Who Was Moses?

Happy Sabbath, everyone! Great to be with you here on this beautiful Sabbath day. And a big thank you for our special music today. The quartet did a wonderful job on that piece. Beautiful words. Very, very fitting at this time of year, pre-passover, pre-unlived and bred. Thank you very much to the quartet and for beautiful music. It's a little different walking in. It wasn't a big buzz as I came in today with only a couple of people here. And a bit of a change from usual, but it's great to be with you via webcast, online, however you're watching or listening today. First, let me just give you a couple of media updates from our department, from Media and Communication Services. I would say that about 80% of our work is continuing at the moment. The one area that we can't do as much of is outgoing mail, fulfilling literature requests. Jobs that go directly from print houses continue to go, but some of the individual literature requests are on hold. But we're still processing the incoming mail, still processing donations, still doing our editorial work, and still planning the next issue of the Beyonce magazine, which actually has been switched all around to a whole new approach because of the health crisis to make it more relevant. So Scott Ashley, our managing editor, has been working very hard, along with our writers and editors, to make a complete change in what we had originally planned for the May-June issue. But so, editorials are continuing. Our video editors are at home with their editing equipment, so that we can continue to produce BT dailies, continue to produce the Beyonce television program, and all that as well. So about 80% of our work is continuing, as usual. During the month of March, we had excellent response for our online advertising of our literature, of 18,000 requests online. And last Sunday was a record day for our Beyonce television program. The program was Who is the Antichrist? And we should have all the figures in after this weekend is concluded, but it promises to be one of our best programs to date, as far as response goes. And I might mention that, in addition, we're running advertisements on our Roku channel, and the most popular program being clicked on right now from our Roku ads is Are the United States and Britain in the Bible? And so there's been quite a response to that. So we're encouraged that our Gospel efforts are still having an effect during the health crisis. Maybe people have more time to watch and read and learn while they're at home. Most of us are currently under stay-at-home orders, orders by our government and local officials. We have to keep our distance from those not within our household. I know that when Governor DeWine, here in Ohio, decided to shut everything down over two weeks ago now, he said, close down the hair salons. And that was the day I was going to go get my hair cut. So I've been in front of the mirror with scissors hacking away at my own hair, trying to make it look halfway presentable. So that's what we deal with, I guess. But this is a very interesting scenario considering, two, that we are now approaching the Passover.

Remember the very first Passover to be observed on our planet?

It was in Egypt. And the Israelites had to stay in their homes on that Passover evening and put the blood of a sacrificed lamb on their doorposts.

Otherwise, their firstborn would die.

Can you imagine how they felt, sequestered in their homes? I think you can just a little bit now, right? Sequested in their homes in fear of their lives. The fear we are facing ourselves, the fear of becoming infected by the COVID-19 virus, being barred from going to work, going to school or being out in public, pales by comparison to the fear those Israelites must have had. There was a great cry heard throughout Egypt as the Egyptians found death in every one of their homes. And it's an interesting time for us to reflect on the Passover and our need to keep our doors closed spiritually from the spiritual viruses of this world, free from all the spiritual plagues going around. We must quarantine ourselves from the God of this world and be filled instead with the Spirit of God. Otherwise, we will die. The physical death and ultimately a spiritual death. The blood of Jesus Christ, just like the blood of the Lamb on the Israelites' doorposts, the blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of our Father in Heaven are all that stand between us and death. And this year, as we take the Passover symbols for the bread and the wine, which symbolize Christ's broken body and shed blood, I pray that these symbols will take on maybe a little more meaning. We must live in the world, but not be of the world. We must be separate from the world, but in a spiritual sense. And this leads me to ask a question. How could an abandoned baby become one of the greatest leaders ever known?

An immigrant's family's son rose to national power in a foreign land and became known as the greatest prophet of all time. Except for Jesus, of course. Why should this, and why does this, actually affect your life?

Cecil B. DeMille's spectacular epic, The Ten Commandments, was one of the most popular box office movies of all time. It debuted more than 50 years ago, and yet it's still shown year after year in the springtime. Why is it? Is it because of the all-star cast? Is it because it was an Academy Award-winning film? Or maybe it's because of the special effects? Certainly those aspects don't hurt, but the fascination comes from the main character himself, not Charlton Heston, but Moses. We're attracted to the man Moses because of the story, the action, the drama, and the humanity of it all.

