Category Archives: Prophecy

Jehovah-nissi: The LORD My Banner (Exodus 16-17)

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.
(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 16-17

We have considered the faithlessness of the children of Israel who, after the miracle of the Red Sea crossing, turned from celebrating Egypt’s defeat to murmuring “against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (15:24).

Exodus 16

Daily Complaining, Daily Manna, and Daily Meat

In Exodus 15, the people complained about a lack of water; in Exodus 16, they complained about a lack of food. When the people left Egypt, they must have packed enough provisions for a month; however, when their supplies were exhausted, they began to murmur against Moses and Aaron. The people complained that they would have been better off dying in Egypt than following Moses into the desert only to starve and die (16:2-3). (Notice how soon they forgot God’s miraculous provision of water, Exodus 15.)

Once again, Moses cried to the LORD. God responded and promised to “rain bread from heaven” (16:4), sufficient for a day that He might “prove [the people], whether they will walk in my law, or no” (16:4). The LORD promised on the sixth day he would provide twice the daily manna, that the people might store enough for the Sabbath (16:5). Moses and Aaron encouraged the people, how the LORD would provide them bread in the morning, and “in the evening flesh to eat” (16:6-8). Moses also taught a spiritual truth all believers should understand and God’s faithful ministers should remember: “The Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord” (16:8b).

Faithful to His promise, quail covered the camp each evening and provided the people with meat. Each morning they found a small round bread they called “manna” (16:15). Moses then instructed the men to gather only enough for their households, “every man according to his eating” (16:18). Moses also admonished, “Let no man leave of it till the morning” (16:19).

What lesson did the LORD teach Israel by providing them daily provisions?

He taught the people to look to Him for their daily needs; yet, some failed to trust the LORD and hoarded more manna than they could eat, and “it bred worms, and stank [rotted]” (16:20). As promised, the day before the Sabbath, the LORD provided enough for the day and the day after (16:22-26). Thus, the people did not need to seek provisions for the Sabbath, “so the people rested on the seventh day” (16:30). As a reminder of God’s faithfulness, Moses directed Aaron to “take a pot” and store “manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD to be “kept” as a lasting “Testimony” (16:33-34).

Closing thought:

Thus did the LORD provide for Israel for “forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan” (16:35).

Exodus 17

Israel continued her journey in the “wilderness of Sin” and encamped in Rephidim, where “there was no water for the people to drink” (17:1). Once again, the people questioned, “Is the LORD among us, or not?” (17:7). Again, they accused Moses of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them (17:3). The criticism became so vicious, that Moses feared the people were “almost ready to stone” him (17:4). The LORD then commanded Moses to take the rod he carried when the waters of the Red Sea were divided, and stand “upon the rock in Horeb; and… smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink” (17:5-6).

Israel witnessed the LORD’s compassion and provision for their needs; however, the Gospel of John reveals a greater truth. While the “rock in Horeb” supplied water to Israel, it was merely a type, a prophetic picture of Jesus Christ. The water that flowed from the rock in Horeb quenched the temporal thirst of Israel. Christ, however, promised He could give water so that a soul might “never thirst,” for He was the “well of water springing up into everlasting life” (John 4:14).

Israel’s First War (17:8-16)

After departing Egypt and crossing the Red Sea, the children of Israel encountered their first enemy when the Amalekites, descendants of Esau (Jacob’s twin brother), came to war against them (17:8). Moses summoned Joshua. He commanded him to choose men in Israel to “fight with Amalek” (17:9).

While Joshua led Israel to war in the valley, Moses stood on the “top of the hill with the rod of God in [his] hand” (17:9). When the arms of Moses were outstretched, Israel prevailed. Still, when his arms grew heavy, the battle went against the nation (17:11). Finally, sitting down on a rock, Moses’ brother steadied one arm. At the same time, a man named Hur held the other aloft (17:12). Thus, Israel prevailed, and “Joshua discomfited [defeated] Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword” (17:13).

Closing thoughts:

Israel’s first battle in the wilderness served as a reminder that the LORD was on their side. The LORD commanded Moses to write the victory in a book and exhorted him to rehearse the victory “in the ears of Joshua” (17:14). As a memorial to the victory, Moses “built an altar, and called it Jehovah-nissi,” meaning “The LORD is My Banner” (17:15).

Questions to consider:

A sinful pattern of failing to obey and trust the LORD has emerged in our study of Israel. Therefore, let me encourage you to consider that those who complain are like Israel and are given to exaggeration and accusations.

1) Of what evil did the people accuse Moses? (Exodus 16:3)

2) Why did the LORD warn the people not to hoard daily manna? (Exodus 16:4b)

3) On what day was Israel not to gather manna? (Exodus 16:23-26, 30)

4) What did God command Moses to do that the people might have water to drink? (Exodus 17:5-6)

5) What lesson was Joshua to learn from his first battle with the Amalekites? (Exodus 17:13-16)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

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Israel’s Long-awaited Exodus and a Short-lived Celebration (Exodus 14; Exodus 15)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 14; Exodus 15

Exodus 14

Showdown on the Seashore (14:1-10)

With the cloud overshadowing Israel by day and the pillar of fire giving the people light by night, Moses led a nation of more than one million souls to freedom. But to find liberty in another land, they had to travel according to the LORD’s command, bringing Israel to a seemingly precarious place encamped by the Red Sea (14:2).

