In Dec., I met a pastor at an airport in Seattle - he talked a lot about his family coming for Christmas, then asked me what I did for work. I told him I was beginning a new pastorate and it was a wonderful springboard for him to tell me about his first church, and his family, and how they spent the last 6 Christmases together. Every thing I said was a wonderful segway into something new about his family. It was fascinating to watch as he continually shaped the conversation his way.
The first part of the story today is told by two historians -
Artapanus, the Greek and fanciful historian
and
Josephus, the Jewish historian [Book 11, Ch. X]
- much more detailed than that of Artapanus
hinted at by Stephen before the Sanhedrin in Acts 7.
In the middle of the 13th dynasty, a new queen (Merris?) came to the upper kingdom from the delta in the east. Her father was Palmanothes. She married Kenepheres Sobekhotep IV. As a newcomer to the area, she was not entrenched in her view regarding the Israelites.
Moses was born around the third regnal year of Khanepherre
grows up in the principal royal palace; at Itj-tawy
('Seizer of the two lands)
Moses, when he ... came to the age of maturity, made his virtue manifest to the Egyptians ...
... The Ethiopians attacked the Egyptians ... as far as Memphis and the sea itself, not one of the cities was able to oppose them.
The Egyptians, under this sad oppression, went to their oracles and received counsel to make use of Moses the Hebrew and take his assistance -the king commanded his daughter to produce him, that he might be the general of their army ...
... so Moses, at the persuasion both of Thermuthis and the king himself, cheerfully undertook the task ...
... he came upon the Ethiopians before they expected him and defeated them, depriving them of the hopes they had of success against the Egyptians and he went on in overthrowing their cities and indeed killing many Ethiopians....
... in the end, they retreated to Saba, a royal city of Ethiopia. The place was to be besieged with very great difficulty, since it was both surrounded by the Nile all around, and by two other rivers. Also having a strong wall and great ramparts between the wall and the rivers ...
... However, while Moses was bored waiting with the army (for the enemy dared not come to battle) this incident happened:
Tharbis was the daughter of the king of the Ethiopians
and she happened to see Moses as he led the army near the walls, fighting with great courage
... she fell deeply in love with him and
... sent him the most faithful of all her servants to talk with him about their marriage.
He thereupon accepted the offers on condition that she would procure the delivering up of the city ...
... No sooner was the agreement made than it took effect immediately and, when Prince Moses had suppressed the Ethiopians,
he gave thanks to God
and consummated his marriage,
leading the Egyptians back to their own land.
This campaign is recorded on a stela of Sobekhotep IV.
At Kerma, just north of Saba, a solid platform displays Egyptian brickwork
A lifesized statue of Khaneferre Sobekhotep IV is found on the island of Argo
Khaneferre ruled Egypt for around 20 years.
at the age of 40, Moses decided to defend his own people, and killed an Egyptian
He was ready
he was trained
he was experienced
he was beautiful
he was loved
he wanted to do God’s work, felt called, and was prepared.
Let’s lead
Acts 7:24,25 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defence and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thot that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not..
This became known and he fled the wrath of the Pharaoh Merneferre Ay, the great grandson of Khaneferre.
Heb 11 says that it was not in fear. Most likely because of the rejection by his people
He fled, probably to Saudi Arabia, as Pharaoh controlled the Sinai peninsula in the land of Midian, a long way away from Pharaoh
was this simply training how to be a shepherd?
time alone to think and become wise
discover the stupidness of leading sheep?
Lose all his skills as a leader?
forget himself?
Be put on the shelf?
God’s Message for Moses
meeting at the bush
God introduced himself as the God of Abe, Isaac and Jake
Moses became afraid.
God said:
I have seen the misery
I have heard them crying
I am concerned
I have come down to rescue them
and bring them to the land of promise
their cry has reached me
I have seen their oppression
so go, I am sending you.
Who am I?
You just don’t get it Moses - I trained you thru Pharaoh?
The answer - you don’t matter, you’re in the back seat.
I will go with you
here’s a sign - you will be back here with them all
who are you?
the God of Abe isn’t enough, even tho Moses had no trouble recognizing it.
The Answer: I AM WHO I AM- who you need me to be
I AM the God of Abe...
I AM fill in the blank
again God explains to Moses
I have watched over you
I have seen what has been done
I have promised to deliver
The people will listen
Pharaoh will not
I will stretch out my hand
I will perform wonders
I will make the Egyptians favourably disposed towards you
You will plunder the Egyptians
Pharaoh asked this question as well. “Who is YHWH”
they won’t believe me - give me some signs
the staff becomes a snake
the hand inside the coat becomes leprous
the Nile water becomes blood
I Can’t Speak
Acts 7:22 Stephen said - “was powerful in speech and action.”
I gave you your mouth
I will give you your words
Here am I, send my brother
His fear of God was not sufficient to make him say “yes”
Conclusion
2 wrong assumptions by Moses
1. He was great, well trained and ready to save God’s people
2. He blew it, nobody would listen to him, and he was a failure.
In both of these viewpoints the error lies with Moses thinking what he can and can’t do.
Moses did not listen to God, even when he was speaking from the bush.
Rather Moses was thinking about himself.
When God speaks, do you listen, or just talk about yourself?
Listing the things that you are prepared for
have studied
Have experienced
The difference between “God enable me” and “God use me”
Me - the Great, or God - the magnificent?
God said:
I have seen their misery
I have heard them crying
I am concerned
I have come down to rescue them
and bring them to the land of promise
their cry has reached me
I have seen their oppression
so go, I am sending you.
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