The stories in the Pentateuch are gritty. They're real. And they're authentic. You can't make this stuff up. Who was Moses? What was he like? Can you understand his character, his attitude, his faith? Moses' example is cited more often than any other person in the Bible.

Moses seemingly had it all, the best of everything his world had to offer. For the first 40 years of his life, he was trained and educated as a prince, an Egyptian prince. But being part of that world was not what God ultimately intended for him. And so we ask ourselves, is being a part of our world what God ultimately has in mind for us, either? In the sermon today, let's look at some powerful lessons from the life of Moses and see what we can learn from his remarkable example. It is very relevant during this time of the Passover and Unleavened Bread. Many people doubt the story of Moses to be even true. They say it's just a bunch of stories made up. But history gives evidence of this powerful man, who became known also as the meekest of all. It's titled today's sermon, Who Was Moses?

We're going to cover seven main points about his life, and we're going to see how they intersect with us and our calling. The leaders in the Bible are people with normal failings. They have human nature, just like we do. They're real people whom God used in spite of their weaknesses, in spite of their failures. So despite our weaknesses, despite our failures, God can transform our lives too. We're no different. This is what is so encouraging. We too can become a new man or a new woman. Moses' life can be divided into three 40-year periods. First 40 years, his time in Egypt, then his exile in Midian, which is in the area of Arabia, and then his governance of Israel, the last 40 years. Let's turn to Hebrews 11 for a moment. God sent Moses back to Egypt when he was 80 years old to deliver the Israelites from slavery. Moses came to realize that he was actually a stranger in Pharaoh's kingdom. He no longer belonged. And when we begin to follow God, this world is no longer our home either. We don't fit in here. Hebrews 11 verse 24. If you read along with me with Hebrews 11 verse 24, by faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He said, I don't want any part of that anymore. Choosing, verse 25, rather, to suffer affliction with the people of God, the Hebrews, the Israelites, then to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. What Egypt offered was truly temporary. There was a lot more to life. Moses fully realized his calling and made a critical decision to identify with his own people, the Hebrews. And so now let's look at seven main areas of Moses' life in which we can learn. And the first one, the first point I've titled, Moses' Leadership and Egyptian Military Training. Moses' Leadership and Egyptian Military Training.

After 200 years of enslavement, the Israelite population became a threat to the Egyptian leadership. So the Egyptians tried partial genocide, killing all newborn Israelite boys. And it's in this setting that Moses is born. And as you know, he was adopted by an Egyptian princess. And he was saved from murder and became groomed for leadership in the Egyptian palace. Do you think that just anyone without the proper training and leadership skills could lead millions of people into the desert without having them all die?

How do you do it? How do you organize it? What precautions have to be taken? What do you bring with you? What about little babies? What about the harsh sun? What's the best route? Is there water along the way? A lot had to be considered. Let's turn to Acts 7 and read verse 22. Anyone who has spent more than an hour in a true desert at 120 degrees Fahrenheit without water at hand could appreciate the scope of this task. For the first 40 years of his life, Moses was trained and educated as only an Egyptian prince and military leader would. Notice Acts 7, verse 22. Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds. You see, he thrives in this setting for the first 40 years of his life. He was a mighty man. Mighty in deeds, what he accomplished and mighty in words, what he said. Moses received the same educational opportunities and military experience as his Egyptian peers. He became a key leader in Pharaoh's empire. No doubt he commanded servants and troops. And this would have brought on military experience in his early life. Moses' early combat experience with the Egyptians is actually referenced in ancient literature.