In his grief, Pharaoh thrust the children of Israel out of the land. Yet, the LORD hardened the proud king’s heart (14:3-4), and Moses learned his conflict with Pharaoh was not yet ended. Spies of the king followed the movement of Israel and saw the multitude encamped by the sea. News of the encampment was sent to Pharaoh, who then set his army in array to pursue and overtake Moses and the people (14:5-7).

Having witnessed how God brought Pharaoh and Egypt to her knees, the people had departed “with an high hand” and were bold, triumphant, and rejoicing in their freedom (14:8). Yet, the celebration soon ended when Israel saw a great cloud of dust formed by the approach of six hundred chariots and soldiers. When Pharoah and his army drew near Israel’s encampment, “the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and…cried out unto the Lord” (14:10).

Celebrations turned to Protestations (14:11-12)

With the Red Sea before them and Egypt’s army behind them, the people derided Moses, saying: “Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?” (14:11)

Could you take a moment and consider the fickle nature of sinners?

Though Israel departed Egypt “with an high hand” (14:8), their delight was suddenly turned to moaning and despair. The people complained with a sentiment they would express on many occasions in the future and said: “For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness” (14:12).

Moses’ Undaunted Faith (14:13-18)

Disappointed but unshaken by the people’s murmuring and the approach of Pharaoh’s army, Moses challenged the people saying, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever” (14:13). Then, Moses assured them, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace” (14:14).

Moses cried to the LORD, Who questioned him, saying, “Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward” (14:15).

For Moses, the time for prayer was over, and it was time to step out on faith and trust the LORD, who commanded him: “Lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea” (14:16).

The LORD commanded Moses to be prepared, for when the waters of the sea opened, Pharaoh and his chariots would surely pursue the people into the midst of the sea (14:17), and Egypt would know the LORD when the king and his army are drowned in the sea (14:18).

The Provision and Providence of God (14:19-31)

The cloud that guided Israel out of Egypt moved rearward and became a barrier of darkness between the people and Pharaoh’s army (14:19-20). Then, Israel passed through the midst of the waters of the sea on dry ground (14:21-22). When the Egyptians pursued Israel into the midst of the Red Sea, the LORD brought the waters down and drowned them. “Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore… and the people feared the Lord, and believed the Lord, and his servant Moses.” (14:23-31).

Exodus 15

A Celebratory Song of Deliverance (15:1-21)

Standing triumphantly on the far shores of the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel broke into a song of praise and rejoicing (15:1-19). Moses led the song, and the men sang the refrain (15:1), while his sister Miriam “took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances” (15:20) and singing the chorus (15:21).

Moses’ song celebrated and memorialized the great victory the LORD gave Israel over Pharaoh and Egypt. The news of Israel’s triumphant crossing of the Red Sea preceded them and struck fear and awe in the hearts of the enemies they faced in the wilderness and the Promised Land (15:14-16). What a grand celebration, and indeed one that should have continued for days and weeks; however, such was not the case.

A Crisis of Faith (15:22-25)

Israel was only three days journey into the wilderness when the people “found no water” (15:22) and “murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?” (15:24). Sadly, whispering and grumbling became a sinful pattern that haunted Israel’s journey for forty years, and became a great sorrow to Moses and the LORD. Finally, Moses “cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet” (15:25).

Why did the LORD test Israel? (15:25)

The LORD “made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them” (15:25). To “prove” is to test and thereby reveal what manner of people Israel was. So they witnessed a great demonstration of God’s power and deliverance at the Red Sea, only to be found complaining and murmuring three days later.

What was the “statute” and the “ordinance” God wanted Israel to learn? (15:26)

If Israel would “diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord… [and] do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes,” the LORD promised, “I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee” (15:26).

Questions to consider:

1) How did Pharaoh respond when he heard Israel was encamped by the waters of the Red Sea? (Exodus 14:5-8)

2) How did Israel respond when they saw Pharaoh and his chariots approaching? (Exodus 14:10-12)

3) How did Moses and Israel celebrate their victory over Egypt? (Exodus 15:1-21)

4) Three days after their victory over Egypt, how did the LORD test Israel, and what spiritual lesson did He want the people to learn? (Exodus 15:22-27).

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Christ, Our Passover (Exodus 13)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 13

Review (Exodus 12)

The slaying of the firstborn of Egypt was the tenth and final plague, and it moved Pharaoh to thrust Israel out of the land where they had lived for 430 years (12:40-41). Having established the Passover as a perpetual memorial of the night the firstborn of Egypt were slain, God spared the households in Israel and all those who believed God and applied the lamb’s blood to the door posts (12:1-28, 43-51).

Exodus 13

The LORD then commanded that the firstborn of every household, both children and beast, be sanctified (set apart and dedicated) to the LORD as a memorial to Him (13:1-2). Remembering His covenant with their forefathers, the LORD promised to bring Israel into “a land flowing with milk and honey” (13:5). There, they were commanded to observe seven days of “unleavened bread” and to keep the feast of the Passover (13:6). Thus, being reminded of Israel’s sudden departure from Egypt and serving as a lasting memorial to the LORD’s deliverance (13:7).

