Exodus Chapter 6 "God's Answer to Moses. [1 - 8]" This
Bible Study is written by Roger Christopherson, and it's
transcription/ location Exodus 6:1 "Then the Lord said unto Moses, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh: for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land." After Moses went to God to accuse Him of not providing deliverance for the Children of Israel, God is responding here saying, "There is a day coming when Pharaoh will run them out of Egypt, after the strong hand that I shall put on Pharaoh." Not only will the Pharaoh want the children of Israel out of his sight, but he will give them the wealth of Egypt to take with them on their journey. Exodus 6:2 "And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, "I am the Lord:" God is letting Moses know exactly who is in charge of getting the children of Israel out of Egypt. "I am the Lord", I am YHVH, "`ehyeh `asher `ehyeh" [I AM THAT I AM] Yahveh, and He will repeat his name seventeen times in the next six verses. Exodus 6:3 "And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, but the name of God Almighty, but by the name Jehovah was I not known to them." Jehovah: The name "Jehovah" was God's Covenant name, but it was not understood at point in time by the children of Israel, as they slaved away in their bondage. However, our Heavenly Father is better understood in the character of His name given in the text, "El Shaddai." The name "El Shaddai" identifies God as the "Almighty Omnipotent God", identifying Him in the power of His strength through His creation of all things. That is how Father presented Himself to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who's name was changed to Israel. Exodus 6:4 "And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers." God is letting it be known to Moses that He is a man of His word. God made that covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and every part of that covenant will be fulfilled by God. Exodus 6:5 "And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant." God is letting Moses know that He made those promises in that eternal covenant, and He has heard each of their cries to Him. God reassured Moses that, "I will keep every part of my promised covenant with the children of Israel." Exodus 6:6 "Wherefore say say unto the children of Israel, `I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:" God has heard each of their groans, and He knows all the thoughts in their minds. He can see the burdens and hardship that Pharaoh's putting on the children of Israel. So God is telling Moses to go to the people and tell them that; "I am YHVH, the Almighty...": God then told Moses exactly what He is about to do for His children. Just as in Moses' generation, in these last days we can rely on that same God "YHVH", the Almighty "El Shaddai" that created all things. And He will bring us through that hour of temptation when Satan shall reign on this earth. We can do nothing in our own strength, but when the Holy Spirit of the Almighty God uses each of us, then He shall cause His plan to come to completion. We will be delivered up to be used at God's convenience, as His Spirit speaks through each of us. In the end our Lord will conquer Satan, just as he put down Pharaoh, and freed the children of Israel. That is what was in His Covenant, and it will continue to happen just exactly as it is written. Even to our generation in these end times, the events that are prophesied for the time of the end will happen as it was written thousands of years ago in God's Holy Word. God said, "I will deliver My people," that goes for the Children of Israel way back in Egypt, and goes for God's elect in these latter days in the Babylon of the end times. That is if His people will come out of their confusion. God leaves that decision of what you will do, completely up to you. Exodus 6:7 "And I will take you to Me for a People, and I will be to you a God: and ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." The "I AM", the sacred name, is given three times, to let us know that God means what He says. God delivered His people out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, just as He will deliver you from those burdens that hold you down. When you repent with faith in Jesus name, and ask Him for help, He will help you get out from those burdens. Exodus 6:8 "And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did sware to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the Lord.' " God is letting each of them know that it is He that is in complete control over everything that shall happen. God is the one that hardened Pharaoh's heart, and it will be God that will use that hardness to force Pharaoh to seek to drive the children of Israel out of Egypt. Just as each of the signs that Moses will present to Pharaoh will come to pass, so also will each of the signs of our day. Those signs of the end times started in 1948 when the Jews went back to reestablish their tiny nation of Israel in Palestine. We have seen many signs pass from current events into history before our eyes. As the different conflicts have come and gone, the one world system stepped in to take control of the nations of the world through their ten agencies [of the United Nations]. We have seen the four hidden dynasties of the Kenites as each of them tightened their grip on every area of our lives, and now we watch as the armies move through Jerusalem and the holy lands. Scripture is coming to pass exactly as it is written, and this is why we must seal those signs and truths of these times away in our minds, so that we are not deceived by Satan in his supernatural role as the Antichrist, as the events move from the fifth to the sixth trump of the book of Revelation. However, we are lacking discipline today within the body of Christ, and the church houses of our land. As we approach the end of this earth age of flesh man, the lack of discipline will become worse. This is the reason for the Millennium period, for in that thousand year period, the things of these flesh bodies will be gone and we will be in our new incorruptible bodies. Satan will be locked in the pit, and it will be a time of teaching and discipline where we will not be distracted by those things common to their flesh bodies. God will plant His Word in everyone's mind, and each of us will have total recall. It will be a time to discipline yourself in the ways of God before the great white throne judgment. So we have seen in these first eight verses that God has used the word "I" eighteen