THE LORD GOD SAID AS I WAS WITH MOSES SO WILL I BE WITH YOU

Proclamation:

“After the death of Moses the servant of The Lord, The Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ aide: ‘Moses My servant is dead.  Now then … As I was with Moses, so will I be with you.  I will never leave you nor forsake you.”  Joshua 1:1-5 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Joshua under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Lord God allowed Moses to climb to the top of Mount Nebo and to see the promise land, but He did not allow him to cross over into it. (Deuteronomy 34:1-4)  Moses died in Moab and The Lord God buried him somewhere in the valley. (Deuteronomy 34:5-7)  Joshua was filled with The Spirit because Moses had laid hands on him. (Deuteronomy 34:9)  After the Israelites had grieved for Moses for thirty days, (Deuteronomy 34:8) The Lord God spoke to Joshua and told him that he would lead the people into the promise land. (Joshua 1:1-6)  The Lord God also told Joshua to be strong and courageous, and to obey the law which Moses had given to them. (Joshua 1:7-9)  There were no written Scripture available to Moses, The Lord God spoke to him directly.  However, Moses had faithfully written all that The Lord God had spoken to him so the first five Books of the Bible were written and available to Joshua.

Application:

Moses was clearly a man of God, and so was Joshua.  Both of them were leaders of God’s people.  The Lord God was with them to counsel and advise them, to guide and direct them, and to protect and defend them.  The same is true today for the men of God who are leading God’s people.  However, this also applies to all of the leaders of God’s people who are believers.  That also includes the patriarchs and matriarchs who are believers and leaders of our families today.  When they die, it passes on to us to obey The Word of God and to lead our families.  As leaders of God’s people, even if we only lead or influence a few of them, we must also obey The Lord.  If we will obey His Holy Word, then He will be with us as He was with Moses and Joshua.  He will never leave us nor forsake us. (Joshua 1:5 and Hebrews 13:5) 

DO NOT WORSHIP ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE LORD GOD

Proclamation:

“Do not worship any other god, for The Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.”  Exodus 34:14  “Do not make any idols.”  Exodus 34:17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God gave Moses specific instructions for the Israelites regarding the Sabbath Day, He gave him two tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments and His covenant law. (Exodus 31:18)  However, because Moses stayed on the mountain of God so long, the people made themselves a god, an idol cast in gold in the shape of a calf, and worshiped it. (Exodus 32:1-8)  When Moses came down from the mountain of God and saw the golden calf and the dancing, he threw the stone tablets at them and then he destroyed the golden calf. (Exodus 32:19-20)  Then he said, “Whoever is for The Lord, come to me.”  All those who did not come to him were killed. (Exodus 32:26-29)  The Moses then chiseled out two smooth stone tablets, like the one he had broken and went back up to the mountain of God. (Exodus 34:1-5)  This time when Moses came down from the mountain of God, his face was radiant and the people listened to him. (Exodus 34:29-35)  Then the Israelites gathered all of the materials as The Lord God had instructed and the built the tabernacle (Exodus 36:8-38), the Arc of The Covenant (Exodus 37:1-9), and all of the other things as He had instructed them. (Exodus 37:10 through 40:33)

Application:

The first of the Ten Commandments is: “You shall have not other gods before Me.” (Exodus 20:3)  In His explanation of the second of the Ten Commandments He said, “… for I, The Lord your God, am a jealous God …” (Exodus 20:5)  Here in this text, He is reiterating that He is jealous, and that He wants nothing to be worshiped but Him.  Unfortunately, today some people worship other gods, and some people worship other people as their god.  Some people worship their spouse, their love one, or their children.  Some people even worship their cars, their homes, or some other material object which they possess.  Worship of anything other than The Lord God is a sin, and that offends His jealous nature.

REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY AND KEEP IT HOLY

Proclamation:

“Then The Lord said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites,’ ‘You must observe My Sabbaths.  This will be a sign between Me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am The Lord, who makes you holy.’”  Exodus 31:12-13 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God gave them the Ten Commandments and the laws, He told them that He was sending an angel to guard them, and to guide them to the place that He had prepared for them. (Exodus 23:20)  Then He confirmed the covenant that He had made with Moses. (Exodus 24:1-4)  After that He gave them specific instructions for the making of The Arc of The Covenant (Exodus 25:10-30), the making of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:1-36), the making of the altar (Exodus 27:1-8), and for the courtyard of the tabernacle. (Exodus 27:9-19)  The Lord God also gave them specific instructions regarding the making of the garments for the priests (Exodus 28:1-43), and regarding the consecration of the priests. (Exodus 29:1-46)  Then He gave them instructions for the making of an alter of incense (Exodus 30:1-10), a basin for washing (Exodus 30:17-21), and for the use of anointing oil and incense. (Exodus 30:22-38)  Then The Lord God gave them specific instructions regarding keeping the Sabbath Day holy. (Exodus 31:12-18)

Application:

After giving the people of God instructions regarding how they should worship Him, The Lord God told the Israelites to remember the Sabbath Day and to keep it holy.  This He repeated from the Ten Commandments, (Exodus 20:8-11) He emphasized its importance to Him, and He expounded upon it. (Exodus 31:14-18)  The Sabbath Day, which is the seventh day of the week, would be our current Saturday.  Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, The Christ, rose from the dead on the first day of the week, on Sunday.  The church began on the day of Pentecost.  The feast of Pentecost began on the day after the Sabbath, on Sunday.  As Christians we now celebrate Sunday as the Israelites celebrated the Sabbath.  Sunday is to be a day of rest and worship, and not a day of work.  It is to be a day of celebrating The Lord and fellowshipping with other believers.  This is a day for corporate praise and worship.  To God be the glory for He is worthy of our praise, honor, and worship.

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF GOD

Proclamation:

“I am The Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.  You shall have no other gods before Me … You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his manservant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”  Exodus 20:2-17 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After the Israelites had crossed the wilderness and come to the mountain of God, they camped near it. (Exodus 18:5 and 19:1)  Moses went up into the mountain of God and came back down with messages for the people several times. (Exodus 19:3-7, 19:8, 19:14, and 19:20-22)  In addition to the Ten Commandments, The Lord God gave Moses instructions and laws for the Israelites regarding idols and alters (Exodus 20:22-26), Hebrew servants (Exodus 21:1-11), personal injuries (Exodus 21:12-36), protection of property (Exodus 22:1-15), social responsibility (Exodus 22:16-31), justice and mercy (Exodus 23:1-9), and the Sabbath (Exodus 23:10-13)  The Ten Commandments were written on tablets of stone. (Exodus 24:12)  The last time that Moses went up into the mountain of God, he stayed for forty days. (Exodus 24:15-18)

Application:

When The Lord God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He knew that the people then and now would not be able to keep them.  We were to use them as a mirror to show ourselves that we were sinners who fell short of God’s Word. (Romans 3:23)  We sin with our actions and words, and even when we have sinful thoughts we have committed a sin. (Matthew 5:28)  Additionally, The Bible teaches us that if we have broken one of these commandments, we are just as sinful as if we had broken all of them. (James 2:10)  The Ten Commandments are that we should: have no other gods (Exodus 20:2-3), not make any images of God (Exodus 20:4-6), not use God’s name in vain (Exodus 20:7), remember to keep the Sabbath day holy (Exodus 20:8-11), honor our father and mother (Exodus 20:12), and that we should not kill (Exodus 20:13), should not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14), should not steal (Exodus 20:15), should not lie (Exodus 20:16), and should not covet anything that belongs to our neighbor. (Exodus 20:17)  We needed the Ten Commandments because we had to be shown that we were lost sinners and that we needed a savior.

SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO HELP THE MAN OF GOD

Proclamation:

“As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning.  When Moses’ hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it.  Aaron and Hur held his hands up, one on one side, one on the other, so that his hands remained steady till sunset.”  Exodus 17:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  While the Israelites were camped by the place called Rephidim, the Amalekites came and attacked them. (Exodus 17:8)  Moses sent Joshua and some of the men out to fight them.  Moses said that he would stand on the top of the hill with the staff of God and raise his hands. (Exodus 17:9-10)  Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill with him.  By raising up his hands, whether in prayer or praise, Moses acknowledged that The Lord God is in control.  When Moses grew tired physically from holding up his arms and hands, they helped him by holding up his hands.

