peter 1:18,19

“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from you vain conversation (or your manner of living) received by tradition from your fathers;”

We often think of the Jews being steeped in traditions, but how about people today? It’s no different. They are steeped in the traditions of their fathers and they think they are going to make it. But listen, tradition is not going to help anyone make it. And sometimes we have to break some traditions in order to come to the truth of the Scriptures. But how were we redeemed? Verse 19:

“But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:”

Now, let’s look at what Paul says in Roman Chapter 3:

Romans 3:21,22

“But now (In verse 20, he’s talking about the deeds of the law) the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;”

Remember all of Scripture fits into the overall plan:

“Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that BELIEVE (Of course we need to know what to believe); for there is no difference:”

No difference between whom? Jew and Gentile. This is what got Paul in trouble with his Jewish people, he was maintaining there was no difference. And as we’ll see back here in Exodus, as soon as God pulled Israel out of Egypt, what does He tell them? You are different! I’m going to make you different. I’m going to set you apart. He then instructs them that they were to have nothing to do with the pagans around them. They were not to intermarry with them. This is why it was so hard for the Jews of Paul day to suddenly come out of that tradition, that they were different. And now, this little Jew tells them there is no difference.

Romans 3:23,24

“For (how many have sinned?) all (not just the Gentiles) have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

When I come to Romans Chapter 3, I always remind people, that if you are going to be instrumental in bringing someone to a knowledge of salvation, start with this Chapter. I think most of you have probably heard of the Roman Road; those six or seven verses you can use, within the confines of the Book of Romans, to bring someone to a knowledge of salvation. They are so easy to use. Here is the very first step of faith, on the road to salvation. And what is it? We must realize that we are sinners.

So many people think they are good enough. And there are a lot of good people. We were talking about that a little while ago. Those people who are better than I would ever hope to be. But, they are going to be lost. Why? Because they have not trusted what God has done! It’s the only thing you and I, as believers, can claim. It isn’t what I do that will get me to heaven.Nothing can be done to get us to heaven. We have to rest on the fact we are sinners, and have fallen short. We are sons of Adam. So this is the first step of faith: to believe what God says about who? Me! I’m a sinner. But he also says that about you. Now, even though God condemns we can be Verse 24:

“Being justified freely (no strings attached) by his grace through the (and here is the reason I came to these verses) redemption (the purchase price that has been paid for the salvation of everyone, if they will simply BELIEVE the Gospel) that is in Christ Jesus:”

Let’s not stop there, since there is not a period.

Romans 3:25

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (now, we will explain that word more in detail when we get to the Tabernacle in the Book of Exodus, because that’s where the word “propitiation” comes into full bloom.) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.”

I wonder if now would be a good time to cover something that came up the other night during one of our classes. They wondered if I had that on tape, or had covered it in one of our television programs. I told them, “I didn’t think so.” Now may be a good time to take a quick look at this concept of being redeemed by the purchase price of God, which was His blood. So let’s give it a try anyway.

Come back with me to John’s Gospel, and while you are looking at that I’ll remind you of what the Book of Hebrews says. Hebrews says that without the shedding of blood, there is no remission or forgiveness of sin. It is a mandate of God. I know a lot of people may frown at that, but nevertheless, God is Sovereign and can do as He sees fit. And for His own reasons, He has demanded that there must be the shed blood. Of course, the animal sacrifices were all looking forward to that, they were examples of it. But the animals’ blood couldn’t take away sin, but they looked forward to the One Who could. And that, of course, was the blood of Christ.

Now, here in John’s Gospel, we have the resurrection morning, and as the custom was, they anointed the body of the deceased with herbs and spices, even a day or so after they were buried. And they were not buried under ground as we think of it, but placed in a cave of sorts.

John 20:1

“The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre.”

We all all know what follows: Peter and John hear it from Mary, and what do they do? They run full speed to the sepulchre. And again I get a kick out of Peter, he was bigger and more slow of foot than John, so John got there first, but he stops – he was more timid. But here comes old Peter, just a-huffin’ and a-puffin.’ I can just picture it. And what does Peter do? He bursts right on in and looks the situation over. And now timid John realizes that’s it’s safe and he goes in also:

John 20:5,6

“And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying: yet went he not in.”

Here is where Peter arrives and went on in the sepulchre.

“Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,”

John 20:7-10

“And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.”

Then in verse 8, John gets the nerve to join Peter:

“Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw and believed.”

Up until now, did these disciples believe that Jesus was going to rise from the dead? No, they had no idea that He would rise on the third day. They should have, but they didn’t. But now they see the evidence and the Scriptures say they BELIEVED. Now verse 9:

“For as yet they knew not the scripture, that he must rise again from the dead.”

So they leave, and we pick up with Mary. Remember this is all in the predawn hour:

John 20:11-14.

“But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre,”

“And seeth two angels in white sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.”

I always comment to our classes that all these things were so commonplace in Israel. What would you and I do, if we went to the cemetery to visit a grave, and all of a sudden there were angels standing around? I’d probably pass out. And I believe in angels. But I don’t believe they make visible appearances in our day and age. But this didn’t frighten Mary. She talks with them. Verse 13:

“And they say unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith unto them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid him.”

“And when she had thus said, she turned herself back, and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.”

I pointed out something when we were talking the other night. And now we must go to Isaiah 52 for a moment to explain, as there are a couple of verses here, and I suppose a lot of people don’t know they are in here.

Isaiah 52:13,14

“Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.”