Jewish Roman historian Josephus presents intriguing information about the early years of Moses' antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, chapter 10. And maybe quite a bit of truth to what Josephus writes. It may be more than just a legend here. Joseph tells us that Moses, as an Egyptian prince, led an army into battle against the Ethiopians. The story begins sometime during the first 40 years of his life. Josephus records that as a general of Egypt, Moses was sent with an army to turn back an Ethiopian incursion into Egypt. And then he gained victory after victory. Finally, he laid siege to the Ethiopian royal city, Saba. Because Saba was highly fortified and situated on an island, it was nearly impregnable, and this worried Moses. However, before a long siege could reduce both morale and his army's strength, the Ethiopians offered him a deal. What deal was that? Josephus writes in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, chapter 10, quote, Tharbus was the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians. She happened to see Moses as he led the army near the walls and fought with great courage, and admiring the subtlety of his undertakings, and believing him to be the author of the Egyptian success, she fell deeply in love with him, and upon the prevalence of that passion, sent to him the most faithful of all her servants to discourse with him about their marriage. He thereupon accepted the offer on condition she would procure the delivering up of the city, and gave her the assurance of an oath to take her to his wife, and that when he had once taken possession of the city, he would not break his oath to her. No sooner was the agreement made, but it took effect immediately, and when Moses had cut off the Ethiopians, he gave thanks to God and consummated his marriage and led the Egyptians back to their own land. So that's what one historian has written about Moses' early life. Several years later, we know that Moses fled from Egypt to Midian after killing an Egyptian. He became a fugitive, a wanted man, and his Ethiopian wife, no longer in favour among the Egyptians, probably returned back to her native land. Forty years then passed, while Moses led Jethro's flocks in the land of Midian, during which time he took Jethro's daughter, Zipporah, as his second wife, and fathered two sons. And you can read about that in Exodus 2, if you wish. So it seems that Moses had had two wives, one most likely now back in Ethiopia, and Zipporah. Another Jewish historian, Artepanis, in his work titled Concerning the Jews, also credits Moses with leading a campaign against the Ethiopians. And Artepanis is quoted by Eusebius that Moses was the inventor of many useful appliances and arts, such as navigation equipment, architecture, military strategy, and philosophy. That's what another historian talks about, Moses. In any case, Moses obviously had excellent leadership training during his first 40 years in Egypt. And as we know, then, for the last 40 years of his life, he successfully commanded the Israelites in the wilderness, keeping them organized, fed, taken care of, and he acted directly upon the command of God. A military mind could have played that role. Military experience, tactical knowledge, and the ability to follow instructions formed the basis of command. Of course, God is the true commander-in-chief, and he used the skills possessed by Moses. Each step of the way, God explained the tactical situation and provided direction to Moses. Moses was an experienced leader, a military commander, and sometimes you don't think of that's how it would have been. A meek man? Yes. But a mighty man, too. Mighty in deeds, the Scriptures record, and mighty in words. Secondly, let's look at Moses calling. Moses calling. We move to the second 40-year period of Moses' life, the time spent in Midian, where he met Jethro, the man who became his father-in-law. In just one day, the 40-year-old Moses' life was turned upside down. He slew an Egyptian who was beating an Israelite, and his life of privilege and luxury was over.

A new, much more difficult life was beginning, as he fled Egypt and headed to Arabia. So now it was God, not Pharaoh's court, who would educate him. Educate him in a different way, with different knowledge, different understanding, and educate him through the seclusion of living a life as a shepherd. Very telling. Not as a military commander, but looking after sheep, preparing him for his service to God and God's people.

God introduced himself to Moses in Midian through the miracle of a bush that burned but didn't burn up. Let's turn to Exodus 3 and read this account. God informed Moses that he had heard Israel's anguished cry for relief. So let's read this account when God called Moses to this special task of delivering the Israelites from sin and slavery. Exodus 3, verse 1. Moses was tending the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the back of the desert and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. In verse 2, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So Moses looked, and behold the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. So Moses said, verse 3, I've got to go over there and check this out, why the bush does not burn.

So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, Moses, Moses, Moses said, Here I am. And God said, Do not draw near this place, take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground. This was a very presence of God. Verse 6, moreover, God said, I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.

Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

I guess you can imagine the situation, right? You're out taking care of the sheep. There's a bush burning, but not burning. And then there's this incredible voice saying, By the way, I am the voice of God.

Verse 7, the Lord said, I have surely seen the oppression of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from the land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, and the Vegemites. Then notice verse 10. Come now, God says to Moses, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh, that you may bring my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

And so this right here is the important calling of Moses. Perhaps the most important moment in his life, but he tried to evade this divine directive. Verse 11 reads, Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh, that I should bring the children of Israel out of Egypt? So humanly speaking, this fallen prince of Egypt knew well the extent of Pharaoh's power, and the futility of an Israelite outcast going against the full might of the Egyptian military machine. Moses knew a lot about the Egyptian military machine. Four times Moses framed arguments to convince God to use someone else. But God was not going to give up on the important calling of Moses. Patiently, God answered every objection, and he assured Moses that he would be with him all the way. As we jump ahead in the story, after nine plagues were brought upon Egypt, the Israelites had to stay in their homes on Passover evening and put the blood of a sacrifice lamb on their doorposts. Otherwise, their firstborn would die, the tenth plague. There was a great cry heard throughout Egypt as the Egyptians found death in every one of their homes. And so Pharaoh commanded the Israelites to get out of Egypt immediately. Take with you whatever you want. Here's some more stuff. Go!

