Hope for Today

The burdens of life come from different sources and take different shapes and forms. Do you feel sometimes like you are going to break down under the weight of your burdens? Have you just about exhausted your strength to endure? The title of this message is a question, HOW MUCH CAN YOU ENDURE?

I believe the cruelty some men practice must come straight from the pit of Hell, straight from the devil. We read about some of them in other times, like ancient Sodom and Gomorrah. In more modern times, we have the horrors of Stalinist Russia in the 1930’s led to nearly 4 million deaths. And not long after that, Nazi Germany, and the Holocaust. Some powerful leaders seem to be motivated by a demonic spirit.

The Scripture for this meditation is Exodus 5:15-23. It is an experience of great suffering that the people of Israel endured many years ago when they were slaves in the land of Egypt. We will find some deep lessons for us.

15. Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, Wherefore dealest thou thus with thy servants?

16. There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, Make brick: and, behold, thy servants are beaten; but the fault is in thine own people.

17. But he said, Ye are idle, ye are idle: therefore ye say, Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.

18. Go therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.

19. And the officers of the children of Israel did see that they were in evil case, after it was said, Ye shall not minish ought from your bricks of your daily task.

20. And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way, as they came forth from Pharaoh:

21. And they said unto them, The LORD look upon you, and judge; because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us.

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

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

In this text, you can see the RESULTS when people are called to go through great trials. It will help you find answers to my question; how much can you endure? The experiences of the Bible characters are like ours, and we can take courage and gather hope from these results.

The first result was

I. The Impossible Demand

I observed something interesting about this experience. The officers of the children of Israel had access to the king’s court. They went to make their appeal before the highest person in the land. That is commendable. The people of the land had access to the ruler of the country, and these officers went to him to make their appeal.

First, they raised the question, “Why do you deal so with your servants?” In other words, “why do you treat us this way?” They tried to impress upon Pharaoh that they were faithful servants. They were not taking advantage of the king, they were not trying to get out of their work. They were trying to fulfill his demands, but he was making it impossible for them to do.

They continued, “What you have asked is completely impossible. You have made a very unreasonable demand. The requirement we cannot fulfill. You have taken away our resources and then expect us to do the same amount of work. That is impossible for us to do. We cannot continue as we have been because we do not have the materials necessary to do the job.”

Then they went on to analyze where the problem lay, “The fault is not with us. The fault is with your own people. They were making demands of us that we cannot fill under the circumstances. This is an impossible demand.”

Now let’s draw some comfort from this. When there is an impossible demand, let’s try to find a way to make an appeal to those who are responsible. That’s what the officers of the people of Israel did. They laid their case before the person who was responsible. They told him they wanted to accomplish his goals, but they couldn’t do that under the current circumstances.

That appeal showed their courage and should give us some hope.

The second result is

II. The Impatience of Pharaoh

Now even though the officers of Israel had access to the highest person of the land, the King of Egypt, he falsely accused them. He would not consider their case at all. Rather he immediately rendered a judgment that was wrong. He said, “You are idle; you have nothing to do, and that is the reason why the situation has developed as it has. That is why you want to go and sacrifice to the LORD because you have not enough to do.”

So, he refused to diminish their requirements. In fact, he sent them back to work by these words: “Go, therefore, now and work. You shall have nothing, but you shall produce that I have required of you.” That must have been very disappointing to these men. Now, they had to go back to their people and tell them what Pharaoh had said. I am sure those med dreaded the idea of having to go back to their people with such unwelcome news.

The officers who had presented their case to Pharaoh concluded that they were in a really serious situation. They were in an evil case, because there was no relaxation by the king of the requirements he had laid upon them. Rather, he expressed great impatience with them that they were not doing their job as they ought and sent them back to their heavy tasks. There would be no relief for them and no relief for those under their oversight. The king’s command placed them in an impossible position.

Sometimes we undergo great stress and trouble. We, too, are required to endure the impatience of our superiors, maybe even their verbal and physical abuse. Some of them may never have had any experience in the task that we are called to do. They don’t know what it’s like to work hard and get their hands dirty. But let’s gather some courage and hope so that we do not go down in defeat and despair during times of great distress and demand.