“As many were astonished at thee (now watch it) his visage (or his appearance, remember this was a prophecy concerning Christ) was so marred more than any man, and his form more(marred) than the sons of men.”

You want to remember, what Jesus went through, even before the Cross? He went through the scourging that literally made a man’s back look like hamburger meat. He had the crown of thorns pushed on His head. He had His beard ripped out. And He had taken all the sins of the world upon Himself. So, keep in mind,that was the last picture Mary had as He hung on the Cross. Now, back to John’s Gospel.

John 20:15-17

“Jesus saith unto her, Woman, why weepest thou? She, supposing him to be the gardener, saith unto him, ‘Sir, if thou have borne him hence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.'”

“Jesus saith unto her, ‘Mary,'”

Can’t you just hear Him? Oh, that voice of endearment. They had known each other so closely for three years, and she recognizes that voice, and look at what she attempts to do. Something very human. She was going to give Him a bear hug. And what does Jesus say? Verse 17:

“Jesus saith unto her, Touch me not (take note that just a few hours later He tells doubting Thomas to touch His side. But here He tells Mary not to touch Him. And what is the reason?); for I am not yet ascended to my Father (Do you see what it said?): but go to my brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto my Father, and your Father; and to my God, and your God.”

I call this the first ascension, and in Acts the second ascension. Quickly come back to Hebrews, and I think we can explain it. Hebrews Chapter 9; and in this chapter Paul is rehearsing the Day of Atonement. The high priest would go into the Tabernacle on the Day of Atonement. He would first enter with the blood of an animal and sprinkle it back behind the curtain in the Holy of Holies, on the Ark of the Covenant (the Mercy Seat) for his own sins. He would then go back and take the blood of a second animal and sprinkle it on the Mercy Seat for the sins of the nation. Now, drop down to verse 11.

Hebrews 9:11,12

“But Christ being come a high priest (now we must have a high priest. Aaron was the high priest of Israel, Melchisedec was the high priest of all, a picture of Christ, our High Priest) of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building;”

Or creation in other words where is this Tabernacle? In heaven. And so into that Holy of Holies in heaven:

“Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once (Not just once a year, but once for all times.) into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.”

What did He present in the Holy of Holies in heaven? His own blood.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 2 * BOOK 7

MOSES, THE DELIVERER OF ISRAEL

Exodus 4-8

Continued…

Turn to Exodus, Chapter 4 once again. We now know that Moses and Aaron have been joined together, because when Moses cried that he didn’t have a tongue that could speak, God in His anger said He would let Aaron be his mouth piece. This is what brought the two brothers together. Aaron now becomes the spokesman, but Moses is the one through whom God does the speaking. So Moses and Aaron approach the Children of Israel there in Goshen, so let’s look at verse 29:

Exodus 4:29-31

“And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel:”

“And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people (The children of Israel).”

“And the people believed: and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that he had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshipped.”

Now we go into Chapter 5:

Exodus 5:1,2

“And afterward Moses and Aaron went in, and told Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Let my people go go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.”

“And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD (Or we would have to say “Jehovah,” because the word LORD is always indicative of the term Jehovah. As I’ve pointed out in another lesson, everything in Egypt was a god: a frog, the moon, sun, every animal you could think of, and each of them had a name. So when Moses and Aaron came and said the God of Israel, Jehovah, is going to lead the children out, Pharaoh’s natural response was, “Who is Jehovah? He doesn’t mean anything to me.”), that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.”

He’s going to learn, but it’s going to take a while. In everything there is a reason. These people were just as human as we are. Their government functioned even as government does today. How many people realize that when Pharaoh was confronted with losing the Israelites, what was he really going to lose? He would lose the backbone of his economy; they were his workers. They were the ones that were getting all the daily work done. The Egyptians had become the upper-class elite. They did nothing but make sure those Jews got the work done.

I always like to compare this even to America, especially the South, before the Civil War. Why were our plantation owners so uptight about losing slavery? That was the backbone of their economy. How would the American farmer do today if the government would say, “We are going to take all of your farm equipment away from you. You can’t use tractors or combines anymore.” What would they do? They’d go crazy. Because after all, how could they get their crops in the ground, and get them out, if they didn’t have their machinery? This is what was confronting Egypt: take the Jews away and they’ve got nothing. And so Pharaoh says, “I will not let them go!” They were faced with something they couldn’t cope with.

Exodus 5:3

“And they (Moses and Aaron) said, ‘The God of the Hebrews hath met with us: let us go, we pray thee, three days’ journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God; lest he fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword.'”

Why the three days? Well, you see, three is a significant number in Scripture. We have the Triune God; that’s where everything begins – The Trinity. So everything in creation rests upon trinities of sorts. The creation itself rests upon a basic Trinity of time, space, and matter. Take any one of those three away and you don’t have a universe. That’s what the whole function is. It’s matter, whether it’s the planet, moon, or you and I as people; we are matter moving through space, in a given period of time. And that’s what makes the whole universe function. I like to use water as an example. What is it? It’s a liquid. It’s a solid. It’s a gas. And so it is in all of creation, you have so many of the things that rest upon a three.

Here, in Exodus, what do you suppose God has on His mind when He tells Moses and Aaron that He wants Israel to go three days journey into the wilderness? There is only one thing that can separate a person from slavery, and, remember, this whole Book of Exodus is a picture of redemption. First, Israel redeemed out of Egypt, but it’s the perfect picture of you and I being redeemed out of the shackles of sin, and brought to a life of freedom. Now, the three days are indicative of, I’m sure, the resurrection. Let’s go to Matthew Chapter 12 and consider verse 38:

Matthew 12:38-40

“Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.” Notice that word again, “Sign.”