The blood of Jesus Christ and the grace of our Father in Heaven, our role that stand between us and death, too. This year, as we take the Passover symbols of the bread and the wine, we're reminded of Jesus's sacrifice that our sins may be forgiven, that we may leave Egypt behind us. We must bury the old man and become a new person in Christ. And so this brings us probably to the most memorable event in the story, the Red Sea Crossing. And I've titled point three, not the Red Sea Crossing, but your Red Sea Crossing.

Because we all face little Red Sea Crossings in our life, but we think we've reached a dead end. Finally, after escaping Egypt, the Israelites are trapped at the Red Sea. And Pharaoh has changed his mind now to let them go, and has decided to go after them, pursue them, and kill them all.

But God rescues his people by parting the Red Sea. They pass through safely, and the Egyptian armies are drowned, and Israel is saved from sure death. There is no doubt that God too is calling us out of sure death, out of the world's sea of sin. And so we examine our lives, especially at the Passover time, to ensure that we truly are putting sin out, and taking on instead the life of Christ. It's very urgent. This is our Red Sea Crossing. It's something immediate, here and now for us. Not the event that happened thousands of years ago. And so it should move us to daily action. It should move us to leave sin behind, to put out the leaven in our life, to become a new person, to go on and live a renewed life filled with the Spirit of God. Notice 1 Thessalonians 2. Let's turn over there for a moment. 1 Thessalonians 2. When you face your Red Sea Crossing, what should you do? What should you do to God's calling you out of Egypt? Well, we should walk worthy of our calling. We shouldn't come up with any excuses like Moses did. 1 Thessalonians 2, verse 11. Paul writes to the Thessalonians, We must walk worthy of our calling. In honor of our Red Sea Crossing, we must walk. We must step through. We must move through the parted ways. We must act on what we've heard, what we've been told, and what we're learning. What's interesting when you look at the life of Moses is he had to step out on faith many times. It was literally a step, an action he had to take, something he had to do. God didn't just say, okay, believe in me. Moses had to step out. He had to actually go where God told him to go. He had to do what God told him to do. When Moses stood before the Red Sea, God told him, turn towards the sea, put out your hands, and then the sea opened. When we're headed towards God's Kingdom, we must follow God's directions, God's words, his instructions every day. In our lives, it's also stepping out, stepping out in faith. And then it's by stepping out in faith that we gain understanding. It's by doing that we come to really know. It's by faith that we observe the Passover. It's by faith we keep the weekly and annual Sabbaths. And just like for ancient Israel, it's by doing and then watching God's action in our life, watching Him deliver us, watching Him part the sea for us. And then we come to fully understand His way of life. But it's only by living it, by doing it, that we truly understand it. They learn faith. We learn faith. And so we step out and approach our Red Sea crossings in life. Moses understood what God was offering was greater than all the wealth in Egypt. We have to understand what God is offering us is more than all the good things we could ever have in this life.

Many centuries later, the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians chapter 10 compared this great Red Sea miracle to baptism. I'm going to read from 1 Corinthians chapter 10 for a moment because it shows how we are to ultimately live our lives. 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 1. Paul says to the Corinthians, writes to the Corinthians, Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all of our fathers were under the cloud and passed through the sea, the Red Sea, their Red Sea crossing, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. It symbolized a baptism. Verse 3. All ate the same spiritual food. All drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, and that rock was Christ. As we know, the word became flesh and belt amongst us. Verse 6. Now these things became our examples to the intent that we should not last after evil things as they also lasted. Then there's a whole list then after that of all the things they did wrong as a warning to us. Baptism here, Paul noted, figuratively washes away the sins of the truly repentant, just as the Israelites at the Red Sea were washed clean of their old life as slaves to the Egyptians. They were now to start a new life as God's people, just as we are to start a new life as God's people upon our baptism. We too must take our personal Red Sea crossing of baptism seriously. And so each year at this time, we observe the Passover and we recommit ourselves to our baptismal covenant, no matter how many decades ago it may have been, or if it was just last weekend. We rededicate ourselves to our baptismal commitment with the Father and Christ and pledge to keep sin out of our lives, to put the puffiness of leaven and pride out.

