10-13-14. Exodus 7:1-13. Never Settle for Fakes- God Is The Real Deal – my devotional

Exodus 7:1-13                                                                                         Kevin E. Jesmer

Key Verse: 7:5                                                                                        10-13-14

“And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” (NIV)

Part 1: God Makes Mission Impossible Possible (1-6)

Verses 1-6, “Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country. 3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them.” (NIV)

God fully equipped Moses for his mission to be the deliverer of his people. God had everything covered. Look at Exodus 7:1-2, ““Then the Lord said to Moses, “See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron will be your prophet. 2 You are to say everything I command you, and your brother Aaron is to tell Pharaoh to let the Israelites go out of his country.” God knew that fluent speech would not convince Pharaoh. But Moses was still worried about it, so God reassured him that Pharaoh would listen to his message and respect him (be like God to Pharaoh) and he would also send Aaron to be his spokesman. Moses had no excuse. God had done everything for him and set him up. All he had to do is step out in faith and have some simple obedience to God’s direction.

Isn’t that how it works? Like a great manager, God sets us up and equips us, especially with his word and his Spirit and supportive gospel workers, and tells us to step out in faith. In the words of Nike…”Just Do It!” God has equipped me and Julie to teach the Bible and contribute to Gospel missions in so many ways. He has given us resources and tools in abundance. He dwells in our hearts by his Holy Spirit. We simply need to take a step out in faith, into the untried and the untested.

Actually this is the faith that any missionary needs. They need to believe in Ephesians 2:10, “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” God has good works for us to do, good works that he prepared in advance. If he prepared it, he will also equip. We need to simply heed the call and take the first step. We need to believe Jesus’ promise in Matthew 28:20 that surely he is with us to the very end of the age. Jesus is with us. He will never abandon or forsake us. He has equipped us with every good thing from above. With this in mind, step out in faith.

God wants to reveal his glory to the whole earth so that people would believe and trust in him for salvation. He reveals his glory through those who embrace his “impossible” missions. Look at Exodus 7:3-6, “3 But I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in Egypt, 4 he will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and with mighty acts of judgment I will bring out my divisions, my people the Israelites. 5 And the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” 6 Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord commanded them.” Even though Aaron would speak to Pharaoh in fluent Egyptian, God knew that Pharaoh would not listen. His stubborn unwillingness would not thwart the wonderful work of God that was taking place. Though God’s word would only make his heart harder, it would still be used to serve God’s purpose. Pharaoh’s stubbornness and his tenacity in holding onto the Hebrew slaves would reveal that it was by God’s power alone that the Israelites could be set free. God himself would bring Israel out of Egypt with mighty acts of judgment. It was not Moses and Aaron’s power, for they were about to give up. It was not the Hebrew peoples’ special qualities, for they were ready to quit and blame God and servants of God. It was not because Pharaoh was a nice guy and was eager to do the right thing. No. Everything was against the Hebrew people being set free from their slavery. It was all God. It was only because of his power. The Egyptians, the Israelites and the entire world, for all generations, would know that God is the sovereign ruler of all the earth and he is mighty to save and strong to deliver.

God works this way through the lives of his servants. He calls us to something that is impossible to accomplish in our own strength and power. He urges us to embrace our mission and calling in life, believing his promises and trusting in his power. He works in such a way that the whole world can only testify that God is great and he works awesome wonders among those who serve him. History should proclaim that glory of God. This shows one of the major purposes of any gospel mission. It is meant to reveal the glory and the power and the concern of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 reads, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (NIV)

In the mission to the North, there are many difficult things, housing, finding an “in” with the existing servants of God, finding to be a permanent missionary, finding missionaries who want to be there permanently, finding a person of peace to work with in a remote community, enduring the harsh climate and environment, finding air flights. Establishing a native founded and led church. All of these callings are very difficult to do. They are impossible to do on our own. But God calls us to embrace the impossible and wants us to trust that they are possible by his power. Through our “Mission Impossible”, God wants to reveal his glory to all the earth, by making it, “Mission Possible” by his power and grace. The whole world will know that Jesus is the Way and the Truth and the Life. (John 4:16) What impossible mission has God called you to embrace? How does he want to make it “Mission Possible”? How is God revealing his glory though your obedience to the call?

Part 2: God’s Power And Glory Will Conquer Counterfeits. (7-13)

Verses 7-13, “7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.” 8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.” (NIV)

God gives senior citizens strength and gospel missions to embrace. In Exodus 7 Aaron and Moses were very old, but they did not let their advanced age stop them from heading up this exciting mission from God. Look at Exodus 7:7, “7 Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.”  (NIV) When a person is in their eighties, the last thing they want to do is to volunteer for such a mission as the Exodus. Most people in their eighties are already downsized and living in retirement communities. Some have been thinking they were about to die since they were 65. But here are Aaron and Moses, in their eighties obeying God’s direction to go and talk to Pharaoh. Not only that, they were humble. They submitted to God’s direction. They were committed to be the spiritual servants of God to about 3 million Hebrew people and serving the mission of God for the remainder of their lives in a very harsh environment. Impressive. They were not ready to retire, they were ready to re-tire. They were like living fish, swimming upstream, truly an inspiration to seniors of all time.