“But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of a prophet Jonas.”

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”

Way back in Exodus, God is already giving us a picture of basic premise. And that there is no setting us free from the shackles of sin, anymore than there was any reason of expecting Israel to be set free from Egypt, unless they could have three days separating them from their place of captivity. And it’s the same way in our salvation. If we try to ignore the basic premise of the Gospel again, and that is that Christ died, was in the grave three days and three nights, and rose from the dead, then we have no Gospel. But when we put ourfaith in that Gospel, those three days and nights in the tomb separates us from that old life of sin and bondage. And this is what we want to keep so clear in our thinking, that Israel had to be separated from Egypt, but it took the three days journey to do it, as it took the three days and nights in the tomb to separate us.

Now, I’d like to go back to Exodus for a moment before coming back to the New Testament.

Exodus 5:4,5

“And the king of Egypt said unto them, ‘Wherefore do ye, Moses and Aaron, let the people from their works? get you unto your burdens.'”

“And Pharaoh said, ‘Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens.'”

What Pharaoh is going to make sure of, as much as he can, is that he does not lose these captives. It is the same when we come into the spiritual realm. Who, also, is going to do everything he can to keep from losing his captives? Satan! Keep that uppermost in your mind: Satan will do anything to keep from losing one of his captives.

Let’s now go to II Corinthians 5. A year or two ago, I was getting a piece of farm equipment ready to go to the field, and I noticed a big beautiful spider web. This big spider was just sitting up there in the corner waiting for his victim. And while I was working on the old brush hog, a big locust flew into that spider web. I would have thought the locust would have gone right through the web, but he couldn’t. He hit the spider web, and as fast as a stroke of lightning, that spider came down and wrapped the locust up in webbing so tight it could hardly move, and in a second it was completely helpless. And when the spider had him completely immobilized, he went back up to his corner and waited for the next one. But I don’t even like to see a locust die, so I took out my pocket knife and I cut the web off that old locust. He dropped to the ground, he lay there for a minute, and then he took off.

Now, I have to think that had to be the happiest locust that ever lived. But you see, what I had in my mind, even as I watched all of that? It is exactly where you and I were. Every person born in the human race is dead spiritually. And as we move on up through those little innocent years, Satan begins to wrap his web. Then by the time we reach the age of accountability, eight, nine, ten, or whatever you want to call it, he has us completely wrapped in his web, as the spider did to the locust. Listen, there was no way that locust could have ever got out of that web, but by an outside power. My pocket knife set him free.

It is precisely the same way in the spiritual realm. The lost person, even though he doesn’t realize it, is totally bound up in Satan’s web. And nobody can cut that web but the power of God Himself, and this is what we have to see. Now, let’s look at what Paul says to the Gentiles at Corinth:

II Corinthians 5:14,15

“For the love of Christ constraineth us (Or drives us on); because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were (how many? Not just the worst, but) all dead:”

“And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

What do you see in that last statement? That’s the Gospel by which we are saved! See how Paul always brings that out. Now, he may not say the whole thing, but he’ll either say that you have to BELIEVE in the One Who rose from the dead, which indicates His death, or He may speak of His burial and His resurrection. Whichever way, He’s always showing us the complete picture of Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection as our Gospel:

II Corinthians 5:16

“Wherefore (Since Christ has accomplished everything that needs to be accomplished.) henceforth know we no man (Not even Jesus) after the flesh (Now, you may ask how do we know he’s talking about Jesus? Read on): yea, though we (and I’m sure he’s speaking of himself) have known Christ after the flesh (And as near as chronologers that I’ve studied can tell, Paul and Christ were about the same age. So when Jesus began His earthly ministry at the age of thirty, Saul was also about the same age. Paul was a young up -and-comer Jew in Judaism, and so they may have never crossed paths, yet Saul knew who Jesus was. He knew all about Jesus, but of course he didn’t know Him. And so Paul can rightly say, yes we knew Christ in the flesh), yet now henceforth know we him no more.”

Do you know what he is saying? He is flying in the face of too much of us here today. And what is it? They preach Jesus in his earthly ministry, and that’s all well and good, as far as it goes. But, beloved, there is no salvation in simply understanding His earthly ministry. We have to go to where? The Cross. We have to go to the resurrection, otherwise, as Paul said here, we know Him for nothing. And we must go beyond that. Now as we know Him as the Christ after the resurrection. Now verse 17:

II Corinthians 5:17a,18

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:”

What has happened? We’ve had that web cut off. We have been set free! And we are no longer under the shackles of Satan. We are now as Israel, who was brought out of Egypt, and set apart for God. However, we will see in the coming chapters in Exodus, when things got a little rough, where did the children of Israel want to go? To the old life in Egypt. And isn’t that the problem with so many believers? Oh, as soon as things get a little tough, then the tempter comes and says, “See, you were probably better off back where you were before.” But don’t you believe him. That’s the working of Satan, always appealing to the flesh. But, old things are passed away. Verse 18:

“And all things are of God, who hath (now what’s that next word?) reconciled (You will remember when we started the study of Exodus, I said Exodus is a Book of Redemption. It’s a picture of being bought back. And reconciliation is a next of kin to redemption. When two people are estranged, and they get their act together, and can come back together, what do we call it? Reconciliation. It’s the same thing, practically, as being redeemed, and brought back with a price. Paul uses this word here in regards to you and I. That God has) us to himself by Jesus Christ (His work on the Cross, but He didn’t stop there when He reconciled us; when He gave salvation, what else did He give us?), the ministry of reconciliation.”

