12/02/18 – Closed and Just – The God Who Has Determined the Redemptive Rejoicing End and Middle from the Beginning

Exodus 3:15-3:22
15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is my name forever, and thus I am to be remembered throughout all generations. 16 Go and gather the elders of Israel together and say to them, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, has appeared to me, saying, “I have observed you and what has been done to you in Egypt, 17 and I promise that I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey.”‘ 18 And they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us; and now, please let us go a three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ 19 But I know that the king of Egypt will not let you go unless compelled by a mighty hand. 20 So I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go. 21 And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and when you go, you shall not go empty, 22 but each woman shall ask of her neighbor, and any woman who lives in her house, for silver and gold jewelry, and for clothing. You shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians.”

Exodus 4:1-9
1 Then Moses answered, “But behold, they will not believe me or listen to my voice, for they will say, ‘The Lord did not appear to you.'” 2 The Lord said to him, “What is that in your hand?” He said, “A staff.” 3 And he said, “Throw it on the ground.” So he threw it on the ground, and it became a serpent, and Moses ran from it. 4 But the Lord said to Moses, “Put out your hand and catch it by the tail”—so he put out his hand and caught it, and it became a staff in his hand— 5 “that they may believe that the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has appeared to you.” 6 Again, the Lord said to him, “Put your hand inside your cloak.” And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow. 7 Then God said, “Put your hand back inside your cloak.” So he put his hand back inside his cloak, and when he took it out, behold, it was restored like the rest of his flesh. 8 “If they will not believe you,” God said, “or listen to the first sign, they may believe the latter sign. 9 If they will not believe even these two signs or listen to your voice, you shall take some water from the Nile and pour it on the dry ground, and the water that you shall take from the Nile will become blood on the dry ground.”

I. HOLD UP HANS SOLO
A. God will go with Moses, and a plurality of elders will assist in the leadership of God’s gathered corporate people.
B. God gives us one another to assist in ruling of His people and in reaching lost people.

II. I KNOW, I KNOW
A. God knows how all things end because God has pre-determined the end of all things. (Isaiah 46:8-10)
B. Because God has pre-determined the end of all things, He can preview the end of all things for us.

III. THE GOOD NEWS OF GOD’S CLOSE-MINDEDNESS
A. God is not open. He not only knows the end from the beginning, but also He knows the middle, too.

IV. FLEXIN’ ON PHARAOH
A. God’s power is seen in Him compelling the hand of Pharaoh with His own mighty hand.
B. God shows His power over nature, the body, & life & death in leading Moses to perform signs and wonders.
C. God shows His power over Pharaoh by having Moses grab the snake by its tail.

V. TIME TO GET PAID
A. God works for the cause of justice in the world and particularly on behalf of His people.
B. Divine justice always involves sending out a freed person with gifts. (Deut 15:12-15, Eph 4:8)

NEXT STEPS
1. Redemption is always accompanied by rewards and rejoicing on the part of God to whom we have been returned. (Luke 15:11-24)