Exodus 3:1-12

The story of the book of Exodus is one that we perhaps know all too well, don't we?

Whether it's through, sitting through many Exodus sermon series, or whether it's just because your kids repetitively make you watch The Prince of Egypt.

It begins, doesn't it, with the birth of Moses.

A boy who providentially is rescued by God from Pharaoh's plan to kill all the sons of Israel.

By rescuing him, being placed in a boat, placed into the river Nile, only to be discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and raised up in the presence of the man who sought to kill him.

And by the time we get to Exodus 3, Moses is now grown up to a man, and he's killed a fellow Egyptian, an Egyptian slave master.

He's fled to the land of Midian, which is in the back end of nowhere, and he's become a simple shepherd who tends the flocks of his father-in-law.

And in verse 1 of our passage today, Moses, while wandering the wilderness of Horeb, is confronted by the living God.

In such a remarkable way.

And he's given a colossal message of salvation.

It plays itself out throughout the rest of the book of Exodus, but throughout the rest of history.

And in our time today, that's what we're going to be thinking about.

We're going to be thinking about this colossal message, this salvation of God.

Next time, we're going to be continuing looking through Exodus 3, thinking about the God of salvation.

But as we walk through our passage today, through our narrative, I want us to just marvel at the salvation of God.

Because it genuinely blows away our small, individualistic, me and my personal relationship with Jesus attitude towards salvation.

And it gives us a picture of salvation that genuinely should cause us to gasp.

It should genuinely cause you to be comforted.

And realign maybe why you think God saved you in the first place.

Why is it that God saves people like you and me?

So let's just dive straight into our passage.

Under our first heading, first of three, thinking about salvation.

And our first heading is, Salvation is Shocking.

Salvation is Shocking.

Verses 1 to 5 of chapter 3.

Now these verses are very familiar.

Moses, he's now tending flocks in the wilderness.

And out of the corner of his eye, he sees something unusual.

And he does a double take.

I'm not from London, so I've done a lot of double takes while I've been on the tube, seeing unusual things.

But what's unusual about this,

is not that there's a bush burning in a dry, barren, hot desert.

What he does a double take for, is as he looks closer,

he saw that although this bush was on fire, it wasn't being consumed.

He does a double take because what he's seeing is miraculous.

That he heads closer and moves in.

And we know that from verse 2, don't we, that it's God who has appeared to him in the fire, in the midst of this bush.

But Moses is unaware of this.

He just sees this remarkable sign until God speaks.

God speaks from the bush, calls to Moses, and tells him,

I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob.

And that he must take his sandals off, because this is holy ground.

And before he has a chance to kind of kick off his flip-flops,

he's on the ground, covering his face, trembling with fear.

Trembling with fear before a holy God.

Before we carry on, just a quick side point.

What is it that makes things holy?

What is it that makes things holy?

Is it the function they perform?

Is it because this object does holy things?

Is it the actions that someone does?

They do holy things.

Or is it just arbitrary?

This is holy, this isn't, and it's just kind of, there's two lists.

What makes you holy?

John, the burning bush makes it really clear, isn't it?

That the presence of the living, holy God is what makes things holy.

Holy, this is just massive implications.

The reason that you are holy is because the presence of the living God

has made his home in you by his Spirit.

He has transformed you from the very ordinary to the very unordinary.

He has taken his residence in you, and we manifest his holiness in our living and actions.

That's what's going on with this bush.

If we could spend hours talking about this, but God, by being here, has made us holy.

And God, by being there in that story, has made this ordinary bush holy.

So he kicks off his sandals and falls to the ground.

And there's something right about that, isn't there?

Being confronted by the God of the universe, it is right that he trembles.

But why is it that he hides and trembles with fear?

What is it?

Because I think this is what makes salvation really shocking.

And this is what makes it so shocking.

The God, who is above creation, has come down to his creation.

And therefore his creatures tremble.

Because God is so big.

We talked about this, didn't we, kids, in the Sunday school.

God is so big, and we are so small.

Think about it.

It's like a great bear meeting a baby.

You know, it's so extreme.

It's scary for finite beings like you and me to meet the infinite creator.

But there's something else going on.

Although we know intrinsically there's something right about that trembling before a holy God who is so great.

He hides.

He hides.

Where immediately does your mind go?

It's back to Genesis 3, isn't it?