In other words, God expects everyone of us, when He gives opportunity, to be ready. In other words, when we get the opportunity, we have to tell that person, wrapped in Satan’s web, “Listen, God has done everything that needed to be done to set you free; to reconcile you to Himself. That is the ministry of reconciliation.

II Corinthians 5:19,20

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.”

Why has God left us here? To be what? Verse 20:

“Now then we are ambassadors for Christ (What’s an ambassador? If you know anything about government or current events, an ambassador is a representative of a government not in his own homeland, but in a foreign land.) You may remember many years ago the best selling book called the Ugly American? It was an exposé of the horrible life style of our foreign-service people. They were giving foreigners the totally wrong picture of what America really is. They were being drunkards, immoral, and just simply not representing so-called Christian America. Nevertheless, we all understand that ambassadors are to represent the home government in a foreign environment. Now, let’s read on) as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.”

II Corinthians 5:21

“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

Now, getting back to the ambassador part. As soon as we become a child of God, by faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, we become citizens of Heaven! Paul teaches that the believer already (even though we are left on the earth) has citizenship is in heaven. This got the early believers in trouble with the Roman Government, when they would give their allegiance to nobody but their God. Why? Because their citizenship was in heaven. And their Roman citizenship was now secondary. We must remember, we are left here as ambassadors of heaven, where our home really is, where our citizenship is and we are to represent that citizenship as we walk on this earth.

Let’s turn to I Corinthians Chapter 6. This also relates to bringing Israel out of Egypt. Because as soon as God brings the children of Israel out of Egypt, they are to be a separated people, as we will see in the next lesson. The instructions were clear-cut: they were to have nothing to do with the people around them. They were to be a separated, holy, nation of people. Again, the lesson fits right in with you and I today. Unfortunately, what has happened to Christianity, is that it has reached the place where it is no different. Most people can’t tell a Christian from a non-Christian by looking at his behavior and lifestyle. But that is not what God intended. We are to be different, not an oddball. I don’t ascribe to the fact that just because we are Christians, we have to be odd-balls, and walk with a long face. Without question, if anyone has a reason to be joyful, it’s a Christian in this perplexing world.

I Corinthians 6: 9-11

“Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind.”

“Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.”

“And such (what’s the verb?) were (past tense) some of you: but ye are washed (Oh, not in water, but by an act of a Sovereign Holy God.), but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

Now, that reminds me of another verse. Come back to John’s Gospel. Here we have Jesus washing the feet of the apostles. The reason I came across this thought, was because Paul said, “We are washed.” And, of course, when you think of washing you think of water. But in the spiritual realm we are not cleansed by washing with water, but by an act of God.

John 13:6-10

“Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, ‘Lord, dost thou was my feet?'”

“Jesus answered and said unto him, ‘What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.'”

“And Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never was my feet (You can almost see old Peter can’t you?), Jesus answered him, ‘If I wash thee not (His feet), thou hast no part with me.'”

“Simon Peter saith unto him, ‘Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head (wash me all over, give me a bath).‘”

“Jesus saith to him, ‘He that is washed (He’s been cleansed, not by water but by the blood of the Lamb.) needeth not save to wash his feet,'”

What is the lesson? Oh, they were cleansed at the bath house, but as they would walk home through those dusty streets, their feet would become dirty and, consequently, they needed washing.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 3 * PART 1 * BOOK 7

MOSES, THE DELIVERER OF ISRAEL

Exodus 4-8

Let’s continue on where we left off at the end of the last lesson. Remember that Moses has been commissioned by God to confront Pharaoh, for the distinct purpose of bringing the children of Israel out of their bondage. But as we know, he’s going to have some difficulty. Now if you will go to Exodus 4 and start with verse 10, you will find Moses is still claiming he can’t do it. He had lost his polish, as we discussed last lesson, but remember God couldn’t use Moses if he was prepared by the world. But he can use him as he is now, being at one of the lowest points of his life.

Exodus 4:10-12

“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.”

“And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?”

“Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.”

I think it’s interesting to notice, that God has already used the signs to convince Moses that he, indeed, was going to be led of God. By throwing the rod down, and having his hand turn leprous, these were signs we studied in the previous lesson. Now, as we go to the New Testament and study some of the references that have a direct connection with this, I would like to look at the fact that the Jews, beginning right here with Moses, and all the way up through their history, had to have signs in order to be convinced of what God was saying and what He was doing.

However, before we look at the sign aspect, let’s go to 1 Corinthians and see why God had to put Moses on the back side of the desert for 40 years in order to prepare him to be an instrument that God could use. Here in Chapter 1, Paul is laying out the wisdom that can come only from God, and not from men:

1 Corinthians 1:26,27

“For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called:”

“But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world (that is from the world’s view-point) to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty:”

Let’s put that right back in perspective with Moses. Isn’t that exactly what God did with him? Oh, when he was mighty, when he had power, when he had clout, God couldn’t use him. He went out there in the energy of the flesh and thought he could deliver the Children of Israel. So God, by a Sovereign act, gets Moses where He can prepare him to be the kind of man He can use. He makes out of him a sheepherder for 40 years – out where he has no contact with the public.

