Yesterday, we looked at Moses and his reluctance to fulfill God’s command. After trying to get out of it, Moses finally obeyed God’s commission and traveled to Egypt.
Moses’ Trust-Training was underway.
Before listing God’s promises and subsequent fulfillment, consider an important piece of information. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy (aka the Pentateuch) were all inspired by God and written by Moses. He recorded his own foibles in these texts, but there’s more to it than that.
In writing these books, Moses also recorded God’s promises and their subsequent fulfillment.
It is almost impossible to be a writer and be unaffected by the content of your writing. In some way, those words will impact the mind and heart. I am confident that as Moses recorded this narrative in Exodus, he was touched by the sheer number and accuracy of God’s fulfilled promises and prophecies. Recalling what God had done surely trained his mind to trust in the Lord and the veracity of His word. Moses knew that if God made a promise or prophecy, He would see it fulfilled no matter who or what tried to interfere.
With all that being said, here is a list of the things God promised and prophesied in chapters 3 and 4 of Exodus along with their subsequent fulfillment:
- Promise: 3:12 – “this shall be the sign for you, that I have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.”
Fulfillment: Exodus 19 - Promise: 3:16-18 – “Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The LORD, the God of your fathers… has appeared to me… and they will listen to your voice.”
Fulfillment: 4:29-31 – “Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped. - Prophecy: 3:19 “But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand.”
Fulfillment: 7:13-14, 23; 8:15, 19, 32; 9:7, 12
“But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.” (8:19) - Promise: 3:20 “So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go.”
Fulfillment: The Ten Plagues, Exodus 7-12 - Promise: 3:21-22 “And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.“
- Fulfillment: 12:35-36 “The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians.”
That’s FIVE promises/prophecies that God gave to Moses, and they were ALL fulfilled, just as God said they would be. I know that the list is a bit tedious to read through, but it really makes the significance of God’s trustworthiness POP! And, as I said above, Moses wrote this all down. He could see, in retrospect, what the Lord had done not just for the Israelites, but for him as well. God had demonstrated his faithfulness over and over and over.
And yet….
Before the Ten Plagues even had a chance to happen, Moses hit a snag with Pharaoh and the Israelites. Pharaoh was offended that Moses dare to ask the for the Israelites to go and worship, so he creates more work and toil for the Israelites. Moses immediately doubts himself:
“O Lord… Why did you ever send me?” (6.22)
Immediately God replies:
“Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh…” (7.1)
And Moses did. Repeatedly. Plague, after plague.
By the time the Israelites were delivered, Moses had great confidence in the Lord. He was put to the test when the Israelites found themselves trapped—the ocean in the front, the Egyptian army behind, and mountains on both sides.
Moses says to the people (who are crying out in terror):
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
Exodus 14.13-14
Moses finally understood that he could trust in the Lord, no matter how dire and desperate the situation.
He finally saw that if he but trusted in the Lord and obeyed his commands, great things could be accomplished.
Are you plagued by doubt today? You may be asking, as Moses did, “Lord, why did you bring me here?” I have asked that question of the Lord more times than I care to admit. He does not always give us the why, and that is when we need to rely on the trust that He has developed in us through His word, through prayer, through renewal and through praise.
If you are doubting the power of the Lord, take time to write down all the times when God has taken care of you. Write down answered prayers. I mentioned this in a previous post on prayer: a friend of mine recommended writing prayer requests on an index card and then, when the prayer is answered, filing it behind a “fulfilled” tab to see the results of God’s care pile ever higher.
Read. Pray. Renew. Praise. Repeat.
Solid Trust requires training.
Let us press on to know the Lord and trust Him completely… no matter how inadequate we may feel for the task.
Elihu's Corner 