Confronted with God, Adam and Eve, having sinned, hide.

And are afraid.

They're afraid because they knew they deserve punishment before this holy God.

They knew that in the same way that Moses knows, confronted with the same God,

that it's not just the greatness of God that causes them to tremble,

but the pure perfection of God too.

So we tremble before this God, in and of ourselves.

Not just because the distance between the creator and the creature is so great,

but because he is so perfect, and we are so sinful.

Or as you put it with the kids, he is big and perfect, and we are small and sinful.

Our sin and its consequences make it impossible, impossible for us to get to know God on our own.

Now, do you really believe that?

Do you tremble at the prospect of coming face to face with this God?

Because he is so great, and we are so not.

The only way is that he must come down with a message of how this holy God can save people for himself.

If God is going to be known personally, if he's going to be known savingly,

he must take the initiative.

But salvation is shocking,

because it comes to people who don't deserve it like us.

like Moses, the great Moses,

who did not deserve to hear this message of salvation.

That's important to remember, isn't it?

Is God about to save his people because they're better?

No.

Is he about to save his people because they're less sinful than the Egyptians who have enslaved them?

No.

Absolutely not.

God saves people.

Saves people like you and me,

because we belong to him.

He saves because we belong to him.

We are his children, his bride, his treasured possession.

Yet these are descriptions of you,

if you are trusting Christ this morning.

Here this morning, we are so small and sinful,

and yet God has revealed himself as the God who saves people,

because he is great.

Not because we are.

And this message of salvation,

which is so shocking,

is unpacked for us in verses 7 to 9.

The message of salvation is outlined,

and it is astounding.

Verse 8,

his plan to act in history

is to save his people from slavery to Pharaoh,

and bring them, verse 8,

into a land flowing with milk and honey.

Not slaves,

not slaves,

but free in a perfect land,

unparalleled in their known world.

And we all know, don't we,

how great salvation is.

But look at what provokes it in verses 7 to 9.

It sandwiches this promise of salvation in verse 8.

Verse 7,

surely I have seen the affliction of my people.

I have heard their cry.

And verse 9,

the cry of the people of Israel has come to me,

and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppressed them.

Think.

If salvation arises because God cares about his people,

the small sinful people that we just talked about,

salvation arises because of their cry to him.

It seems so simple, doesn't it?

That the holy God of the entire universe,

the infinitely high and great one,

in need of nothing,

stoops down and even cares

for people like you and me.

Doesn't it just make you want to sing with that psalm?

What is man that you are mindful of him?

Or the son of man that you care for him?

God sees, hears,

knows the plight of his people,

and it moves into action.

God sees your plight,

your struggle,

and as we cry out to him on our knees,

as we corporately confess

and need for his help.

God sees.

God knows.

God cares.

And it moves him to action.

Joy, it is a universal truth, isn't it?

That no one runs faster

than a mum running after their toddler

who has just tripped and fallen.

Yeah.

And what moves that mum

as she sprints across the playground

to try and catch them

before they graze their knee?

Well, it's the distress

and plight of their children.

And God's love for his people,

those who belong to him,

well, it moves him to action

when he sees them struggling.

But,

we've got to be really clear here.

We've got to be really clear.

Because there's something

that feels almost a little bit odd,

isn't there?

Because we could end up thinking,

you know, God,

he's busy over here,

and then he suddenly sees

that his people are in distress over here,

and he thinks,

I've got to come up with a plan

to go and rescue them.

God's plan seems to be failing.

You know, the plan A?

The plan A with Abraham

to go and make for himself a people,

a great nation where they'll be blessed?

It seems to be failing,

so quick,

God have come up with a plan B

to go and get these people out of slavery.

But look at verses 24 and 25

of Exodus chapter 2.

Exodus 2 · chapter mention

Because the same idea

of God responding to the pleas

and cries of his people

come up again.

Read with me.

They cried out for help.

Their cry for rescue from slavery

came up to God,

and he heard their groaning.

But then look what God does.

He remembers.

And God remembered his covenant

with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God saw the sons of Israel,

and God took notice of them.

What does the Bible mean

when it says God remembers?

Because it sure is clear

that it doesn't mean that he's forgotten.

So what does it mean

when God remembers?

Well, this is a much richer idea

than forgetting and recalling

some information.

It's the idea that God acts

on the promises he's formerly made.