My fourth point is titled, Seeing God. Seeing God. This is one of the most amazing parts of the story of Moses. Please turn to Exodus chapter 33. It's absolutely unique in all of scripture. Moses had the most personal of relationships with God. Yes, God spoke to Adam and Eve, to Cain, to Noah, and to Abraham, but not like he did with Moses. Exodus 33 verse 17. The Lord said to Moses, I will also do this thing that you have spoken, for you have found grace in my sight, and I know you by name. Personal relationship. So verse 18, Moses said, Please show me your glory. Let me see you.

And God said, I will make all my goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. Verse 20, but he said, You cannot see my face, for no man shall see me and live. The Lord said, Here is a place by me, and you stand on the rock. You know, go stand over there, and we'll do this thing. Verse 22, So it shall be, while my glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will covey with my hand while I pass by. Then I will take away my hand, and you will just see my back, but my face shall not be seen.

Does this suggest that Moses got less than he asked for, or less than he hoped for? Hardly. What Moses saw was one of the most majestic, beautiful, awesome, vibrant, saturated, colorful visions imaginable.

If you go down to Exodus 34, notice verse 1. Exodus 34 verse 1, because then we're going to see this actually take place. The Lord said to Moses, Cut two tablets of stone like the first ones, and I will write on these tablets the words that were on the first tablets which you broke. This is where Moses says, Thanks for reminding me that I smashed the first two. A very important part of this event is that God wrote down the Ten Commandments in a readable form, using words and sentences from a Hebrew alphabet. New research and study has shown that this alphabet was unique in all the world. During the period of slavery in Egypt, the Israelites learned this alphabet and could read and write. Up until shortly before this time, hieroglyphs and pictures were used to tell stories and record history. But that was so cumbersome and lengthy. The telestroides' pictures, when it was long, with hieroglyphs, was long. An alphabet, however, enabled the Israelites to write down the law of God and to record the Word of God. It has been shown that this early alphabet is the precursor for all alphabets in the world, including ours. Yes, God made a way for His Word, His truth, to be recorded, to be written down, and then disseminated globally in this way. And Moses and the Israelites were on their leading edge of this information technology. Notice verse 4 of Exodus 34. So Moses got two tablets of stone like the first ones. And Moses rose early in the morning, went up to Mount Sinai, as the Lord had commanded him. And he took in his hand the two tablets of stone. Then the Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. Verse 6. The Lord passed before him and proclaimed the Lord, the Lord God, and the Lord God. Merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin. By no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children's children to the third and fourth generation.

End quote. Verse 29. There's a whole lot of other stuff in there. Let's go to verse 29. Actually, the Feast of Unleavened Breads are even mentioned in there, by the way. Verse 29. That was so. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, and the two tablets of the testimony were in Moses' hand when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with God.

So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.

This is what happens when you see a little bit of God. Verse 32. Afterward, all the children of Israel came near, and he gave them as commandments, all that the Lord had spoken with him on Mount Sinai. And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face. Verse 34. But whenever Moses went in before the Lord to speak with him, he would take the veil off until he came out. He would come out, speak to the children of Israel, whatever he had commanded. And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, the skin of Moses' face shone. Then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went back up to speak with God again.

Like I said, this is one of the most amazing parts in the story of Moses. He saw the partial glory of God, not in a dream or in a vision like some prophets did. No, he actually saw a bit of it, for real, not in his sleep. And he spoke directly with God, over and over and over. He'd go up, take the veil off, talk to God, come down, put the veil back on again, go back up, take it off, talk to God again. Just like a regular thing. And Moses glowed afterwards. Have you ever seen anyone that glowed? Other than coming back from the beach, I mean.

Moses glowed. What would you think?

In verse 34 we see that Moses just kind of regularly talks with God.

But through all of this, what did God reveal?

What was the most important aspect? That Moses saw God? That Moses spoke with God? No. Here it is. God revealed his word, his commandments, his plan for mankind, his revelation.

It's not about seeing the face or the backside of God, it's about seeing his way. What he wants for us and what he wants us to do.

