KJB Daily Devotion – Following Jesus Through Every Chapter
Date: Monday, January 30, 2017
Chapters: Exodus 1-3
Message: Be Free
Hello My Friend,
As I was reading these chapters something got me very emotional, it is the thought of how much grace God has for His people. We mess up so much, we even run, hide, and scatter all over the place in an attempt to change our situations and sometimes our fate, only to find ourselves right back where we belong. The amazing thing about God is that He gives everyone a choice, we can choose Him or the world, which holds us captive more than anything we will ever encounter in our lifetime, but choosing Him always sets us free. “Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” – John 8:34-36.
The Book of Exodus contains forty chapters, the timeline for these events are approximately between 1689BC to 1490BC. The author of the book is Moses and it was written to Israel. The purpose of the book was to record Israel’s deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians. What we are to learn from the book is that only by the blood of the lamb can we be saved. “And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” -Exodus 12:13.
Bondage; slavery, imprisoned, restraint of a person’s liberty by compulsion. One does not have to be an actual slave to lose their liberty, there are many things that can put us in bondage, food, alcohol, sexual lusts, these are all things that can lead to sinful lifestyles that we can become bondage to. In the case of the Israelites, they feared hunger, and because of this fear they literally sold themselves to the Egyptian government as slaves to get food during the harsh famine. After Joseph and all of his generation died, the new Pharaoh had great fear toward the Hebrews, so much so that he thought if he afflicted them enough they would just die off.
“And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” – Exodus 1:7-12.
“to afflict them with their burdens.” Pharaoh’s plan did not go so well, the more he afflicted them the more God increased their strength and number. We may not realize it at the time, but God uses our bondage to our advantage, everything we go through in life is allowed in order to grow us, strengthen us, bring us closer to Him, and prepare us for the next challenge. We may even help some others in the process. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” – I Peter 4:12,13.
Here is the scenario, the Pharaoh made a law that if any Hebrew woman bare a son that it would be taken from them and cast into the river. So, you can imagine any pregnant woman would cringe at the thought of giving birth. We do not know much about Moses’ mother other than being a Levite, and that she had an older son and daughter before Moses was born. God used the courage of this woman to save her sons life.
“And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” – Exodus 2:1-6.
“and when she saw him that he was a goodly child,” How did this woman know that her son was good? She had hope in her son. God has hope in every single soul that is brought into this world, He really does not want to see one in hell, but that is a choice that each and every one of us has to make on our own. No one has to suffer and die in hell, no one has to live in bondage to the elements of the world, we have a choice, but we must come to Him first. “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” – Exodus 2:23-25.
“And God heard their groaning,” Do not get it in your head that God picks and chooses who gets saved, I mean, He does, but not for the reason we with our own human comprehension understands, He chooses those who come to Him by faith. God gives everyone a chance to know Him, but there are just some people who really have corrupted themselves so much that they are beyond the hope of salvation. After forty years of living in the palace and another forty hiding from the Egyptians after killing a man, God calls out to Moses.
“Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt? And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain. And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand. And I will stretch out my hand, and smite Egypt with all my wonders which I will do in the midst thereof: and after that he will let you go.” – Exodus 3:1-4,11-12,19-20.
“And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see,” Notice that it was not until Moses turned back that God revealed Himself to him. It is not until we look to Jesus that God reveals Himself to us, but once He does, He uses us to serve His purpose. God was going to use Moses to free His people from bondage, including himself. It was not going to be an easy task, but when God calls us to do something He gives us all the qualifications to do it. God has a plan for you, it is time to come out of bondage and turn to Him, it may be a bigger task than you imagined, but He knows what you can do. Oh, you are going to face some affliction, because the devil is going to try and stop you, but God is right there with you, and will not only set you free, but use you in a mighty way.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” – I Peter 5:8-10.
Jesus Christ Magnified: “And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” – Exodus 3:14. Jesus is the I AM. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” – Revelation 1:8.
Today’s Prayer: God, We know that You have a plan and purpose for every one of Your people. It is amazing that You will use anyone who loves You to reach others for You. Thank You for giving us a way out of bondage, and for setting us free from our sins when we accept Your Son as our Saviour, by choosing to walk with Him can we truly be set free from every sin that holds us captive. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power to live in Your will so that we do not hinder You or slow You down from the task the You called us to do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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