The Birth of Moses

October 2, 2022 Background Scripture: Exodus 1:15 -2:10 Lesson Passage: Exodus 2:1 - 10 Today's lesson has many examples of God frustrating the plans of man. But those examples stand opposite God's blessings for those who reverence Him. Wicked people develop wicked schemes, but good people have the option of whether to participate in them or not. This lesson shows how God interrupts the plans of the wicked and bless the decent people who refuse to comply with them. It is never a good thing when insecure people ascend into positions of leadership. An insecure Pharoah was frightened by the increasing population of Hebrews in Egypt. He gave directions to the midwives who aided in childbirth for the Hebrew women to kill all male Hebrew babies. The midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, refused to obey the order because of their fear, or reverence, of God. It is likely that most people in Egypt at that time, Egyptians and Hebrews, knew the Pharoah's name but few, besides the Hebrew women, would have known the names of the midwives. (It is worth noting that God preserved the names of the midwives in the holy writings but not the name of the Pharoah who issued the order.) When it became apparent to Pharoah that his order was not being followed, he ordered all Egyptians to kill the Hebrew male babies by drowning them in the river. Genocide has long been a weapon of the enemy of God's people. Hebrew mothers refused to comply by keeping the births of their boys a secret. The mother of Moses was one of them. After Moses' birth, she kept him hidden for three months. When hiding him was no longer viable, she placed him at the mercy of God. She made a water-proof basket and placed him in it. Then she placed the basket in the river that Pharoah intended for him to have drowned in. Moses' sister stood afar off and watched the basket. Pharoah's daughter, along with her attending maidens, came to the river. She saw the basket and sent one her maidens to retrieve it. The baby Moses was inside crying. Pharoah's daughter became emotionally connected with the baby and decided to keep him for herself. Moses' sister approached her and asked if she needed a Hebrew woman to care for the baby for her. She accepted the advice and sent the girl to get a Hebrew woman to do just that. She went to her mother and brought her to the daughter of Pharoah. Moses' mother was ordered to take care of the baby for Pharoah's daughter, and she was given wages to compensate her for doing it. The Hebrew people were enslaved by the Egyptians at that time. No Hebrew should have received wages for working on behalf of the Egyptians! But God! As a result of God's intervention, Moses' mother was able to nurse him openly and was paid to do so. After he was weaned, Moses was taken to Pharoah's daughter, and she raised him as the grandson of Pharoah. Moses was condemned to death at birth. However, the one who condemned him was made to compensate Moses' mother for nursing him, and then Pharoah had to accept Moses as his own grandson. Egypt was one of the most advanced societies at that time. Because he was considered part of the royal family, Moses was "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds". Pharoah feared that the exploding Hebrew population could become a problem for the Egyptians. His wicked scheme to afflict the Hebrews led to him inadvertently raising, and equipping, the Hebrew boy who would become the deliverer to lead all the Hebrews out of Egypt and drown the Pharoah and his army on their way out. Many babies have been born over the years. Few of those births have had the impact such as the birth of Moses. Robert C. Hudson September 17, 2022