times, and eighteen in biblical numeric means "bondage". Now after God had spoken to Moses, He is going back to the children of Israel with God's message that God will deliver them out of their bondage. Exodus 6:9 "And Moses spake so unto the children of Israel: but they hearkened not unto Moses for anguish of spirit, and for cruel bondage." Their "anguish of spirit" was that they were disappointed because of the cruel bondage they were suffering under. It has nothing to do with shortness of breath as some teach. The children of Israel had been under the whip of the Pharaoh so long that they had just given up. They had lost their will to fight against Pharaoh, and they not believe what Moses had to say. Exodus 6:10 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying," Exodus 6:11 " "Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land." Moses had already made this trip one time, and when the he did, the Pharaoh thought that they were trying to go on a three day picnic feast to get out of work. It cost the children of Israel dearly to have Moses go before the Pharaoh. However God is telling Moses again, "Go in and speak to Pharaoh, and tell him to let My people go." Exodus 6:12 "And Moses spake before the Lord, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips." So what did Moses do? He went right back to God and said, "Look here God, the people are not listening to me, so how can I go to Pharaoh and say anything with my uncircumcised lips?" If the people won't listen, what makes You think that Pharaoh will listen to me? Moses is comparing the flesh growth of uncircumcision, to a growth over his lips that would prevent him from opening his mouth and speaking. Moses is on a "poor me baby" kick, because of his lack of faith here, he feels that nobody will listen to what he has to say. Exodus 6:13 "And the Lord spake unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel, and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt." "A charge" is a command from God that must be carried out. It just does not matter what you think or how you think you are prepared. You take the words that God gave you to say, and you open your mouth in obedience and say the words. Exodus 6:14 "These be the heads of their fathers' houses: The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel; Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi: these be the families of Reuben." Reuben sinned greatly in that he uncovered his father's nakedness, when he slept with his mother. Sure He was the firstborn, but because of his sin, that birthright was passed on from the firstborn of Leah, to the firstborn of Rachel, Joseph, and on to his two sons; as we read of in Genesis 48:20; "And he blessed them that day, saying, "In thee shall Israel bless, saying, `God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh:' " and he set Ephraim before Manasseh." Notice that the charge is to the heads of their fathers' houses, not one tribe but many houses, many families. God is charging each of the heads of these houses exactly how that He will deliver them out of their bondage. It will not be up to Moses and Aaron to keep the tribes in order, for that will be the duty of those heads of the families that God is charging. Why is this? Because the order is for each house to maintain the identity it leads, to the end, the identity of the coming of Messiah. Exodus 6:15 "And the sons of Simeon; Jemuel, and Jamin, and Ohad, and Jachin, and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanitish woman: these are the families of Simeon." Don't make a great deal out of this, but wake up to what is being addressed here. God is drawing attention that there were children of this Canaanite woman in their midst. Exodus 6:16 "These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations; Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari: and the years of the live of Levi were an hundred thirty and seven years." It is important to pay attention here, for Levi is the priest line from now on. The attention of Simeon in the fifteenth verse was that there would be children of the Canaanites within their group, and that the blessing that once was Rueben's, had now been given over to another family or tribe. But here Levi's sons will be the sons of the priest line that will hold the other tribes true as they wander through the wilderness, and enter into their promise land. Exodus 6:17 "The sons of Gershon; Libni, and Shimi, according to their families." Gershon was the first son of Levi, and Libni and Shimi were his two sons. Exodus 6:18 "And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years." Kohath is the second son of Levi, and these are Kohath's four sons. Exodus 6:19 "And the sons of Merari; Mahali and Mushi: there are the families of Levi according to their generations." So this would be the third son of Levi, and his two sons, Mahali and Mushi. Now it will be through the names of all these sons of Levi named here that the order of charge of the going out of Egypt will take place. As the tribes are separated into twelve units, Joseph will be represented as two tribes, that of Manasseh and Ephraim, Joseph's two sons. Yet the sons of Levi will not have a tribal identity, but be scattered amongst all the tribes. There will not be a tribal position for Levi nor land designated in the promise land. The Levitical priesthood will be the priest line, the ones that God has given His charge to maintain order and identity within each of the different tribes. This will be a type from which the true deliverance would come; through the Messiah. Today that deliverance has already taken place. It happened when our Lord Jesus Christ went to the cross, died and resurrected come out of that tomb; to ascend into heaven to be at the right hand of the Father. Exodus 6:20 "And Amram took him Jochebed for his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years." So how and why did this woman "Jochebed" get named in here? She was the mother of Moses and Aaron. Amram was the father of Moses and Aaron. Exodus 6:21 "And the sons of Izhar; Korah, and Nepheg, and Zichri." Izhar was Moses son. Exodus 6:22 "And the sons of Uzziel; Mishael, and Elzaphan, and Zithri." Exodus 6:23 "And Aaron took him Elisheva, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Naashon, to wife; and she bare him Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar." Notice that Aaron had four sons here, and we will see later where the first two sons played around with the altar of God, and brought strange fire to that altar and were struck