God acts

in a way that he is formally promised.

God recalls who he is

and what he said he'll do,

and he acts.

And that's what we have here

with the salvation of his people

from Egypt.

The salvation of God

revealed to Moses

is rooted in what he's already promised

long, long, long ago.

Israel's exodus from Egypt

is God's fulfillment

of his promises to Abraham.

This is not,

we've got to be really clear on this,

this is not God initiating plan B.

A new plan never heard of before.

Instead, he's simply fulfilling

what he's already promised

to the great, great, great

grandparents of the faith,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

You know, when God hears

his people's groans,

he remembers his covenant

with Abraham

and acts to keep his promises.

Taking Israel out of,

taking Israel out of Egypt

was part of this perfect plan all along.

From the beginning,

and part of the blessings,

promised in that relationship,

he's established already

with Abraham in Genesis 15.

You don't have to turn to it,

but I'm going to read it to you.

Do you remember that great promise

with Abraham that God makes?

Well, this is part of it.

Know for certain

that your offspring

will be sojourned

in a land that is not theirs,

and they will be servants there,

and they will be afflicted

for 400 years.

But,

I will bring judgment

on the nation they serve.

No plan B.

This has always been plan A.

You know well,

don't you?

It didn't have to happen

yesterday,

but any time a church

organises a church picnic,

they always need

a wet weather plan,

don't they?

You know,

we long to be sat

in the sunshine

eating tiny sausage rolls

and playing frisbee,

but every organiser

of a church picnic

knows we need somewhere

to dash quickly.

But the thing is,

God has no wet weather plan.

God has no plan B.

It's just not that way.

It's not as though

there was plan A with Adam,

plan B with Moses,

but then his people

got put in slavery,

so plan C was getting

out of Egypt,

and then,

you know,

what we are on plan J

with Jesus.

It's not the way

it happens.

salvation,

and in which God's people

are free from slavery,

not from Pharaoh,

but from sin and death,

in which he gives

not the land

of the Canaanites,

but a new creation.

You know,

this,

this has always been

God's plan A,

and we see the shadow here.

Jesus coming is for us,

is part of plan A,

and the way that we know that

is because we see it here

pictured.

If you're anything like me,

do you ever feel like

God's plan is failing?

Do you ever look at your

situation and your

circumstances,

and you go,

it doesn't really seem like

God's kingdom's advancing.

when loved ones die,

and things are difficult,

and there's real struggle,

and that person isn't

responding to the gospel,

and you go,

IBC should have built

their new building by now,

and we should have

filled it.

Do you ever feel like

God's plan is failing?

Take great comfort

in knowing there is

no plan B,

but every step of the way,

God is fulfilling

his purpose,

exactly as he planned

from all eternity.

I just think that's

amazing,

isn't it?

Just always remember,

God is 100%

on plan,

on track

with plan A.

Jesus has come,

conquered sin and death,

and is freeing people

like you and me

who were formerly slaves,

and is gathering his church

slowly and surely,

and he will come back

to deliver all that

plan A has promised.

And we know that

because we see it

pictured here in Exodus.

Take comfort.

Take comfort.

There is no plan B.

Well, that was

our second point.

And our final point

is something, again,

that we might know,

but we very,

very quickly forget.

And that is

the goal of this salvation.

Look down at verse 12.

Verse 12.

He said,

But I will be with you,

and this shall be

the sign for you,

that I have sent you.

When you have brought

the people out of Egypt,

you shall serve God

on this mountain.

It's just before

we get to that amazing,

the huge revelation

of God's personal name,

I am.

In verse 14,

which is what we're

going to be spending

a lot of next week

looking at,

we're given this insight

into Moses' reservations

about taking this message

of salvation,

both to the Israelites

but also to Pharaoh.

And he kind of says,

Who am I?

Who am I

that I should go

to Pharaoh

and take this message

of salvation?

Or more precisely,

who am I

that I should go to Pharaoh

and that I should bring out

the children of Egypt?

Who am I

to do this great thing?

Now,

is this Moses being humble?

We always have that,

don't we?

We're given

callings by the Lord

and we go,

Who am I to do

this great thing?

Is it really humble?

Is it just kind of

being the British

self-deprecating nature?

I don't think it is.

I think what we're reading

is the response

of a man

who has wrongly

fixed his eyes

on himself

and his own circumstances

rather than

looking to the one

who's going to be

doing the saving.

