Pastor Jann Braaksma
Who stood before Pharaoh and said, “Let my people go”? Moses [Exod 5:1]
And his brother was? Aaron
And their sister was? Miriam [Exod 15:19]
And did Pharaoh let them go? Not at first.
How many plagues were visited on Egypt? 10
(Blood, frogs, gnats, flies, livestock, boils, hail, locusts, darkness &
death of firstborn) [pg 109]
What do we call the feast that was celebrated on the night the firstborn were
killed? Passover [Exod 12}
When the Israelites left Egypt did they leave poor? No, they plundered the
Egyptians. [Exod 12:36]
How long were they in the desert? 40 years, a whole generation.
Did Moses get to go into the Promise Land? No, he only saw it from Mount
Nebo. [Deut 34:1]
Let’s hear Deut. 34:4-9
Then the Lord said to Moses, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”
And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buried him in Moab. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone. The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.
How does this verse describe Moses?
Yes, “The servant of the Lord.”
Remember that, it will come up again.
By the way, why didn’t Moses get to go into the Promise Land?
Disobedience, let’s hear the story from Numbers 20:7-12
The Lord said to Moses, “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pout out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.”
So Moses took the staff from the Lord’s presence, just as he commanded him. He and Aaron gathered the assembly together in front of the rock and Moses said to the, “Listen, you rebels, must we bring you water out of this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
Seems like tough punishment for a strike, well really two strikes, instead of speaking. Especially when we read in Exodus 17:6 God instructed Moses to strike that rock with the staff and water came out of it.
In every situation we must listen for and obey God’s instructions. Just because we were told to strike in one case, if God says speak in the second case, be very careful to speak only and not strike. Otherwise you might only get to see your promise land and not actually enter it.
Joshua 1 says; After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun, Moses’ aid: “Moses my servant is dead. Now then, you and all these people, get ready to cross the Jordan River into the land I am about to give to them—to the Israelites. I will give you every place where you set your foot, as I promised Moses.
How do both Deuteronomy & Joshua describe Moses?
As “the servant of the Lord.”
The only human being who has seen God face to face, the great law giver, Israel’s greatest prophet, and leader of more than two million people. And yet he is described as a servant.
Are you serving God with everything you have and in everything you do?
Joshua had served as Moses’ personal aide for 40 years. All of that is summed up in two words, “Moses’ aid”.
And the story continues – Joshua 1:6-9
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go.”
How many times in four verses did God say “Be strong and courageous”?
Three, verse 6 – Be strong and courageous.
Verse 7 – Be strong and very courageous.
Verse 9 – Be strong and courageous.
Then He added do not terrified and do not be discouraged.
In verse 18 the people say to Joshua, “Only be strong and courageous!”
Previous to this story in Deuteronomy 31:6 Moses says to the entire nation,
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Then he turns to Joshua and says; “Be strong and courageous. The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Do not be terrified; do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, only be strong and courageous!!
Continuing in Joshua 3:2-4
After three days the officers went through out the camp, giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord you God, and the priests, who are Levites, carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it. Keep a distance of about a thousand yards between you and the ark; do not go near it.”
Let’s talk a minute about the ark. Who said to build it? God.
And what do we believe is in it? Ten Commandments, manna and Aaron’s rod.
Who was to carry it? Levites
What happened if someone touched it? They were killed.
The Ark of the Covenant is described as a box of gold covered wood with a gold covered top and gold cherubim. We do not know what the cherubim looked like other than the fact that they had golden wings spread over to cover the ark. The Bible describes the ark as gold covered rather than solid gold. To have been solid gold would have made it too heavy to carry.
Since a cubit is approximately 18 inches the Ark was some 45 inches wide and 27 inches long and 27 inches tall.
Moving ahead to Joshua 3:14-17
So when the people broke camp to cross the Jordan, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them. Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest. Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away. The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the middle of the Jordan while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.
Passing through on dry ground remind you of another story? Sure, the parting of the red sea.
How do you get more than two million people, their possessions and livestock across a river at flood stage? Have the priests walk into the water carrying the ark. The water didn’t stop until their feet touched the water’s edge.
What flooding river in your life is God asking you to step into so He can perform a miracle? He can’t work the miracle until you have the faith to step forward.
How different would your life be if when you got up in the morning you had no fear, no discouragement and you felt strong and courageous?
Even before your feet hit the floor you reminded yourself of —
2 Tim 1:7 – For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Luke 6:38 – Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
1 Corn 13:13 – And now these three remain; faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Philippians 1:6 – He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Psalm 16:8 – I have set the Lord always before me. Because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Perhaps I will be strong and courageous)
Phil 1:9 – And this is my prayer; that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
Phil 4:4 – Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!!
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, dear brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Do not be terrified; do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, only be strong and courageous!!
And let your feet touch the waters edge. Let us pray.
Resources: Life application study bible & ebibleteacher.com.