Tale of the Bricks

O.T. #143  "Tale of the Bricks"
Oct. 9, 2013
Exodus 5-Part 3
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.  Exodus 5:8

God therefore now, and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet, shall ye deliver the tale of bricks.  Exodus 5;18

LET IT GLOW

Do you recall the tall tales we used to read when we were children? Ones like Paul Bunyan and Babe, Pecos Bill, and John Henry.  They were fun to read and we could use our imagination of being there with them.

Have you ever heard of the tale of bricks? I did not recall it, yet I have read through the Bible. I think of a tale as a rumor, or a made up story with a meaning.
Webster Dictionary defines a tale as a narrative of events, real or imaginary.

That is not what the Hebrew word is referring to in our two key verses, though. It is completely different from our modern use of the word tale.

According to Young's Concordance, tale (mathkoneth in Hebrew), means measure, quantity, in verse 8; it means a weight, measure, token, in verse 18.

When Moses and Aaron went to the king of Egypt, Pharaoh, they informed him what the LORD God said: Let His people go so they could hold a feast in the wilderness (which was only partly true); Let us go a three days' journey into the desert, and sacrifice unto the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence, or with the sword. (verses 1 and 3)

What was Pharaoh's response to their request?

• He didn't know the LORD and he wasn't letting Israel go.
• He commanded the taskmasters (slave drivers) of the people and their officers (foremen) to no longer provide straw for making the bricks. The Hebrews were to now gather the straw used.
• He required the Hebrews to make the same number of bricks as before, not reducing the quota.
• He accused the Hebrews of being lazy, so that was why they cried out wanting to go sacrifice to their God.
• He ordered the work harder for the men so that they kept working and to pay no attention to their lies.

What resulted? The Hebrews could not maintain the same quota of bricks made as before. The taskmasters (slave drivers) beat the Israelite foremen appointed by Pharaoh's taskmasters. So the Israelite foremen went and appealed to Pharaoh. They blamed his own people for the requirements not being met. Nothing changed the king's mind.

 The foremen blamed Moses and Aaron for the added burden.
Verse 21b NIV says, You have made us a stench to Pharaoh and his officials and have put a sword in their hand to kill us.

Do things seem to go from bad to worse for you sometimes? Most likely we have all had those days.
Yesterday was mine-my new mouth piece I wear at night for TMJ wasn't ordered last week, so I have headaches and a sore jaw, enduring for another week; my glass of tea spilt on my blouse as I bent over to feed my cats (I was going to a meeting at the church); I worn my waste-length hair down and  a woman said it made me look like a witch; I had a confrontation with a friend. All that happened before noon, mind ya. But the rest of the day was okay. I had lunch with a girlfriend.


LET IT GROW

Charles Swindoll enlightens us:
Everything went wrong. Pharaoh rejected his request and tightened the screws of oppression on the Hebrews. Even his people turned against Moses blaming him for their increased labor. Moses did the right thing-he went to talk to the Lord about this.

Moses asked two familiar questions:

• Why? Moses was warned by God that matters would go from bad to worse before they got better (3:19-22). He didn't understand that the Lord was working out HIs plan in this way. The lord told Moses that under compulsion Pharaoh would let them go and drive them out of his land (6:1). The Hebrews didn't believe things would get better. ( Instead of trusting in the Word from God, they trusted in their feelings or outward appearances. Falwell)
• How? The further act of rejection sent Moses back to the Lord in prayer. Moses blamed his lack of eloquence for his failure (6:12). If he couldn't persuade his own people to listen to him, Pharaoh would not heed his words (28-30). 

Was Moses wallowing in the pits of despair? Have you ever been there with Moses?
I don't like leaving us down there, so visit tomorrow's post and read about God's response.
Don't you know it was a tale of the bricks that Moses shared with his sons and grandchildren.
Aren't you glad that Moses wrote these events down. We will see the light of hope for him.

Do we ask why or how of the Lord when things go from bad to worse for us? I think it is a human response. However, do we go to the Lord for answers to our dilemma or problem? Do we listen for His solution?

LET IT GO

Take my problems to the Lord, listening for His answer.

Keep my eyes on Jesus, not my problems.

Trust Him to work things out for my good and His glory.

Who is the LORD?

