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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ007113S
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00:22 Moses! Born a slave but destined to rule over Egypt's empire
00:29 rescued from the river, adopted by a princess, 00:33 and raised to be Pharaoh, instead, leads a nation 00:39 of slaves to freedom and changes the world. 00:43 Moses! A hero for our time. 00:54 The chariots raced forward in a billowing plume of dust, 00:58 war cries wild enough to curdle blood, 01:02 echoed from the army as they raised their weapons 01:05 and charged towards the helpless crowd of slaves 01:08 huddled along the shores of the Red Sea. 01:12 The Hebrews had thought that they were safe, 01:14 at long last after an onslaught of deadly plagues 01:19 Pharaoh had been forced to acknowledge this sovereignty 01:22 of Yahweh the Hebrew God and let His people go. 01:29 In the wake of one of the manifestations of God's power 01:34 the Hebrews joyfully prepared themselves leave the land 01:39 of their bondage and turn their faces towards the 01:42 one thing that mattered most to them, freedom. 01:46 Now set free, no longer slaves the Hebrews moved out from Egypt 01:52 to claim the land that God had given them, The Promised Land. 01:56 Their hearts were filled with equal parts of gratitude 02:00 and wonder, they had witnessed and experienced God's salvation 02:06 through the blood of the lamb on their doorposts. 02:09 When the firstborn of Egypt had died the Hebrews had witnessed 02:14 the power of God to keep their children alive. 02:18 As they headed out of Egypt their hearts thrilled with 02:22 the excitement of witnessing yet another one of God's miracles 02:26 they were free, despite years of despair and sinking hopes 02:31 they were finally free. 02:34 God led them down to the shores of the Red Sea, 02:37 Egypt was behind them, the sea before him and for the moment 02:43 they were too deliriously happy to ask questions about 02:47 how they would get across the wide expanse of 02:50 shimmering water before them and then disaster struck. 02:55 Pharaoh had a swift sudden change of heart, 02:59 he could not let his slaves go, he could not acknowledge 03:03 their God, he would reclaim not only his slaves 03:07 but salvage his pride in the process. 03:09 And so gathering together a large part of his army 03:13 600 chariots and countless footmen, Pharaoh pursued 03:18 the Hebrews delighted to find that they had made a 03:21 tactile error in choosing their escape route. 03:24 With their backs to the sea, and Pharaoh's army blocking 03:29 their only other exit, it looked certain that the Hebrews 03:32 would be destroyed by the might of Egypt before they'd 03:36 even begun their journey of freedom, they were doomed. 03:40 As the chariots of Pharaoh raced towards them 03:44 an unstoppable wall of brute force, the terrified screams 03:48 of the Hebrews mingled with the triumphant battle cries 03:52 of the Egyptians. 03:53 When all hope seemed lost a miraculous display of God's 03:58 power saved the Hebrews from the murderous designs 04:02 of their former taskmasters. 04:04 Join me this week as we look at the final awe-inspiring 04:09 episode on the life of Moses from the time of the Exodus 04:13 to the moment he stood on Mt. Nebo overlooking the 04:18 Promised Land. 04:31 When Moses returned to Egypt to save his people from bondage 04:36 the Hebrews or Israelites had been enslaved for 400 years 04:41 freedom was a strange and exciting concept 04:46 one they had longed for but never had experienced, 04:50 they knew only hard labor and the lash of the taskmaster. 04:55 Archeological findings about the builders of the 04:59 ancient royal tombs and the Pyramids of Egypt 05:02 shed some light on what some working conditions In Egypt 05:05 would have been like. 05:07 While the Israelites didn't build the pyramids 05:09 the lives of those who did, give us a rough idea 05:13 of what life would have been like for workers and 05:16 slaves in Egypt. 05:18 Deir el Medina is an ancient Egyptian workman's village 05:22 which was home to the workers who built the royal tombs 05:26 found in the Valley of the Kings. 