Application:

Pastors, preachers, ministers, and all men of God are human and from time to time they need a little help.  The may need physical help during illness of periods of weakness, or they may need psychological and emotional help.  Even the strong men among us occasionally needs, and appreciates, a little encouragement. (Deuteronomy 1:38 and 3:28)  We have heard about “the Amen corner” in church, that small group of supporters who offer encouragement to the preacher when he is presenting The Word of God.  They do a good work.  A pat on the back, and telling him that the message he delivered helped you, can mean a lot to the man of God.  A kind word spoken to him every now and then can help him to keep on going. (2 Chronicles 10:7)  Actually, it is The Holy Spirit of God who is doing the work but He is just using and working through a human vessel to accomplish it.  When we help the man of God, we are helping God’s program.  There is a special blessing in store for those who give the man of God a glass of water. (Matthew 10:41-42)  When we help him, he is able to help others and advance the kingdom of God here on earth.  We get so much from them and occasionally it would just be nice to give them a little help and encouragement.

THE LORD GOD WILL PROVIDE FOR HIS PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“The Lord said to Moses, ‘I have heard the grumbling of the Israelites.  Tell them,’ ‘At twilight you will eat meat, and in the morning you will be filled with bread.  Then you will know that I am The Lord your God.’”  Exodus 16:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When the Israelites saw the mighty hand of The Lord God displayed against the Egyptians they feared The Lord, (Exodus 14:29-31) and then they began to sing praises unto Him. (Exodus 15:1-21)  Moses then led them into the desert and soon they forgot about the miracles they had just witnessed, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, and the drowning of Pharaoh’s army, and began to murmur against Moses. (Exodus 15:22-24)  The Lord God changed the bitter water of Marah into water that was fit to drink. (Exodus 15:25)  Then He rained down bread, manna, from heaven for them to eat in the morning (Exodus 16:4-5 and 16:31) and provided them with meat, in the form of quail, in the evening. (Exodus 16:13)  He did this for them daily, except on the Sabbath. (Exodus 16:21-27)  They wandered about in the desert from place to place as The Lord God directed them.  In one place where they camped there was no water and The Lord God provided water for them out of a rock. (Exodus 17:1-7)

Application:

Oh, how soon we forget what The Lord has done for us.  We treat The Lord God like the worldly people treat each other by asking, like the Janet Jackson song, “What have you done for me lately?”  The people of God should not ask Him that question.  We know that our very existence, waking up, each breath and heartbeat are all blessings from God.  Not to mention that we are blessed to have some material things, our family and friends, and those who love us.  The Lord God has provided us an abundance of blessings, blessings upon blessings. (Proverbs 28:20)  We may not have or get all that we want, but He will supply all of our needs. (Philippians 4:19) 

THE LORD GOD WILL FIGHT YOUR BATTLES

Proclamation:

“Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place.  The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and The Lord swept them into the sea.  The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea.  Not one of them survived.” Exodus 14:27-28 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God struck down the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh let the Israelites go. (Exodus 12:29-32)  As they left Egypt, there were about six hundred thousand men, not counting the women and children. (Exodus 12:37)  When they left, they took with them the spoils of Egypt (Exodus 12:33-36) and they also took the bones of Joseph with them. (Exodus 13:19)  The Lord God led them on their way out of Egypt. (Exodus 13:21)  He told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and he would pursue them, but He would gain glory by dealing with them. (Exodus 14:1-4)  Pharaoh gathered his army and pursued the Israelites.  When they saw them coming, the people panicked. (Exodus 14:8-10)  The Lord God told Moses to raise his staff and stretch out his hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. (Exodus 14:16)  Then The Angel of God, who had been traveling in front of the people, withdrew and went behind them and blocked the path of Pharaoh’s army. (Exodus 14:19-20)  The Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and left side, (Exodus 14:29) but when Pharaoh’s army followed them, they all drowned.