In the New Testament, in the book of First Peter, we read these words; “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

So, don’t be bitter but cast your anxieties on the Lord. He will sustain you.

I see a third result emerging out of this experience:

III. The Implication of the Officers

When officers left Pharaoh to return to their work, they met Moses and Aaron. Most likely, they were waiting for them as they came from the palace. These officers began to judge Moses and Aaron. They laid the blame for their burdens upon them. They said, “The LORD look upon you and judge because since you have come, the situation is much more difficult than before you came. You have made us hated before the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of his servants. So, the end result is going to be that we will be killed.”

Moses took that immediately to heart. He went to the LORD because the LORD had sent him. He had not come on his own. In his complaint to God, Moses laid it right on the line, as we say. He said, “Here I am. I have come to bring out the people, and instead of bringing them out, you have dealt badly with them.” He reviewed before the LORD what the officers had said to him. Try to imagine the feelings Moses had after this denunciation by his fellow Israelites.

In suffering, we also are often beset by such results. In these historical situations, we see similarities to the things we face today. Human nature hasn’t changed in all these centuries. Men without God are still proud, arrogant, and vengeful in their dealings with others. Those in power still take advantage of the weak and powerless. But know this, my friend, someone is watching.

So, take courage. It may appear at the moment like God has forgotten you. You may go through all these trials and troubles: the impossible demands, the impatience of your superiors, and even the feeling that God may have forgotten you. But He has not. Take courage because God has a way. With Him, you will be able to endure much more than you ever thought possible. He is faithful; trust Him.

Thanks, J. Mark, for teaching us more from Exodus, and thank you for being there. If you would like this teaching or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us; I’ll give you our contact information shortly.

I love how Exodus teaches us that God is in control and He’s at work, He always has been, and He always will be. We can trust Him right now, no matter what we are experiencing. We won’t always understand Him, but we can trust Him. His timing might be different than ours; think about Moses. And He may not do what we think He should be doing; remember what happened to Joseph. However, we have the benefit of looking back at many years of history, and we can see God is Sovereign: His purposes will be accomplished. This is His story, and He is the author.

If you are interested, we have a study guide for Exodus available. It is a small booklet designed to help you learn more from each of these lessons. We call it the Hope Herald, and if you would like one, all you have to do is ask.

Here is how you can connect with us. One of the best ways is via email. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have email, you could send us a letter, our address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, PA 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is Heraldsofhope.org. While you are there, please look around for more teaching like this. On our website, you will also find other resources available from Heralds of Hope. Again, the website is www.Heraldsofhope.org.

Thanks again for joining us for today’s program. I encourage you to join us again next week as we continue our study in Exodus. We look forward to being with you then and will leave you with a verse from I Corinthians 10, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, Do it all for the glory of God!” Blessings to you as you glorify Him.

This episode is an exposition of Exodus 5:15-23 by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

Words are important. Without words, it is hard to communicate. Words form commands. Words bring comfort, but they can also bring pain. When I was a child, we had a saying; “sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” But you know, that’s not quite true. Words may not hurt us physically, but they have the power to hurt us emotionally and spiritually. We really need to think carefully about the words we use; they’re powerful.

Because words are powerful, God chose to reveal Himself to us in words. In fact, Jesus is referred to as the Word, capital W. And He said, “The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” So, words are important, and we must be careful how we use them. That’s why, in my teaching for today, I am giving a warning to you in this title: WATCH WHAT YOU SAY!              

Pharaoh was a man who did not watch his words. He spoke out of his pride and human wisdom. He didn’t properly think about the consequences his words might have. What he did, though, prepared the way for God to deal very severely with him. That’s why it is so important for you and me to watch what we say. The Scripture text is found in Exodus 5:1-14.

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

2. And Pharaoh said, Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.

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

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

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

6. And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people, and their officers, saying,

7. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.

8. And the tale of the bricks, which they did make heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish ought thereof: for they be idle; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice to our God.

9. Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein; and let them not regard vain words.

10. And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, Thus saith Pharaoh, I will not give you straw.

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

12. So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

13. And the taskmasters hasted them, saying, fulfil your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw.

14. And the officers of the children of Israel, which Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and demanded, wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as heretofore?

We see here several OUTCOMES in Pharaoh’s conversation, which ought to help us watch what we say.

The first outcome was,

I. The Challenge

When Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh to make their request, they said, “The LORD God of Israel makes a request of you.” Now that sounds strange, doesn’t it, that the God of Israel would ask a favor of the King of Egypt. But that’s the way the words come to us. Moses and Aaron said to Pharaoh, “Let my people go…” and they said it in the name of the LORD. God wanted His people to go out into the wilderness and hold a feast unto Him.

Now, notice Pharaoh’s reply. He said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice?” It is very possible that he did not know anything about the true God, the LORD God of Israel. He knew about the gods of Egypt, but Pharaoh confessed he did not know Israel’s God, and therefore refused to grant this request. He said, “I do not know the LORD, neither will I let Israel go.” Pharaoh didn’t know it, but God was setting him up in order that God would be glorified.

But Moses warned him, “The LORD will fall upon us with pestilence or with sword unless we do what He says.” Instead of Pharaoh agreeing with Moses, he refused completely to cooperate. He analyzed the situation like this: the people of Israel don’t have enough to do. That’s the problem. Let’s lay more work on them. In fact, he accused Moses and Aaron of creating the problem distracting them from their work so that they would not cooperate with the taskmasters; because of that, Pharaoh thought they did not have enough to do.

Well, there is the challenge: Who is the LORD that I should obey Him? Pharaoh should have been more careful with his words. That’s why I repeat, watch what you say.

We observe a second outcome which is,

II. The Charge

Pharaoh commanded his taskmasters to make it more difficult for those Hebrew slaves by withholding from them the straw they were using in the making of bricks. We do not know what all this involved, but experience tells us that wheat straw adds a certain quality in brickmaking. Pharaoh saw the opportunity of making things more difficult for the slaves of Israel by withholding straw from them and making them search for it.

So, he said, “Do not give them any more straw. Let them go and gather it wherever they can find it.” But he also added, “Do not reduce the number of bricks that must be made in a day’s time.” With less materials, they were to produce the same amount of product. He said, “Now that’s the way we’ll get rid of their request. We’ll make them work so hard they won’t have time to think of anything else.”

You would think he should have known his harsh response would simply aggravate their request. But he did not reason that way. He reasoned the other way: if we make them work really hard, they won’t have time to think about going and sacrificing to their God. So, he required them to produce as many bricks in the day without straw as they had produced with straw.

He said to the taskmasters, “Don’t take any excuses from them. Don’t pay attention to their complaints. Lay upon the men the labor that they had before and do not accept anything from them but their full number of bricks.” We could say to Pharaoh, “Watch what you say because you are preparing the way for something which you don’t really expect.”

We observe a third outcome, there was

Ill. The Choice.

The taskmasters of the people and the officers presented this charge to the people, “Let there be no straw provided.” That left the people with only one choice, and that was to search for this material wherever they could find it. The Bible tells us here that the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather the stubble instead of the straw. Even the materials that they could find were less desirable for their job than those that had been furnished to them before. They had no other choice than to do the best they could under the circumstances.

They labored now with more difficulty than before. It had been hard work, and now it was much harder work. They were unable to fulfill the requirements that Pharaoh had laid down for them. They were unable to make as many bricks as they had made before. As a result, the officers that had been placed over the people were beaten by the taskmasters. There was no other choice; there was no other way; there were no alternatives. So, there was greater affliction because Pharaoh, king of Egypt, did not watch what he said.

Yes, words are important. Words carry weight. By them, we convey commands. By them, we can offer comfort. God marks your words. Yes, He does. Jesus said in Matthew 12:36 and 37, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment. For by your words, you will be justified, and by your words, you will be condemned.”