05:28 Forensic studies on the skeletons of these builders 05:32 of the royal tombs and also from the cemetery of the 05:35 pyramid builders near Giza revealed not only 05:38 shortened life expectancy but considerable wear and tear 05:43 due to heavy labor as well, their bones tell the story 05:48 of hard and heavy work. 05:50 When the Israelites were finally set free, they didn't begin 05:54 their journey alone, God placed Himself to lead and guide them 05:58 all the way to the land He had promised them. 06:01 In the form of pillar of cloud by day and 06:05 a pillar of fire by night God went before the Israelites 06:09 not just to show them the path they were meant to take 06:12 but also to provide protection and comfort. 06:18 On the shores of the Red Sea when the Israelites faced the 06:22 charging Egyptian army, the pillar of cloud rose up 06:26 and formed a defensive barrier between them 06:29 preventing the Egyptians from reaching them. 06:32 Regardless of this protective measure the Israelites were 06:36 terrified and their faith in God's ability to fully deliver 06:41 them from their oppressors wilted in the face of this 06:45 devastating new challenge and crushing setback. 06:47 Panic-stricken they wished them- selves back in slavery 06:52 accusing Moses of delivering them only to die in the 06:56 wilderness but God had already delivered them once 07:00 from the Egyptians and now caught between the Egyptian 07:04 Army and the Red Sea he would deliver them again. 07:07 The Bible says... 07:24 Well, Moses did as God commanded he held out his staff 07:29 over the sea and while the terrified Israelites watched 07:33 God miraculously parted the sea before them providing a 07:37 pathway of escape between the walls of water by the side. 07:42 Exodus chapter 14 and verse 22 tells us... 07:57 As the Israelites crossed the sea on dry ground 08:00 the pillar of cloud that had stood between them 08:03 and the Egyptians lifted. 08:05 When the Egyptians saw that their slaves were escaping 08:09 they charged after them right into the middle of the sea. 08:13 But God had not brought the Israelites out of slavery 08:17 only to allow the Egyptians to destroy them on the shores 08:21 of the Red Sea. 08:22 The Bible describes how God delivered the Israelites 08:26 once and for all. 08:49 But it was too late, the walls of water on either side of 08:54 the Egyptian army collapsed over them rushing in to 08:58 drown them as the stunned Israelites watched from 09:01 the safety of the far shore. 09:03 It was a decisive victory over an oppressive that had 09:08 enslaved them for 400 years. The level of joy that 09:12 washed over the Israelites was as overwhelming as the 09:16 wall of water that took their enemies down to a watery grave. 09:20 The acclaimed poet Maya Angelou described the plight of being 09:30 enslaved in a poem, "The Caged Bird." 09:33 One verse in particular is especially poignant and haunting 09:37 she writes... 09:51 In a sense, we are all enslaved and looking for freedom 09:56 like the Israelites, their plight is ours as well. 10:00 You see, the Bible tells us that the entire human race 10:06 has been enslaved by a fearsome and tyrannical adversary, 10:11 the Bible names that adversary Satan, and he is described 10:16 as both a dragon, eager to inflict pain, and a serpent, 10:20 equally ready to will deception. 10:23 Either way Satan, or Lucifer, as he was originally known 10:28 in heaven is described in the Bible as a fallen angel 10:32 bent on seeking the destruction of those God loves. 10:37 His reign of oppression spilled on to the earth as a result of 10:41 Adam and Eve's sin, and since then in every successive 10:45 generation, he has found men and women who have been 10:48 enslaved by his lies and deception. 10:52 Surrounded by the results of Satan's reign of terror, 10:56 we are caged by hopelessness, despair, suffering, and death 11:02 and we all feel it personally in one way or another 11:06 because sin keeps us trapped in a cycle of anger, envy, 11:12 greed, sexual immorality, broken relationships, 11:16 unforgiveness, and selfishness. 11:21 We long for a better world a world free of the war, disaster, 11:27 death and suffering we see all around us. 11:30 We desperately want true freedom that sets us free from 11:34 fear, guilt, worry, and bitter- ness, like caged birds 11:40 we sing of things unknown but long for still, no more tears, 11:45 no more heartache, no more strife. 