Application:

The Lord God protected His people from an army that they could not defeat with a pillar of fire.  He made a way out of no way when they were in an impossible situation by parting the Red Sea.  He fought a battle for them and defeated an army which they were not prepared to fight by drowning Pharaoh’s army in the Red Sea.  There are some battles which we are not prepared to, or able to fight.  Those battles The Lord God will fight for us.  Some battles are not against people, but are against principalities, and evil powers, and wicked spirits. (Ephesians 6:12)  That is why we need to put on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-17) and just stand.  We need to stand still and behold the power of our God. (Exodus 14:13, 2 Chronicles 20:17, and Ephesians 6:14)  The Lord God will take care of His people, including all believers.  He did it then, and He can do it again.

THE LORD GOD PROTECTS HIS PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“And when your children ask you, ‘What does this ceremony mean to you?’ then tell them, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice to The Lord, who passed over the houses of the Israelites in Egypt and spared our homes when He struck down the Egyptians.’”  Exodus 12:26-27 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  The Lord God told Moses what to say to Pharaoh in order for him to let the people of Israel go free to worship Him. (Exodus 7:1-2)  He also told Moses that He would harden Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the people go. (Exodus 7:3-5)  The Lord God brought ten separate plagues on the land of Egypt and after each plague Pharaoh’s heart was hardened.  There was the plague of blood, (Exodus 7:14-24) frogs, (Exodus 8:1-15) gnats, (Exodus 8:16-19) flies, (Exodus 8:20-32) death of livestock, (Exodus 9:1-7) boils, (Exodus 9:8-12) hail, (Exodus 9:13-35) locusts, (Exodus 10:1-20) darkness, (Exodus 10:21-29) and the death of the first born. (Exodus 11:1-12:30)  Only after the tenth and final plague, the death of the first born, did Pharaoh let the people of Israel go. (Exodus 12:31-32)  The Lord God protected His own people and the Israelites were not affected by the plagues. (Exodus 8:22, 9:4, 9:26, 10:23 and 12:12-13)  On the night when all of the first born of Egypt died, The Lord God passed over the homes of the Israelites.  Even unto this day they still celebrate “The Passover” and explain it to their children. (Exodus 12:25-27)

Application:

The Lord God protects His own people and that includes all believers.  He said that He would never leave us nor forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  There may be danger all around us but The Lord God protects believers from dangers seen, and unseen.  That upsetting delay that occurred may have kept us from being involved in an accident.  Sometimes we are involved in accidents but walk away unharmed.  We are blessed in more ways than we can count, and by things that we take for granted.  We may not be in an ideal situation but things could be a lot worse.  We need to acknowledge God’s presence in our lives (Proverbs 3:6) and thank Him for blessing us and keeping us.  Death has passed us by a number of times and we should be grateful for the protective covering of the blood of Christ over our lives. (Exodus 12:23)

USE WHAT THE LORD GOD HAS GIVEN YOU

Proclamation:

“When Pharaoh says to you, ‘Perform a miracle,’ then say to Aaron, ‘Take your staff and throw it down before Pharaoh,’ and it will become a snake.’  So Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and did just as The Lord commanded.  Aaron threw his staff down in front of Pharaoh and his officials, and it became a snake.”  Exodus 7:8-10 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Moses told Aaron, his brother, everything that The Lord God had spoken to him.  Then they called the elders of the Israelites together and explained everything to them.  Moses, now eighty years old, performed the signs before them which The Lord God had told him to perform and they believed him. (Exodus 4:27-31)  Afterwards, Moses and Aaron went to the Pharaoh and told him that The Lord God of Israel said, “Let My people go.”  But The Lord God had hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the people go.  In fact, he made thing harder for them by commanding that they make their quota of bricks without straw being provided for them. (Exodus 5:1-13)  Moses spoke to The Lord God and said that he had made things worse for the people (Exodus 5:22-23) and God gave him a message for the people (Exodus 6:1-8) but the people would not listen to Moses. (Exodus 6:9)  So Moses and Aaron went back to Pharaoh and Moses performed the signs as God had told him to do, yet Pharaoh would not listen to them. (Exodus 7:1-25)