God marked Pharaoh’s words, and by the words that Pharaoh spoke, he set the stage for a battle with God. He should have been more careful with his words in the presence of the LORD God of Israel. That’s why I issue this warning to you: Watch what you say, because the LORD God is listening. He is keeping a record of what you say.

Beware, lest you talk proudly or foolishly in His presence. You may indeed be setting a stage for your own downfall as Pharaoh did. So, watch what you say!

Thanks, J. Mark, for teaching us more from Exodus, and thank you for being there. If you would like this teaching or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us; I’ll give you our information shortly.

I love how Exodus teaches us that God is in control and He’s at work, He always has been, and He always will be. We can trust Him right now, no matter what we are experiencing. We won’t always understand Him, but we can trust Him. His timing might be different than ours; think about Moses. And He may not do what we think He should be doing; remember what happened to Joseph. However, we have the benefit of looking back at many years of history, and we can see God is Sovereign: His purposes will be accomplished. This is His story, and He is the author.

If you are interested, we have a study guide for Exodus available. It is a small booklet designed to help you learn more from each of these lessons. We call it the Hope Herald, and if you would like one, all you have to do is ask.

Here is how you can connect with us. One of the best ways is via email. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have email, you could send us a letter, our address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, PA 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is Heraldsofhope.org. While you are there, please look around for more teaching like this. On our website, you will also find other resources available from Heralds of Hope. Again, the website is www.Heraldsofhope.org.

Thanks again for joining us for today’s program. I encourage you to join us again next week as we continue our study in Exodus. We look forward to being with you then and will leave you with a verse from I Corinthians 10, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, Do it all for the glory of God!” Blessings to you as you glorify Him.

This episode is an exposition of Exodus 5:1-14 by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

The medical doctors of our world tell us that fear is a very basic emotional response. It may even be present in us from birth. However, many fears are learned.

As we grow and mature, some fears spring from our inability to cope with the situations around us. Other fears arise because we do not know what lies ahead of us. The future always has a sense of the unknown, and for many of us, that unknown creates a real fear.

Still other fears arise because of what has happened. The past seems to haunt us. It follows us like a shadow. We are constantly shadowed by it, it lurks in the background, and we wonder, can we ever be delivered from such fears?

I am sure most of us have fears. Some are deeply embedded; some may only be on the surface, but we have our fears. My message is about OVERCOMING FEARS. To understand how to overcome fear, we will meditate on the Scripture portion in Exodus 4:1-9.

1. And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.

2. And the LORD said unto him, what is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.

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

4. And the LORD said unto Moses, put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand, and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand:

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

6. And the LORD said furthermore unto him, Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

7. And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

8. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

9. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land.

This experience that Moses had with the LORD should teach us how the ordinary NECESSITIES of life can be used by the LORD to overcome fear.

Let’s get the setting first. Moses had a nagging suspicion. God called him to go to Egypt and lead out His people, to bring them out of the land of bondage into the land that flows with milk and honey. But Moses said, “They will not believe me.” It may well have been true as far as Moses could see. I have learned that acceptance is important to every person. Moses said, “They won’t accept me.” That created in his heart a fear of failure. He said, furthermore, “They will say the LORD has not appeared unto thee.” They may have said, “You just thought the LORD came to you. He didn’t, really.” Because Moses felt they would not believe, he said, “I don’t want to.” He tried to protect himself from the rejection that he thought would come. Rejection is devastating to any person.

His suspicion was grounded upon his past experience. You find in Exodus 2 that Moses would have delivered the children of Israel forty years earlier. Apparently, he didn’t go about it the way the LORD had planned. When he tried to make peace between two Hebrews as they fought with each other, one said to him, “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?”

The thing that happened in the past haunted him. Perhaps you, too, have a nagging suspicion that your plans will not work out right. Maybe you need support right now. Turn to the LORD; He can support you and deliver you. But make sure that your plans are truly His plans.

Moses learned after he made that confession to the LORD that God could use ordinary necessities of life in an extraordinary way to help him overcome his fear. God said to him, “What is that in your hand?”