O.T. #142  "Who is the LORD?"
Oct. 8, 2013
Exodus 5-Part 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.  Exodus 5:2

LET IT GLOW


In verse 3, Moses only asked Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, for a three-day weekend for the Hebrew people to hold a feast unto their God. This was to test Pharaoh's heart. God gave him a chance to agree to something small and to have his heart softened before the big request came. (David Guzik)

Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice? Pharaoh asked that question as well as to let Israel go?

Pharaoh did not have the right heart, but he did ask the right question. Moses asked Who am I? (Ex. 3:11) The relevant question isn't who Moses is, or who Pharaoh is, but who God is.

Many ask that same question. Who is the LORD?
In verse 2, LORD is Yhovah, Jehovah, which means Self-Existent or Eternal. (Strong's Concordance)

He is God, who is, was, and is to come. He is the only true, living God. (Others gods are created by man.) God is the Creator of all things; He has always existed, which is difficult for our finite minds to comprehend, since we live in a world of created things and beings.

Jehovah, they (Moses and Aaron) made mention of, which, whether he (Pharaoh) took for the name of a deity, or of a king, whose ambassadors they declared themselves to be, was a name he had never heard of before; and this being expressed and pronounced, shows that this name is not ineffable, or unlawful to be pronounced, as say the Jews. Pharaoh knew of no superior monarch to him, whose orders he was obliged to obey in any respect, and particularly in this, the dismission of the people of Israel out of his land, though it was but for a short time. (John Gill)

Each Pharaoh was said to be the child of the sun; he was a friend to the greatest gods of Egypt and sat with them in their own temples to receive worship alongside them. Pharaoh was nothing like a public servant; the entire public lived to serve the Pharaoh. His power and authority were supreme and there was no constitution or law or legislature higher or even remotely equal to him. Pharaoh was more than a man; he consider3ed himself a god, and the Egyptians agreed. (David Guzik)

Wow! How they were deceived into worshiping the king as a god. Sounds like a method of control and power over the people, to me. Better yet, a scheme of Satan to detour people from worshiping the One True God, Jehovah.

Friend, who is the LORD to you? Will you accept Him as your LORD? He is waiting for you with open arms of love. After all, Jesus died in your place so you don't have to pay for your sins, if you will only believe in Him and ask Him to forgive you of your sins and be your LORD.

LET IT GROW

Finally, Moses was doing God's will God's way. And what happened? Everything went wrong! Pharaoh rejected his request and tightened the screws of oppression on the Hebrews. Even Moses' own people turned against him, faulting him for their increased labors. (Swindoll)

Pharaoh refused the request. In fact, because of the request, he increased the work for the Hebrews. They now had to gather the straw which was used in making the bricks. It was more bondage for Israel! The sinner will either yield to God's Word and repent of their sins, when they heard it, or they will resist it, become hardened, and rebel against God's Word. Pharaoh hardened his own heart by resisting God's claims.

How will you react when you hear God's word calling you to repent of your sins and turn to God?
Are you obeying the voice of the LORD?

LET IT GO

Submit to the LORD Jehovah so He is LORD of my life.

Obey His voice and His Words.

Let go of what He wants from me.

Whatever it takes for my will to break, Lord.

Blame Game

O.T. #141  "Blame Game"
Oct. 7, 2013
Exodus 5-Part 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.  Exodus 5:1

LET IT GLOW

Am I at fault?  Is it my fault this didn't turn out right? So often I blame others instead of inwardly searching for the answer. It's easier that way, don't you think, to play the blame game? I tend to not take the responsibility for something failing. I am sorry, or I was wrong are not easy words to say for any of us. It being my fault is not under consideration. Or am I the only one? The Hebrews did. Shall we see when?

Seven times in these chapters, God says to Pharaoh, through His servants Moses and Aaron, "Let My people go!"  We read it in Exodus 5:1, 7:16, 8:1, 8:20, 9:1, 9:13, 10:3. This command revealed that Israel was in bondage, but God wanted them to be free so they could serve Him. This is the condition of every lost sinner. They are enslaved to the world, the flesh, and the devil (Eph. 2:1).

Of course, Moses knew that Pharaoh would not let the Hebrews leave right away. God had told him earlier that this would happen. He even knew that the first-born son of Pharaoh would die and God would perform many wonders for all to see that He is Elohim, Supreme God.