So Moses is now, in his own eyes, NOTHING! But in God’s eyes he’s EVERYTHING! That’s the requirement for service, even today. That’s what Paul referred to here in Corinthians. If you want to be a Sunday School teacher, or a missionary, or anything in God’s service, the first place we have to come to is an understanding that in ourselves, we are nothing! We all must come to the place that Moses did. Even Paul was brought to such a place. Educated as he was at the feet of Gamaliel, Paul had to understand that, when it came to be a servant of God’s Grace, especially to the Gentiles, he had to begin as a nobody! Paul tells us that all the way through his writings. Look at Chapter 2 of 1 Corinthians for a moment:

I Corinthians 2:1-4

“‘And I brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech (He didn’t come polished, he was not an Apollos) or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.'”

“For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified”

“And I was with you in weakness, and in fear and in much trembling.”

A lot of times we look at Paul with all of his journeys, and Preachings, and think the man had a lot of guts, but he didn’t. He shook in his boots, as he would enter some of these strange places, just as you and I would.

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power.”

A lot of people think it takes enticing words, but it doesn’t. You don’t have to have degrees behind your name in order to be something for God. I thank goodness that’s true, for I wouldn’t be here teaching today if that was a requirement. I’m always reminded when, years ago, I had a young man who was attending one of our great Bible Schools, in preparation for the ministry. One of the young gentlemen in his class seemed to have everything – personality, looks, voice, and intelligence. So his fellow classmates, before they graduated, had voted that this young man was most likely to succeed in the ministry. He got a little church, and within six months was out of the ministry. Why? He couldn’t cut it. He was relying on the things of the flesh, and not on the real call of God.

I also said we would look in the New Testament with regard to the beginning of the signs that Moses experienced, even before he goes before Pharaoh. And then of course we are going to see in Chapter 5 of Exodus, where he puts those signs to use in front of the old pagan King of Egypt. Right now, turn to Matthew Chapter 11. Most of us who know anything about our Bible at all, realize that when Jesus began His earthly ministry, He began with miracles. For three years He performed miracle after miracle. Why?

Matthew 11:2-5

“Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples.”

“And said unto him (Jesus), ‘Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?'”

Now, can you imagine a man like John the Baptist, having fulfilled the ministry that he had, coming to the place where he questions. But he does. And again it shows John knows that Jesus has the power to take him out of prison if He wants to. But He’s not doing it. So from the human stand point you can see what John is beginning to wonder. Well is He Who He says He is! Is He Who I said He is? Now, look at Jesus’ answer:

“Jesus answered and said unto them, ‘Go and shew John again (reinforce his knowledge) those things which ye do hear and see.'”

“‘The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them’.”

Why, basically, did Jesus perform all of those miracles to the nation of Israel? To prove Who He was! Remember that the Jew required a sign. 1 (Corinthians 1:22) So the Jew all the way through the Old Testament, and through Jesus’ ministry had to have a sign. It was just their very nature.

Another place we can look at is Acts 10. This is where Cornelius sends for Peter. In verse 14, Peter had the vision. What was in that sheet? Unclean animals according to the Jewish diet and the Jewish Law. So Peter wasn’t about to eat. Now, if you think Peter has been set free from the Law, then you haven’t read and understood your Bible. Remember, this is ten years after Pentecost and Peter is still sticking to the Law. He’s not about to eat pork. And if you think I’m making too much of that, look at the following account .

We are here in Acts Chapter 10, where we have the account of Cornelius in Caesarea, being prompted by God to send for Peter, who is down on the coast in the city of Joppa. And Peter, by the urging of the Holy Spirit of God, finally gets to the house of Cornelius, But remember, Peter was still a good Law-keeping Jew, and had a problem going into Cornelius’ home. So, for this reason, he took several of his Jewish believers with him, from Joppa to Caesarea. Look at verse 28. This is about ten years after Pentecost, and the Crucifixion. If any of you think that the Law had long since been set aside as soon as you get into Matthew, you had better think again. Look at what Peter says when he gets to the house of Cornelius:

Acts 10:28

“And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation: but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.”

He was never convinced before this. Peter began preaching to the house of Cornelius and is moving right along with his message:

Acts 10:44,45

“While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word.”

Keep in mind, all of these are Gentiles, with the exception of a few Jews that came with Peter, from Joppa, and I imagine they came for moral support.

“And they of the circumcision which BELIEVED (These were not the unbelieving Jews that Jesus had to put up with. These were Jews who, along with Peter, had recognized Who Jesus was. Reading on). were astonished (Ten years after Pentecost and they were astonished. Yes they were! Most people never see that word. Why were they astonished? It had never happened before. Gentiles had never come into a knowledge of salvation. Oh, there was some proselytes, but most proselytes probably never really had salvation. They had religion, as we witness the Ethiopian Eunuch in Acts 8. Oh, he was religious, he had been to Jerusalem, had worshiped, but on his way back to Ethiopia, what did Philip do? He leads him to the place of salvation. But these Jews that were with Peter were believers,), as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.” How did these Jews know? Next verse:

Acts 10:46

“For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God.”

What did that do to those Jews? It proved that God was doing something that they didn’t think was possible. And that was to save a Gentile, without becoming a proselyte of Israel.Here again the sign was used to convinced these Jews. Where are the Jews going to go from Cornelius’ house? Right back to Jerusalem. And what should they have done? They should have spread the Word, that God is now ready to turn to the Gentiles, without Israel. But, did they? No. You can go back to Acts 15, and you’ll find out that Peter and these that were with him had never said a word for another eight or ten years. Not one word did they pass on; that God was ready to deal with the Gentiles on His own ground, and not on the basis of using the nation of Israel.