And so, the LORD used the first Necessity.

I. The Shepherd’s Rod.

God used what Moses had. He had his rod in his hand; so, God used that. God said to him, “Throw it on the ground.” He threw it on the ground, and it changed into a serpent. It was a miracle. That nagging suspicion faded into the background, and he became afraid of the serpent as it slithered in the dust.

A new fear now suddenly faced him. But the LORD said to him, “Put forth your hand and take it by the tail.” Now watch; follow carefully. Moses stretched forth his hand and took it by the tail, and it became a rod in his hand.

I wonder if there is not a principle here that we ought to be sure to get. It took courage on the part of Moses to grab that serpent by the tail. In so doing, he overcame his fear. Courage will overcome fear. To face a terrifying situation and win takes away fear. Fear is haunting. It is destructive. But by conquering the object you fear, as Moses did with the shepherd’s rod, you, too, will find strength of spirit.

Then God moved from the rod to

II. The Working Hand.

God had other uses for the very hand that had held the rod. God said now to Moses, “Put your hand into your bosom.” So, he did, and when he pulled it out it was leprous. What good would a leprous hand do with a rod that can be turned into a snake? That hand became useless, perhaps even more than useless, a disability. As Moses looked at his hand, the LORD said to him, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” He did, and this time when he pulled it out, it was restored again like the other.

Is there some principle here that we ought to understand? Yes, there is. God showed Moses that he had no power within himself. It was first the rod and then the hand. Moses must realize that to overcome fear, he would need to face the reality of his own inability. The ability of God would need to be powerfully evident. Jesus reminds of that important truth in John 15:5, where He told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

When it comes to this hand of Moses, he needed to realize that even the members of his body were controlled by the LORD. That will remove fear. That will remove fear from your heart when you know that God is in control so completely that He controls even the members of your body. Moses learned that. Moses understood that.

Then the LORD took yet another necessity of life to remove Moses’ fears:

III. The Quenching Water.

Moses understood the value of water. Water is very important in the life of a desert shepherd. This was the last resort. God said if they do not believe these two other signs, then you will take some water out of the river, and pour it on the dry land, and when it pours out on the dry land, it will become blood. Ugh, how disgusting! Think about drinking blood – it’s repulsive. Moses most likely knew what it was to quench his thirst by the cool springs of the desert, quite different from the water of the Nile, but most likely, he understood that. But turning water into blood? That was horrible to even think about.

You see, God was taking these common ordinary necessities in life and erasing, dispelling fear by them. Moses saw how God can overcome fear. God was building courage in Moses’ heart. Courage is the positive, fear is the negative. Courage overcomes fear.

Moses demonstrates the way to get rid of your fear: tell the LORD exactly what it is. Then God used the ordinary necessities of life in an extraordinary way to destroy Moses’ fears: his shepherd’s rod, his working hand, and the quenching water. With them, God was able to overcome Moses’ fear.

But God wants to remove your fear, too. Before He can do that, you must believe in Him; stake your faith in Him. Then, tell Him what your fears are. He won’t be shocked by them. He won’t ridicule you because of them. He won’t reject you because of them. He cares about you, and He loves you. Believe that He can help you overcome your fears, and He will.

Thanks, J. Mark, for teaching us more from Exodus, and thank you for being there. If you would like this teaching or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us; I’ll give you our contact information shortly.

I love how Exodus teaches us that God is in control and He’s at work, He always has been, and He always will be. We can trust Him right now, no matter what we are experiencing. We won’t always understand Him, but we can trust Him. His timing might be different than ours; think about Moses. And He may not do what we think He should be doing; remember what happened to Joseph. However, we have the benefit of looking back at many years of history, and we can see God is Sovereign: His purposes will be accomplished. This is His story, and He is the author.

If you are interested, we have a study guide for Exodus available. It is a small booklet designed to help you learn more from each of these lessons. We call it the Hope Herald, and if you would like one, all you have to do is ask.

