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MOSES SENT AS A DELIVERER

II QUAR. LESSON IX., MAY 27, EXOD. 3:10-20

Golden Text—”Fear them not, for I am with thee.”—Isa. 41:10

When God would deliver Israel, he chose for his servant and representative the meekest man, Moses. (Num. 12:3.) This disposition was necessary not only for the task before him, but also because this one was to be a type of the great deliverer of all mankind from the bondage of sin—”the man Christ Jesus,” who was “meek and lowly of heart;” and also the body of Christ which is the Church.—See Acts 3:22,23.

Moses’ humble birth, as one of an enslaved race, would naturally incline him to humility. And this disposition continued with him, even though he became an adopted member of the royal family. His subsequent boldness and ability as an executive were due to the fact that he acted as God’s agent and representative. This gave that beautiful blend to his character, of ability with humility.

It was forty years from the time that Moses was born to the time when he first essayed to help his brethren and was misunderstood (Exod. 2:11-15), and it was forty years from that time until he became their deliverer. These two equal periods seem to be typical of the two ages—the Jewish and the Gospel ages, which were also of equal length—1845 years. At the end of the Jewish age Christ offered himself to Israel as their deliverer, but they refused him and he went away. His return is due at the end of a like period, at the close of the Gospel age. At his second presence, during the Millennial age, he will deliver all who are “God’s people” from the bondage of sin under Satan, as Moses delivered his people from the bondage of Egypt under Pharaoh.

During Moses’ absence he married a Gentile wife, and so in the interval between Christ’s first and second advents he selects a wife from among the Gentiles—the Gospel Church, the Bride, the Lamb’s wife.

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After the long preparation of his chosen instrument—God’s time had come to send

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him, and his servant was ready; and lo, from the midst of the burning bush that was not consumed, and which forcibly illustrated the power of God to preserve and use his servant in the midst of fiery trials, Moses heard the call of God to become the leader of his people out of Egyptian bondage.—Verse 10.

But how could he do it? Moses looked at himself and at the magnitude of such an undertaking, and feeling his own insufficiency he replied, “Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?” It seemed a most improbable thing that the Egyptians would give up two millions of profitable slaves for any consideration that he could present, or any power that he could bring to bear upon them. Then how could the people be induced to follow his leadership? To these misgivings concerning himself, Moses received the all-sufficient assurance of the Lord—”Certainly I will be with thee,” etc. That was enough; and strong in this confidence, he went forth to prove at every step of the way the abundant sufficiency of divine grace.

Herein is encouragement also for every true servant of the Lord who humbly relies upon his promises while striving to walk in the ways of his appointment: “Certainly I will be with thee.” Oh, how much we need this blessed assurance; for who, of himself, is sufficient for the responsibilities of the Lord’s service?

The great deliverance was indeed wrought out by God by miracles and wonders by the hand of his servant Moses; and those modern critics who reject the testimony of miracles are simply insisting that God should always operate within the range of human understanding. But to the sincere inquirer after truth there is no clearer testimony of the divine power and resources than the testimony of miracles. The ten miraculous plagues upon Egypt did their appointed work, and Israel went out a free people under the leadership of Moses; and all the world were witnesses of the power of the God of Israel.

This deliverance of Israel from Egypt was a marvelous deliverance, and yet the prophets tell us of a still greater deliverance for the people, yet to be accomplished, when they shall be gathered out of all nations whither they have been driven, and when even the generations of them that are in the graves shall come forth, and they shall be brought into their own land and securely planted there. (See Jer. 16:14,15; Ezek. 37:12-14; Isa. 65:21-23.) In comparison with this deliverance yet to be accomplished, we are assured that the former from Egypt will seem so insignificant as not to be named any more; for that was but a type of the one to come. Then Abraham will realize the reward of his faith, when he and his posterity actually come into the land which God promised him for an everlasting possession (Gen. 17:8), and which Stephen said (Acts 7:5) he never owned a foot of in his past life, but died in faith that the promise would be fulfilled at his return,—in the morning of the resurrection.

“For this purpose have I raised thee up,” is recorded of this Egyptian Pharaoh. (Rom. 9:17.) As God made choice of Moses for one purpose, he also made choice of this Pharaoh for another. He did not make the one hard and tyrannical, and the other meek and obedient; but he chose such as were so naturally and of their own free will and choice. The meek man was chosen to one position and the froward one to another. God did not let a good man come to the throne and then corrupt him; but he raised up a bad man, and thus had in him a suitable one by whom to show forth his power.

God’s dealings, always just, and often merciful, have an effect upon men according to their hearts. The same providence that would move one man to repentance would move another to hardness of heart. In Pharaoh’s case the plagues brought repentance, but the goodness of God in hearing his prayer and removing the plagues each time produced hardness of heart. Thus seen, it was not by exerting some bad influence upon Pharaoh’s mind, but by extending his mercy to Pharaoh and his people, that God hardened his heart.

The Egyptian bondage typified the bondage of sin; Pharaoh typified Satan; and Israel typified all those who long for deliverance that they may present themselves to God and his service. The deliverance from Egypt represented this overthrow of the power of sin at our Lord’s second advent. The plagues upon Egypt represented the troubles coming upon the whole world in the near future which will effectually break down the various enslaving and oppressive systems of the present time—social, political, religious and financial—and engulf them all in utter ruin.

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— May 1&15, 1894 —