Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 78:1-4, 12-16 or Ezekiel 18:1-4, 25-32; Psalm 25:1-9; Philippians 2:1-13; Matthew 21:23-32 Prayer and the ministry of God’s Word Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory (Exodus …

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better!

Exodus 5:1-8:31 It gets worse before it gets better. Things seemed to be going from bad to worse for God’s people. They become “discouraged” (Exodus 6:9). They were unable to look beyond their present difficulties. They needed the Lord’s Word of encouragement – “The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I use …

Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 3:1-15; Psalm 105:1-6, 23-26, 45c or Jeremiah 15:15-21; Psalm 26:1-8; Romans 12:9-21; Matthew 16:21-28

The work of God makes progress when God’s people move forward together. Salvation, service, personal faith, life among God’s people - God has much to teach us. Moses sins (Exodus 2:12). God graciously forgives (Micah 7:18-19) - this is salvation. His sin forgiven, Moses is called to service. He is called by the eternal God, …

Fourteenth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 1:8-2:10; Psalm 124 or Isaiah 51:1-6; Psalm 138; Romans 12:1-8; Matthew 16:13-20

Redeemed by the Lord, we are to be consecrated to Him. Things were difficult for Israel yet ‘the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied’ (Exodus 1:12). Difficult times can be the making of God’s people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (Exodus 1:15-16; John 10:10). God is …

More than a departure

"Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, …

Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore.

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised (Psalm 113:1-3). We only have today. At night time, we wait for the coming of …

Before our love for God, there is His love for us.

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 20:1-4, 7-9, 12-20; Psalm 19 or Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80:7-15; Philippians 3:4b-14; Matthew 21:33-46 Before our love for God, there is His love for us. God does not want to see sin in us (Exodus 20:20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. …

Receiving strength from the Spirit of God

Twenty-First Sunday after Pentecost: Exodus 32:1-14; Psalm 106:1-6, 19-23 or Isaiah 25:1-9; Psalm 23; Philippians 4:1-9; Matthew 22:1-14 Receiving strength from the Spirit of God ‘Called’ by God and ‘filled’ with His Spirit (Exodus 31:1-3), Bezalel had the support of Oholiab and ‘all able men’ (Exodus 31:6). Few may be called and equipped to lead, …

Trust the Lord.

Fourth Sunday after Pentecost: Genesis 18:1-5 (21:1-7); Psalm 116:1-2, 12-19 or Exodus 19:2-8a; Psalm 100; Romans 5:1-8; Matthew 9:35-10:8, (9-23) Trust the Lord. Is anything too hard for the Lord? (Genesis 18:14). We need to hear these words as God’s call to greater faith. Sarah, like Abraham, had heard God’s promises, yet ‘she laughed to …

God is so much greater than all of our words about him.

'“I am the Alpha and the Omega, (A and Z)” says the Lord God, “who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty”' (Revelation 1:8). Here, we read about the eternal God. He has no beginning. He has no ending. He is the eternal "I am": "God said to Moses, “I am who I …

The Work Of God

Exodus 35:1-36:38 The work of God requires the work of a large number of people, who pool their resources together to see that God’s work is done. When there is this willing spirit among God’s people, God’s work moves forward. This willing spirit comes from the Lord Himself – “The Lord has filled Bezalel with …

Shining!

“The skin of Moses’ face shone” (Exodus 34:35). What glory there is in the presence of the Lord! The glory of the Lord was shining upon Moses. The glory of the Lord was shining out from Moses. In the Lord’s presence, there is light. When we come into His presence, we come out of the …

Make your decision for Christ, and make it real!

Exodus 9:1-35  -  Today, we highlight three lessons: The importance of trusting Christ as your Saviour, the folly of refusing Christ’s salvation and the danger of professing conversion without really meaning it. Each of us must choose: Will you step into Christ or remain outside of Him? Will you flee to Him and take refuge …

Will you be worth your weight in gold – for God? (Exodus 38-39).

Exodus 38:1-31  -  We read, in verse 8, of  ‘the ministering women...’. See also 35:25-26,29 - ‘all women ... all the women... All the men and women...’. Male and female - We need each other. We are ‘one in Christ Jesus.’ In Him, ‘there is neither male nor female’ (Galatians 3:28). There should never be …

Looking beyond Moses to Jesus… Jesus meets the woman at the well.

Exodus 13:3-7; Romans 5:1-25-8; John 4:5-42 Look beyond Moses to Jesus.We read, in Exodus 17:3-8, about God’s provision of water for His people in the wilderness. We read about Moses’ leadership. Jesus is greater than Moses. He is more than a leader. He is the Saviour. He is “living water.”   “While we were still sinners, …

Before we can work for God, we must listen to Him and learn from Him (Exodus 40).

Exodus 40:1-38  -  Here, we highlight three lessons: (a) The work of God begins with the Word of God:  ‘The Lord said to Moses...’ (1). Before we can do anything for God, we must be taught by God. (b) The work of God must proceed in the way of God: ‘Thus did Moses; according to …

The Ten Commandments (6): “Thou shalt not…”(Exodus 20:13-17).

"Do not murder. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal. Do not be a false witness against your neighbour. Do not want to have anything your neighbor owns. Do not want to have your neighbor’s house, wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey.” (Exodus 20:13-17). As we read these verses, the word that keeps …

The Ten Commandments (5): “Honour your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12).

We move on, now, to the second part of the Ten Commandments. The first four Commandments focus on our relationship with God - no other gods and no graven images, honouring the Lord's Name and the Lord's Day. The other six Commandments emphasize our relationship with others. The first Commandment, in this second section, is …

The Ten Commandments (4): “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy … ” (Exodus 20:8-11).

In looking together at the first three commandments, we have learned some vitally important lessons about God. First, he is the God of salvation. He saved his people, Israel, from their bondage in Egypt. He has sent Jesus Christ, his Son, to be our Saviour. Second, he is working, within us, to make us more …

The Ten Commandments (3) – “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain … ” (Exodus 20:7).

We have looked together at the first two commandments - "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" and "Thou shalt not make any graven image." We have focused on two key themes - First, God is the God of our salvation. He is the God who saves us. He does this through his Son, …

The Ten Commandments (2): “Thou shalt not make any graven image … ” (Exodus 20:4-6).

The ten commandments don't begin with "Thou shalt ... ". They begin with a statement concerning who God is - "I am the Lord your God" - and what God has done for his people - "I  ... brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage" (Exodus 20:1). It …

The Ten Commandments (1): “… Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:1-3).

To understand the ten commandments, in Exodus 20, we need to listen to the whole story of the exodus. To understand the giving of the law at Mount Sinai, we need to go back to Egypt and discover the mighty act of redemption by which God had brought the people of Israel out of bondage …

Search The Scriptures: Exodus

Exodus 1:1-2:25 The stage is set for a mighty work of God. The Lord's people face a crisis situation. they are being oppressed by the Egyptians. God sees what is happening. He is making His plans - to give His people a better future. It may have seemed like God was doing nothing about Israel's …

Pharaoh’s fantasy

"But Pharaoh hardened his heart this time also, and did not let the people go" (Exodus 8:32; 9:7,35). "Then Pharaoh said to Moses, “Get away from me; take care never to see my face again, for on the day you see my face you shall die.”" (Exodus 10:28). "Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen …

God has so much to teach us.

Exodus 2:11-3:22  -  Salvation, service, personal faith, life among God’s people - God has much to teach us. Moses sins (2:12). God graciously forgives (Micah 7:18-19) - this is salvation. His sin forgiven, Moses is called to service. He is called by the eternal God, the God who draws near to His people (3:14-15). Saved …

The work of God is shared by many different people with many different gifts (Exodus 35-37).

Exodus 35:1-36:7  -  The work of God is shared by many different people with many different gifts. The work is done according to (a) the Lord’s command (35:1,4,10; 36:1,5); (b) heartfelt obedience (21; 36:3,5-7); (c) the God-given abilities (24-25; 36:2,4,8). There is something for ‘everyone’ to do - everyone ‘whose heart is stirred, whose spirit …

Pharaoh opposes Moses. What does Moses do? – He prays (Exodus 5-8).

Exodus 5:1-6:13  -  In 4:29-31, we see Moses, the elders and the people worshipping God. Pharaoh opposes them - ‘Who is the Lord, that I should heed His voice...?’ (2) - , and ‘the foremen of the people of Israel’ start complaining (19-21). What does Moses do ? - He prays. Notice the honesty of …

When things change

"When Jacob learned that there was grain in Egypt, he said to his sons, “Why do you just keep looking at each other?” He continued, “I have heard that there is grain in Egypt. Go down there and buy some for us, so that we may live and not die” (Genesis 42:1-2). Jacob and his family were …

The Best Way

Exodus 12:1-13:22 The purpose of the Passover was to build a bridge between the past, the present and the future: “Remember this day – the day when you left Egypt, the land of slavery. The Lord used His mighty hand to bring you out of there” (Exodus 13:3), “In the future, when your children ask you what …

Set Free By The Lord, Set Free For The Lord

Before we come to “the Ten Commandments”, we have these great words, “ I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).  Grace comes first. Holiness follows on from grace. We see the same pattern in the New Testament – in the teaching of Jesus, …

God is about to move in saving power.

