Lesson 52 - Senior

Memory Verse

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).

Cross References

I God's Reassurance to Moses and Israel

1. God reassures Moses, telling him again that Israel will be miraculously delivered from Egypt, [EXO:6:1.

2. God reveals Himself under the name of Jehovah, [EXO:6:2-3]; [EXO:3:14]; [GEN:17:1]; [GEN:35:11]; [ISA:52:4-6]; [JER:16:21].

3. God renews the covenant promised to Moses, having heard the prayers of oppressed Israel, [EXO:6:4-5]; [EXO:2:23-25]; [EXO:3:7]; [EXO:4:30-31].

4. God commands Moses to repeat His promises to Israel, [EXO:6:6-8]; [NUM:23:19]; [1KG:8:56]; [ROM:4:21].

5. The crushed spirit of the depressed Israelites causes Moses to feel his need of more help from God, [EXO:6:9-12]; [PS:73:2].

II The Renewal of the Command to Moses and Aaron

1. God renews His charge to Moses, [EXO:6:13]; [ACT:7:35]; [ISA:49:13-16].

2. Aaron is made the spokesman for Moses, as God promised, [EXO:7:1-2]; [EXO:4:14-16].

3. God tells Moses again what Pharaoh's attitude will be, [EXO:7:3-4; [EXO:3:19-20].

4. God tells Moses that because of Pharaoh's attitude all the Egyptians will know about the God of Israel, [EXO:7:4-5].

III The Appearance before Pharaoh and Supremacy of Israel's God

1. Moses and Aaron obey God's command, [EXO:7:6-7].

2. A proof is given to convince Pharaoh of God's power, [EXO:7:8-10].

3. Satan uses his emissaries, Jannes and Jambres, to confuse the Egyptians, but Israel's God is supreme, [EXO:7:11-12]; [2TM:3:8-9]; [2CO:4:3-4]; [2TS:2:7-12]; [MAT:24:24], [REV:13:12-13]; [REV:16:13-14].

4. Pharaoh's heart is hardened against God, [EXO:7:13], [EXO:7:3]; [EXO:8:15], [EXO:8:19], [EXO:8:32]; [EXO:9:7], [EXO:9:12], [EXO:9:34-35]; [EXO:10:1], [EXO:10:20], [EXO:10:27]; [EXO:14:8], [EXO:14:17-18]; [PRO:28:14]; [PRO:29:1]; [HEB:3:13].

Notes

God had a purpose for the manner in which He delivered Israel from Egypt and its bondage. The captivity had been a long one and very severe, and it finally caused the Israelites to groan and cry to God for deliverance. When their prayers reached God He answered, sending Moses to lead them to Canaan. We can say then that the hard and difficult captivity was good for the Israelites because it drew them nearer to God. The miracles and plagues were to show to Israel, and to the world, the great power of the Almighty God and His concern and care for His people.

God, in renewing His charge to Moses, instructed him to tell Israel that they were to be a special people to the Lord Jehovah, with Him as their God. This extraordinary privilege was given because of the covenant with Abraham, and because God had chosen Israel as a nation through which He would give His law to the world at large; and, in addition, through whom He might send His Son, the Messiah, Who would complete the plan of redemption for all mankind. The deliverance from Egypt was to take place in such a way that no man would receive glory and honour for it. By a high and mighty hand God was going to deliver Israel in His own way which would be a testimonial of the power of God, not only to the Israelites, but to the whole world as well.

One of the steps in the unfolding of God's revelation of Himself and His power to the Israelites at this time was a more complete manifestation of His sacred name. God had been known to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and to the world at large, as God Almighty and as God the Creator; but here He revealed Himself to Moses and the Israelites as Jehovah, which is a name more expressive of His moral attributes than any other of the many names by which He is known in Scripture. There is great significance in the names of God and the manner in which they are used. And here, as is the case with all Scripture, there is no detail that is handled carelessly or inserted without cause. The deliberate way in which God's different names are used shows a divine plan and purpose, the depths of which we shall never be able to explore fully, but each excursion we make into that field gives us richer blessings and a deeper conception of the great love of our God. By the way the divine names are used, it is also easy to see the unity of authorship of the numerous books of the Bible.

The first use of the name of God in the Bible occurs in the first verse of Genesis. "In the beginning God . . . " This is translated from the Hebrew word Elohim which is used 2,570 times in the Old Testament. It is in the plural form, thereby proving the doctrine of the Trinity but its use with singular verbs and adjectives displays a unity of action in the plural personality. (Read [1JN:5:7].) Its significance is that of greatness, might and strength. It further signifies the glory of God, showing creative and governing power, omnipotence, and sovereignty, and the power and ability to make and sustain a covenant relationship.

El Shaddai is the next name by which God was known to the world, and this is translated God Almighty. This is the name used in the first portion of [EXO:6:3], the name by which God was known to the patriarchs. It does not necessarily signify the omnipotence of God as it might seem, for the name Elohim does that; but rather, it signifies the One Who sheds forth and pours out sustenance and blessing, the all-sufficient One and the all-bountiful One. It shows the inexhaustible stores of His bounty, the riches and fullness of His grace, and the God from Whom comes every good and perfect gift.