Moses repeated the demand by identifying Jehovah more commonly as The God of the Hebrews.
The Egyptians viewed Pharaoh as a god himself, and not merely a representative of the gods.
Pharaoh admitted to not knowing the God of the Hebrews. Maybe he figured God was just another one of the gods of the land.

Who is God to you? Is He a faraway God who lives in the heavens or a God who walks closer than a brother to you?

LET IT GROW

Charles Swindoll, in his Bible study guide, Moses, God's Man For a Crisis, says:

In this section of the narrative, a cycle of events is repeated three times. Each cycle is composed of an announcement, some reactions, expressed anger, and unjust blame.

          Cycle One: Moses and Aaron announce to Pharaoh the demand of God, put in a form of a request (verse 3). Pharaoh refused, due to his labor force being lost. So his blame increased the work load of the Hebrews.                                       

Cycle Two: Taskmasters and foremen carried out the new command, announced it to the Hebrew workers, who obediently responded. They couldn't keep up the same pace and gather straw, so the Egyptian taskmasters beat the Hebrew foremen, who blamed them for their peoples' failure (verse 14).  

Cycle Three: The Hebrew foremen appealed to Pharaoh, but were accused of being lazy, then commanded them to return to work with out any changes. Then the foremen blamed Moses and Aaron for the difficult situation.

Isn't that the way it goes so often? People react with anger and blame others if a project failed or a situation turned south. The Hebrews could not see that this was God's way of strengthening them in preparation for the long journey through the wilderness.

Can we see God's hand on our life when things don't go our way? Do we blame others instead of surrendering to God?

LET IT GO

So I am not a slave to anything, let go of the thing that has me in bondage, a slave to it.

Inwardly search my heart and ask God to also.

Don't get angry and blame others for what is my responsibility.

Seek forgiveness.

More Than Blood Brothers

O.T. #140  "More Than Blood Brothers"
Oct. 4, 2013
Exodus 4-Part 6
And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.  Exodus 4:29


LET IT GLOW


It is so sweet to have my husband's brother serving in our church alongside with him. He was out of church for 20 years, but God brought him back into the fold. We prayed for him, talked to him, but he wasn't interested back then.. This brother is now teaching a Bible class and preaches when the door is opened. It is such a blessing to watch him grow spiritually. And to think, the Lord has allowed these two to serve Him together. They now share words from THE WORD. They are more than just blood brothers, but are spiritual brothers, also. Hey, that is what Moses and Aaron were, right?

God told Aaron ahead of time to go into the desert to meet his brother Moses. Moses is on his way back to Egypt when they meet at Mt. Sinai. It had been 40 years since these brothers had seen each other and talked. What a family reunion!  Can't you feel the joyous time they had?
I picture the two brothers growing up playing together when they could, even though Moses was in the palace. Perhaps they ran around together as teens or visited in the coffee shop together as adults. Of course, they lived on different sides of the fence-Moses was royalty, Aaron was a slave. Moses lived his first forty years there in Egypt, so I figure he kept a relationship with his family. However, by this time, their parents were probably both dead. Sister Miriam was still alive, though.

Who is this Aaron?

• He is the middle child, Miriam is the older sister and Moses is the younger brother.
• His parents were Amram, his priestly father, and Jochebed, his mother.
• He married Elisheba, and had 4 sons by her.
• His sons were Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar (Ex. 6:16-23).
• He later became the high priest of Israel.
• He was called by God (Heb. 5:4).
• His budded staff was placed in the Ark of the Covenant.
• He becomes part of the leadership team: Aaron told all, while Moses performed all the signs given to him by God.

Aaron was more than a blood brother to Moses; he was also a close friend. Moses could share his deepest secrets with him, knowing that they would fall on understanding and appreciative ears. (Swindoll)

Are we an Aaron to someone, one that is trustworthy to keep a secret? Or do we have an Aaron in our life to which we can share our deep thoughts and can be trusted not to share? As other cross our paths, we should be that trusted friend they need.


Even as God had plainly revealed His will to Moses, He now made clear to Aaron his part in the divine plan, either by a human form, a voice, or by His Spirit. (Falwell)

Obviously, Aaron was ready to obey and follow God. He was willing to do his part in God's deliverance of his people. We don't read any excuses that he gave to God, like Moses did earlier. We don't read of any hesitation on Aaron's part. Of course, he had remained a slave in Egypt all those 40 years that Moses was gone. He now had hope of deliverance.
(I do wonder how he left Egypt, with permission from the Egyptians or if he snuck out. I suppose it doesn't matter, or the Word would say.)