Exodus 1:1-2:10 Things were difficult for Israel yet 'the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied' (12). Difficult times can be the making of God's people! Pharaoh (and Satan!) is murderously anxious about the growth of God's people (15-16; John 10:10). God is about to move in saving power - His 'midwives' are preparing …

The Lord didn’t bring us this far to leave us.

Exodus 15:22-16:36 God allows His people to suffer difficulties. Why? - To strengthen our faith (15:25; 16:4; Deuteronomy 8:2,16; 1 Peter 1:6-7). He chastens us, to teach us repentance (Revelation 3:19). Don't forget God's love. He is faithful: 'He didn't bring us this far to leave us'. He shows us His glory (7). He assures …

Out of control?

"The Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them.”" (Exodus 7:5). Who was in control of the situation? Was it Pharaoh? No! It was God. This was the reason that the people of Israel had a bright future ahead …

The glory of God’s holiness, and the glory of His love

"Show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). When we read "the Ten Commandments, we think of a revelation of God's holiness. This is not a comforting revelation: "When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance and said to …

Holy To The Lord

Exodus 28:1-30:38  In all our worship and in all of life, we are to be “holy to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36). Holiness lies at the heart of God’s instructions to His people. God speaks of the special blessing of His “presence” at “the tent of meeting – “My glory will make this place holy” (Exodus …

The glory of God – His goodness, His grace and his mercy (Exodus 32:15-34:35).

Exodus 32:15-33:23  -  In Moses, we see the holiness and love of God: a deep hatred of sin (32:19), an intense longing for sinners to be forgiven (32). Filled with ‘the fear of the Lord’, Moses was fearless before men. God’s Word to sinners is clear: He warns them (Proverbs 29:1); He calls them to …

In the bad times as well as the good times

“Fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw” (Exodus 5:14). When everything seems to be going from bad to worse, we must pray that God will give us the strength that we need to keep on loving Him, trusting Him and serving Him. Our circumstances may have changed. Nothing seems to be …

Called to serve the Lord

Exodus 17:1-7; Psalm 95; Romans 5:1-11; John 4:5-42 Called to serve the Lord, we begin with worship, praying and listening to His Word. Worldly people create problems (Exodus 17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (Exodus 17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (Exodus 17:7). He gives victory (Exodus 17:8-9, 13). Joshua …

Above all – we look to the Lord.

"You will lead the people You have redeemed with Your faithful love; You will guide them to Your holy dwelling with Your strength" (Exodus 15:11). We look back, and we look forward - but, above all, we look to the Lord.

A song of redemption, thanksgiving and hope (Exodus 15-16)

Exodus 15:1-21  -  This is a song of redemption - God has redeemed His people; a song of thanksgiving - we  give thanks for God's redemption; and a song of hope - we look forward to the complete fulfilment of God's redemption. This is not only a ‘song of  God’s people.’ It is also the …

Moving Out Of The Land Of Bondage And On To The Promised Land

“Therefore, say to the Israelites: ‘I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. I will free you from being slaves to them, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with mighty acts of judgment. I will take you as my own people, and I …

Overview Of the Old Testament: Exodus

Exodus 1–7 Things were difficult for Israel yet ‘the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied’ (1:12). Difficult times can be the making of God’s people! Moses sins (2:12). God graciously forgives (Micah 7:18-19) - this is salvation. His sin forgiven, Moses is called to service. He is called by the eternal God, the …

God is with us – even when things seem to be going from bad to worse!

"The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it" (Exodus 7:5). For the people of Israel, the land of Egypt was their land of oppression. Soon, they would be delivered from their oppressors. God had something better planned for them. …

All The Days Of Our Life

“If thou buy an Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve: and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing” (Exodus 21:2). In the seventh year, the slave could choose to leave his master. The slave was no longer under a legal requirement to remain in the service of his master. In the …

The Great Power Of The Lord

Exodus 14:1-15:27  Here, we see “the great power of the Lord” (Exodus 14:31). This leads to worship – “I will sing to the Lord. He has won a glorious victory … The Lord is my strength and my song. He is my Saviour. This is my God and I will praise Him … ” (Exodus 15:1-2). …

God is calling us to move forward – together (Exodus 17-19).

Exodus 17:1-18:27  -  Worldly people create problems (17:3). Moses asks, ‘What shall I do...?’ (17:4). Indecision asks, ‘Is the Lord among us or not?’ (17:7). He gives victory (17:8-9,13). Joshua is being equipped for special service - ‘in the ears of Joshua’ (17:14). God’s great concern is that His people move forward together. The work …

You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words (Exodus 26:1-29:9).

