Hugh Stephenson

GM Robin! Love this “…from fear to faith”. It’s not about who I am but about the Great I Am. The “I am” statements have always been a challenge for me. In that, I’m focused on Moses’s journey of trial, election, and preparation. The key for me initially is his journey of pride and impulsiveness to humility and careful thought. Decades in a foreign land as a shepherd. Hmm. Sounds familiar. I get a hint in the burning bush- which presages more appearance of fire later in Exodus. Moses’s humility indicates to me he’s ready for the call...but not sure of who God is. Borrowing HEAVILY form the notes- He was more self-conscious than God conscious. “We need to balance the truth of John 15:5 with that of Philippians 4:13” As the sign on the church marquee proclaimed: "God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called."

Hugh Stephenson

Understanding God’s holiness and purity is key- “…you’re standing on holy ground.” As the notes say, God told him to stand at a distance but still talks to him “face-to-face”. Not only that but “sees, hears, knows and comes down”. "To the Hebrew 'to be' does not just mean to exist as all other beings and things do as well—but to be active, to express oneself in active being..." The God who acts- "I am what in creative activity and everywhere I turn out to be," or "I am (the God) that really acts." Wow. God is fully focused and fully present. Not some distant referee with a striped shirt and a whistle. Deeply engaged and deeply loving in the true sense of agape love, https://www.gotquestions.org/agape-love.html On God’s response-

Hugh Stephenson

"I am the God of your forefathers, who proved Myself long ago as completely adequate for all their needs; so it really doesn't matter who you are, Moses!" "The answer Moses receives [in verse 14] is not, by any stretch of the imagination, a name. It is an assertion of authority, a confession of an essential reality, and thus an entirely appropriate response to the question Moses poses." “Other translations are, "I will be what I will be," "I am the existing One," and "I cause to be what comes to pass." One writer paraphrased God's answer, "It is I who am with you." Another, "What does it matter who I am?" In these, I more fully understand the Sovereignty, Sufficiency, and Supremacy of God. Pharaoh does not. "Who is the LORD?” Oswald talks about “external following” versus “internal following”. The internal one becomes “an invasion”, https://utmost.org/the-life-of-power-to-follow/ https://www.gotquestions.org/I-AM-WHO-I-AM-Exodus-3-14.html

Michael Sisson

Re: Ex 3:1 Ex 3:1 (NASB) Now Moses was pasturing the flock of >>>Jethro his father-in-law,<<< the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to >>>Horeb, the mountain of God.<<< Jethro (a.k.a. Reuel; see Ex 2:18) Horeb (a.k.a. Sinai) Re: Ex 3:2 According to Jewish tradition, Moses came to the burning bush exactly one year prior to the first Passover. Re: Ex 3:10 Ex 3:10 (NASB) “Therefore, come now, and >>>I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”<<< In Ch. 1 of his book, TYPOLOGY, James Hamilton likens G-d sending Moses back to Egypt to deliver the Hebrews (Ex 3:10) to Abraham sending his servant, Eliazer, back to Ur to fetch from his kinsmen a wife for his son Isaac. (Gen 24:2-9) G-d intends to enter into a marital covenant with the Hebrews (Jer 31:32). Re: Ex 4:3 Ex 4:3 (NASB) Then He said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and >>>it became a serpent;<<< and Moses fled from it. Where is Jesus in Exodus 4? Note, Moses’ staff…the "Staff of G-d" (Ex 4:20) became a serpent. The Staff of G-d is a type of Yeshua. (Jesus) Moses would become as G-d to Pharaoh (Ex 7:1). Moses casting the staff in his hand down, it becomes a snake, and becomes a staff again when it returns to his hand seems to parallel Messiah Yeshua leaving His place at G-d's right hand (Pr 8:22-31), dwelling among men to be rejected by them (the Despised Messiah pictured as a serpent on a staff; see Phl 2:5-8, Jn 3:15), only to be enthroned again at His Father's right hand. (Lk 22:69; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1) Re: Ex 4:6-7 Ex 4:6-7 (NASB) The LORD furthermore said to him, “Now put your >>>hand<<<into your bosom.” So he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his >>>hand was leprous<<< like snow. Then He said, “Put your hand into your bosom again.” So he put his >>>hand<<< into his bosom again, and when he took it out of his bosom, behold, it was >>>restored like the rest of his flesh.<<< Where is Jesus in Exodus 4? Moses would become as G-d to Pharaoh (Ex 7:1), and his hand (probably the right hand) is a type of Yeshua (Jesus; Who is the Despised Messiah). Here Moses’ hand, which is healthy (Ex 15:6; Ex 33:22; Ps 108:6; Isa 59:1) before being concealed in his bosom, is revealed to be leperous (As Yeshua came to tabernacle among us and “bear our sickness” and we utterly rejected Him; Isa 53:3-4), and is concealed and revealed again whole. (Ps 110:1; Lk 22:69; Jn 3:35; Jn 10:28-29; Acts 7:55; Eph 1:20; Col 3:1; 1Pet 3:22) See also: THE LEPER MESSIAH by One For Israel https://www.oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/the-leper-messiah/ Re: Ex 4:8 Ex 4:8 (KJV) And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither >>>hearken to the voice<<< of the first sign, that they will >>>believe the voice<<< of the latter sign. See Dt 18:18-19. Re: Ex 4:17 Ex 4:17 (NASB) “You shall take in your hand this staff, >>>with which you shall perform the signs.”<<< Note, Moses will perform signs through the agency of the "Staff of G-d." The Staff of G-d is a type of Messiah. (See Ex 4:3,20; Acts 2:22) Re: Ex 4:20 Ex 4:20 (NASB) So Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on a donkey, and returned to the land of Egypt. Moses also took the >>>staff of God<<< in his hand. Moses’ staff = the “Staff of G-d.” Re: Ex 4:22 Ex 4:22 (NASB) “Then you shall say to Pharaoh, >>>‘Thus says the LORD, “Israel is My son, My firstborn.’”<<<