Here is how you can connect with us. One of the best ways is via email. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have email, you could send us a letter, our address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, PA 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is Heraldsofhope.org. While you are there, please look around for more teaching like this. On our website, you will also find other resources available from Heralds of Hope. Again, the website is www.Heraldsofhope.org.

Thanks again for joining us for today’s program. I encourage you to join us again next week as we continue our study in Exodus. We look forward to being with you then and will leave you with a verse from I Corinthians 10, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, Do it all for the glory of God!” Blessings to you as you glorify Him.

This episode is an exposition of Exodus 4:1-9 by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.

God is the only being in existence who is completely trustworthy. But even those of us who follow Him don’t always feel like we can trust Him. We have our questions, our doubts, and our stumbling attempts to fully trust Him. Sometimes, He seems absent, like He doesn’t care, and we question where He is in our times of trial.

Since we live in this world, we are constantly surrounded by actions, activities, and situations that would hinder us from trusting the Lord. But we must continually place our trust in Him. We must learn how to give our cares and concerns to Him, to put our faith into practice, because He has promised that He will never leave us or forsake us. Because we have that promise, when feelings are absent, we can continue in faith.

Is the god you worship worthy of your trust? Can you carry him around and set him where you want him on a shelf? Can he do anything for you, or must you do everything for him? Can he calm your fears and give you peace deep in your heart, down in the depths of your being? If not, then WHY NOT TRUST HIM? That is, why not trust the true God?

As God prepared Moses to deliver the people of Israel out of Egypt, He presented Himself as the One who can be trusted. The answer to Why Not Trust Him is found in Exodus 3:16-22.

16. Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me, saying, I have surely visited you, and seen that which is done to you in Egypt:

17. And I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey.

18. And they shall hearken to thy voice: and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us: and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.

19. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

20. And I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.

21. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians: and it shall come to pass, that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty:

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

This text provides us with the FOUNDATIONS upon which we should firmly set our trust.

The first foundation for trust is

I. The Foundation of Revelation.

You notice how the LORD came to Moses; He made an announcement to him. He said, “Go, gather the elders of Israel together and say unto them, (now listen carefully to the revelation here contained) the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared unto me…” There is an announcement which is a part of the revelation, and then He said, “I have surely visited you and I have seen that which is done to you in Egypt.”

You can hardly turn to a page in the Holy Scriptures without finding that God is relating Himself personally to somebody. Here He is relating Himself to Moses, and He is instructing him to go to the elders of Israel and how He, God Himself, is understanding their very deep needs.

But the foundation of the revelation is not only the announcement but also the promise because God said that He was going to bring the people out of their affliction of Egypt. If we were to go back in history to the time of Abraham and open the Bible to Genesis 15, we would find that God had predicted to Abraham that the people of Israel, Abraham’s descendants, would be going down into a land that was not theirs and they would be down there for 400 years. God remembered this promise, and He said, “I am going to bring you out now, and I’m going to bring you into the land that I’ve promised, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

There is quite a contrast between the land of Egypt and the Holy Land. The land of Egypt was very fertile along the Nile Valley. It is surprising how much food they can produce in that narrow strip. But much of the remainder of the country is barren. So God said, “I am going to take you out of this land, and I’m going to take you into a land that flows with milk and honey.” God laid this foundation for trust when He revealed Himself to Moses in this promise. God never asks anybody to trust Him without proof. Here is the proof in His revelation. He revealed that He understands what is going on. We can trust Him explicitly because of His revelation.

The next foundation for trust I have called

II. The Foundation of Evaluation.

God told Moses how to approach the situation. He said, “Go, bring the elders of Israel and go unto the king of Egypt.” I’m impressed with the way God orders things. He doesn’t let them happen; He causes them to happen. He arranges the affairs so that everything comes out the way He plans it. So, He told Moses exactly how to do this. First, the elders would listen to him, then they would go with him to the king, and they would deliver a message to the king of Egypt. I find it is very important to do things right. Some people pay little attention to details. They don’t mind if something isn’t quite right, but God is very concerned that everything be exactly right. So here you have the approach that God gave Moses to carry out.

