MOSES IN EGYPT

“And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds” (Acts 7:22 NKJV).

In Stephen’s sermon before the Sanhedrin, we are given a few of the achievements of Moses while he was in Egypt. Thus, we want to note the distinctiveness of the achievements and the deficiency of the achievements.

Distinctiveness of the achievements - As the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses lived for forty years in the palace of Pharaoh. During this time his achievements were great as he was “learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds.” Moses excelled in wisdom, words, and works. Excelling in wisdom meant that Moses was an outstanding scholar in school. The phrase “wisdom of the Egyptians” is proverbial and involved learning in many areas such as philosophy, medicine, art, music, geometry, mathematics. Excelling in words meant Moses was a gifted speaker, a good speech maker. It is interesting that when God called him many years later, Moses pleaded with God that he was “not eloquent” (cf. Ex. 4:10). Gifted in words can also include being a good writer. Moses’ achievement in works would involve things from sports, to hunting, to the military. Tradition says he excelled in military battle.

Deficiency of the achievements - Most people would be satisfied with the achievements of Moses. And this seems to be where the emphasis lies today. But we must remember that before Moses could serve the Lord, God took him into the desert and gave him forty years of schooling in the things that matter the most. All the learning and achievements of Egypt will not suffice for spiritual training. There is nothing wrong with being a straight “A” student, a great athlete or a shrewd businessman. But we need more than that to serve God. We need spiritual understanding and a good relationship with God. The world does not value these things, but they are the essential things if we are to serve God well.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Bible Reading 3)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“True success is not measured by worldly achievements but by how faithfully we align our priorities with God’s will!”

Max Lucado (1955 - )

American Evangelical Christian Author, Theologian and Pastor

Word Study

Fear

In Eph. 6:5 we read, “Bondservants, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in sincerity of heart, as to Christ” (NKJV).

“Fear” is the Greek word phóbos (φόβος = fob'-os) and it means dread, that which strikes terror, reverence, respect. In classical Greek, phóbos is used in the sense of fright or panic. It is related to phobeō which means to flee or run away. In the Septuagint phóbos also means to fear or to be afraid. In the New Testament phóbos also carries the idea of sudden alarm, the deliberate fear and caution, the dread of impending doom. In an active sense phóbos describes that which causes fear or terror, sometimes the source of that fear being God, for example, the death of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:5). In a negative sense phóbos describes that which causes alarm, dread or terror. There is the slavish fear called “bondage” (cf. Rom. 8:15). However, the good news of the gospel is that a new relationship with God overwhelms these negative aspects of fear, delivers believers from “bondage,” and gives us the “the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Here in Eph. 6:5 phóbos conveys a positive sense describing respect, reverential, and wholesome fear or awe.

Did You Know…

According to Prov. 17:13, “Whoever rewards evil for good, evil will not depart from his house.”

Bible Quiz

How does the Book of Revelation describe the “second death?”

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz

How did king Nebuchadnezzar describe the fourth person he saw walking around in the fiery furnace? He said he was like “the Son of God” (Dan. 3:25).

Prophecies Fulfilled by the Lord Jesus Christ

Not a bone of the Lamb to be broken (Ex. 12:46; John 19:31-36)

"In one house it shall be eaten; you shall not carry any of the flesh outside the house, nor shall you break one of its bones” (Ex. 12:46 NJKV).

According to the instructions given, the Passover Lamb was to be eaten inside the house where the family was gathered, and none of its bones were to be broken. The reason this command was given is not clear. However, it points to a most remarkable circumstance which 1500 years later was to take place in the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus, the true Paschal Lamb. The soldiers had broken the legs of the other two criminals that were crucified with the Lord Jesus to hasten death. However, the legs of the Lord Jesus were not broken because He was already dead. Scripture was fulfilled when the Lamb of God was crucified. Further, that the parts of the lamb were not to be divided is a picture of unity; the lamb was to remain a unified body. Similarly, the family members were not to be divided; they were to remain together, behind the blood of the lamb as one body. The Lord Jesus Christ died without a single bone being broken; all parts of His body remained unified. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of one body, the church.

Did You Know – Christian History

Convict Ed Martin nodded as he listened to the young woman who was leading him through the steps of salvation on January 9, 1944.

Ed, a small-time criminal, was considered beyond hope and redemption. He was sentenced to a chain gang in Virginia. The one time that he escaped, a reward of $10 was offered for him, dead or alive. But then something happened. Martin had a sister who was a student at Practical Bible Training School. Edna Martin asked her roommate Alfreda Enders to pray for her brother who was in prison. Alfreda, preparing for the mission field, honored the request. But she did more than that; she wrote letters, explaining the gospel to Ed and giving him Scriptures to look up. He wrote letters back to her that showed a growing spiritual awareness.

Finally Alfreda visited the prison camp. When she asked him point blank if he was saved, Ed dropped his eyes. “Well, Alfreda, the reason I’ve never said for sure is because I don’t know for sure.” At that point Alfreda explained the experience of the new birth. Being born into God’s family was similar to being born into a human family. First, just as a seed (a sperm) has to be planted in the womb, so a seed (God’s Word) has to enter the heart. Second, just as the mother suffers while giving birth, so the Lord Jesus Christ suffered on the cross to bring us spiritual birth. Third, once the baby is born, it begins breathing. In the same way when we cry, “God, be merciful to me a sinner,” we draw our first breath as a spiritual baby. At that point, Ed bowed his head. In a voice that could barely be heard, he prayed, “God, forgive my sins and save me for Jesus’ sake.” Immediately he believed he was saved. “Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Alfreda,” he said. Picking up the beautiful new Bible that she had just given him, Ed Martin wrote the date in the margin of John chapter 3. “I want to write the date here next to John 3:16, although I know I will never forget it.” Alfreda went on to explain other steps of spiritual growth. After she left, Ed put them into practice. So great was the transformation in him that a guard eventually recommended him for parole. Alfreda and Ed married and began a family. Their married life was lived for God as they pastored a Pennsylvania church and then served as missionaries in Japan. When Ed’s health failed, they returned to the United States and founded a prison ministry called Hope Aglo. When Ed died in 1994, it was to assume the eternal life he had found fifty years before. Alfreda continued their prison ministry.

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A Little Humor

During a church board meeting, someone said, “Our building fund is low.” Another replied, “Let’s host a bake sale.” The associate pastor added, “Or sell front-row seats to the pastor’s sermon - they’re always empty.”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Choose the Bread of Life or you are toast!”