Chris Landry

Thanks for devotional, Robin! Love the expression "fear to faith." My wife (before we met) went to Sudan to partner and visit with a good college girlfriend of hers that was a local missionary to the Sudanese women. Great stories out of that trip. "Fear to Faith" stands out to me this morning. Especially after hearing the Sunday sermon about God's call on our life will include suffering. In Moses's suffering and wandering and seeing a bush aflame....he was fearful. To the point that it kindled the Lord's anger (Exodus 4:14). 😳 I hope and pray today that my consistent abiding with Jesus (John 15:5) will produce a bounty of fruit and sweetness that any suffering or fear will propel me to a deeper faith. (Not a big faith....but a deeper one). Like a sports car, I hope my fear to faith speed is astonishing to those who witness it. 🙏🏻🙌🏻

Michael Scaman

"God never calls His people to a fair fight" John Piper. Pharaoh will be plundered and it will be the Jewish woman who do it. That's a twist. Delivered by a baby and now will be plundered by women. Many of the materials they plundered the Egyptians for will be used for the tabernacle to be used a year after the Exodus.

Michael Scaman

Moses had several problems. Sbake-o-phobia He ran from the rod turned snake. God said 'catch it by the tail' ! That's one way to overcome fear. Fear of public speaking. God already was sending Aaron on the way and they would meet somewhere in between in the desert. That's like you walking leaving Dallas and a friend is on the way from Houston without using roads hiking randomly in that direction and meeting in between somewhere. The problems are to move us to trust the God who is the same yesterday to day and forever and doesn't grow weak and burns like the burning bus that's not consumed. He was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Moses empathized with the sufferings and injustices he say with his people especially and God has seen and heard the suffering of His people.

Sue Bohlin

Thanks Robin—GREAT devo! Greetings from Costa Maya, Mexico! The Cruise Queen is back in her happy place! As I was reading and journaling today’s chapters, the cruise director made a PA announcement about today’s events. At the same time that I was writing some of the same verbiage from the Lord multiple times (recording what the text says about God), the CD was repeating the same information we heard last night, which was in the daily news letter, and which is in the app on our smart phones: that recently Mexico made it illegal to smoke in public, or even open spaces. If any of the passengers were to get caught, it could mean a $300 fine, and the possibility of being detained for 36 hours– which means missing the ship! What struck me about these two things happening at the same time is the need to repeat what’s important over and over again. Because people frankly just don’t listen. And God knows this. So he repeats things over and over. Because He’s good like that, and “He knows we are but dust.” Boy, things haven’t changed much over the last several thousand years, have they?!

Amy Lowther

1. I am tempted to tell God I can’t do things when I reach the last few things on a long “to do list”. 2. I try to think of things I have learned at church or have read in the Bible as I am working to apply the values of God and the values Jesus in daily life. 3. I was able to see the Lord shine when I volunteered as an Ambassador at Children’s Health Medical Center and when I volunteered as a tutor for Reading for 2nd Graders at RISD.