Exodus 26:1-37  -  From the outside, it was a ‘tent’. On the inside, the tabernacle was a place of great beauty. Many look at Christ, and see ‘no beauty that we should desire Him’ (Isaiah 53:2). The believer looks at Christ, and says, ‘You are beautiful beyond description, too marvellous for words, too wonderful for …

Moses was called to be a servant of God’s people.

Exodus 3:1-22 Moses was called to be a servant of God's people. He was to be the leader who would play an important part in bringing the blessing of God to the people of Israel. He was not to be a 'lone ranger.' He was to "assemble the leaders of Israel" (Exodus 3:16). He was …

The Glory Of The Lord

Exodus 24:1-27:21 “The glory of the Lord” (Exodus 24:16-17) – God is to be glorified in all that we do. Symbolic of God’s glory is the frequent reference to “gold” or “pure gold.” God’s glory is to shine brightly among God’s people. If God is to be glorified among us, if our lives are to …

Christ has provided, for us, a better redemption than the redemption of Israel from Egypt (Exodus 29:10-32:14).

Exodus 29:10-46  -  There is a great contrast between the many sacrifices of the Old Testament and the one sacrifice of Christ (Hebrews 9:25-28; 10:1-4, 10-14). Looking to Christ, we focus attention on verses 42-46. For God’s people, ‘the tent of meeting’ was a special place concerning which God said, ‘I will meet with you, …

The work of God is shared by many different people with many different gifts.

Exodus 35:1-36:7 The work of God is shared by many different people with many different gifts. The work is done according to (a) the Lord's command (35:1,4,10; 36:1,5); (b) heartfelt obedience (21; 36:3,5-7); (c) the God-given abilities (24-25; 36:2,4,8). There is something for 'everyone' to do - everyone 'whose heart is stirred whose spirit is …

Notice what comes first.

"Then the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up" (Exodus 19:20). Notice what comes first - the Lord came down, then Moses went up. Revelation comes from above. It doesn't come from below. It comes from the Lord. It …

The Lord Provides.

Exodus 16:1-17:16  The Lord provides. Through the provision of manna and water, the Lord sustains His people. Strong in Him, they press on to victory. This is a picture of the Christian life. Before we can be soldiers of Christ, we must receive our strength from the Lord. We come to Him, looking to Him …

Why is all this happening to us?

Why is all this happening to us? Sometimes, we don't get answers to our questions - but we do get the attention of God, when we pray. Go back to Exodus 2:23-25 - back to the people of Israel in Egypt. Read about the hard times. Read about the prayer. Read about God listening. What …

Before our love for God, there is His love for us (Exodus 20-22).

Exodus 20:1-20  -  God does not want to see sin in us (20). He wants to see Himself in us. Sin robs us of His great blessing. He wants to fill us with love (Mark 12:28-31; Galatians 5:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-13). Before our love for Him, there is His love for us. He is the …

Great Weakness – And Great Strength

Exodus 4:1-31 In Moses, there is great weakness. In the Lord, there is great strength. By himself, Moses was completely out of his depth. With God, Moses would go from strength to strength. He had God’s promise as well as God’s command: “Now go, and I will help you speak and will teach you what …

Love and holiness – not holiness without love, not holiness without love (Exodus 23-25)

Exodus 23:1-33  -  God is love: He loves ‘the stranger’ (9). God is holy: He ‘will not acquit the wicked’ (7). He wants to reproduce His love and holiness - in us. Not holiness without love: that is self-righteous legalism. Not love without holiness: that is spineless sentimentalism. To Israel, He sent 'an angel...' (20). …

On our way towards God’s everlasting Kingdom (Travelling Through God’s Word: Exodus, Part Ten)

Exodus Moses said, "I pray thee, show me thy glory." And the Lord said, "... you cannot see my face; for man shall not see me and live... you shall see my back; but my face shall not be seen." The full glory of the Lord is not revealed to us. The Lord only reveals …

Grace and glory (Travelling Through God’s Word: Exodus, Part Nine)

Exodus "Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend." What grace and glory, there is here. In grace, the Lord reaches down from heaven to speak to Moses. The glory of the Lord is revealed to Moses. "If thy presence will not go with us, …

God’s love is greater than his anger (Travelling Through God’s Word: Exodus, Part Eight)

Exodus The Lord said to Moses, "Go down, for your people have corrupted themselves, turning quickly from the way which I commanded them. They have made for themselves a molten calf, have worshipped it and sacrificed to it... ." God was not pleased with His people. Did he abandon them? No! He did not. He …