11:48 We long for freedom and God hears our song, in fact, 11:54 even before we knew the tune He had already provided us 11:58 with a solution. This means that God had a plan for our 12:03 rescue in place even before Adam and Eve sinned. 12:06 Jesus left heaven and came to this earth to rescue us, 12:11 He came so that He could pay the penalty for our sins 12:16 and mistakes, He came to die for us, and in dying for us, 12:22 He not only paid the price for our sins, 12:25 but He also secured our freedom from slavery to sin... 12:29 Matthew chapter one and verse 21 tells us... 12:40 Jesus came to deliver us from the bondage of sin 12:44 through His death on the cross Jesus saved us and bound 12:49 the power of Satan so that He could set His captives free 12:53 and offer them the joys of freedom with all its promises 12:57 and possibilities. 12:59 Through Jesus, we can have freedom because He lives 13:04 you can have eternity, you might not see Him but He sees you 13:09 you might not yet have chosen Him but He chose you 13:14 when He died for you on a Roman cross. 13:17 If like the caged bird you were singing of things unknown 13:22 but longed for still, you can have the assurance that Jesus 13:27 holds the key to unlock your cage of hopelessness and despair. 13:31 Now, after being delivered and safely crossing the Red Sea 13:38 Moses and the Israelites sang a song of celebration 13:41 and triumph in expressing their gratitude and faith in God 13:45 Exodus chapter 15 records this song and it begins with these 13:50 beautiful words... 14:07 No longer did they need to sing of freedom, 14:11 now they were experiencing it, now their song was one of joy 14:16 at acquiring the one thing they had desired for so long 14:20 and gratitude to the God who had given them that gift, 14:24 the gift of freedom. 14:26 In Exodus chapter seven, verses four and five 14:32 God explained to Moses the reason behind the 10 plagues 14:36 and by extension His miraculous deliverance at the Red Sea 14:40 which brought the Egyptian Army to its knees. 15:04 God's acts of judgment against Egypt were designed to 15:09 turn the Egyptians away from a system of religion that was 15:12 empty and deceptive. It was designed to show them that 15:17 their Gods were powerless and their ideological 15:20 framework flawed. 15:21 For example the Nile River was considered to be the center 15:26 of ancient Egyptian existence, in fact, the river was worshiped 15:29 as a god and was considered to be the force that bound 15:34 upper and lower Egypt into a United Kingdom. 15:37 When God turned the Nile into blood, He turned the lifeline 15:41 of Egypt into a stagnant pool of death that struck 15:45 at the very heart of Egyptian religion. 15:47 He was letting the Egyptians know that he was the life giver 15:52 and not their gods. 15:54 Then there was the plague of frogs, Egyptians worshiped frogs 15:58 in the form of their goddess Heqet who had the face 16:02 of a frog, she was the goddess of birth and fertility. 16:06 When the god of the Israelites sent a plague of frogs 16:10 it was another clear message that he was in charge 16:13 of the cycle of life and of the gods of the Egyptians. 16:17 Over and over again, God showed the Egyptians the futility 16:23 of their religious ideology by demonstrating to them 16:26 that what he had to offer them was so much better. 16:36 From the shores of the Red Sea the Israelites moved forward 16:41 into the wilderness where God provided for them yet again 16:46 in a remarkable way. Biblical scholars estimate that the 16:50 Israelites numbered between two and a half and three million 16:54 men, women, and children. 16:56 Now such a massive group of people couldn't be 17:00 supported by the meager resources available 17:03 in the wilderness and the people realized this. 17:06 And it wasn't long before they began to allowed their fears 17:09 for the future to overwhelm them, turning on Moses and Aaron 17:15 they cried out... 17:33 Food was running low and parents began to worry over how they 17:38 would provide food for their little ones. 17:40 In the midst of their stress and panic, they forgot how 17:44 God had led them in the past, it had been about eight 17:48 to ten weeks since the Israelites had left Egypt. 