God gives seniors with faith in Christ, new strength, vision and hope. Acts 1:8 reads, “8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (NIV) God is the almighty and all powerful creator of the heavens and the earth. He can heal the sick and raise the dead. His presence in us gives us power to be witnesses of the Gospel. Acts 2:17 reads, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (NIV) God promises to help senior citizens to dream dreams. So many are waiting to die and lamenting the loss of years. How many times have you heard seniors say, “Enjoy life when you are young because you can’t when you are old”? But God helps seniors to dream vivid dreams of the kingdom of God, the resurrection and of seeing Jesus face to face. They can dream of all the fruit that will be produced from the Gospel seeds that they have planted during their lifetime of serving the Lord. They can dream about how God is going to grow their descendants, both physical and spiritual, into beautiful and noble servants of Christ.

I have turned 50 this year. I can see how I am slowing down, needing to sleep longer and not eagerly jumping into some adventure or wanting to get “banged around” as much as I used. But I know, that as I enter the different seasons of life, Jesus will be with me. He will strengthen me and he will introduce me to various exciting Gospel missions that God has prepared in advance for me to do. (Eph 2:10) I personally know servants of God who are in their 70’s and eighties and even in their nineties who are still going strong, because of the strength that Jesus gives them. They are vital and powerful and using their strength to mentor the younger generation in the ways of Christ.

God called them to go to Pharoah again in verses 8-10,
“8 The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, 9 “When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.” 10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.”  They obeyed the Lord. Moses and Aaron stood before Pharaoh a second time. How hard is it to go again and again at God’s command?  It requires faith and humility. But those who are able to go and try again and again, at the Lord’s command with be blessed.

Satan can use the things of this world to create counterfeit miracles to try to deceive God’s people. He was hard at work among the magicians in Egypt. Look at Exodus 7:10-13, “10 So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as the Lord commanded. Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake. 11 Pharaoh then summoned wise men and sorcerers, and the Egyptian magicians also did the same things by their secret arts: 12 Each one threw down his staff and it became a snake. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up their staffs. 13 Yet Pharaoh’s heart became hard and he would not listen to them, just as the Lord had said.” When Pharaoh asked for a miracle to prove their authority, Aaron threw down his staff and it became a snake. But the Egyptian magicians did the same thing. Aaron’s snake swallowed them up. Instead of repenting, at the miracle of God, Pharaoh’s heart became harder for he did not repent.

Satan is always there attempting to counterfeit the miracles of God. The Bible even says that the devil masquerades as an angel of the light. (2 Corinthians 11:14) He tries, but his counterfeits are not nearly as good God’s genuine miracles. Satan can try to manipulate scientific breakthroughs of the day, making them idols that people begin to worship. Think about this…humanity can heal some sicknesses and diseases and even extend life with modern medicine. This is a good thing. But modern medicine may take the place of God in some peoples’ hearts. And are we really increasing the quality of life or the length of our days significantly? Humanistic leaders can inspire people and lead the masses to topple regimes. Social movements can span the globe and change cultures. But is the change for the better, or are we trading one dysfunctional social change or regime for another? The devil can make people believe that they can enter into some blissful afterlife without repentance and faith in Jesus, through some humanistic philosophy. The Bible says otherwise. Writers can produce religious writings and philosophical treaties that appear to have some wisdom but it is only the words of Jesus are the bread of life that can nourish the soul. Science can explore the stars and understand even DNA and hypothesize about the origins of the life and the universe. It is good to explore these things. But life is yet to be found in space and the benefits of DNA research may be enjoyed by a rare, paying, few. God will fully reveal to us all these mysteries one day in their fullness.

There are so many things in this world that are like the Egyptian musician’s snakes. But as in this passage, Aaron’s snake, the snake produced by a miracle of God, is the snake that devours, survives and conquers the fake snakes. The things of God are lasting and genuine. They reveal the things of this world for what they truly are…very limited and not lasting and so often counterfeit. In fact everything in this world is perishing, spoiling and fading away. If anyone tries to elevate things of this world beyond what they are, and make idols out of them, God will reveal them for what they are. His glory will consume them and his glory will shine and God will bring his people into a glorious eternal inheritance. 1 Peter 1:3-5 reads, “3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.” (NIV) This is the greatest miracle. Never settle for fake miracles of this world.

Prayer: Lord, thank you Lord, for revealing your glory, through helping us in difficult missions, empowering the old, and bringing forth miracles. May your glory shine to the ends of the earth.

One Word: God’s power and glory shines forth in a fallen world.