Promising He would bring Israel into the “land of the Canaanites” as He had vowed (13:11), the people were to dedicate the firstborn male of every beast to the LORD (13:11-12). The firstborn of “clean” beasts were to be sacrificed, including lambs, kids of goats, and calves (Exodus 22:30; Numbers 18:17-18). Because the ass (donkey) was declared unclean, the firstborn of an ass would be redeemed with a lamb (the lamb being a sacrificial substitute). The clean (lambs, calves, or kids of goats) were to be sacrificed in the place of unclean beasts (13:13)

While some heathen nations sacrificed their firstborn sons and daughters to idols, Israel was commanded to redeem her firstborn (13:13b). Bearing in mind the sanctity of human life and that all humanity is sinful and universally “unclean” in the sight of God, the price of a firstborn’s redemption in Israel was set as “five sheckles” (Numbers 3:47; 18:16). Also, the people were to instruct their sons concerning the meaning of redemption (13:14-16).

The LORD knew that a nation of slaves would not be ready for the challenges of war against those nations that inhabited the land He promised His people (13:17). Therefore, rather than lead Israel on a direct route out of Egypt through the land occupied by the Philistines, the LORD guided Israel into the “wilderness of the Red Sea” (13:18). Also, fulfilling the vow their forefathers had made to Joseph, his bones were taken up from Egypt. He would be buried in Canaan (13:19).

As a visible testimony of God’s presence and providential care of His people, the LORD promised to shadow Israel with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (13:21-22).

Closing thoughts:

To spare Israel the tenth plague and the death of the firstborn, the LORD required the lamb’s blood be placed upon the doorposts. Without the blood, the firstborn of the household would be slain. (So it is for all sinners, for “without shedding of blood is no remission [forgiveness; deliverance],” Hebrews 9:22).

Remember, all the sacrificed lambs were a type, a picture, of God’s punishment of sin that would be satisfied in the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ.  The author of Hebrews wrote: “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:28). Paul wrote in his letter to Corinth, “For He [God] hath made Him [Jesus Christ] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him”  (2 Corinthians 5:21).

If you have not, will you confess you are a sinner and trust Jesus Christ as your Redeemer?

Romans 6:23 – 23For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Questions to consider:

1) Who did the LORD command Israel to sanctify, dedicate, and set apart to Him? (Exodus 13:1-2, 11-16)

2) What did unleavened bread memorialize? (Exodus 13:3, 6-7)

3) Why did the LORD lead Israel through the wilderness and not “through the way of the land of the Philistines?” (Exodus 13:17-18)

4) What two things did the LORD give Israel as a testimony of His presence and protection? (Exodus 13:21-22)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
Heart of A Shepherd Inc
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The Passover: “Behold the Lamb” (The Institution and Significance of the Passover, Exodus 12) – Part 2 of 2 daily devotions.

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Scripture reading: Exodus 12

The Passover was instituted in Exodus 12 and took its name from the LORD, sparing His people the plague that struck the firstborn of Egypt (12:1-14, 27-28). The LORD instructed Moses and Aaron to speak to the people and say, “2This month shall be unto you the beginning of months…3In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb…5Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 6And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening” (12:2-6).

Moses instructed the people to put the blood of the sacrifice on the side posts and lintel [top of the door facing] of the houses (12:7). The LORD promised, saying “when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt” (12:12-13).

The Sacrificial Lamb (Exodus 12:8-11, 14-19)

Specific instructions were given for the sacrificial lambs (12:8-11, 14-19). We are reminded that the lambs were a “type,” meaning a picture of the ultimate sacrifice for sin, the Messiah, whose name they did not know and who would come in the Father’s time. Israel would have to trust in the substitutionary blood on their doorposts and know by faith that it represented God’s provision, sacrifice, and covenant with Abraham. The lamb was to be roasted whole (12:8-9), and the bones were not to be broken. (Jesus Christ’s death on the cross fulfilled that condition, John 19:31-37; Psalm 34:20). He was the perfect, sinless, spotless “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” John 1:29).

A second element of the Passover was “unleavened bread” (12:15, 17-20). Leaven, the equivalent of yeast today, was not used in bread during the Passover season.  (The leaven used in ancient times was from fermented dough left over from the previous day.) Taking a pinch of fermented dough, and kneading it into a fresh batch of flour, would, in time, permeate the whole of the dough and cause the bread to rise.

The permeating nature of leaven is a symbol in the Scriptures of the nature of sin. Sin in our lives functions the same as leaven in the dough, for “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9). In the same way that leaven was not to be in Passover bread, a believer is not to tolerate even a “little sin” in his life.

The Night of the Passover (Exodus 12:29-34)

The night of the Passover came, and “at midnight the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh… [to] the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle” (12:29). Pharaoh and all Egypt cried in anguish, “for there was not a house where there was not one dead” (12:30).

The king then sent for Moses and Aaron and charged them, “Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel; and go, serve the Lord, as ye have said. 32Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said, and be gone; and bless me also” (12:31-32).

