Exodus 2:5-10 She had compassion on him!

5Soon the daughter of Pharaoh went down to bathe in the Nile, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. And when she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to retrieve it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the little boy was crying. So she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrew children.”

7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”

8“Go ahead,” Pharaoh’s daughter told her. And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.

9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” So the woman took the boy and nursed him.

10When the child had grown older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Mosesand explained, “I drew him out of the water.”

God is good, isn’t He?

Look at the chain of events!

The pharaoh makes a decree, kill the Hebrew baby boys.

 Moses’ mother can’t keep him so she places him in a basket in the reeds.

Pharaoh’s daughter finds him, “So she had compassion on him”.

“7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call one of the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?””

“And the girl went and called the boy’s mother.”

“Take this child and nurse him for me, and I will pay your wages.” 

Look closely at verse 7, “7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter,”....

Who is his sister? 

Moses’ mother can’t keep him and gives him up but she is then hired to nurse him!

God was faithful to her because of her faith in Him.

Do you have faith in Him?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 2:1-4 Gave birth to a son!

1Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.

3But when she could no longer hide him, she got him a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in the basket and set it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4And his sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

How do you give birth to a son and hide a crying baby for three months? With great difficulty! 

Can any of you who are mothers or fathers imagine placing your child in a reed basket and setting them along the bank of the Nile?

I suspect there is something unsaid here. This isn’t in the word of God but I will say it’s according to David. The father and mother were believers in the God of Abraham and I believe God gave them peace and moved them to place their baby near the bank of the river at the exact moment in time when He wanted. 

In tomorrow’s study you will see why!

God had a plan!

Do you know what His plan is for you?

Blessings, David

Exodus 1:15-22 Feared God!

15Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, 16“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them as they deliver. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”

17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

19The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous. 21And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people: “Every son born to the Hebrewsyou must throw into the Nile, but every daughter you may allow to live.”

We read this scripture and say, how could the pharaoh be so ruthless and cruel towards babies?

“17The midwives, however, feared God”

Acts 4:19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.

The midwives righty obeyed God and not the pharaoh. So God blessed them.

Satan knew that the Messiah would come from the children of Israel, therefore he tried to destroy the nation of Israel in one generation by killing off all the male children.

I cannot read this scripture without touching the touchy subject of abortion. 

How are we any different in the United States? How many abortions are performed yearly? 

“For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb.” – Psalm 139:13

Do you fear God?

Blessings, David

Exodus 1:8-14 Multiplied and flourished!

8Then a new king, who knew nothing of Joseph, came to power in Egypt. 9“Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become too numerous and too powerful for us. 10Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, or they will increase even more; and if a war breaks out, they may join our enemies, fight against us, and leave the country.”

11So the Egyptians appointed taskmasters over the Israelites to oppress them with forced labor. As a result, they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

13They worked the Israelites ruthlessly 14and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.

Isaiah 54:17 "No weapon that is formed against you will prosper; And every tongue that accuses you in judgment you will condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, And their vindication is from Me," declares the LORD.

Look at verse 12 again, 12But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and flourished; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites.

This was Gods plan, the more they were oppressed the more they multiplied and flourished!

If they had stayed in Canaan they would have intermarried with them and Gods Promise would have been corrupted, but in Egypt the Egyptians found them detestable, so God was building the promise, “descendants beyond number”.

Genesis 22:17 I will certainly bless you. I will multiply your descendants beyond number, like the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will conquer the cities of their enemies.

We can’t physically see or understand Gods plan.

We just need to trust Him and have faith!

Do you have faith?

Blessings, David 

Exodus 1:1-7 Fruitful, swarmed, became numerous!

1These are the names of the sons of Israel who went to Egypt with Jacob, each with his family:

2Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah;

3Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin;

4Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

5The descendants of Jacob numbered seventy in all, including Joseph, who was already in Egypt.

6Now Joseph and all his brothers and all that generation died, 7but the Israelites were fruitful and increased abundantly; they multiplied and became exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

Because Joseph listened to God he was given the gifts of wisdom and administration and was lifted to high and honored office in Egypt, only second to the Pharaoh. And when Joseph died the status his family enjoyed died with him.

“The Hebrew deliberately repeats three verbs used in Genesis 1:21,22which may be translated ‘were fruitful… swarmed… became numerous’.” (Cole)

In Cole’s commentary, the word “swarmed” sticks out to me.

Envision a swarm of bees flying by you, they are too numerous to count!

I remember being at home, outside, hearing a loud buzzing noise and looking up seeing a swarm of bees flying. The sky was full of them and they were flying toward my garage! I had to run and manually close the door! I had some angry bees inside and had to quickly exit out the side door! They were too numerous to count!

What happens next? 

Stay tuned!

Blessings, David 

Genesis 50:20-26 I am about to die!

22Now Joseph and his father’s household remained in Egypt, and Joseph lived to the age of 110. 23He saw Ephraim’s sons to the third generation, and indeed the sons of Machir son of Manasseh were brought up on Joseph’s knees.

24Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will surely visit you and bring you up from this land to the land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” 25And Joseph made the sons of Israel take an oath and said, “God will surely attend to you, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.”

26So Joseph died at the age of 110. And they embalmed his body and placed it in a coffin in Egypt.

Several things stand out to me while studying these verses.

“I am about to die”. Isn’t it interesting the Joseph just like his father before him was given insight, given a gift that their death was imminent?

“and then you must carry my bones up from this place”, Joseph knew Egypt wasn’t his home. He wanted to be buried in the promised land.

Hebrews 11:22By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites and gave instructions about his bones.

It took nearly six hundred years for the Promise to be fulfilled, for Abraham’s seed to take possession of the promised land.

Some of the Lords promises take a long time to fulfill.

The Jews were waiting and praying for the Promise to be fulfilled.

God may answer your prayers right away or it may take years, but His answers are in His timing and for His purposes.

“I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. Therefore, beloved brethren and sisters, go on waiting upon God, go on praying.” George Mueller 

Don’t give in to the devil when he whispers in your ear, God won’t answer you.

Go on waiting upon God, go on praying!

Blessings, David 

Genesis 50:15-19 God intended for good!

15When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge? Then he will surely repay us for all the evil that we did to him.”

16So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Before he died, your father commanded, 17‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I beg you, please forgive the transgression and sin of your brothers, for they did you wrong.’ So now, Joseph, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.”

When their message came to him, Joseph wept. 18His brothers also came to him, bowed down before him, and said, “We are your slaves!”

19But Joseph replied, “Do not be afraid. Am I in the place of God? 20As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good, in order to accomplish a day like this—to preserve the lives of many people. 21Therefore do not be afraid. I will provide for you and your little ones.” So Joseph reassured his brothers and spoke kindly to them.

Human nature, when someone dies people sometimes turn on each other. 

So we can see how Joseph’s brothers were concerned because of their great sin against Joseph.

“As for you, what you intended against me for evil, God intended for good,”....

Romans 8:28 And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose.

Have you examined your life, all your trials and tribulations and seen how God used them to make you into a better person (christian) for His glory?

Recently I had a friend get very angry with me and while praying to the Lord about the situation He spoke to me and said, “David, you use to have anger like this “. 

I thought, could this be why the Lord brought us together? I’m not perfect and I still sin but my anger has been tempered. I sometimes yell out a cuss word or two if I hurt myself while working but I don’t have outbursts like I did in the past.

In my case I had triggers that would build anger, secular music, certain television shows or movies and the news. 

Garbage in, garbage out......

What is the sin you struggle with?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 50:7-14 The cave at Machpelah

7Then Joseph went to bury his father, and all the servants of Pharaoh accompanied him—the elders of Pharaoh’s household and all the elders of the land of Egypt— 8along with all of Joseph’s household, and his brothers, and his father’s household. Only their children and flocks and herds were left in Goshen.

9Both chariots and horsemen went up with him, and it was an exceedingly large procession. 10When they reached the threshing floor of Atad, which is across the Jordan, they lamented and wailed loudly, and Joseph mourned for his father seven days.

11When the Canaanites of the land saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a solemn ceremony of mourning by the Egyptians.” Thus the place across the Jordan is called Abel-mizraim.

12So Jacob’s sons did as he had charged them. 13They carried him to the land of Canaan and buried him in the cave at Machpelah in the field near Mamre, which Abraham had purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site.

14After Joseph had buried his father, he returned to Egypt with his brothers and all who had gone with him to bury his father.

“Luther remarks that there is no burial recorded in the Scriptures quite as honorable as this or with such wealth of detail.” (Leupold)

“The cave of Machpelah is the burial place of Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah, and Jacob and Leah.”

https://www.gotquestions.org/cave-of-Machpelah.html

Some people and some religions make shrines out of burial grounds placing their faith in the dead. There is a mosque over the cave of Machpelah, but we need to remember.....

Mark 12:27 (ESV)

27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living....

Jacob had a funeral and a procession fit for a king or president. But in the end he was a mortal man no different than you or I.

Those of us in Christ will be in His presence when we die. 

Will anything else matter?

Prepare today for the kingdom of God, tomorrow will be too late.

Blessings, David 

Genesis 50:1-6 Go up and bury your father!

1Then Joseph fell upon his father’s face, wept over him, and kissed him.

2And Joseph directed the physicians in his service to embalm his father Israel. So they embalmed him, 3taking the forty days required to complete the embalming. And the Egyptians mourned for him seventy days.

