Sermon Notes; a Daily Devotional

Luke 9:30&31 "30 And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: 31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." This week we studied God’s call on Moses. Though Moses doubted himself, God never doubted him. Despite his reluctance, Moses obeyed, returned to Egypt, and fulfilled his mission. He confronted Pharaoh through ten plagues, led the Israelites out of Egypt, parted the Red Sea, received the Law on Mount Sinai, mediated the covenant, and faithfully shepherded God’s people for forty years in the wilderness, preparing the next generation to enter the Promised Land he himself would never see. Moses ranks among the greatest figures in the Bible, and God was well pleased with him. At Jesus’ Transfiguration, before Peter, James, and John, Moses and Elijah appeared in glory and spoke with the Lord. They discussed His “departure” (Greek: exodos), which He was about to accomplish in Jerusalem. Moses and Eli...

Exodus 4:12&13 "12 Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. 13 And he said, O my Lord, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send." In this passage, God directly answers Moses’ excuse that he is “slow of speech and tongue” (Exodus 4:10). After affirming His sovereignty over human abilities in verse 11, God promises both His presence and divine enablement: “I will be with your mouth and teach you what to say.” Still, Moses offers one final, blunt refusal: “Pardon your servant, Lord. Please send someone else.” After four earlier excuses, he simply asks God to choose another. The Hebrew carries a tone of deep resignation. This moment reveals the very human struggle of fear and reluctance in the face of God’s call—even for an 80-year-old man who had just encountered God at the burning bush. God persists with His plan. He equips Moses with miraculous signs (staff to snake, leprous hand, water to blood) and provides huma...

Exodus 4:10&11 "10 And Moses said unto the LORD, O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. 11 And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD?" We often remember Moses’ great feats and forget his doubts. Despite witnessing the burning bush and hearing God’s voice, Moses still saw himself as unqualified. He had already voiced objections (Exodus 3:11, 13), but here he focused on his personal limitation—whether a speech impediment, shyness, or lack of rhetorical skill. Forty years in Midian had not cured his insecurity. God responded with a powerful rhetorical question: “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the Lord?” This answer underscores God’s sovereignty: He is the Creator of every human faculty. Hu...

Exodus 4:1 "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." We often remember Moses’ great feats and forget his doubts. At the burning bush, after forty years in exile as a shepherd in Midian, Moses questioned his own qualifications. He was convinced the Israelites would reject him: “They will not believe me.” God had already promised, “I will be with thee,” and even guaranteed that the people would one day worship on this very mountain (Horeb/Sinai). Yet Moses still feared he lacked credibility. Raised in Pharaoh’s court but absent from Egypt for four decades after killing an Egyptian, he had no shared suffering with his people. To them, he was a stranger returning with a bold claim of divine authority. His hesitation was realistic. After generations of brutal slavery, the Israelites were demoralized and hopeless. In ancient Near Eastern culture, a prophet needed clear si...

Exodus 3:12 "And He said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain." This week we examine one of the Bible’s most pivotal callings: Moses. After forty years in exile as a shepherd in Midian, God met him at the burning bush. When God commissioned him to confront Pharaoh and deliver Israel from slavery, Moses replied, “Who am I?” His question was not rebellious but born of humble self-doubt. After decades as a fugitive, he felt deeply unqualified—acutely aware of Pharaoh’s power, the enormity of the task, and his own past failure in Egypt (Exodus 2:11-15). His response highlights the striking contrast between human weakness and divine mission. In today’s verse, God answers Moses’s inadequacy with a powerful promise: “I will be with thee.” Success would not depend on Moses’s strength or ability, but on God’s presence and power. God also ga...

Exodus 3:10&11 "10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt. 11 And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?" We are all called to serve in God’s plan; to love Him and love our neighbors. While few are called to be a Moses or an apostle, every believer has a part to play. This week we examine one of the Bible’s most pivotal callings: Moses. Saved from the Nile, raised in Pharaoh’s court, he later killed an Egyptian, fled into exile, and spent forty years as a shepherd in Midian. Then God met him at the burning bush. Drawn by the miraculous, unconsumed flame, Moses turned aside. God used that simple moment of human curiosity as the doorway for divine revelation, showing that He always initiates, yet often responds to a receptive heart. The repeated call, “Moses, Moses,” carries urgency, intimacy, an...

Exodus 3:4 "And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I." We concluded our Easter studies with the resurrection appearances in Matthew’s Gospel—public events witnessed by people from all walks of life, including more than 500 at once.  As the accounts spread, no one refuted them. Instead, the testimony was confirmed. The apostles, the primary eyewitnesses, sealed it with their lives, suffering persecution and martyrdom for a message they knew was true. These accounts remind us that we are all called to serve in God’s plan—to love Him and love our neighbors. While few are called to be apostles, every believer has a part to play. This week we turn to one of the most pivotal callings in the Old Testament: Moses. Saved from the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter and raised in Egypt’s royal court, Moses later murdered an Egyptian and fled into exile. After forty years in the wilderness,...