The one who is going

to be accomplishing

his plan A.

But what's even more amazing

is that

God's answer

is sign.

It's not just

I'll do it.

But the sign is

when everyone

is worshipping

at the end

you will know

that he has done it.

In other words,

he's saying,

Moses,

look, here's the sign

that it's

me that's going

to be doing it

and not you, Moses.

But I'm going to

bring the people out

and not you.

Because they're going

to come to this mountain,

the mountain that

you're stood on,

Mount Samui,

and they're going

to start worshipping.

And they're not going

to be worshipping you,

Moses.

They're going to be

worshipping me.

And this is the goal

of my salvation.

The purpose

for which I am

saving people.

The goal is

that you will be

saved.

If you're a non-Christian

neighbor,

as you bump into them

on the way home

from church today,

or they pop over

there at the head

of the fence

this sunny afternoon,

or maybe,

kids,

when you go to school

and your friends say,

I know you go to church,

why is it that

God saves people?

What's the purpose

in God saving people?

What would your answer be?

I'm sure we've come up

with lots of good answers.

So we don't have

to go to hell.

Maybe so we get

to go to heaven.

Maybe so we don't

feel guilty anymore.

Maybe so we don't

have to fear death.

Maybe so we can go

to a school hall

each Sunday morning

and hear from

God's word.

So all of these

are really good answers,

but they all serve

a much bigger goal.

And that is that

we might become

worshippers.

Exodus,

Exodus 3 · chapter mention

chapter 3

and verse 12

makes this point

beyond doubt.

Israel are led out

so that they

can become

worshippers of God.

But it's a pattern

that keeps going.

If you want to

flick with me,

Exodus 3.18

And they will

listen to my voice

and you and the

elders of Israel

shall go to the

king of Egypt

and say,

Lord,

the God of the

Hebrews has met

with us

and now please

let us go

three days

journey into

the wilderness.

Why?

So that we may

sacrifice to the

Lord.

Or 4.23

Look down again

with me.

4.23

And I say to you,

let my son go

that he might

serve me.

Or 5.

Chapter 5

verse 1

Thus says the

Lord God of Israel,

let my people go

that they may

hold a feast

to me in the

wilderness.

Or 5.

Verse 3

5.

Verse 3.

Thanks.

Sorry.

And then he said,

God of Hebrews

has met with us.

Please let us go

three days

journey in order

that we may

sacrifice to the

Lord our God.

These are just,

it just keeps

going and going

and going and

builds and the

message of

scripture keeps

unfolding and we

keep going until

we reach the

climax in Revelation

when God has

gathered people

from every tribe,

tongue and

nation and

they are all

around the throne

crying holy,

holy,

holy.

The reason that

God saves people

is that he might

have a people

that worship

and know him.

All of history,

all of planet A,

God coming down

to give this

salvation that is

shocking,

is that we might

gather on a mountain

and declare his

glory.

I just want to

close with this.

Salvation is

really incredible

because we don't

deserve it.

God is infinitely

great and we are

infinitely small.

He is pure and

perfect and we are

sinful and rebellious.

But from the

beginning he has

always had a plan

to save a people,

not because they are

great but because

he is.

And the goal of

this,

Exodus tells us,

verse 12,

that they would

come to Mount

Sinai to worship.

And think of the

joy in that day,

no longer in

slavery for 400

years.

Their first day

off in 400

years and they

gather on the

mountain and

worship the Lord.

The thing is,

we're not

covered, are we,

at Mount

Sinai.

that we're

gathered somewhere

far greater.

Now hear how

Hebrews puts it.

Hebrews 12,

for you have not

come for what

can be touched.

Here this morning,

you have not

come to what

can be touched.

But you,

sat here this

morning,

because of the

salvation that

God has given,

God's plan A,

we have come to

Mount Zion,

to the city of

the living God,

to the heavenly

Jerusalem,

to innumerable

angels in

festal gatherings,

and to the

assembly of the

firstborn,

who are enrolled

in heaven,

and to the

God,

and to God,

the judge of all,

and to the

spirits of the

righteous made

perfect,

and to Jesus,

the mediator of

a new covenant.

That has been

God's plan A,

from the very

beginning.

Moved to action

by the struggles

of his people,

and all that we

might glory in

what he is,

and what he has

done.

Let's pray.