God also gave Moses the appeal to the king of Egypt. They were to say, “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us and now let us go, we beseech thee three days’ journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.” Or, to put it in our words, God has met with us, and now we want to go to meet with Him. He even specified it right down to a three-day journey. The reason was to sacrifice unto the LORD their God.

I am impressed with the way God works out His plan with precision. Some modern theologians talk about faith being a leap without knowing where you are going or whether you will ever land, but God never asks a man to trust without a plan. Here was the plan for Moses. God understood it, described it carefully, and told him exactly how and what to do. God’s instructions laid a valuable foundation for trust.

Do you know what God’s plan is for you? Have you evaluated God’s promises? What I mean by that is, have you tested them? Have you put them to work in your own life’s experience? I have tested God’s promises. It hasn’t always been easy, but I have found that God’s promises are trustworthy. You can rest your faith on God’s plan.

The final foundation for trust is

III. The Foundation of Authorization.

Further into the chapter, you find that the LORD said to Moses that He was going to chasten the king of Egypt because he would not let them go. God said, “I know he will not let you go, but I will stretch out my hand and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst of them. After that, he will let you go.” Sadly, some people resist God until He brings discipline. He has to chasten them. He has to bring them great distress before they even think about God. But then the LORD said. “After I have performed my wonders in Egypt, then he will let you go.”

I urge you, don’t be like that; don’t be like Pharaoh! Don’t resist God and His power. Proverbs 29:1 says, “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” Pharaoh had to learn the hard way that you don’t ignore God when He tells you what to do.

But the foundation of authorization carries another part, too. It is the collection of back pay. The people of Israel had worked many years as slaves. They worked hard. They had cruel taskmasters over them. Now the LORD said to Moses, “I authorize that they collect back pay. I’m going to give them favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. The women are going to ask their neighbors and those that dwell in their houses for jewels of gold and silver and clothes.” These were goods that most people strive for.

Later in Exodus, when we study the tabernacle, we will see that gold, silver, and precious stones were very important for the building of the tabernacle. God must have had in mind when He promised Moses that the people of Egypt would load them down with these kinds of treasures. So, God not only would display His power over Pharaoh and all the false gods of Egypt, but He would use the gifts of Pharaoh’s own people to be the materials to build His dwelling place among His people. Amazing!

God never asks anyone to trust Him without foundations. He provides the foundation of revelation, evaluation, and authorization. God understands and provides. Why not trust Him—the God of Moses?

Thanks, J. Mark, for teaching us more from Exodus, and thank you for being there. If you would like this teaching or if you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us; I’ll give you our information shortly.

I love how Exodus teaches us that God is in control and He’s at work, He always has been, and He always will be. We can trust Him right now, no matter what we are experiencing. We won’t always understand Him, but we can trust Him. His timing might be different than ours; think about Moses. And He may not do what we think He should be doing; remember what happened to Joseph. However, we have the benefit of looking back at many years of history, and we can see God is Sovereign: His purposes will be accomplished. This is His story, and He is the author.

If you are interested, we have a study guide for Exodus available. It is a small booklet designed to help you learn more from each of these lessons. We call it the Hope Herald, and if you would like one, all you have to do is ask.

Here is how you can connect with us. One of the best ways is via email. Our email is [email protected]. If you don’t have email, you could send us a letter, our address is Hope for Today, Box 3, Breezewood, PA 15533. Or you can connect with us on our website. Our website is Heraldsofhope.org. While you are there, please look around for more teaching like this. On our website, you will also find other resources available from Heralds of Hope. Again, the website is www.Heraldsofhope.org.

Thanks again for joining us for today’s program. I encourage you to join us again next week as we continue our study in Exodus. We look forward to being with you then and will leave you with a verse from I Corinthians 10, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, Do it all for the glory of God!” Blessings to you as you glorify Him.

This episode is an exposition of Exodus 3:16-22 by J. Otis Yoder, re-recorded by J. Mark Horst, with an opening and closing by Arlin Horst.