Journey Through the Bible in a Year
Reading God's Word and learning more about His plan for my life each day!
Thursday, October 17, 2002
Introduction to Journey Through the Bible
A note about online study
My Prayer Today
Heavenly Father, thank You for the truth revealed in today’s Scripture that You use human beings to carry out Your will! I praise You that when the Israelites needed a deliverer You were that deliverer, but You used Moses and Aaron to carry the message of deliverance to Pharaoh. I pray that you will use me today to glorify You, to carry Your message to my family, friends, and co-workers or classmates. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit that I may not hesitate when You call me, and that I will obey when You give me the opportunity to serve. This I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.
My Journey Verses for Today
Exodus 3:1-22
1 One day Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he went deep into the wilderness near Sinai, the mountain of God. 2 Suddenly, the angel of the LORD appeared to him as a blazing fire in a bush. Moses was amazed because the bush was engulfed in flames, but it didn't burn up. 3 "Amazing!" Moses said to himself. "Why isn't that bush burning up? I must go over to see this." 4 When the LORD saw that he had caught Moses' attention, God called to him from the bush, "Moses! Moses!" "Here I am!" Moses replied. 5 "Do not come any closer," God told him. "Take off your sandals, for you are standing on holy ground." 6 Then he said, "I am the God of your ancestors – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." When Moses heard this, he hid his face in his hands because he was afraid to look at God. 7 Then the LORD told him, "You can be sure I have seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries for deliverance from their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. 8 So I have come to rescue them from the Egyptians and lead them out of Egypt into their own good and spacious land. It is a land flowing with milk and honey – the land where the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites live. 9 The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks. 10 Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." 11 "But who am I to appear before Pharaoh?" Moses asked God. "How can you expect me to lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" 12 Then God told him, "I will be with you. And this will serve as proof that I have sent you: When you have brought the Israelites out of Egypt, you will return here to worship God at this very mountain." 13 But Moses protested, "If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, 'The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,' they won't believe me. They will ask, 'Which god are you talking about? What is his name?' Then what should I tell them?" 14 God replied, "I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" 15 God also said, "Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors – the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob – has sent me to you.' This will be my name forever; it has always been my name, and it will be used throughout all generations. 16 "Now go and call together all the leaders of Israel. Tell them, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors – the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – appeared to me in a burning bush. He said, "You can be sure that I am watching over you and have seen what is happening to you in Egypt. 17 I promise to rescue you from the oppression of the Egyptians. I will lead you to the land now occupied by the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites – a land flowing with milk and honey."' 18 "The leaders of the people of Israel will accept your message. Then all of you must go straight to the king of Egypt and tell him, 'The LORD, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us. Let us go on a three-day journey into the wilderness to offer sacrifices to the LORD our God.' 19 "But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go except under heavy pressure. 20 So I will reach out and strike at the heart of Egypt with all kinds of miracles. Then at last he will let you go. 21 And I will see to it that the Egyptians treat you well. They will load you down with gifts so you will not leave empty-handed. 22 The Israelite women will ask for silver and gold jewelry and fine clothing from their Egyptian neighbors and their neighbors' guests. With this clothing, you will dress your sons and daughters. In this way, you will plunder the Egyptians!"
Reflecting on God's Word for My Journey
What is the most significant task God has ever called you to do? What was your response?
A Deeper Exploration of God's Word for My Journey
How did Moses know that God was communicating with Him? (3:1-22)
What is Moses’ initial response to God’s call to go and deliver the Israelites?
Understanding God's Will for My Journey
What do you learn about God’s requirements for folks He will use to carry out His will from today’s Scripture?
What do you learn about God from this passage of Scripture?
Applying What God's Word Tells Me to My Journey
God spoke with Moses in a most unusual way, and at an unexpected time. As you go about this day, expect God to communicate with You, and ask the Holy Spirit to make You aware when He does!
My Personal Journey Thought for the Day—“God's M.O.”
“M.O.” means “modus operandi” or “method of operation.” God has always used a certain M.O. in our world: God uses people to carry out His will. God had heard the Israelites crying out in suffering as they endured slavery in Egypt. He told Moses so. In Exodus 3:9 we read, “The cries of the people of Israel have reached me, and I have seen how the Egyptians have oppressed them with heavy tasks.” God’s solution to the situation is to SEND MOSES! “Now go, for I am sending you to Pharaoh. You will lead my people, the Israelites, out of Egypt." John Maxwell says that this situation is only one of many that teaches us an important Biblical principle: “Without God, I cannot. Without me, God will not.” Do you see Maxwell’s point? God could certainly have delivered the Israelites without Moses. He could have spoken directly to them. He could have sent the plagues on Egypt without Moses telling the Egyptian king that God was going to do it. But God DIDN’T. God uses people to carry out his will. That’s great news for us, because it means that we can be tools in God’s service. God gave Moses the Holy Spirit so He could do God’s work. Jesus gives EVERY believer the Holy Spirit so that we can do His work, too. As we go about this day, let’s remember that God wants to great things to us AND through us. And without us, they won’t get done—because that’s God’s M.O.!
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