The same urgency took hold among the Egyptians, who urged Israel to depart “out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men” (12:33). As God had commanded, the children of Israel required “of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: 36And the Lord gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians” (12:35-36).

Delivered Israel Out of Egypt (Exodus 12:37-51)

Thus, Israel was thrust out of Egypt. The people who began the exodus numbered 600,000 men, not including women and children (12:37). We also read that a “mixed multitude” went out with them. However, they were not of the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (12:38). Those non-Hebrew people would become a curse to Israel in her wilderness journey (Numbers 11:4).

The years of Israel’s stay in Egypt had been “four hundred and thirty years” (12:40). We read, “at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt” (12:41). The sparing of the firstborn and Israel’s exodus from Egypt is memorialized in a perpetual observance of the Passover (12:43). Also, the circumcision of males was to continue as a sign of that nation’s consecration to the LORD (12:44-48). Whether Hebrew or of the mixed multitude, there would be “One Law” that would serve the people (12:49).

Closing thoughts:

In conclusion, we are reminded that God is intolerant of sin among His people. As the leaven was put out, and forbidden in the households during the Passover (Exodus 12:15, 19-20), so should our sins be addressed and confessed in our lives and homes. Drawing a parallel between leaven and sin, Paul wrote in his first epistle to the believers in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 5:6b–8 – “Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Questions to consider:

1) What conditions did God give for the Passover lamb? (Exodus 12:5)

2) What were God’s instructions for the blood of the lamb? (Exodus 12:6-7)

3) What did God say He would do on Passover night? (Exodus 12:12)

4) What did Pharoah do after his son died? (Exodus 12:30-32)

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
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Humility: The Essence of a Servant-Leader (Exodus 11) – Part 1 of 2 daily devotions.

Click on this link for translations of today’s devotion.
(Additional languages available upon request by emailing HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com.)

Scripture reading: Exodus 11-12

Exodus 11 

The Man (or Woman) God Calls

Before the LORD sent the tenth, and final plague, He instructed Moses to communicate to the people that they would “borrow [to request or demand] of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold” (11:2).

This seems a strange request for a people preparing to sojourn in the desert; however, I suggest two motives for the demand. First, the Egyptians had enslaved God’s people for four centuries, and the value of what they demanded in precious metals would scarcely be regarded as full payment for their toil. A second purpose, the “jewels of silver, and jewels of gold” would be required to decorate the tabernacle and fabricate vessels that would later be used in worship.

Before I address the tenth plague, consider what the LORD had done in this contest between Pharaoh and His servant Moses.

The LORD had magnified Moses in Egypt, and the fears he had entertained in returning from the wilderness were overcome by God giving him “favour in the sight of the Egyptians” (11:3a). Forty years of herding his father-in-law’s sheep had humbled this once proud prince of Egypt. However, the LORD had so magnified him that he became “very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh’s servants, and in the sight of the people” (11:3).

Forty years earlier, Moses’ flight into the wilderness left behind everything that gave him rank and privilege as a prince in Egypt. Now, having departed from the quiet pastoral life of a shepherd, God had blessed and elevated him above the king of Egypt in the eyes of the people.

The Tenth Plague

The final plague severely affected Egypt’s proud, obstinate king. The Egyptians viewed Pharaoh as a god (though human, they believed he was an intermediary between the gods and humanity), and the tenth plague assailed the king and his son, the future heir to Egypt’s throne. Thus, Moses prophesied, “Thus saith the Lord, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt: 5And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die…6And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more” (11:4-6).

The LORD promised to spare Israel’s firstborn and “put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel” (11:7), but only if the people followed the Word of the LORD as Moses instructed. If they refused to obey God’s Word, they would be no different from Egypt. But, as we will see in Exodus 12, God did withhold His judgment of Israel because of the blood of the Passover (12:13). (The succeeding devotion will establish the central meaning of the Passover and its significance, Exodus 12).

Moses: A Model of Humility.

Take a moment and reflect on Moses’ example of humility. When God called and commanded him to leave his sheep and return to Egypt, the once proud prince of Egypt protested. Moses asked God, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh?” (3:11a) The solitude of the desert and the calling and promises of God did so transform his life that we will later read in the Scriptures, “Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3).

Closing thought:

It is rare to find a man or woman of great talents and abilities humble enough to trust, obey, and serve the LORD!

Unlike Moses, who was a model of humility and meekness, our society, including churches, has produced a generation given to “selfies” and self-promotion, the antithesis of humility. Is it possible that the dearth of men and women entering ministry indicates a generation too proud to serve?

In his epistle to believers in Corinth, Paul wrote: “Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27  But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty…29  That no flesh should glory in his presence.” (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

There is a desperate need for men and women humble enough for God to use (1 Corinthians 1:26-29) and bold enough to declare the Word of the LORD unapologetically!

* A second devotional will follow and focus on Exodus 12.

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
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You can email HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com for more information on this daily devotional ministry.

Spiritual Challenge: Never Ignore the Prospects of a Pandemic (Exodus 9; Exodus 10)

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Scripture reading assignment: Exodus 9-10

Our study in the Book of Exodus continues with the contest between Moses, God’s messenger, and Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. Four judgments have befallen the nation, and each has been followed by Pharaoh hardening his heart and refusing to let the children of Israel go so that they “may serve” the LORD.