LET IT GROW

Then Moses proceeded to tell Aaron "all the words of the Lord with which He had sent him, and all the signs that He had commanded him to do." (verse 28)
This is the first time Moses mentions to someone about the revelation he had received from God through the burning bush.

Verse 29 says, And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

What happened when these two brothers got to their destination?

Verse 30 says, And Aaron spake all the words which the LORD who had spoken unto Moses and did the signs in the sight of the people.

The three miracles, signs, were the rod, leprous hand, and the water turned to blood, which the Lord did earlier for Moses in verses 1-9.

How did the elders react?
Verse 31 says they believed, bowed their heads, and worshipped.

The elders reverently had been trusting God to hear and answer their prayers and demonstrated their pleasure by humble worship. (Falwell)

It was just as God had told Moses earlier in chapter 3. Image that!

The same people who had once refused to follow Moses' lead now believed that he was God's instrument of deliverance. The difference was that now Moses was doing God's will God's way, not his way. We can experience similar results in our lives if we will only choose to trust in God and refuse to learn on our self-made crutches.  (Swindoll)

LET IT GO

Listen for my marching orders, then march.

Go and do what God tells me.

Watch God work in and thorough me, then give Him the glory and credit for the results.

Trust in the Lord completely to guide my paths.

Keep praying for straying family.

God's Will, God's Way

O.T.#139  "God's Will, God's Way"
Oct. 3, 2013
Exodus 4-Part 5
So Moses took his wife and sons, and put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. Exodus 4:20 NIV 

LET IT GLOW

Your Will, Your Way, today, I pray. Easy words to say, but hard to mean them in our heart. Do we really want God's will to be done in and through our life? Are we willing for it to be accomplished by doing it His way and not our own way? am I walking in God's will, God's way? Things to ponder as we read on with Moses moving on.

What's been happening in Moses' life? He had an encounter with God, a burning bush experience that changed his heart and life forever. His decision to obey God effected himself, his family, and millions of people. He returned his father in law's sheep and received his blessing to go back to Egypt to check on his family.

We should attempt to gain the blessing of close family and friends before setting out on our divinely appointed tasks.  (Swindoll)

Moses informs his wife of his plans to move to Egypt. She apparently knows all about the Hebrew beliefs because she circumcises their son according to the Abrahamic covenant so God would not kill Moses for his disobedience. Apparently, Moses became gravely ill and God sought to kill him for his lack of obedience. (4:24)

God prepared Moses for what was coming up in Egypt by informing Moses about Pharaoh. God would harden Pharaoh's heart, thus he would not let the Hebrew slaves leave. Pharaoh's heart was already against God, for he worshiped false gods and idols.
Each response against God's will results in a weakened conscience and lessens the ability of an individual to respond correctly the next time. (Falwell)

You know, it was in God's plan all along to show His power to the Egyptians and the Hebrews through the ten plagues. Each plague attacked an Egyptian god and I AM THAT I AM showed Himself to be the Supreme God, Elohim.

LET IT GROW

Moses took the rod of God (his shepherd staff) in his hand as he traveled toward Egypt. It would later be used to part the Red Sea, bring water from a rock, and bring victory to Israel's battle. It was not a royal scepter in Moses' hand this time, but a shepherd's staff that would become the rod of God.

Charles Swindoll, in his bible study guide, Moses, God's Man For a Crisis, gives us four lessons to learn from these scriptures:

1. When we are walking in God's desired will, whatever we use in the process becomes His property. God can use our voice, hands, computers, books, anything like Moses' staff as sacred tools in the hands of the living God.
2. When we are doing God's will His way, we can perform even the most difficult assignment with a quiet confidence (Is. 32:17). Moses would appear before the king of Egypt and demand that his largest work force be permitted to leave the country.
3. When we make the decision to trust God rather than ourselves, we will often find Him unearthing areas of our lives that we have neglected. This happened with Moses and his neglect of obeying the law of circumcision in God's Abrahamic covenant. The Lord wants His chosen vessels to submit to Him in every aspect of their lives.
4. God will often use those who are closest to us to expose the areas of our lives that need spiritual cleansing. Zipporah was the instrument God used in Moses' life.