4When the days of mourning had passed, Joseph said to Pharaoh’s court, “If I have found favor in your eyes, please tell Pharaoh that 5my father made me swear an oath when he said, ‘I am about to die. You must bury me in the tomb that I dug for myself in the land of Canaan.’ Now let me go and bury my father, and then return.”

6Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

Joseph must have been deeply respected among the Pharaoh’s court. 

70 days of mourning, showing grief over Jacobs death! He was embalmed, which was normally reserved for Pharaohs. 

Imagine if Jacob existed in our day in our country and Joseph was the presidents adviser and saved the United States from seven years of famine.

The president would have ordered federal buildings to fly the flags at half mast, and would have had a funeral service for Jacob. He would have allowed Jacob’s casket to be placed in the Rotunda for viewing which is normally reserved for presidents.

Pharaoh replied, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear to do.”

Death is hard on everyone involved.

Have you prepared for your death?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 49:29-33 Jacob was gathered to his people.

29Then Jacob instructed them, “I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite. 30The cave is in the field of Machpelah near Mamre, in the land of Canaan. This is the field Abraham purchased from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. 31There Abraham and his wife Sarah are buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah are buried, and there I buried Leah. 32The field and the cave that is in it were purchased from the Hittites.”

33When Jacob had finished instructing his sons, he pulled his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and he was gathered to his people.

Jacob was in the land of Egypt where great pyramids were, he could have been buried there like a pharaoh but instead he wanted to be buried in an obscure cave in the promised land of Canaan.

“Jacob did not yield up the ghost until he had delivered the last sentence of admonition and benediction to his twelve sons. He was immortal till his work was done. So long as God had another sentence to speak by him, death could not paralyze his tongue” (Spurgeon).

We will all breath our last an be gathered to our people unless the Lord comes first. When my father died a friend said, “you are now mortal”. Essentially he was saying the previous generation is gone, I’m next.

Yes we are mortal, yes we will die, but look at the promise we have from God!

Romans 8:11 And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you.

Mortal, does His Spirit live in you?

Blessings, David 

Genesis 49:27-28 Benjamin is a ravenous 🐺!

27Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;

in the morning he devours the prey,

in the evening he divides the plunder.”

28These are the tribes of Israel, twelve in all, and this was what their father said to them. He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.

The tribe of Benjamin became wicked and cruel and in Judges 19 & 20 they fought fierce battles with the Israelites but in the end were cut down because the Lord turned against them.

“He blessed them, and he blessed each one with a suitable blessing.” 

Each son had his own calling and destiny.

As followers of Jesus Christ, each one of us have our own calling a destiny too!

Have you figured out what yours is?

Blessings, David  

Genesis 49:22-26 Joseph was in clear and constant fellowship with God!

22Joseph is a fruitful vine,

a fruitful vine by a spring,

whose branches scale the wall.i

23The archers attacked him with bitterness,

and aimed in hostility.

24Yet he steadied his bow,

and his strong arms were tempered

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25by the God of your father who helps you,

and by the Almightywho blesses you,

with blessings of the heavens above,

with blessings of the depths below,

with blessings of the breasts and womb.

26The blessings of your father have surpassed

the blessings of the ancient mountains

and the bounty of the everlasting hills.

May they rest on the head of Joseph,

on the brow of the prince of his brothers.

“The main point in Joseph’s character was that he was in clear and constant fellowship with God, and therefore God blessed him greatly. He lived to God, and was God’s servant; he lived with God, and was God’s child” (Spurgeon).

Joseph’s arms were tempered (guided) by the hands of the Lord and look at the names that Jacob refers to the Lord! 

“his strong arms were tempered

by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob,

in the name of the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel,

25by the God of your father who helps you,

and by the Almightywho blesses you”

Are you in clear and constant fellowship with God?

Blessings, David 

James 3-But no man can tame the tongue!

Why is human nature like this? 

You see a brother or sister sinning, you pray about the situation, you sleep on it.

The Lord prods you to say something.

You gently rebuke them in love, they get angry and lash out. 

Darts come from the tongue and sparks spit from the lips! 

Say it isn’t so! 

Fiery jokes come forth with stinging words that penetrate the soul, you cry inside and wish you kept your gentle rebuke to yourself. 

But if the Lord moved you to say something, aren’t you better off for following the Lords prodding?

OR should you have not said a word and continued to watch a brother or sister sin?

I am reminded of James 3.....but no man can tame the tongue!

James 3

Taming the Tongue

1Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. 2We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body.

3When we put bits into the mouths of the horses to make them obey us, we can guide the whole animal. 4Consider ships as well. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot is inclined.

5In the same way, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it boasts of great things. Consider how small a spark sets a great forest ablaze. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of wickedness among the parts of the body. It pollutes the whole person, sets the course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9With the tongue we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, this should not be! 11Can both fresh water and salt water flowfrom the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree grow olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

All you can do is pray for them and let the Lord work on their heart.

Blessings, David