Now, let’s go back to I Corinthians, and for the sake of content we must start with verse 18. I never like to use just one verse if I can help it. You must use the whole context, if at all possible.

I Corinthians 1:18

“For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness;”

At some point in the next few lessons we are going to come back to the New Testament and show that so much of what we are hearing today is leaving out the Cross. And we can’t do that. No one can be saved by simply believing in Jesus. It has to be the work of the Cross. And so Paul states that here. The world may think the preaching of the Cross is foolishness, but to us that are saved, it is the power of God. It takes the power of God to save us, to set us free from the shackles of sin And that power can never be released from God until weBELIEVE THE GOSPEL. That Christ died, was buried and rose again.

I may say it again before these next four lessons are over. I always tell people that it’s not because I’m getting senile, but I repeat a lot of these things purposely for emphasis, because the Scripture does. What we have to understand is that today, even among evangelical Christians, there is too much use of what I call “clichés.” Now, you know what a cliché is? It’s just a little coined statement, that we’ve learned to use in the proper places.

I think too much of Christianity is using clichés which, if the person fully understands the whole Gospel picture, that cliché may say it all. But too many don’t. You say, “what are you talking about?” You have all heard the expression (I’ve used it and imagine you have used it) “Well, I’ve accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal Savior.” Now, there is nothing wrong with that, but what is it? It’s a coined phrase. It’s not in the Bible! You show me one verse where it says that if you will take Jesus as your Lord and personal Savior, that you will be saved. It doesn’t say that.

Now, if you take the Lord Jesus Christ as you personal Savior, based on the fact that He, the very Son of God, became flesh, went to the Cross, shed His blood, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you put that whole truth into your cliché, then I have no problem with that. But how many people can do that? Another one we like to use is, “Well if you just believe in Jesus.” Which Jesus are you believing in? Are you believing in the Jesus of the three years that He ministered to Israel, or are you putting your faith in that Jesus that went to the Cross, and rose from the dead?

Do you see what I’m saying? How many times have you heard the expression “Well if you’ll just take Jesus into your heart,” and again, there is nothing basically wrong with that, except, unless the person who is taking Him into his heart, understands that the only reason you can have Christ in your heart, is because He died on that Cross. This is what worries me, that people are being led into a false security by simply taking a shortcut, or clichés without knowing the full truth of the matter. So we are saved by the power of God, from the preaching of the Cross.

I Corinthians 1:19-21

“For it is written, ‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.'”

“‘Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?'”

“For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”

Isn’t that so true. The Jewish scholars studied the Torah, and still do. But they don’t know God. Recently, I received a newspaper clipping, written by one of the Chief Rabbis in Jerusalem. In so many words he said, “Concerning the coming of the Messiah: the Messiah that Israel is looking for, will be a man. All of Israel is aware of this fact and that His coming is imminent. He will come in with political clout; He will have military power behind him, and he is going to be able to set Israel up, destroy her enemies, and then from that power base, bring peace to the whole world.”

Which man are they looking for? The Anti-christ! The foregoing is a perfect description of him. The rabbi wasn’t thinking in terms of the Anti-christ; he was thinking of Israel’s Messiah. That’s the wisdom of this world. But Paul wants us to have the wisdom of God, and how do we get it? By the foolishness of preaching, to save them that BELIEVE! Remember, Faith plus Nothing. Here is the verse I was heading for; it just took a long time to get to it:

I Corinthians 1:22

“For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks, seek after wisdom:”

We’ll see when we go back to Exodus, that as soon as Moses approaches the children of Israel, he does all these signs that God tells him to do. And then in the next verse, it says that they believed. Why, because they saw the signs, and that’s the way it’s been all through Israel’s history. And if nothing else is remembered from this lesson, the reason Jesus spent three years performing signs and miracles up and down the land of Israel, was to prove to these Jews who He really was.

 

Through the Bible with Les Feldick

LESSON 2 * PART 4 * BOOK 7

REJECTION OF MOSES

Genesis 46 – Exodus 4

Continued…

Turn back with me again to Exodus Chapter 3, where we will pick up where we left off last lesson. Moses, of course, has come to Mount Sinai; he’s seen the burning bush, and God speaks out of that bush.

This is one of my favorite lessons to teach. I shared it with a young man from Israel, with a masters degree, back in 1975, when we had the privilege of going to Israel for 10 days. Our bus stopped just for a while at the Dead Sea. So my wife Iris, and I, went for a walk and ran across this young Jewish fellow walking guard duty. It was very informal, so he was more than willing to visit with us. He spoke perfect English, because he had been educated in Boston. But as we shared what I will be teaching in this lesson today, he was aghast. He said, “Well, you’ve got the Hebrew 100% right. But I’ve never heard it explained like that!” He said, “As soon as I get home I’m going to get my New Testament and check this out.”

From that time on, I was more confident than ever when teaching this lesson on Exodus 3:14, where the Scriptures says, “You go back and tell the children that I AM has sent you. You will see before the lesson is over that we are not stretching any point, but staying strictly according to the Biblical language. Here God has now told Moses from the burning bush, that it is now time to deliver the children of Israel out of bondage. And that Moses is going to be the man. Now, in verse 10, God says:

Exodus 3:10,11

“‘Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.'”

“And Moses said unto God, ‘Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt.'”