On various occasions during Israel's sojourn in the wilderness, a little bit of God's glory was also manifested to the people, to the Israelites. The Israelites too got a small taste of God's glory. In fact, they finally said, we can't take it anymore. God's voice is too loud, too powerful. Please just have Moses tell us everything.

And one time the glory of the Lord appeared to save Moses and Aaron from being stoned by the Israelites. Let's turn to Hebrews 12. Because there are many ways to see God in all kinds of circumstances and situations. It doesn't have to be face to face or seeing the backside of the Lord.

Most importantly, it's about seeing his way and doing it. Here's how we see God. Hebrews 12, verse 18. Hebrews 12, verse 18. For you have not come to Mount Sinai, like the Israelites did. You haven't come to that mountain that may be touched. You can actually feel, and they're burned with fire. And to blackness and darkness and tempest, you haven't come to the sound of a trumpet and the voice of words. So those who heard it begged that the word should not be spoken to them anymore. No, verse 22.

You've come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. To an innumerable company of angels. That's a mountain we have come to. Not a physical mountain in Arabia somewhere, or on the Sinai Peninsula. No, we have come to Mount Zion, capital M, capital Z, the heavenly Jerusalem.

To the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, who are registered in heaven. To God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect. Verse 24, to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better things than that of Abel.

See, we too must see and hear God. Verse 25, see that you do not refuse him who speaks.

For if they did not escape, you refused him who spoke on earth. Much more shall we not escape, if we turn away from him who speaks from heaven. Whose voice then shook the earth, but now he is promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not on the earth, but I'm going to shake the heavens. Verse 28, therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear.

We must see God and serve him with reverence and godly fear. We must take our Red Sea baptism seriously. We must shake at the voice of God to receive the kingdom, to receive our salvation is what we're told. We too must come before the mountain of the Lord, but not in the Middle East, the heavenly Jerusalem, and come to see God in that way and his way.

My fifth point is a little bit of a twist. Don't be an if only. Don't be an if only. Let's turn to Numbers 14. Numbers 14. How much time do we spend in self-pity thinking, if only my situation were different? If only I could go to work? If only it wasn't locked in my house? If only this virus wasn't going around? We cripple ourselves spiritually by going over and over the if-onlies. Numbers 14, verse 1. So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, If only we had died in Egypt?

If only we had died in the wilderness? Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? So they said to one another, Let us select a leader and return to Egypt. We're going back.

If only. And verse 10.

And all the congregation said to stone Moses and Aaron?

Stone them with stones. So the glory of the Lord appeared in the tabernacle of meeting before the children of Israel. So God intervened and stopped it. Stopped Moses and Aaron being stoned to death. That's one of those times the glory of the Lord was manifest. God had to intervene in a dramatic way, showing His glory to the Israelites in order to save the lives of Moses and Aaron.

Because they got into the if only mindset. Don't be an if only person. If we catch that disease, we will dwell on what we don't have instead of what we do have. And that's very important. We become disconnected with what God has given us. We lose perspective. Consider the Israelites again in Numbers chapter 20. Go forward a couple of chapters. Numbers chapter 20 verse 2. Numbers 20 verse 2. There was no water for the congregation. So they gathered together, once again, against Moses and Aaron. And the people contended with Moses and spoke, saying, If only we had died when our brethren died before the Lord. Why have you brought up the assembly of the Lord into this wilderness that we and our animals should die here? Why have you made us come up out of Egypt to bring us to this evil place? It is not a place of grain or figs or vines or pomegranates, nor is there any water to drink.

So Moses and Aaron, verse 6, went from the presence of the assembly to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. They fell on their faces, and the glory of the Lord appeared to them. And here's what God said to Moses. Verse 8, Take the rod, you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together, speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water. Thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock and give drink to the congregation and their animals. So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as he commanded him. Verse 10, Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said to them, Here now you rebels, must we bring water for you out of this rock?

Then Moses lifted his hand, struck the rock twice with his rod, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, because you did not believe me to hallow me in the eyes of the children of Israel. Therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them. I always get sad when I read this, actually. This appears to be one of the biggest mistakes Moses ever made. He's 120 years on this earth.

Instead of speaking to the rock for it to yield its water, he smashed it angrily twice. And by this time, Moses is 80 years old, and God demonstrated his power through this miracle. Today some people challenge God too by demanding a miracle right in front of their eyes. Do we make demands? Do we insist on miracles?

