Israel is my firstborn son

Exodus 4:18-31

So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand.

The Lord said to Moses, “When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’”

At a lodging place on the way, the Lord met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son’s foreskin and touched Moses’ feet with it. “Surely you are a bridegroom of blood to me,” she said. So the Lord let him alone. (At that time she said “bridegroom of blood,” referring to circumcision.)

Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites, and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses. He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed. And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

The him in verse 24 may be Gershom rather than Moses. Either way, 'The Lord met... and would have killed' may be another example of God as the first cause- perhaps through accident or sudden illness. Moses' family is now linked to Israel's forebears - the people of God - by the covenant-sign of circumcision.

Why?

God told Moses what will happen is foretold Pharoah's heart is hard until the firstborn were killed.

Israel is my firstborn son is God's first chosen.

Circumcision became the covenant of Israelite to the Lord.

Moses took the staff of God, it is different from the staff before Moses met the Lord.

Everything is going on as the Lord has told Moses and Israelites to trust Moses and bowed down and worshiped the Lord.

-------------------

神告訴摩西追殺他的人都死了

埃及法老心裏剛硬，先打預防針

亞倫出來迎接摩西

摩西回去後，以色列人相信他是神差派來的。

摩西順服後，願意走這條路，神告訴他這事，排除摩西所擔心的。

神讓a.     耶穌禱告三次，門徒心靈固然願意，肉體卻軟弱了

1)先順服、相信才看到神的作為

2)神自己邀請亞倫，讓亞倫迎接摩西。神答應摩西的，也應驗了

3)摩西回到以色列人當中行了那些神噸，大家都信了。神都一一排除摩西所擔心的。

我們信心有時真是軟弱，神會先給我們看到驗證。我們會遇見困難，當我們邁開第一步，神會一一幫我們排除萬難。

神為摩西打預防針，即法老的障礙。雖然前面許多困難，神解決困難，讓我們看見神奇妙作為。不是我們有什麼能耐，什麼方法。

血郎的事：因為摩西沒有為他的兒子行割禮。看來奇怪，因為摩西沒有為兒子行割禮，以色列人會質疑。如牧師的兒子，不信主。因為摩西娶外邦女子，米甸人是由岳父來執行割禮，為證明以前沒有結過婚。摩西已經有割禮，摩西太太懷疑摩西結過婚，這樣子的家庭，如何帶領以色列。血郎： 流血的新郎。你以前沒有結過婚，依波拉終於相信了，夫妻關係變好了。要服事神以前，要得到家庭的支持。服事主，要先把自己的家整理好，才能服事神。我們完成工作，是神在其中，讓我們的家成為祝福的家與榜樣。

------------------

How?

God's words are the promise and the way of us.