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV says, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understand. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

NAS says, ...and He will make your paths straight.

LET IT GO

Allow God to use anything I have for His purpose and glory.

Keep my heart open to anything exposed as not pleasing to God and change it.

Obey God fully and completely and watch for blessings.

Get Movin'

O.T. #138  "Get Movin' "
Oct. 2, 2013
Exodus 4-Part 4
And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father in law, and said unto him, Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren, which are in Egypt, and see whether they be yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, Go in peace.  Exodus 4:18

LET IT GLOW

When my husband and I felt the call into the ministry, we kept wasting time. He quit one job and got another one. We looked into various schools to attend. Yes, we hem-hawed around, not fully selling out to God. We wanted to compromise and attend a local college so we could live in our house, drive our nice car, live by our family, while serving the Lord. In other words, we wanted to live by sight and not by faith, but God wanted otherwise. September came and went and we didn't register for the fall semester at OBU. Finally, I had had enough. I started packing up our household things. We were moving to where God wanted us. My husband decided to join me. So we left it all, the good life an American dreams of, and stepped out in faith, following our God. Oh, it was the hardest 4 years of our life, but the most blessed and exciting 4 years. God took care of all our needs-campus housing, a used car without payments, clothes for the 4 of us, food for the 4 of us. He provided a new church family for us, too. It was the most exciting time we had experienced to that point. I am so glad we took that first step of faith and followed Him. I'm sure Moses felt the same way after He crossed the Red Sea, after all the struggles.

However, I wonder what happened between verses 17 and 18. With all the excuses Moses had for not going back to Egypt and being the instrument through which God would use to deliver His people from their slave-bondage, there is no final surrender, commitment, dedication on Moses part mentioned. It must have been settled in his heart, because his feet got going.

How did Moses get ready to move back to Egypt?

• He returned Jethro, his father in law's sheep, the herd to him first.
• He resigned his current job as shepherd.
• He discussed the move with Jethro, although not disclosing all of the details. He only wanted to go back and check on his family, after 40 years (no cards, letters, emails, fax, or visits).
• He informed his family of the move.
• Let me go...wanting Jethro's approval.
• Jethro told Moses to go in peace, approved of the move, even though his grandsons and daughter may never be seen again by him.
• Moses' two sons, Gershom is mentioned in Ex. 2:21-22 and Eliezer had been born during those 40 years in Midian (Ex.18:4).

When God says "Go forward!" don't even think about standing still. When we stand still and see God part our Red Sea, he opens the way for us to go forward in our "Move it Moment."  (Beth Moore)

Moses didn't tell Jethro about the mission he had received from God. He didn't talk straight to his boss, his father in law. Although, he did receive Jethro's blessing.

We appreciate the fact that Moses took care of his earthly tasks in a faithful manner before leaving, but he was not much of a testimony to Jethro. Was he ready to walk by faith?

How about us? Are we ready to step out and walk by faith when God sends us to do a task for Him?
Will we believe God can and will provide all we need in order to accomplish it?


LET IT GROW

God gave Moses assurances:

• His Word (verses 19-23) Go, return to Egypt; the men who sought to kill you is dead; warning that Pharaoh won't free the Hebrews; given instructions to Pharaoh to let them go or He would kill his firstborn;
• His discipline (verses 24-26) Circumcision was an important part of the Jewish faith, yet Moses had neglected to bring his own son into the covenant (Gen.17). God had to discipline Moses (perhaps by sickness) to remind him of his obligation. How could he lead Israel if he was failing to lead his own household in things spiritual?
• His leading (verses 27-28) God promised Aaron was coming and did meet Moses on Mt. Sinai mentioned in verse 27.
• The acceptance of the people (verses 29-31) Just as God had told Moses earlier in 3:18, the people did accept what Moses told them about God's will to use Moses to deliver them.

{Resource: Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the Old Testament]

Like Moses, we have a choice-we can resist God's will or we can submit ourselves to it. The choice is ours. Once we submit and begin heeding His call, we will have:

• Certainty that it is God's voice calling us. He speaks through His Word, Holy Spirit, the church, and others.
• Confidence in God's power. Once we conclude that the call is God's, we must rest in His power, not our own. We are never sufficient to handle His tasks, but He always is.
• Comfort with His plan. Don't resist His call or try to altar His plan, else we too have an "Aaron" by our side. It is far better when we refuse to compromise and we agree to receive what God gives, lack what He withholds, relinquish what He takes, suffer what He inflicts, and become what He requires.  