Exodus 9

The Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Plagues (9:3-35)

The fifth plague that befell Egypt afflicted the “cattle which [was] in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep” (9:3). The disease was “a very grievous murrain,” an epidemic so severe that “all the cattle of Egypt died.” But, as a testimony of God’s sovereignty and love of His people, none of the livestock of Israel perished (9:4-7). Yet, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go” (9:7b).

The sixth plague began when Moses gathered “handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and [sprinkled] it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh” (9:8), and boils broke out on man and beast (9:8-11). The affliction of the boils was so painful that even Pharaoh’s magicians “could not stand before Moses” (9:11). And yet, “the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had spoken unto Moses” (9:12).

The seventh plague destroyed all the crops of Egypt when the LORD rained down hail upon their fields (9:13-35). This time, however, some of Pharaoh’s servants believed the warnings of Moses. They made their servants and livestock take shelter in their houses (9:20). Pharaoh confessed, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” (9:27). The king promised to let Israel go; however, when the hail ceased, “the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go; as the Lord had spoken by Moses” (9:35).

Exodus 10

The Eighth and Ninth Plague (10:2-29)

Egypt’s crops and livestock losses brought the suffering of hunger and famine. Perhaps you have wondered why the LORD did not simply deliver Israel from bondage rather than judge Egypt with ten plagues. The answer is found in Exodus 10.

Exodus 10:2 – “And that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son, and of thy son’s son, what things I have wrought in Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that ye may know how that I am the LORD.”

More than delivering His people from slavery, the LORD wanted Israel to know and remember through successive generations all He had done in Egypt.  His dealings with Pharaoh were to serve as a lasting testimony of God’s person, power, and presence among His chosen people.  Israel was a nation of slaves, but their God was the Creator and Sovereign of nature. He would bring the greatest ruler and the most powerful country in the ancient world to her knees.

The eighth plague of locusts devastated Egypt and devoured what was left of the nation’s vegetation (10:3-20).  Heavy darkness was the ninth plague that befell Pharaoh and Egypt (10:21-29), and the Egyptians were oppressed and frightened by the darkness. Yet, Israel was spared, and God’s people enjoyed the warmth of the light in their dwellings.

Pharaoh then sought a compromise with Moses and would have allowed the people to depart, but not with their livestock (10:24-25). Moses, however, refused (10:26), and “the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart, and he would not let them go” (10:27). Furious with Moses, Pharaoh warned, “take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die” (10:28).

Conclusion

Strong and confident in the LORD, Moses answered the king and declared: “Thou hast spoken well, I will see thy face again no more” (10:29). The stage was set for the final judgment and the humiliation of Pharaoh.

Questions to consider:

1) What message did God send Pharaoh when the fifth plague killed all the cattle of Egypt? (Exodus 9:3-7)

2) The king confessed, “I have sinned this time: the Lord is righteous, and I and my people are wicked” (9:27). How can we know Pharaoh had not sincerely repented? (Exodus 9:34-35)

3) What purpose did the ten plagues that befell Egypt serve? (Exodus 10:2)

4) What spiritual purpose could a plague or pandemic serve in our day?

5) According to 1 John 1:9 and 1 John 2:3-5, two things prove the sincerity of our confession and repentance of sin. What are they?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

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The Tragedy of a Hardened Heart (Exodus 8)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 8

“And [the LORD] hardened Pharaoh’s heart, that he hearkened not unto them; as [He] had said.” (Exodus 7:13)

Throughout the contest between Pharaoh and Moses, a defiant pattern and consequences emerged in the narrative. Moses contended with the king of Egypt, Pharaoh rejected him, and the LORD hardened the king’s heart through the natural consequences of his refusal to heed God’s Word.

What is the nature of a hardened heart?

A spiritually hardened, insensitive heart rejects God’s Word so that it becomes calloused to Truth. On the other hand, a hardened heart is spiritually cold and often openly rebellious. So, when we face trials and troubles, we choose whether to humble or harden our hearts.

Pharaoh’s Heart (7:13-22)

Pharaoh’s heart was proud, stubborn, and defiant. Through each plague, Pharoah continued to bristle against Moses’ words, thereby hardening his heart to God (7:13). When God turned the fresh waters of Egypt to blood, the stench of decaying flesh filled the land (7:20-22). For seven days, the waters of the Nile were blood-red and a testimony of the power and superiority of Israel’s God, yet Pharoah did not turn his heart.

Exodus 8

Frogs Filled the Land (8:1-15)

The time between the first plague and the second contest between Moses and Pharaoh is uncertain. Finally, the day came when the LORD commanded Moses to go before Pharaoh, and should he fail to let the children of Israel go, the land would be filled with frogs (8:1-4).

When Aaron stretched forth his rod as Moses commanded, frogs came out of the rivers, streams, and ponds until all the land of Egypt was filled with frogs (8:5-7). Frogs were in the houses, on their beds, in the ovens, and in flour-kneading troughs. Pharaoh begged Moses to appeal to the LORD to remove the frogs, and he promised to “let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord” (8:8b).