dead. They just didn't have time for God's sacred fire, they brought their own fire from the pit back home. After the death of Madab and Abihu, Eleazar became the chief priest after Aaron his father, to lead the children of Israel. Today the "strange fire" is fake religion and doctrines that go against the Word of God. God doesn't like it when you mess around with heathen traditions, and present it as being from His Word. He doesn't like it when you bring those heathen traditions into Church and present it as being from God. "Eleazar" is the Hebrew form of the Greek word, "Lazarus". Just as Eleazar brought back the altar worship, Jesus brought back Lazarus from the dead after four days, to be symbolic of that Eleazar priesthood. Remember that John the Baptist's mother was named "Elizabeth" the Greek form of the Hebrew name "Elisheva". In the name "Elizabeth" it means "the oath of Ya" [of God]. Where as, in the name "Elisheva" it is to say "God is her oath". Elisheva was the daughter of Amminadab, and the sister of Naashon. Naashon was the head of Judah's people, and Naashon's son was the husband of Rahab when Jericho fell. Though many call her a harlot, Rehab was a business woman that dealt with flax linen. Sometimes men just don't like to see the ladies get ahead, especially in business. She was the one helped the two spies of Israel escape, who's life was spared when she left that ribbon in the window. She was not a harlot, but a well known woman who was well known in the region for the quality of flax linen that she produced. That is why the heaps of flax were on her roof and that men slept in that flax when they came to buy from her. We know that Rahab was in the direct genealogy of Christ as we read in Luke 3:32, and 33; and from Matthew 4. Exodus 6:24 "And the sons of Korah; Assir, and Elkanah, and Abiasaph: there are the families of the Korhites." Exodus 6:25 "And Eleazar Aaron's son took him one of the daughters of Pitiel to wife; and she bare him Phinehas: these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families." So God has identified each of those Levite men that Moses was to give the charge over, from verse 13. Again, when we study the lineage of Mary from Luke 3:23-38, we see that lineage also our Jesus Christ. We know that Mary was a cousin to Elizabeth, and in that Elizabeth was from the tribe of Levi, Mary was also. Jesus' father was Almighty God, and this made Jesus the Melchisedec, the priest of the Most High God, however through Mary's father, came the king line of Judah. The purpose of these names being given to us in His Word, is that we can follow the marriage between the king lines and the priest line. They come to a point in the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. As we read those first eight verses of this chapter, God stated eighteen times who He was through the identity of His holy names. Jesus came through the lineage of Aaron, and Judah to be Emmanuel, God with us in the flesh. He came to fulfill every promise of His Word, and be the Salvation to all those that would have the faith to believe on His name. The meanings of the names of these two women Elizabeth and Elisheba of verse 23 are important to understand. The name Elizabeth means "The oath of Yah", God made an oath stating that He would send Messiah, and in Elizabeth God fulfilled that oath [an oath from God to man]. While the name Elisheba means "God, YHVH is her oath". Here Elisheba made the oath to God to serve Him [an oath from man to God]. Exodus 6:26 "These are that Aaron and Moses, to whom the Lord said, "Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies." Are these armies like the armies of nations going to battle? Not in the same manner, but God is in charge of the protection of His people, and He charged the children of Israel to be divided according to their tribal birth, and then took the leaders from the tribe of Levi, and gave them charge to maintain order and to follow the laws that He would put forth. That is what this chapter was all about, identifying those men that would be put over the different families within Israel. These armies were within the children of Israel, and their captains were these Levites that would form the priesthood of God. The battle was with Satan and his forces. Exodus 6:29 "That the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, "I am the Lord: speak thou unto Pharaoh of Egypt all that I say unto thee." Moses and Aaron of the lineage of Levi are the two that God selected to stand before Pharaoh, and speak on behalf of the the Lord God. The chain of command was that God would place the wisdom in the mind of Moses, and Moses would tell Aaron the Words to say to Pharaoh. This is a type of how it shall be with God's election in the latter days when Satan is here on earth. Mark 13:11 tells us what we shall do when we are delivered up before the synagogues of Satan, to witness against the false Messiah. "...take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye: for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Spirit [Ghost]." God is letting you know without a doubt that He is the one that was going to do the speaking in Moses day, and that He will be doing the speaking when we are delivered up. God did not want Moses messing things up, and He doesn't want any of His elect messing up the message that is to be given before Satan, and to the world. Exodus 6:30 "And Moses said before the Lord, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me? " Here again Moses is crying before the Lord, that he can't speak very well, it is like my lips are sealed over, so how can I warn Pharaoh that he will listen to me. If God tells you to do something, be assured that God will give you the gifts to get the job done. He knows what will take place ahead of time, and He knows the words that must be said to fulfill his plan through your actions. It will not be you, but the Holy Spirit that will speak through you. God used Moses as the leader of His People to teach us a lesson even in these end times. Moses did not think he was good enough to lead anyone, or speak on behalf of God. Moses was tongue tied and forgetful. God would tell him something He would do over and over, and even give him signs as how those events would take place, but somehow Moses would forget those lessons, and start to challenge God. Even standing before Pharaoh, Moses only thought of himself as a sheep herder. I feel that these weaknesses of Moses are given as a lesson for our day and age.
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