[Resource: Moses, God's Man For a Crisis, by Charles Swindoll]

Here is the leadership team that God put together-Aaron told all that God wanted said, while Moses performed all the signs give to him by God's power.

Is God calling you to be a part of your church's leadership team? Is He calling you to do mission work? Or is God calling you to a closer walk of faith and obedience? Whatever the call is, my friend, I pray you will answer yes. Then watch God move and work.

LET IT GO

Whatever God requires, relinquish it to Him.

Let go of it. Open my heart, my hands and let it go.

Open my heart to all He wants me to be today.

Get ready to move with God. Either get packed up or unload it, making the load lighter, but get movin' with Jesus.

You lead, Jesus, I will follow.

Send Someone Else

O.T. #137  "Send Someone Else"
Oct. 1, 2013
Exodus 4-Part 3
And thou shalt speak unto him, and put words in his mouth: and I will be with thy mouth, and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.  Exodus 4:15

LET IT GLOW


Send someone else to the Dominican Republic to teach children about Jesus. I can't speak loudly. My voice is too soft. I have stomach problems and can't get far from the restroom. I tire too quickly, with this weak body. The trip is too long for me. I can't eat their food and drink their juices, so I'll stay sick all the time.
Oh, yes. I am guilty of using those excuses. But God wanted me to go the last two years. Last year I told my testimony and this year I taught 80 children. It was by faith that I went, trusting God to take care of my needs and weaknesses so I could do His will. Guess what. I didn't have stomach trouble; had food to eat; had milk to drink; had a restroom when needed. Yes, my excuses were only that-excuses. God is so much bigger than any of my body's weaknesses. What a blessing to meet those sweet people and sweet children. I do know that over 10 were saved in my class one day. No price is too high to pay for the salvation of a soul. No sacrifice is too great when it comes to the eternity of a lost soul. Probably someone else could have done a better job, but God wanted me to go. He wanted to use me and to bless me through it, and He did.

Excuse #5: I am not as qualified as everyone else.

After God tells Moses that He will help him speak and teach him what to say, Moses still wants God to send someone else. (verse 13)
Moses didn't want to return to Egypt, for it would be an extremely dangerous and difficult task. Did God take no for an answer? Does God change His plans just because Moses had an attitude problem?

Send someone else to do it. How many times do we say that to God when He wants us to do something for Him?
Moses was apparently not convinced that he had the prerequisites needed to accomplish the mission of deliverance. He felt inferior and incapable. (Swindoll)

I am not gifted.
God had said "I AM"-and all Moses could say was, "I am not!" He was looking at himself and his failures instead of to God and His power. In this case, Moses argued that he was not a gifted speaker. but the same God who made the mouth could use it. God does not need eloquence or oratory; He needs only a clean vessel that He can fill with His message. "Send anybody, but not me!" is Moses cry in verse 13. This attitude of unbelief angered God, but He gave Aaron to Moses to be his helper. Unfortunately, more than once, Aaron turned out to be more of a hindrance than a help! He led the nation into idolatry (32:15-28) and murmured against Moses (Num. 12). How tragic that Moses was willing to trust a weak man of flesh instead of the living God of Heaven.  (Wiersbe)


LET IT GROW

What did God say to Moses?

• But you are My choice...however, I will send another person along with you.
• What about your brother Aaron the Levite?
• God knew Aaron spoke well.
• Aaron is on his way to meet Moses.
• Aaron will be delighted to see Moses.
• Talk to him and put the words in Aaron's mouth.
• God would be with both Moses and Aaron as they spoke.
• God would instruct both of them in what to do.
• Aaron would be Moses' spokesman to the people, his mouthpiece.
• Moses would stand in the place of God for him, telling Aaron what to say.
• Take your shepherd's staff with you and use it to perform the miraculous signs I have shown you. (New Living Translation)

When God wants us to do a task, do we try to get out of it by asking Him to send someone else? Really, do we want someone else to get our blessings?

Moses and Aaron did go to Pharaoh. We will read about it in the next chapter.

LET IT GO

Lay down those excuses and walk by faith, trusting Jesus to meet my needs so I can do His will.

Watch God work through me.

Bless His wonderful name-Jesus.