We now see that (God was known to the nations of the world by these two names, but at this time particularly He began to call His people apart and pour upon them special manifestations of His favour. He does this by showing them more of Himself and by revealing to them more of His eternal and moral qualities. It is significant to notice that this is done, not at times of great blessing and apparent spiritual or temporal prosperity, but at a time of adversity and oppression, on the eve of that awesome and terrifying manifestation of God's power and holiness on Mount Sinai. It is not on flowery beds of ease that we are "carried to the skies"; but instead, it is through the toils of the road and the pain and stress of battle that God draws nearer to us.

The name Jehovah, which is translated LORD in the Old Testament (all letters capitalized, as distinguished from the Hebrew name Adonai), is the name which God revealed to Moses at this time of Israel's great trial in Egypt. It was given specifically and exclusives at that time for Israel's benefit. This name is used 6,823 times in the Old Testament and signifies the One Who is self-existent, possessing in Himself essential life and eternal existence. It expresses the personality or person of God -- and Him alone -- and is the proper name of the true God; but it is never used with the word true, as in the case of Elohim, for Jehovah is never used for any but the true God, the one and only God. All the moral and spiritual attributes of God are expressed as belonging to Jehovah. The name was considered so sacred and holy by the Jews that they feared to pronounce it, and to this day the name Jehovah is never read in the synagogue nor uttered by them. The name Adonai, or another Hebrew word meaning simply The Name, was substituted for Jehovah in their services. Thus the original pronunciation of the name we call Jehovah was lost, and orthodox Jewry regard as a sign of Messiahship the one who can truly pronounce it.

The other principal name of God in the Old Testament is Adonai, translated Lord (in small letters). It is used 300 times in the Old Testament and appears mostly in plural form because of the plurality of the Godhead. It signifies complete ownership or mastership in the one to whom it is applied, and implies willing obedience and submission in the one using it. A few times in the Old Testament it is used in singular form; and these, too, are valuable proofs of the doctrine of the Trinity. Psalm 110:1 is a striking example of this usage. "The LORD [Jehovah] said unto my Lord [Adonai]." In [MAT:22:44] and [HEB:1:13] we read that Jesus is the One to Whom the LORD Jehovah is speaking. Here the word Adonai is used in the singular form since it refers, not to the Trinity, but to Jesus Christ Himself as an individual. Elohim, El-Shaddai, and Jehovah relate particularly to the person of God. In Elohim it is to the power and glory of His Being. In El-Shaddai it is as the beneficent and bountiful Bestower of powers, gifts, blessings, and fruitfulness for service. In Jehovah it is of Himself as a God of righteousness, holiness, love, and redemption. But Adonai takes up another phase of our relationship with God and makes or demands a definite claim upon our obedience and service more than any of the others.

It is interesting -- and soul-thrilling -- to note the deliberate use of the two names Elohim and Jehovah throughout other portions of the Old Testament beyond Exodus 6:3. The strong theocratic and historical books which are addressed particularly to Israel, such as Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, use chiefly Jehovah. The universalistic books, such as Ecclesiastes, Daniel, and Jonah, use Elohim almost exclusively. Psalms 42 through 84 almost exclusively use Elohim, while the other Psalms use, for the most part, Jehovah. This is absolutely a matter of diction and not merely the result of the styles of different authors, for the Psalms in both of the above sections are ascribed to David. It is a difference of divine purpose and plan.

God's purpose in all His dealings with mankind is to draw each one to Himself. He reveals Himself in various ways to accomplish devious ends and win the hearts of even the most sinful and degenerate. God's purpose in both the giving of the plagues and their removal, was to cause Pharaoh to repent, Israel to draw near to God, and the whole world to know that He was a God of power -- the only True God!

God performed miracles through Moses to demonstrate His power to the Egyptians. The magicians of Egypt, too, showed they had supernatural power -- though it was not of, or from, God. But God was supreme, for the serpent that sprung from Aaron's rod swallowed up all the others before it was changed back to the rod again. There remained no excuse for doubting the power of God or His ability to work in and through men, but Pharaoh hardened his heart against the God of Israel. If a man rejects mercy he becomes hardened. The same Sun of Righteousness that melts the icy heart, which has not previously felt the warmth of its cheering rays, will harden the heart of clay and make it as hard as stone. Such was the case with Pharaoh, who hardened his heart against God so many times that even the wonderful, far-reaching, and boundless mercies of Almighty God could not reach him.

Questions

1. By what name was God known to Abraham?

2. What name did God give by which He was to be known to Israel?

3. Had God heard the prayers of the Israelites?

4. Had God forgotten His covenant with Abraham?

5. Why did God want to deliver Israel Himself and not give credit to man for doing it?

6. Why was Israel slow in responding to the words Moses spoke to them?

7. What miracle did God perform through Moses before Pharaoh?

8. What was the purpose of this miracle?

9. What happened when the miracle was performed?

10. What was Pharaoh's attitude toward this miracle?