As I pointed out in our last lesson, what did the Egyptians think of a shepherd? He was an abomination. And what is Moses now? A shepherd, and has been for 40 years. This is sticking in Moses’ craw. He says, “God, I can’t go to Pharaoh, I’m just a shepherd.” And then later on in the conversation with God, Moses says, “I can’t speak, I can’t do this.” So why does he make such an argument? Stop and think – for 40 years where has he been – sheep herding, with nothing but sheep to talk to. He doesn’t have any public connections. He is now just an old country boy, who is going to feel completely out of place in Pharaoh’s Palace:

Exodus 3:12

“And he (God) said, ‘Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye (the nation) shall serve God upon this mountain.'”

And that’s exactly where they went when they left Egypt. It was there that Moses received the Ten Commandments, and there, he received the instructions for building the Tabernacle. It was there, the Priesthood was established. And it was there that Israel was to move straight north to the land of milk and honey. Now, remember, Moses spent 40 years steeped in Egyptian idolatry. And every idol and god in Egypt’s culture had a name. Regardless whether it be, sun, moon, star, frog, animal, or whatever – it had a name. Moses hasn’t forgotten that, and with that in mind, look at his next question.

Exodus 3:13-14

“And Moses said unto God, ‘Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, ‘What is his name? What shall I say unto them?'”

Now, isn’t that typical? The children of Israel are in Egypt, they too are surrounded by all the Egyptian gods; here comes this man Moses from the back side of the desert; and he speaks of a God, and what’s the first thing they will ask? What’s his name. So Moses anticipates. And now look at the answer. Verse 14

“And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.”

As we look back to Genesis Chapter 1, “In the beginning God,” and so it is all through Chapter 1. Everything has been accomplished, the creation was completed, man was on the scene and in the garden. Then in Chapter 2, verse 4 we have a change to LORD God. Is that a misprint? Of course not. All through the first chapter we are dealing with God the Creator, but as soon as we get into Chapter 2, man is on the scene, and man is going to need a communicator. Someone in the God-Head must be able to communicate with Adam.

Go back in your mind to John 1:1 and what does it say? “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” That “Word” is capitalized, so it’s a name of Deity; a name of God. Now, what do we do with words? We communicate. So now we have, “In the beginning was the Word – the Communicator. God the Communicator. So the Communicator must come on the scene in order to do just that with Adam. Who is He? – Jesus in the New Testament, and God the Son in the Old Testament. He’s Jehovah. He isLORD. So what you really have here in Chapter 2:4 is Jehovah God. The term Jehovah comes out of a couple of Hebrew root words – Jahweh-Havah. Jahweh, meaning I AM, and Havah, meaning to become more and more and more revealed. So you take Jahweh-Havah the I AM, Who is to become more and more revealed, and you contract them and come up with the name Jehovah.

And that’s where the Jewish young man caught it so quickly. Therefore, Who is Jehovah? Jehovah is the I AM, but the I AM Who would become more and more revealed. As you come up through human history as far as the Bible is concerned, isn’t that exactly what has happened? All the way through the Old Testament, God the Son is revealing more and more of Himself. And finally, He comes in the form of flesh, a further revelation. And then He goes the way of the Cross, and ascends back into heaven; but He’s coming again, and we see that all revealed in the last Book of your Bible. And what do we call it? The Book of Revelation. And this is exactly what the Bible has been doing; it has been a continuing revelation of God the Son. The Jehovah of the Old Testament.

Let me show you more clearly in a passage of Scripture, just exactly what is entailed in all of this. Turn to John’s Gospel again. Let’s begin at John 8:48 so that we can get the setting: this is during Christ’s earthly ministry, and He is being confronted by the religious leaders of the Jews. They were constantly accusing Him of being an imposter. They wouldn’t give Him credit for Who He was. In this passage they are claiming that He has a demon.

John 8:48-51

“Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, ‘Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?'”

“Jesus answered, ‘I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.'”

“‘And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth’.”

“‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.'”

What did those Jews know concerning life and death? It was the territory of God! So to them Jesus is on pretty thin ice, because look at how they responded:

John 8:52-54

“Then said the Jews unto him, ‘Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead (he had been for over 2000 years)and the prophets (they were also dead, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Daniel are all gone..); and thou sayest, ‘If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.'”

“‘Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself? Who are you?'” They should have known who He was, but they didn’t.

“Jesus answered (now Jesus wasn’t very kind to them here), ‘If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me: of whom ye say, that he is your God:'” They thought they knew the God of Abraham, and they thought they knew Jehovah.

John 8:55-57

“Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: (And I guess he did! Now here is what I was making reference to. This is sharp). and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: (That’s pretty strong isn’t it? How could He call them liars? Because they claimed to know God and didn’t. And they said Jesus didn’t know Him, but He did. So He said,”If I agreed with you, that I don’t really know God, then I’d be as big a liar as you are”) but I know him, and keep his sayings.”

“Your father Abraham (2000 Years ago) rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.”

Now get the response of those Jews:

“Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?”

Can you get the sarcasm there? Oh what a blasphemer this is. How can He say these things. You have seen Abraham? Let’s recall what He told Moses His name was: “I AM THAT I AM.“

John 8:58

“Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”

What’s He claiming? He’s the I AM of the burning bush. He’s the I AM of pre-eternity. He’s the I AM of all Scripture. It’s interesting to note throughout the Book of John there are seven distinct I AM’s, that fit so perfectly with the seven distinct Jehovah’s, or I AM’s in the Old Testament. What are some of them? I AM the Bread of Life. I AM the Way and the Truth. I AM the Resurrection. I AM the Good Shepherd. There are seven in all. He never backed away from being the I AM. But what I want you to see is, how the Jews responded when He claimed to be the I AM.

