Moses Heard God's Word (Ex. 11:1-3)

4/15/2008 10:40 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time           Focus:  Moses heard God’s Word

Bible Reading & Meditation               Reference:  Exodus 11:1-3

            Message of the verses:  1 ¶  Now the LORD said to Moses, "One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely.  2  "Speak now in the hearing of the people that each man ask from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor for articles of silver and articles of gold."  3  The LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Furthermore, the man Moses himself was greatly esteemed in the land of Egypt, both in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants and in the sight of the people.”

            This section of Scriptures brings about a next chapter in the book that I am using to help me through this wonderful book.  Dr. Wiersbe includes chapter eleven through chapter thirteen verse sixteen in his chapter on Exodus.  In this chapter he looks at Passover and how Passover effects different people with this first section “Passover and the Egyptians,’ which includes all of chapter eleven.

            As stated in yesterday’s SD Dr. Wiersbe believes that these verses happened “before Moses and Aaron were summoned to see Pharaoh to hear his last offer, and Moses speech (11:1-4) were delivered between verses 26 and 27 of chapter 10, and it ended with Moses leaving the palace in great anger (10:29; 11:8).”

            These verses speak of the last plague that would happen upon the nation of Egypt, a plague so terrible that after it happened Pharaoh would not just ask Israel to leave, but He would run them out of the land.  Verse three speaks of the great respect that the Egyptian people along with Pharaoh’s servants had for Moses. 

            Back in the book of Genesis chapter fifteen, verse fourteen God told this to Abraham:  “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.”  God also gave Moses this promise in Exodus 3:21-22, “I will grant this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be that when you go, you will not go empty-handed.  ‘But every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold, and clothing; and you will put them on your sons and daughters. Thus you will plunder the Egyptians.’”

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It takes time sometimes for God’s promises to be fulfilled, for they are done in His plan, and His way, for His glory and for our good.  Thus was the case for these the children of Israel. 

            I am not going to say that it has been easy for Sandy and I since we have been stripped, (thus far), from the money which I worked for, for over thirty-five years to help in our retirement, but God has kept His promise to me that He would never leave me nor forsake me, and has gone beyond that by blessing me in this storm of life that He has sent to Sandy and me.  I must say that I would not trade those blessing that He has given to me for the money, yet there is surely a part of me that want the return of this money because it is what I worked for, for such a long time under difficult situations for most of the thirty-five years. 

            I see in this passage the fulfillment of a promise God made over four-hundred years before, which tells me that God is faithful and this is one of His promises that I choose to live by.

My Steps of Faith for Today:  First I want to yoke up with Jesus Christ as He speaks about in Matthew 11:28-30, “28  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  29  "Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS.  30 “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”  Each day I need to yoke up with my Lord Jesus Christ because there are situations that I face each day that I do not know how to handle and I need to yoked with Him in order for Him to guide me through these unsettled days which I face.

            Next I trust the Lord to bless our time with Sharon and Mike, and that He would give us time to witness to them about the wonderful grace of God and how this wonderful grace can be given to them.

            Next I want to get along with my wife and to encourage her through this process which she and her family are going through at this time.

Memory verses for the week:                      Philippians 3:7-8

7. But whatever things were gain to me, those things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ.
8. More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all thing, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ.