Well, there could be no better title for this part of the story of Moses than, "Back to the Future." This is Exodus 4:18-23.
Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Please let me go back to my brothers in Egypt to see whether they are still alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace." And the LORD said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead." So Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on a donkey, and went back to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the staff of God in his hand.
And the LORD said to Moses, "When you go back to Egypt, see that you do before Pharaoh all the miracles that I've put in your power. But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go. Then you shall say to Pharaoh, 'Thus says the LORD, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, "Let my son go that he may serve me." If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.' "
What an incredible turn in the story of Moses-a turn that Moses could have never conceived. I'm sure that Moses, having been exiled because of murder, and now having a wife and family and extended family, an occupation, thought, "This is it. This is a wonderful turn in my story!" And what must have it been like for him to not only consider returning to Egypt, but to begin that journey. It's just a story that only God can write. After all of God's patient reassurance, promises of his presence, display of his power, Moses was ready and willing to go.
In the story of Moses, you and I get to watch the power of God's grace to progressively transform a man's heart and life. The man going down to Egypt, the man who will stand before Pharaoh, and the man who will lead Israel is not the same man who was riddled with fear and doubt. So, Moses takes his wife and sons and heads "Back to the Future."
The toughest part of this passage, though, is where God says that he "hardened Pharaoh's heart." Maybe it seems to you when you read that that Pharaoh then is not responsible for his actions, but that's not what Exodus or the Bible teaches because, elsewhere in Exodus, it says very clearly that Pharaoh hardened his own heart. And you may say, "Okay, Paul, 'It's either-or.'" "No, it's not; 'It's both-and!'" God is sovereign over everything, and we are always responsible for our choices and actions. Let me give you the theological statement here. "God exercises his unalterable sovereign will through the means of the choices and actions of the people he created." Let me say that again, "God exercises his unalterable sovereign will through the means of the choices of the people he created."
In your heart, you never feel forced. Your hand never goes, in the morning, toward a shirt you don't want to wear. The Bible confronts us with the complete sovereignty of God and our absolute responsibility for our own choices, and you see that operating here. Celebrate that God's holy and perfect will will be done, and while you do, take the choices he puts in front of you very seriously.
Through the hardening of the heart of Pharaoh, God was going to demonstrate something that had never been seen before on earth like it was going to be seen. But Pharaoh was responsible for his resistance, for his mockery of God's presence and power, for his treatment of God's chosen people. It's never "Either-or;" God exercises his unalterable sovereign will through the means and choices of the actions of the people he created. Celebrate his sovereignty and make wise and good choices!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. Up until now, what has been your perspective on God's sovereignty and our free choices? Has it been an "either-or" position for you or a "both-and" or something different? How do you see the Bible unpacking the "either-or" perspective in the life of Moses here?
2. Why do you think God chooses to exercise his unalterable sovereign will through the means of the choices of the people he created? How does this theological perspective help you understand the value God places on personal relationships with his children?
3. At street-level, what would it look like for you to celebrate God's holy and perfect will being done in your life each day? Practically speaking, what would it look like to take seriously the choices God puts in front of you each day, knowing that you are responsible for those choices?
4. Why are God's sovereignty and your choices worth both celebrating and wisely discerning? Can you think of any personal examples from your life that help to illustrate the "both-and" nature of God's sovereignty and your choices?
For Younger Children:
1. What does it mean that God is in control of all things? If he's in total control over everything, why do our choices even matter?
2. How can God's control and our choices work together at the same time? Since this can be really confusing, what does that tell us about how little we understand as human beings? What does it tell us about how amazing God is?
For Older Children:
1. What does it mean that God is sovereign over everything? If that is true, how do human free choices factor into the sovereignty of God? Is this an "either-or" issue or a "both-and" issue in Scripture? Can you think of a specific example from the Bible that illustrates your answer?
2. How does the "both-and" perspective point you to the conclusion that God values personal relationships with his children?
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