John 8:59

“Then took they up stones to cast at him (Why? They were going to kill Him for being such a blasphemer; to claim to be the I AM of the Old Testament.); but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by;”

Please turn back to Exodus once again, Chapter 3, verse 15. Moses now has it clearly put, that the I AM, God the Son, Jehovah, is the one Who is doing all this preparation work. He’s the one that’s going to be the Pillar of Fire and the Pillar of Smoke. And when we get to the Tabernacle, and we won’t be spending a lot of time on it because, except for someone who is deeply interested in the word of God, it’s an area you can get bored with very easily.

When we do get to the Tabernacle, I’m going to show very clearly that the word “propitiation” in Romans Chapter 3, is lived out in all of it’s fullness, in every jot and tittle of that Tabernacle back here in Exodus. Everything that is in the Tabernacle is a picture of Christ. For example, the Ark of the Covenant, there in the Holy of Holies, is a box made of wood, that speaks of Christ’s earthly side. But it was covered with gold, that spoke of His Deity. And all the way through that whole Tabernacle: the fence, the blocks on which it sat, the hides that covered the tent, and the sacrifices, and the priesthood, the Day of Atonement – everything speaks of the finished work of Christ on the Cross. Now verse 15:

Exodus 3:15

“And God said moreover unto Moses, ‘Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.'”

They were to bring all the heads of the people together, so that Moses could announce to them, that the time of their deliverance is at hand.

Exodus 3:19,20

“‘And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go (God knows what’s going to happen), no, not by a mighty hand.'”

“‘And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that (The Plagues) he will let you go.'”

And then verse 22 there is a statement in here that I want to clarify, lest anyone would get the wrong idea. I think it’s an unfortunate translation of a word:

Exodus 3:22

“But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourneth in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians.”

All the commentaries and scholars I’ve ever read agree that the word there should not be “borrow” but “ask.” For the word “borrow” would indicate that they would have it, and then have to give it back. God never intended that. All He told the women, and all of Israel to do, was to ask the Egyptians if they had something to give them, to send them on their way. And we know from the account, that by the time Egypt had gone through the plagues, they were in shambles; economically, physically, and in every other way. The Egyptians literally unloaded all their wealth on the Israelites. ” Just get out of here, and don’t come back.”

However, God had something else on His mind. It wasn’t just to make the Israelites rich, as they left Egypt. When they get down to Sinai, He is going to give them instructions to build the Tabernacle, and that Tabernacle is just literally filled with silver and gold and precious stones, fine linen – all the wealth of Egypt. It was in God’s Sovereign plan, and it was unfortunate that our translators use the word borrow. They asked and the Egyptians gave it to them gladly. Now come to Chapter 4:

Exodus 4:1

“And Moses answered and said, ‘But (Isn’t that just like us? How many times have you and I known God probably wants us to do something for Him. And what do we say? “But God”… I know I have been guilty of that. And Moses was no different) behold, they will not believe me (Moses says, “I’ve been gone 40 years, I’ve been on the back side of the desert; I’m a shepherd; they won’t believe when I tell them.” And what else did he remember? He went to them earlier when he had all the things of Egypt and they didn’t believe him. Now that he comes back as a lowly old shepherd, are going to believe him?), nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.” Now, look at God’s reply:

Exodus 4:2-4

“And the LORD said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.”

“And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.”

That snake was real! – and middle eastern serpents can be deadly poisonous. So he runs from it.

“And the LORD said unto Moses, Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail (I don’t like to handle snakes, but I’ve watched others, and the place you grab a live snake by is not by the tail, but right behind the head, where the fangs can’t touch you. God tells Moses to do the impossible – catch it by the tail) And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:”

What I like to point out here is the beginning of what Paul claims in 1 Corinthians 1:22. This could avert so much confusion, and doubt, and wonder that is crossing people’s minds these days. Now, remember this is Paul writing to a Gentile Church, and it’s Paul writing to you and I. And look what he says:

1 Corinthians 1:22a

“For the Jews require a sign,”

Just think about that for a moment, beginning with Moses to the Children of Israel first, and then later on to convince Pharaoh that Moses was the representative of the God of Israel. What did he use as proof. Signs and miracles! Think of it – all through Israel’s history, as much Bible as you can possibly remember, didn’t it happen over and over? The supernatural! The miraculous! For instance, the night the shepherds were on the hills of Judea, and that great angelic host appeared, singing the choruses of heaven, concerning the birth of the Christ. Did that drive those shepherds insane? No, they weren’t that shook up over that. They were almost used to those sort of things. That was part of Israel’s history.

Likewise, in the Book of Acts, Peter is locked up in prison, and who comes and escorts him out? An Angel! I am sure, if an Angel would suddenly go into the prison down at Big Mac in McAlester, there would be a lot of people fainting dead away, wouldn’t they? We are not programmed for that kind of thing, but Israel was used to it. It happened all through their history, and begins right here, when they are a nation and God is beginning to work with them. Now, come back to Exodus. So He tells Moses, if they don’t believe you, throw this rod on the ground and it will become a serpent.

Exodus 4:5

“That they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee.”

Then as we go into the next verse, He gives him yet another sign. And what is it? He puts his hand into his bosom, and it becomes leprous, he puts it back in and it’s whole again. These were signs given to Moses, to prove to Israel that he was God’s man…