Rather than appeal to the LORD to instantly remove the frogs from the land, Moses deferred to Pharaoh and invited him to name the time when he should ask the LORD to “destroy the frogs” (8:9). Proud and stubborn, rather than seek immediate relief, the king chose the next day for the frogs to be purged from the land (8:10).

The following day, “Moses cried unto the Lord… and the frogs died…14And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank” (8:13-14). Pharaoh, however, hardened his heart and would not allow Israel to go and offer sacrifices to the LORD (8:15).

Lice Infested the Land (8:16-19)

When Pharaoh failed to keep his word, Moses commanded Aaron to smite the dust of the land. Then the LORD sent “lice throughout all the land of Egypt” (perhaps some form of a gnat or other biting insect, 8:17). However, unlike other miracles, which the magicians emulated, they failed to turn dust into lice. Then they counseled Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God” (8:19a). Yet again, “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said” (8:19b).

Swarms of Flies Plague Egypt (8:20-31)

Harassed by flies, Pharaoh suggested a compromise to Moses. The king said he would allow Israel to offer sacrifices to “God in the land” (8:25), but not permit the people to go beyond the borders of Egypt. However, Moses refused Pharaoh’s proposal. He suggested he feared Israel’s sacrifices would be seen as an “abomination” to the Egyptians, who would then stone the people (8:26).

Moses demanded that the people be allowed to go on a three-day journey into the desert. The king accepted, and offered a compromise that the people “shall not go very far away” (8:28). Moses promised to pray for the LORD to remove the flies, but only if Pharaoh would not default on his vow to release Israel to go and sacrifice to the LORD (8:29a), yet when the flies were removed; Pharaoh “hardened his heart” and would not “let the people go” (8:32).

Closing thoughts

Pride stood in the way of Pharaoh’s failure to humble himself, and the king’s unwillingness to acknowledge Israel’s God as LORD paved the way to increasing sorrow and death. Tragically, the king of Egypt learned a proverb King Solomon would later teach his son: “Pride goeth before destruction, And an haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18).

Questions to consider:

1) Why did Pharaoh refuse to keep his promise and allow the Hebrews to go into the wilderness and worship the LORD?

2) Pharoah was proud. Can you identify areas of pride in your life?

3) Pharoah refused to hear and heed God’s Word through God’s servant Moses.  Are you resisting God’s Word in your life?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Harden, not Your Heart! (Exodus 6; Exodus 7)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 6-7

We have already considered the first clash of wills between Pharaoh and Moses (Exodus 5). Moses turned to the LORD and prayed when he was accosted and accused by the ones he loved and came to deliver (5:22-23). Pharaoh, however, turned a deaf ear to Moses’ requests and remained unmoved and unwilling to let the people go.

Exodus 6 

God Heard and Answered Moses’ Prayer

Moses had to remember that the LORD is faithful to hear and answer prayer. So, the LORD assured him: “Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong [mighty] hand shall he let them go, and with a strong [mighty] hand shall he drive them out of his land” (6:1). The LORD promised to not only deliver Israel from slavery, but assured Moses when He was finished dealing with Pharaoh, the king would drive Israel out of Egypt!

What was Moses learning about God and his commission to serve Him?

He learned that Israel’s liberation depended not on him, but on whom he served. So we read, “God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord [Yahweh; eternal, self-existent]: 3And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty [El Shaddai], but by my name JEHOVAH [Yahweh] was I not known to them” (6:2-3). Though Israel had lost faith in God, He had not forgotten His covenant with them (6:4-5). In a series of “I wills,” the LORD reminded Moses of all He had promised (6:6-8).

Yet, when Moses spoke to the people all the LORD conveyed to him, “they hearkened not unto [him]” (6:9). The LORD then came to Moses and instructed him to go to Pharaoh and command the king, “let the children of Israel go out of his land” (6:11). Moses, however, was discouraged by the rejection of his people. He wondered aloud if his people spurned his words, why should Pharaoh hear him, a man “of uncircumcised lips [i.e., poor speech]?” (6:12)

Three Genealogies: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi

Notice that the dialog between the LORD and Moses was interrupted by the genealogies of three sons of Jacob: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi (6:14-27). The Scriptures remind us how Reuben, the firstborn of Jacob, committed incest with his father’s concubine (6:14; Genesis 35:22). Simeon, the second, and Levi, the third-born son, had raged against the Shechemites and revenged the rape of their sister Dinah by murdering the men of Shechem (Genesis 34).

Thirdly, the lineage of Levi is of particular interest in our narrative, for Moses and Aaron were sons of the tribe of Levi, the priestly tribe. The LORD had chosen the tribe of Levi to represent the people before Him (6:16-27).

Exodus 7

Exodus 7 recorded the second dramatic confrontation between Moses and Pharaoh; however, there was already a dynamic change in the relationship between the two. For the LORD had magnified Moses’ standing and “made [him] a god to Pharaoh” (7:1). Then, the LORD instructed Moses to command the king to “send the children of Israel out of his land” (7:2). God, however, cautioned Moses saying, He would “harden Pharaoh’s heart, and multiply [His] signs and…wonders in the land of Egypt” (7:3).