17:51 During that period of time they had seen God providing 17:55 for their needs, the most amazing manifestation of God's 17:59 power being the defeat of the Egyptians at the Red Sea. 18:02 But now faced with a potential food shortage, 18:06 they began to wish themselves back in bondage again 18:10 because according to their reasoning at least the slaves 18:14 they had food. Their faith in God was waning 18:18 in the face of an unknown future. 18:21 But instead of rebuking them, God treated them with love 18:25 and patience, He provided food for them in the desert 18:29 by raining bread from heaven. 18:31 Woven into this miracle was a special lesson 18:35 communicating through Moses, God instructed the Israelites 18:40 to gather bread daily for five days and then on the sixth day 18:44 of the week, they were to gather a double portion of food, 18:48 why? Well, God explained His reasons to them in 18:53 Exodus 16: verses 22 to 26... 19:10 The Israelites called the bread "manna" and God used the manna 19:15 and the Sabbath to teach them three very important lessons. 19:20 First, God was reminding them of the Sabbath rest 19:24 which He had created and established way back at 19:27 creation in the Garden of Eden right back at the 19:31 beginning of the world, Genesis chapter 2: verses 2 and 3 says. 19:54 And here's the second lesson. God used the Sabbath to remind 20:00 the Israelites that He would supply their needs. 20:03 The Sabbath is a sign of God's power as creator. 20:07 And so re-establishing the Sabbath within the context 20:11 of the manna was a reminder that God was able to meet 20:15 the needs of all those who relied on Him. 20:18 And third lesson. The Sabbath provided the Israelites 20:22 with an opportunity to renew their relationships with God 20:26 and with each other. 20:28 For 400 years they had been enslaved by the Egyptians. 20:32 Slaves, especially in the ancient world didn't have the 20:36 luxury of a day off, the Israelites would have worked 20:40 seven days a week and the constant round of grueling 20:43 labor would have taken it's toll on their physical 20:46 mental and spiritual well-being. 20:49 The re-introduction of the Sabbath into their weekly routine 20:53 was a means of providing them with much-needed time 20:57 to build their relationship with God and with each other. 21:01 From the great wilderness named sin the Israelites moved into 21:08 the Sinai desert and set up their tents in the shadow of 21:11 Mt. Sinai, it was here that God himself came down 21:15 onto the mountain and gave them His law. 21:18 God invited Moses to come up to the summit of the mountain 21:22 in order to receive the law the Ten Commandments. 21:26 This was one of the most significant events in Moses' 21:29 life and set him apart as one of the greatest prophets 21:33 in history. God Himself wrote the Ten Commandments 21:38 with His own finger on two tablets of stone, 21:41 and when He gave them to Moses, He introduced them by saying... 21:51 In saying this, God reminded Moses and the children of Israel 21:56 that the very purpose of the Ten Commandments was to 22:00 make people free and keep them free. 22:03 God wanted them to understand that these ten principles 22:07 are the foundation of a solid, safe, peaceful, and productive 22:12 society and that's because they are all about relationships. 22:16 The first four of the Ten Commandments deal with 22:20 our relationship to God while the other six 22:23 deal with our relationships with people, 22:26 but all ten are about relationships. 22:29 You see God's law is a revelation of His heart 22:34 it teaches us how to love Him and how to love other people. 22:38 The law of God reveals the foundational principles 22:43 we need to build healthy human relationships 22:46 as well as a thriving spiritual relationship with God. 22:50 From Sinai God continued to lead the Israelites through the 22:55 wilderness on their journey toward Canaan, 22:58 throughout their journey, God allowed them to experience 23:02 challenges and trials. Every challenge that they faced 23:06 was meant to strengthen their faith in God but instead 23:10 it only served to produce complaining and strife 23:14 and they took out the brunt of their frustration on Moses. 