Application:

The staff of Moses became a snake and consumed the staffs of Pharaoh’s officials. (Exodus 7:10-12)  Later Moses used his staff to turn the Nile River into blood. (Exodus 7:20-21)  Moses believed and he used his staff to perform miracles.  Sometimes we feel that because we don’t have much that we can’t do very much.  However, The Lord God has given each of us a gift (1 Corinthians 7:7, 2 Timothy 1:6, and Peter 4:10)  The Holy Spirit of God has given every man a gift (1 Corinthians 12:7-12) so that we can work within the body of Christ.  We just need to use what we have been given to do what The Lord God has for us to do.  If, by chance, you are unaware of your gift, pray and ask God to reveal it to you, and to give you the courage to use it to His glory.

BELIEVE AND OBEY EVEN WHEN YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND

Proclamation:

“Now The Lord had said to Moses in Midian, ‘Go back to Egypt, for all those who wanted to kill you are dead.’  So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt.  And he took the staff of God in his hand.”  Exodus 4:19-20 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After The Lord God told Moses that He was going to send him into Egypt to tell Pharaoh to let His people go, Moses came up with a number of excuses which he offered to God. (Exodus 3:11-15)  Then God gave him the plan, telling him what to do and what to say. (Exodus 3:16-22)  Moses still questioned The Lord God and He gave him several signs to show to the people so that they would believe that The God of their fathers had appeared to him and spoken to him. (Exodus 4:1-16) 

Applications:

Like Moses, sometimes we have our doubts about the things which The Lord God tells us to do.  At times we even question God’s instructions.  However, it is better for us to believe in Him, and in His Holy Word, and to obey Him even when we do not understand what He wants us to do or how it is all going to work.  It is our place to trust in The Lord.  We do not have the mental capacity to fully understand or comprehend all that He knows.  Additionally, He knows the future and what it holds for us.  He did not promise us that things would be easy, but He said that He would be with us and never leave or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  So, let’s just do what The Lord says for us to do.

THE LORD GOD HEARS THE VOICE AND THE CRIES OF HIS PEOPLE

Proclamation:

“The Lord said, ‘I have indeed seen the misery of My people in Egypt.  I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.’”  Exodus 3:7 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After his father, Jacob, died and was buried in Canaan, Joseph returned to Egypt and lived to be 110 years old.  Near the end of his life he made his brothers swear to an oath not to bury him in Egypt but to carry his bones back to the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. (Genesis 50:22-26)  After Joseph died, a new king rose up in Egypt who did not know Joseph and who was worried about the numerous Israelites.  So he placed taskmasters over them and made their lives bitter. (Exodus 1:8-14)  However, the Israelites continued to increase in number and Pharaoh decreed that all male Israelite babies shall be killed at birth. (Exodus 1:15-22)  One Hebrew mother hid her son for as long as she could, then placed him in a basket and put it in the river.  The child was found by the daughter of Pharaoh, who felt sorry for the Hebrew boy and kept him as her own. (Exodus 2:1-10)  This boy, Moses, was raised in the palace of Pharaoh.  When he was grown, he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew male.  The next day, he stopped two Hebrews from fighting, and one of them asked him, “Are you thinking of killing me as you did the Egyptian?”  Then Moses became afraid and fled to Midian.  There he stayed, married, began a family, and became a shepherd. (Exodus 2:15-22)  It was there that Moses saw the burning bush which was not consumed and he heard the voice of The Lord God. (Exodus 3:1-10)  God told him that He had heard the cries of the Israelites (Exodus 2:23-24 and 3:7-8) and He was sending Moses to bring His people out of Egypt (Exodus 3:10) and into the land flowing with milk and honey. (Exodus 3:8)

Application:

Believers still suffer and go through trials and tribulations during this earthly journey.  It is comforting to know that The Lord God hears our prayers and cries.  When the time is right, according to His will, He will do something about our plight.  Things are allowed to happen to us for a reason.  Sometimes bad things happen to us to keep us humble, (2 Corinthians 12:7) sometimes they are to keep us focused on Him, (Matthew 14:25-31) and sometimes they are punishment for our behavior. (Numbers 14:26-31)  However, our trouble won’t last always. (Psalm 30:5)  He hears the prayers of the righteous and He sees our situation. (1 Peter 3:12)  We just need to keep the faith and obey His Holy Word, (Deuteronomy 7:9) and know that He hears us.