Proud and obstinate, Pharaoh and Egypt would suffer God’s judgment in a series of ten plagues that brought that nation to its knees and revealed that the God of Israel was the God of Heaven (7:4-5).

Moses and Aaron, with God’s power and His Word as their authority, stood before Pharaoh, and “Aaron cast down his rod before [the king], and before his servants, and it became a serpent” (7:10). Undeterred the king’s advisors, displayed the power of evil and cast down their rods which also became serpents (7:11-12a). Finally, the rod of Aaron, now transformed into a serpent, displayed the supremacy of Israel’s God and devoured the rods of Pharaoh’s magicians (7:12).

What was Pharaoh’s response?

God “hardened” his heart (7:13), as He had said He would (7:14). (In effect, Pharoah hardened his heart when he rebelled against the Lord. Incidentally, we do the same when we disallow God’s Word in favor of our will and become hard-hearted and self-willed.)

The first of a series of judgments then followed (7:14-12:36).

The first plague was the waters of the Nile River were turned to blood (7:15-18), the fish died, and the stench of their rotting flesh filled Egypt (7:19-21). Nevertheless, Pharaoh’s magicians seemed to duplicate the water turning to blood (7:22), and Pharaoh turned away, and his heart was hardened (7:24).

For seven days, the people were plagued with thirst and hunger (for the fish of the Nile was a primary source of food, 7:24-25). The king, however, refused to humble himself and set Israel free.

Closing thought

When Moses turned the water of the Nile River to blood, he displayed the sovereignty and power of Israel’s God over one of Egypt’s gods (for the Egyptians worshipped the Nile). Nevertheless, although they could not escape God’s wrath, Pharaoh and Egypt defied the LORD. Indeed, nine more judgments would follow before Pharaoh humbled himself and acknowledged Israel’s God was LORD.

Questions to consider:

Moses had asked the LORD, “when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” (Exodus 3:13) In Exodus 6, God answered Moses’ questions in a series of revelations concerning His name.

1) By what names did God reveal Himself to Moses? (Exodus 6:2-3)

2) What had God promised to do for His people? (Exodus 6:6-8)

3) Moses feared he was inadequate to speak to Pharaoh. What was God’s answer to his fear? (Exodus 7:1-2)

4) What fears do you use as an excuse not to obey and serve the LORD?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Are you discouraged? Take it to the LORD! (Exodus 5)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 5

Our study in the Book of Exodus continues after Moses and Aaron met with the “elders of the children of Israel” (4:30). Aaron spoke to the leaders on Moses’ behalf, as the LORD promised he would (4:15-16), and Moses “did the signs in the sight of the people” (4:30; note 4:2-3, 6-7, 9). Convinced by Aaron’s report and the miracles performed by Moses, the people “believed” God had heard their cry and sent Moses to be their deliverer (4:31).

Exodus 5 – Confrontation with Pharaoh

Confident of the Lord’s presence, Moses and Aaron sought their first audience with Pharaoh. Standing before the king of Egypt, they boldly declared, “Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness” (5:1).

Defiantly, Pharaoh answered, “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” (5:2)

Moses and Aaron answered, “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” (5:3).

Pharaoh’s Obstinance (5:2-21)

Pharaoh asked, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice?” (5:2) The answer he was given was, “The God of the Hebrews” (5:3a). Surely, Pharaoh wondered, “The God of slaves? The God who appeared to have forsaken Israel for the past four hundred years? That is the God you fear will ‘fall upon [you] with pestilence, or with the sword?’” (5:3b)

Proud and obstinate, Pharaoh alleged Moses and Aaron were attempting to lighten the burden of the children of Israel. He then doubled down on the slaves (5:4-5). Rather than lighten their duties, the king commanded his Egyptian taskmasters to oppress the Hebrews and increase their workload (5:6-9). The Egyptian taskmasters cruelly beat “the officers of the children of Israel” who supervised their people (5:10-14).

Beaten and discouraged, the officers of Israel cried out to Pharaoh. The king, however, blamed their hardships on Moses and Aaron’s request for the people to be allowed to “go and do sacrifice to the LORD” (5:17). The officers of Israel then went out from Pharaoh. They met Moses and Aaron along the way and accused them of adding to their troubles (5:20-21b). Rather than humble themselves and turn to the LORD, they reproached His servants (5:21b).

Closing thoughts – The criticisms of the people pierced the heart of Moses. He cried, “Lord, wherefore hast thou so evil entreated this people? why is it that thou hast sent me? 23For 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” (5:22-23).

Moses neither wanted nor expected his commission to deliver Israel from bondage would require the people to suffer more afflictions. He prayed and asked why God allowed His people to be so ill-treated (5:22). Discouraged, Moses could not rationalize his calling with God’s promises to deliver the people from bondage.

Closing questions:

1) Rather than success, Moses came to realize his effort to free his people from slavery only increased their sorrows and afflictions. How did Moses respond? (Exodus 5:22-23)

2) How do you respond to criticisms and discouragement?

