This is Exodus 7:1-7, and I've titled this, "Where Do You Look for Hope and Strength?"
And the LORD said to Moses, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh, and your brother Aaron shall be your prophet. You shall speak all that I command you, and your brother Aaron shall tell Pharaoh to let the people of Israel go out of his land. But I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and though I multiply my signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, Pharaoh will not listen to you. Then I will lay my hand on Egypt and bring my hosts, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great acts of judgment. The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring out the people of Israel from among them." Moses and Aaron did so; they did just as the LORD commanded them. Now Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
Well, when you're facing something hard, where do you look for hope and strength? Do you look to your track record assessing how you've done in tough situations before? Do you look to your family and friends? This vignette is all about where to go for hope and strength when you're facing something big that you neither have the wisdom or the strength to face.
What God says here to Moses is worth stopping and paying attention to. Remember that this Moses is the former murderous exile and now the fearful doubter. God says, "See, I have made you like God to Pharaoh." I have made you like God to Pharaoh. Wow, what amazing words! He doesn't mean that Moses will be literally like God, but as Pharaoh was considered to be divine in Egypt, Moses would stand before him as a divine representative of the one true God, and because he was coming as an appointed ambassador, Moses' will would be done by Pharaoh as long as Moses depended on and was in the will of the one who sent him.
Pharaoh didn't understand the awesome power that stood behind Moses. See, God gives power and authority to those who naturally have none in order that his will "will be done on earth as it is in heaven." I like what it says in 1 Corinthians 1:26-31:
For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord."
So God, then, after reminding Moses, he will be like a God to Pharaoh, the power that's behind him, he lays out his plan. He said first, you will command Pharaoh to release my people. Second, I will harden Pharaoh's heart and, thereby, demonstrate my power and glory. Third, Pharaoh will still not listen. Fourth, so I will lay my hands on Egypt and lead my people out through mighty acts of judgment. And fifth, the Egyptians will ultimately know that I am the LORD, there is no other, and no one can stop my plan for my people. You see, although he doesn't have to, God knows that Moses and Aaron are going to be fearful until they have some kind of understanding of how this thing is going to go down. So God, with specificity, gives them the steps of exactly what's going to happen.
Again, God's tender, patient, condescending love. As God was laying out his plan, Moses and Aaron had no clue that, what we know, the plan included the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, and that plan marches on and includes even you and me today!
Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion
1. When you face something difficult in your life, where do you initially turn to find hope and strength? Take a moment to reflect on past times when the Lord has provided you with hope and strength, and write those down so that you can return to them the next time you face a specific challenge or trial.
2. Although God specifically lays out the steps of what's going to happen for Moses and Aaron, he often doesn't work that way with us today...why do you think that is? How does God speak to you through his Word both generally and specifically?
3. In what ways have you witnessed and experienced God's tender, patient, condescending love, both in your life and in the lives of others? How has God used others to be a source of his love toward you? How has God used you to be a source of his love toward others?
4. Because we know the entire biblical narrative and are able to understand how God worked through his Son to rescue us, how are you able to draw connections and specifically see Jesus in Old Testament stories like this one? What are some of the "bread crumbs" of the gospel that exist in this part of Exodus story with Moses and Aaron? How does God's gospel plan specifically include you today?
For Younger Children:
1. When you go through something really hard, what helps you to feel better? What makes you happy when things are sad or difficult? Is God someone you talk to when life is tough?
2. How do you think God can help you when you're hurting or upset? How can God give you the strength to face difficult situations or people?
3. Why is it important to know and understand that God is always there for you, no matter what you're going through? How can I help you to understand that better?
For Older Children:
1. When you go through a difficult situation, where do you usually turn to for hope and strength? Do you think God cares when you're going through tough times? Why or why not?
2. In what ways has God helped you in the past when you've been hurt or upset?
3. Why do you think it's important to know and have faith that God is always there for you, no matter what you happen to be facing in life? Is there any way I can help you grasp or understand that better?
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