KEEPING THE PROMISE MADE TO A DYING FATHER

Proclamation:

“Then he gave them these instructions: ‘I am about to be gathered to my people.  Bury me with my fathers … There Abraham and his wife Sarah were buried, there Isaac and his wife Rebekah were buried, and there I buried Leah.  The field and the cave were bought from the Hittites.’  When Jacob had finished giving instructions, he … breathed his last …”  Genesis 49:29-33 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  When Jacob arrived in Egypt, he sent his son Judah ahead of them to get directions to Goshen.  His long lost son Joseph met them there and they had a joyous and tearful reunion. (Genesis 46:28-29)  Pharaoh allowed them to have the best land in Egypt and Jacob blessed him. (Genesis 47:5-10)  Jacob lived for seventeen years in Egypt before he died.  Just before his death, he asked Joseph not to bury him in Egypt, but in the land of his fathers. (Genesis 47:28-30)  Also before he died, Jacob blessed the two sons of Joseph, intentionally giving the younger son, Ephraim, the blessing which should have gone to the oldest son, Manasseh. (Genesis 48:8-20)  Then Jacob called his twelve sons together and blessed each one of them and spoke prophetically of their individual futures. (Genesis 49:1-33)  They would become the twelve tribes of Israel.  Then he gave instructions to all of his sons to bury him in the land of his fathers and not in Egypt. Joseph honored his father’s dying wish and kept his promise to him. (Genesis 50:1-13)

Application:

People make promises to others all of the time and they break most of them.  Many children are often “crushed” by the broken promises made to them.  However, there is something special about the promise one makes to a dying individual on their death bed.  Promises made to a dying family member are usually held in very high regard and are usually honored.  We should be very careful when we give our word to someone.  The old saying goes, “You are only as good as your word.”  We need to pray for faithfulness in the promises that we make to others. 

DON'T BE AFRAID TO TRAVEL GOD IS WITH YOU

Proclamation:

“So Israel set out with all that was his, and when he reached Beersheba, he offered sacrifices to The God of his father, Isaac.  And God spoke to Israel in a vision at night and said, ‘Jacob!  Jacob!’  ‘Here I am,’ he replied.  “I am God, The God of your father,’ He said.  ‘Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.  I will go down to Egypt with you, and I will surely bring you back again…’”  Genesis 46:1-4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Joseph had convinced his brothers of who he was and had spent some time with them, Pharaoh found out that Joseph’s brothers were in Egypt and he told them to go back to Canaan and get their father and their families and bring them to Egypt. (Genesis 45:16-20)  When they got home and told this to their father, Isaac, he agreed to travel to Egypt to see his son Joseph. (Genesis 45:28)  While traveling to Egypt, The Lord God spoke to Israel in a vision and told him not to be afraid regarding this journey.  Israel continued on the journey but now he was walking by faith.

Application:

Traveling on a long journey or to a foreign land, may cause us some concern.  However, The God that we serve is already wherever it is that we are going and He will also be with us as we travel to get there.  He said that He would never leave us or forsake us. (Hebrews 13:5)  The Lord God is omnipresent, He is everywhere all at the same time. (Psalm 139:7-8)  He is also omnipotent, He has all power in heaven and in earth, and everything is under His control. (Matthew 28:18)  He has told us in His Holy Word to “fear not, for I am with you.” (Isaiah 41:10)  If The Lord God is telling us to go to some place, then we have no reason for be afraid.  We just need to stay close to God and pray about everything. (Proverbs 3:6, Matthew 21:22, and Luke 18:1)