These were the same people who had seen the ten plagues come on Pharaoh, who had witnessed the miraculous opening of the Red Sea. When they had no food, God gave them manner. Day after day for 40 years, God provided for them. But somehow, now this is all forgotten. If only! Take us back to Egypt, where we at least were slaves.

Certainly their need for water was legitimate, but the Israelites' eyes were on the problem, and not on the problem-solver. They didn't look to God. Their eyes were fixed on the problem, not the God of miracles. We survived the periods of pain God allows in our lives by remembering who God is and what he has done for us in the past. When if-only's invade our mind, we have to stop and remember God's blessings. Remember our calling. Remember our salvation.

If we ask, if only my situation were different, we cripple ourselves spiritually by going over and over the if-only's. So, as we look at the story of Moses and the Israelites, don't be an if-only. 6. Don't speak against God's servant Don't speak against God's servant. So this point now brings us full circle in Moses' married life. Remember, at the beginning, we noted some historical accounts of Moses leading the Egyptians into battle against the Ethiopians.

And after this, Josephus records Moses married Princess Thabas, the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians. And this brought about peace and an end to the devastating war. The Bible too records that Moses married an Ethiopian woman. And it's likely that his Ethiopian wife, probably in her 50s, perhaps, possible she came looking for Moses after the Israelites had gone into the wilderness. She could have followed their trail until she finally caught up with them and proclaimed herself to be Moses' wife. In any case, however it worked out, this all comes to the fore.

And we see here in Numbers 12, if you want to turn with me to Numbers 12, a great furo developed with Aaron and Miriam. They're getting deep trouble with God because they criticized Moses for the marriage that he had made long ago. Numbers 12, verse 1. Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married. Well, he had married an Ethiopian woman. So they said, Miriam and Aaron said, has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?

And the Lord heard it. Verse 3, Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. I think that verse 3 is in there is to just remind us that Miriam and Aaron were being the very opposite right now. They were not being the least bit humble. Verse 4, Suddenly the Lord said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, come out, you three, to the tabernacle's meeting. So the three came out. It's like when I'd hear a ruckus in the boy's bedroom.

Get out here, boys! What's going on in there? Then the Lord came down on the pillar of cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle and called Aaron and Miriam, and they both went forward. And he said, Hear now my words. Verse 6, If there is a prophet among you, I the Lord make myself known to him in a vision. I speak to him in a dream, which we were comparing earlier. Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. I speak with him face to face.

Like I said, the other prophets had dreams and visions, right? I speak to Moses face to face, even plainly.

Not in dark sayings. And he sees the form of the Lord. He sees what I look like. Why then were you not afraid to speak against my servant Moses? So the anger of the Lord was aroused against him, and he departed. And verse 10, When the cloud departed from above the tabernacle, suddenly Miriam became leprous as white as snow. Then Aaron turned toward Miriam, and there she was, a leper.

Don't speak against God's servant. We must respect the leadership placed before us. Even we know our leaders are not perfect. As for Zipporah, Moses' wife, we don't know if Moses had told her he had an Ethiopian wife during his prior life in Egypt. The Bible doesn't give her reaction, but it sure gives the reaction of Aaron and Miriam.

Don't speak against God's servant. Then point 7 is God speaking to you.

We must remember the people in the Bible were real people, like you and me. They thought a lot like we do today.

At times we need proof to believe something. So here's something crucial. What would it take for you to believe that God is speaking to you?

Remember when Moses was face-shown after talking with God? What did God reveal? What was the most important aspect?

Was he revealed his word, his commandments, his plan for mankind, his revelation. He revealed his way.

Please take a look at Romans 10. When you really begin to think about it, we do have a miracle right before our eyes.

It's the very Word of God, the Bible. From that first time, the commandments were penned on tablets of stone and recorded using an ancient alphabet till now. It has been preserved. God is speaking to me. God is speaking to you. Today we don't experience smoldering shrubs. It's different. Look at Romans 10, verse 16. They have not all obeyed the Gospel. Rhaesiah said, Lord, who has believed our report? But verse 17, so then faith, those who are faithful, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. And then, in the end, the Bible says, verse 17, so then faith, those who are faithful, faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Hearing. Are you listening? Are you hearing the Word of God? You see, God is speaking to us. He is speaking to you. Not through a burning bush, but through His fiery Word. Are you listening? We can grow in our relationship with God by completely trusting His Word. When God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, He expected him to listen and obey.