3) Where do you turn when you find yourself the object of unjust criticism?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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“I AM hath sent me unto you.” (Exodus 3-4)

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Scripture reading: Exodus 3-4

Background of Today’s Devotion (Exodus 2)

Moses was forty years old when he fled Egypt into the wilderness (2:11), and there he spent the next forty years tending his father-in-law’s sheep. In Midian, Moses was safe from the reign of Pharaoh and lived far from the travail of the children of Israel. He might have contentedly lived out his days with his wife, Zipporah (2:21), and sons, Gershom (2:22) and Eliezer (18:4).

Though the children of Israel were physically far and distant from the thoughts of Moses, they were never beyond God’s love and compassion. So now, when the “king of Egypt died” (2:23), and the people found no relief from their sorrows, they “cried, and their cry rose up to God by reason of the bondage [slavery; forced labor]” (2:23b). Then, “God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.25And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect [acknowledged] unto them” (2:24-25).

Exodus 3

Moses: Called and Commissioned (3:1-14).

When the time came, God found Moses tending his father-in-law’s sheep on the backside of the desert (3:1). There, Moses providentially made his way to Horeb, “the mountain of God” (3:1). [This same mount, also named Sinai, would become the base camp for Israel when Moses received the Ten Commandments, Exodus 19:10-11.]

Now, at Horeb, “the angel of the Lord appeared unto [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush… and the bush was not consumed” (3:2).

Understanding temperatures in the Arabian desert can reach 1300 F (550 C), the sight of a burning bush in the wilderness was not unusual; however, Moses noticed the bush was not consumed. Astonished, he turned aside to see the spectacle (3:3), and suddenly out of the burning bush, God called his name, “and said, Moses, Moses, And he said, Here am I” (3:4). (Note – fire is a symbol of God’s presence in the Scriptures, Exodus 19:18.)

God instructed Moses to remove his shoes and said, “I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (3:6a).

What did Moses, a prince of Egypt, know about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?

Indeed, his knowledge of God was not acquired in the palace of Pharaoh’s daughter. Instead, he was taught in the loving arms of his Hebrew mother, Jochebed (2:2, 8-10; 6:20). God then awakened in Moses’ memory the sufferings of the children of Israel (3:7) and announced His intentions to deliver His people out of bondage (3:8). God commanded Moses, “10Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt” (3:10).

With wonder, Moses asked, “Who am I?” (3:11).

He was no longer a proud prince of Egypt, and his question evidenced a humility born in the solitude of the desert. The LORD had prepared the heart of Moses. Yet, his calling to be the shepherd of Israel was not founded upon who he was, but on the one who called and commissioned him. God assured Moses, “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” (3:12).

Moses wondered aloud and asked God, “Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them?” (3:13) “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you” (3:14).

God instructed Moses that he first had to come to the children of Israel and make known what the Lord was saying to him and them. Then, they were to know Who the authority was behind Moses and that His name was to be remembered in every generation (3:15-18a). Finally, the LORD promised that in showing His mighty hand, Pharoah would release Israel from bondage (3:18b-22).

Exodus 4

God Overcame Moses’ Objections

Overwhelmed by the task he was given, God provided Moses with three miraculous signs to prove He was with him. The first sign, his shepherd’s staff, became a serpent (4:2-5). The second sign showed his skin turning leprous and then wholly healed (4:6-8). Finally, turning water into blood was the third miraculous sign (4:8-9).

Then, Moses objected and declared he lacked the eloquence or language needed to stand in Pharaoh’s court (after all, he had been exiled from Egypt forty years, 4:10). God rebuked him, saying, “Who hath made man’s mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the Lord?” (4:11) Finally, the LORD overcame Moses’ objection and promised to send Aaron on his behalf (4:12-16).

Obeying God’s command, Moses departed for Egypt and became deathly ill along the way (4:18-24). He might have died, but his wife, Zipporah, intervened by circumcising their son (4:24-25). She returned to her father’s house (4:24-26) and did not reunite with Moses until Israel was encamped at Sinai (18:2-3).

As God promised, Moses was met by his brother Aaron (4:27). He told him the signs he was given and what he had been commanded (4:28). When they arrived in Egypt, Aaron gathered the elders of Israel and Moses demonstrated that the power of God was upon him (4:30). When the people witnessed the signs of God’s power, they believed and worshipped the LORD (4:31).

Closing thoughts – The stage was set for the contest between the most powerful king on the earth and a shepherd anointed by God to lead Israel out of Egypt and to the Promised Land.

Questions to consider:

1) What fears and objections did Moses give to justify his reservations about going back to Egypt? (Exodus 3:11, 13; 4:1, 10)

2) What signs and assurances did God give to encourage Moses to trust and obey His command? (Exodus 3:6, 10, 12, 18; 14:2-9, 12-16)

3) It is easy to allow fears and feelings of inadequacy to become obstacles to obeying God. What spiritual truths can you take from God’s promises to Moses and apply to your life and walk of faith?

Copyright © 2023 – Travis D. Smith

* You can subscribe to the Heart of a Shepherd daily devotionals and have them sent directly to your email address. Please enter your email address in the box to the right (if using a computer) or at the bottom (if using a cell phone). You may also email your request to HeartofAShepherdInc@gmail.com

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Mailing Address:
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