SHOW PEOPLE YOUR TRUE SELF AND SPEAK THE TRUTH

Proclamation:

“Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come close to me.’  When they had done so, he said, ‘I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt.’”  Genesis 45:4 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Joseph had sold his brothers the grain they requested, he returned their money to them and sent them on their way home. (Genesis 42:25-26)  Because of the continued famine in their land they again ran out of food. (Genesis 43:1-2)  When they went back to Egypt to buy more grain, they took their youngest brother, Benjamin, with them as Joseph had requested. (Genesis 43:8-13)  After playing games with them for a while, Joseph revealed the truth to them that he was their brother. (Genesis 45:3-15)

Application:

All too often people put on a false face and pretend to be someone that they are not.  We should not try to “live a lie” in order to please or impress someone.  If they cannot accept us for the person that we are, then we are better off without them in our lives.  We need to be truthful to ourselves, and to others, for The Lord God detests liars. (Psalm 101:7)  As believers we are God’s representatives here on earth.  He is holy, so we should be holy. (1 Peter 1:16)  He is truthful, so we should be truthful. (Proverbs 12:17, Zechariah 8:16, and Ephesians 4:25)

SOMETIMES DREAMS COME TRUE

Proclamation:

“So Israel’s sons were among those who went to buy grain, for there was famine in the land of Canaan also.  Now Joseph was governor of the land, the person who sold grain to all its’ people.  So when Joseph’s brothers arrived, they bowed down to him with their faces to the ground.”  Genesis 42:5-6 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  As a seventeen year old young man, Joseph had a dream that his brothers would bow down to him and they hated him for it. (Genesis 37:2-11)  After his brothers sold him into slavery, The Lord God was with him and Joseph rose up to become the governor of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39-41)  Because of the famine in Canaan, his ten older brothers had come to him to buy grain.  Joseph recognized them but they did not recognize him. (Genesis 42:8)  Then Joseph remembered his dreams. (Genesis 42:9)

Application:

Some dreams are visions, given to us by The Lord God, of things yet to come.  Just because prosperity is in our future does not mean that we are ready for it when He shows it to us.  The Lord God has to take us through some things in order to prepare us for what He has in store for us.  We may have to go through trials and tribulations for us to trust Him so that He can move us to where He wants us to be.  We may not get all that we want, and not all dreams are visions, but whatever God has in store for us we will receive.

FROM DOWN AND OUT TO LARGE AND IN CHARGE

Proclamation:

“You shall be in charge of my palace, and all people are to submit to your orders.  Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you.  So Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt.’”  Genesis 41:40-41 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  Joseph’s brothers sold him to the Midianites who took him to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard. (Genesis 37:36)  The Lord God was with Joseph and he did well and became the overseer of his master’s house. (Genesis 39:2-4)  Soon his master’s wife approached him and asked him to sleep with her and Joseph refused her several times. (Genesis 39:7-10)  Then it came to pass that she caught him by his coat and asked him again, and he left his garment in her hand and he fled.  However, she lied and said that he tried to force himself upon her but fled when she screamed. (Genesis 39:11-15)  When she told the story to her husband, he had Joseph put in prison, (Genesis 39:16-20) but The Lord God was with him and he found favor with the keeper of the prison. (Genesis 39:20-23)  The chief of the butlers and the chief of the bakers were also imprisoned with Joseph.  Both men had dreams which Joseph interpreted for them and things came to pass as he said. (Genesis 40:1-23)  Two years later Pharaoh had a dream which none of his wise men or magicians could interpret. (Genesis 41:1-8)  Then the chief butler remembered that Joseph had interpreted his dream correctly and he told this to Pharaoh. (Genesis 41:9-13)  Hearing this, Pharaoh sent for Joseph, told him the dream, and he said that God had showed him that there would be seven good years followed by seven years of famine. (Genesis 41:14-32)  Pharaoh then placed Joseph in charge of his house, people, and land, and made him second in command in all of Egypt. (Genesis 41:39-41)  Joseph had them gather up and store corn for seven years (Genesis 41:48-49) and he sold it to the people when the famine came. (Genesis 41:55-57)

Application:

Joseph went from the bottom of a pit, to being a slave, and to prison but rose up to be in charge of the country because The Lord God was with him. (Genesis 39:2 and 39:21) We need to learn to praise God in good times and bad times. (Philippians 4:12)  It is God who gives us the strength to make it through the storms of life. (Philippians 4:13)  It is His strength which manifests itself during our periods of weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)  We should really count all of our trials and tribulations as joy because they are opportunities for God to show up in our life. (James 1:2)  Remember to give God the credit.  “In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:6)  Joseph made it clear that the dream interpretation was from God and not his own doing. (Genesis 41:16) 

EVERYONE WILL NOT SHARE THE JOY OF YOUR DREAMS

Proclamation:

“Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him all the more…Then he had a second dream and he told it to his brothers…When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him…”  Genesis 37:9-11 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  As Israel and his family moved on from Bethel, Rachel gave birth to a second son, Benjamin, but she died right after giving birth. (Genesis 35:16-20)  Shortly after Israel arrived in Hebron, the land of his father, Isaac died at the age of 180 years old. (Genesis 35:27-29)  Israel had twelve sons (Genesis 35:23-26) but he loved one, Joseph, his first son by Rachel, more than the others and they hated him because of that. (Genesis 37:3-4)  Joseph had dreams in which his brothers bowed down to him.  When he told them of his brothers of his dreams they hated him even more. (Genesis 37:5-11)  They had plotted to kill him but his brother Reuben prevailed upon them to cast him into a pit. (Genesis 37:17-24)  Afterwards they saw a caravan approaching and agreed to sell him to them.  But first they took his coat of many colors that his father had given him and smeared it with goat’s blood, to give it to their father. (Genesis 37:25-33)  Joseph’s brothers were moved by envy when they sold him into slavery but God was with him. (Acts 7:9)

Application:

Not all of our family and friends will rejoice with us and share in the joy of our dreams.  In fact, not all of them really want to see us do well and succeed, especially if we will be better off than they are.  Unfortunately, some people act like crabs in a barrel, pulling one another down before they can reach the top.  We should rejoice when our family and friends rejoice, and be sad when they are sad. (Romans 12:15)  We are not to desire or covet anything which belongs to others. (Exodus 20:17)  We should also be aware of the fact that dreams may show us a successful end point but may not reveal the grievous predicaments which must be endured before the prosperity.  We must keep the faith and endure to the end, with or without the support of family and friends.

GOD'S COVENANT AND PROMISE

Proclamation:

“And God said to him, ‘I am God Almighty, be fruitful and increase in number.  A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will be among your descendants.  The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you, and I will give this land to your descendants after you.’”  Genesis 35:11-12 (NIV)

Explanation:

These are the words of God which were written by Moses under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God.  After Jacob sent his servants and his flocks ahead of him to serve as gifts to his brother Esau, (Genesis 32:19-21) he sent his two wives and their servants along with his children ahead of him. (Genesis 32:22)  That night while he was alone, Jacob wrestled with an angel of The Lord and would not let him go until he blessed him. (Genesis 32:23-26)  The Lord God then changed his name from Jacob to Israel. (Genesis 32:28 and 35:10)  When Esau and his four hundred men got to Jacob, now called Israel, Esau hugged him instead of killing him. (Genesis 33:4)  While Jacob was living in his brother’s land, his only daughter, Dinah, was raped by Shechem, the son of the ruler of the land, who claimed that he loved her and had to have her. (Genesis 34:1-4)  Jacob’s sons killed Shechem and all of his men, and took their wives and property. (Genesis 34:13-29)  Then The Lord God spoke to him and Jacob left the area and went to Bethel. (Genesis 35:1-5)  There The Lord God Almighty made a promise to him.

Application:

When we are obedient to The Word of God, He will bless us.  When He makes us a promise, He keeps His word.  He will keep us and protect us no matter what storms in life we go through.  He will also provide for us.  We can stand on the promises of God knowing that His word will never fail. (Deuteronomy 31:8 and Matthew 24:35)  All we have to do is be obedient to His Holy Word.