And it's no different for us. God speaks to us through the Bible and expects us to listen and obey in faith, too. Yes, God is speaking to you. When Moses grasped the greatness of God, things began to change.

It's an awesome, merciful God who called Moses and who's called you and me.

He listened to Moses' worries, just like he does when we pray. He listened to his objections. We had some objections once in a while. God listens. He corrected him, and He corrects us, too. He taught him. He showed Moses his power and glory. We, too, don't have to be afraid of what God is asking us to do. We don't have to wander in the wilderness. As we seek the kingdom of God, as we keep His Word, as we follow Jesus Christ, God promises to help us and to take care of us, no matter what happens, no matter what dead ends we face, no matter what walls of water we come up against. So we shouldn't avoid acting on the commands of God. The key to success and getting out of slavery, out of our own personal problems, the key to breaking free from sin is not from our own greatness, not by our power, but to look to God who calls us and empowers us to do His will.

So I say God is speaking to us. He is speaking to you.

And this all brings us to the time of this festival season, this holiday observance, next week of the past seven days of Unleavened Brienne. I want to read two verses from 1 Corinthians 5. 1 Corinthians 5, verses 7 and 8.

So knowing all this, knowing what the Israelites went through, knowing what we've been called to do, 1 Corinthians 5 verse 7, Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. That's the blood, not of a lamb, but of the Lamb of God that makes our sins able to be forgiven. Verse 8, Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. There's no doubt God is calling people out of this world as firstfruits, as sons and daughters, out of this world's sea of sin. It should move us to leave sin behind, to put the leaven out of our life, to become a new person, to leave Egypt, to live a renewed life filled with the Holy Spirit. And so we must take our personal Red Sea crossing of baptism seriously, as we recommit ourselves next Tuesday evening. So each year at this time, we observe the Passover and recommit ourselves to our baptismal covenant with the Father and Christ, and pledge to keep sin out of our lives, to put leaven and pride out, to put Jesus Christ and the bread of life in.

And so the book of Deuteronomy chapter 34 concludes with a tribute to Moses. Deuteronomy 34 verses 10 through 12. These are the final words of the book, obviously added by a different author than Moses himself. So we get to the end of these five books of Moses, Deuteronomy 34 verse 10. But since then, there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face. Nothing like it since. In all the signs and wonders which the Lord tended to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all his land, and by all that mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of Israel. Israel's years of wandering through wasteland can be likened to our wanderings as Christian pilgrims through the spiritual wilderness of this world. In Israelites' time of tests and trials, God patiently taught them that they should revere Him by listening to His instructions in every aspect of their lives. God had a great calling in Moses' life, and He does for each one of us too. We can choose whether or not we're going to obey.

Moses isn't just a nice story for our children, or something that we read about that happened many years ago. It's not just the Ten Commandments moving. It's real. It happened. It's a story of people who stepped out on faith, Moses specifically. Remember, in order to follow God, there are times we have to step out against this world. Cross our Red Sea. We do this in order to receive the ultimate blessings from God, our eternal inheritance and spirit life. I want to conclude today by playing for you a three-minute song by Ellie Holcomb titled Red Sea Road. Her management company, Triple Eight Management, has given permission for Ellie's song to be webcast here today. And I thank them very much for that. I believe it's a very fitting conclusion to this message today. Please listen to the words very carefully, and please have a very meaningful and wonderful Passover and Holy Day season.

Thank you.

We will sing to our souls. We won't bury our hope. Where He leads us to go, there's a Red Sea Road. When we can't see the way, He will part the waves, and we'll never walk alone down the Red Sea Road. How can we trust when you say you will deliver us from all of this pain that threatens to take over us? We will be moving fast. We will be moving fast. We will part the waves, and we will never walk alone.

When we can't see the way, He will part the waves, and we'll never walk alone down the Red Sea Road. Oh, help us believe you are faithful, you're faithful, and our hearts are breaking. You are faithful, you're faithful, your plan decides to sing. You are faithful, you're faithful, teach us to sing. You are faithful, you're faithful, you're faithful.

And we'll sing to our souls, we won't bury our hope. Where He leads us to go, there's a Red Sea Road. When we can't see the way, He will part the waves, and we'll never walk alone down the Red Sea Road. No, we'll never walk alone down the Red Sea Road.