The Scepter Given to Judah

September 25, 2022 Background Scripture: Genesis 35:22b - 26; 38:12 - 19, 24 - 26; 49:8 - 12 Lesson Passage: Genesis 35:22b - 26; 38:24 - 26; 49: 10 - 12 The scepter, robe, crown, and throne were four physical objects that identified the highest political leader, or sovereign, of a people. Among those four objects, the passing of the scepter was used ceremonially to indicate the transition of leadership. The scepter was a rod, or baton, possessed by the highest ruler of a kingdom, or some other named realm of dominion. Again, the succession or change from one ruler to another was indicated by passing the scepter to the heir. The heir to the throne was often the oldest son of the ruler. It is understanding these customs that help us see how odd it was for Judah to become the successor in Israel. Judah was the fourth son born to Jacob. Based on the local custom, Judah should have been fourth in line to inherit the blessings of their father, Jacob. However, the eldest son, Reuben, disqualified himself by laying with his father's concubine. This act is considered despicable even today. As a result of Reuben's indiscretion, his father described him as being unstable as water. (Water always seeks to flow to the lowest level it can reach.) The next two sons born to Jacob were Simeon and Levi. They had demonstrated a viciousness that had frightened their father. They had slain all the men in a village because one of the men had raped their sister. That wanton disrespect for the life of the men who were innocent of the atrocity got their father's attention. Jacob refused to even bless their joint inheritance of land. Only one of their tribes would be allowed to inherit land in the division of Canaan. The other tribe had to be scattered throughout the remainder of the tribes. Jacob believed those two brothers would commit untold evil if they were both allowed to inherit land in Canaan. Scattering the descendants of one of them prevented their unholy alliance, and neither would be allowed to rule over the family in the end. Therefore, in his final blessing upon his sons, Jacob announced that the political rule, or oversight, of the family clan would pass through the tribe of Judah. And here's the other twist to Israel's history, the nation began as a theocracy with a Levite, Moses, and afterwards the High Priest, as the principal leader. Through the discontent of the people hundreds of years later, they demanded they become a monarchy like the other nations around them. Although the monarchy began with King Saul from the tribe of Benjamin, it soon transitioned to King David from the tribe of Judah. During David's reign, God promised David that the governance of Israel would continue to move through the Davidic lineage. In other words, the scepter would remain in the tribe of Judah, Even more than that, God promised that the earthly kingdom would eventually be supplanted by a spiritual kingdom, That spiritual kingdom would be ruled by God's Son who would be David's descendant. Jacob's blessing of his sons proved more profound than it might have initially appeared. Even the spiritual ruler of Jacob's family and the universe would descend through the lineage of Judah. That scepter would have more than an earthly meaning. When it reached the hand of God's Son, it represents rule of the entire universe. The scepter remains in the hand of God's Son forever. Through a prophetic blessing, Jacob gave the scepter to Judah. It eventually reached the hand of the descendant of Judah who lives eternally. And there it shall remain throughout eternity. Robert C. Hudson August 20, 2022

God Chooses the Younger Twin

September 11, 2022 Background Scripture: Genesis 25:19 - 34 Lesson Passage: Genesis 25:19b - 34 The title of our lesson can be a little confusing. There is a difference between a person making a choice and God choosing. We often make decisions without the foreknowledge of what the future holds. In His omniscience, God always has foreknowledge of the future. God knows our thoughts while they are yet far from us. The Bible is clear: Without faith it is impossible to please God. God knows who will trust Him in the future and who will not trust Him. We tend to be self-reliant before we submit ourselves to the Lordship of God. As a result, we learn to accept the outcome, or limitations, of our decisions. Unintentionally, we grow more distant from God; nor do we feel the need for God in our lives. We cannot please God with such a mindset. God is pleased with those who put their trust in Him and believe His promises. God already knows who will trust Him in the future. Because of His foreknowledge, predestination can be understood as God's plan to protect and guide those who will trust Him later. If God knows a person will never accept Him under any circumstances, other than giving the person the opportunity to accept Him, why protect the person from the consequences of their own wicked schemes? On the other hand, if the person is going to trust God in the future, God may very well order their steps to bring them safely to the point where they will exhibit faith in Him. As parents, if we see our child exhibiting a high aptitude for learning, it is reasonable to consider starting a college fund for their future. If a second child exhibits a serious learning disability, we may opt to start a savings account but perhaps not a college fund. That's not choosing one child over the other but rather making plans based on the most likely outcome in the future. Jacob was nurtured by his mother and Esau was encouraged by his father as the boys developed. Rebekah encouraged Jacob to pursue some things she knew had a high future value. Put another way, Rebekah taught Jacob to pursue some things to his benefit. God told her before their birth that the older son would serve the younger. Isaac encouraged Esau to pursue an activity that Isaac enjoyed the outcome of eating wild game. Although they were twins, Esau inherited two very valuable assets by virtue of being the firstborn. From a material standpoint, Esau inherited the birthright of a double portion of the family's wealth. From a spiritual standpoint, Esau inherited the covenant God initiated with their grandfather, Abraham. Esau enjoyed accomplishing things using his own prowess and skills as a young man. Rebekah taught Jacob to be more cognizant and shrewder in deliberation. Jacob practiced those skills on his brother, Esau. Esau became a man of the world and Jacob became a man of faith. As a worldly person, Esau did not value his birthright or the blessing of being heir to the covenant. Esau grew dependent on his own ability. Rebekah taught Jacob the value of the blessing of God. Both the birthright and the blessing became targets for Jacob's acquisition. Jacob literally purchased the birthright from Esau for a single meal. The birthright is better appreciated from the standpoint of long-range strategic thinking. Esau was driven more by instant gratification than he was long-range strategic thinking. As a result, Esau sold his birthright to satisfy a temporary hunger for food. In today's lesson, we see God ordering the steps of Jacob. God knew Jacob would become a man of faith. Although Jacob was the younger twin, his faith in God pleased the Lord. Robert C. Hudson September 1, 2022