23:18 As their visible leader Moses was the easy target, 23:22 whenever the Israelites were faced with a challenge 23:25 they accused Moses of rescuing them from slavery in Egypt 23:30 in order to kill them in the wilderness. 23:32 There was mutiny against his leadership, jealousy, 23:36 and back-biting spearheaded by his own siblings 23:40 and even the occasional threat to kill him or appoint a 23:44 new leader and head back into Egypt and slavery. 23:48 Through it all Moses displayed an unprecedented amount of 23:52 patience despite their ingratitude, complaining and 23:57 threats, Moses was their biggest advocate and 24:00 champion. After 40 years of wandering in the wilderness 24:04 caring for the needs of a rag-tag group of ex-slaves, 24:08 who struggled, bickered, and complained, Moses finally 24:12 led them to the borders of the Promised Land. 24:15 And his story and earthly journey end on a high note. 24:19 He died atop Mt. Nebo when he was 120 years old 24:24 overlooking the Promised Land and as we look back 24:28 over his life, I think we can safely say that few human beings 24:33 have experienced God on this earth to the extent that 24:36 Moses did from meeting God in the burning bush, 24:40 to parting the Red Sea, to watching manna fall from heaven 24:44 to meeting God on top of Mt. Sinai in the thick cloud. 24:48 Moses spent a lot of time in God's presence, 24:52 he developed a close relationship with God. 24:55 His life may have been marked by challenge and sacrifice 24:59 but more importantly, it was shaped by an intimate 25:03 relationship with God. 25:05 When a new obstacle would arise, Moses turned first to God 25:10 for guidance and provision, his hardships challenged his 25:14 trust in himself and strengthened his faith 25:17 in the Lord, his problems and hardships drew him 25:21 closer to God. 25:22 And that's true for us today as well, the Bible teaches that 25:26 our trials and troubles can also produce a closer and 25:31 stronger relationship with God, we can lean on Him 25:35 and grow closer to Him. 25:36 As Moses grew closer to God he transformed from 25:41 a privileged son of Pharaoh to a humble man 25:45 leading God's people out of Egypt. 25:48 Moses chose to commit his life and future into the hands of God 25:53 and lived a life of patient obedience to God's will. 25:57 There are times in life when following God is the last thing 26:02 we want to do, we would rather forge our own path, 26:06 go our own way, but Moses' life demonstrates that a life 26:12 of obedience to God's will is a life well lived 26:16 and not only is it a life well lived, 26:19 but it's also a life that receives an eternal reward. 26:23 God has a city prepared for all those who choose to 26:29 love and obey Him. A city that is eternal where there is 26:33 no more pain or suffering, or tears. 26:37 If you would like to find out more about God's plan for us 26:40 then I'd like to recommend the free gift we have for all our 26:45 Incredible Journey viewer's today. 26:48 It's the booklet Learning to Be Led By God. 26:51 This booklet is our gift to you and is absolutely free, 26:55 I guarantee there are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:59 So, make the most of this wonderful opportunity to receive 27:04 your free gift today. 27:05 Phone or text 0436.333.555 in Australia, or 020.422.2042 27:16 in New Zealand, or 770.800.0266 in the United States, 27:23 or visit our website tij.tv, or simply scan the QR Code 27:29 on your screen and we'll send you today's free offer 27:33 totally free of charge and with no obligation. 27:36 You can also write to us at the addresses on your screen 27:40 or email us at info@tij.tv. Don't delay, call or text us now. 27:47 Be sure to join us again next week when we will share another 27:52 of life's journeys together, until then, 27:55 let's pray to the great God of Moses and ask for His blessing 27:59 and guidance in our lives. 28:02 Dear Heavenly Father, We thank you for the life 28:06 and experience of Moses and the encouragement he brings us. 28:10 We pray that you will lead and guide in our lives too, 28:14 please bless us and our families. 28:16 We ask in Jesus' name. Amen! |
Revised 2025-03-19