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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/john-meekin/moses-his-protection/
Exodus 1, and we read from verse number 1. Exodus 1, verse 1. Now, these are the names of the children of Israel which came into Egypt. And look at verse 7, and the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and waxed exceedingly mighty, and the land was filled with them.
Now there arose a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come on, let us deal wisely with them. Thus they multiply.
And it come to pass that when they are, there falleth out any war. They join also unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them out of the land. Look at verse 14, and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field.
Now look down, the midwives are told to make sure that they kill the Hebrew children, men children. Look at verse number 17, but the midwives feared God and did not, as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
Look down, please, at verse number 19, and the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively and are delivered, ere the midwives come in unto them.
Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and waxed very mighty. Now look into chapter 2, verse 1, and there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi, and the woman conceived, and bare a son.
And when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and dubbed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein.
And she laid him in the flags by the river's brink, and his sister stood afar off to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her maidens walked along by the river's side.
And when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, a babe weeping. The babe wept, and she had compassion on him. And she said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Go. And the maid went, and called the child's mother.
And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it, and the child grew. And she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son.
And she called his name Moses, and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. God bless to us that quite familiar reference and reading from the sacred scriptures. Now, what I have before me, just so that I can communicate it with the beloved saints that are here, in the parts of the conference that the brethren have given to me, what I have before me is actually to take up aspects of the early days, or perhaps I was going to call it the early life of Moses.
As I was sitting listening to my brethren, I began to think that the title that I'd chosen for that really isn't an accurate title, the early life of Moses. Because where I've started this morning, he's a babe.
Where I will reach this afternoon, he's going to be 40 years. By the time we reach Moses and his life tomorrow afternoon, he's going to be a man of 80 years of age. And then I thought to myself, this is quite applicable when it comes to the conference here.
This will be quite applicable, because there's no doubt that there are babes in Christ here, and we will see principles at the beginning of Moses' life. Then there are others here, and they are longer on the way, and we get principles about Moses.
Acts chapter 7 says, when he was full 40 years of age. And then, of course, there are others here, and they are 80 years of age, or perhaps older than 80 years of age. And you say, sure, there's nothing for us as we live and serve God.
Is there not? Is there not, beloved saints? Nothing for us older ones as you live and serve God? Moses was only starting. Reverently speaking, there were things accomplished for God in the first 80 years of his life, but he was only starting, beloved saints, when he was 80 years of age.
So don't give up, and don't give in. And if you're one of the older ones that are gathered here this afternoon, I say to you, and I say to all, there was 40 years in this man's life that was still to come as he would live, and he would serve his God.
Now, I'll be thinking this morning, I want to focus on the protection of his life. This afternoon, what I'm going to focus on is the potential of his life. And when it comes to tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to focus our thoughts in or on the provisioning of his life.
It will be very easy to remember. Like my brethren, it will be simple ministry. We'll think of the protection of his life, and then we think of the potential of his life. And then we'll focus again on the provisioning of his life and God preparing his man.
I'm really going to focus this morning on three things. I'm going to focus on the Egyptian world. And I want to think first of all on the culture of the Egyptian world. The second thing I'm going to focus on is the circumstances in the Egyptian world.
And the third thing that I'm going to focus on is the convictions that actually formulated character in the Egyptian world. Because one of the things we've got to face is this. Here are a man and his wife, Amram and Jacobel.
And there's a child that's been born into this home. And the rest of those Israelites looked on that family. And one of the questions that is raised is this. Can a person live for God in this generation?
Is it possible that we can live and serve God with all of the pressures, with all of the problems, with the surrounding difficulties in this Egyptian world? And I am quite sure Amram, Moses' father, and Jacobel, Moses' mother, they would sit in the quietness of that home.
And I'm sure they said to themselves, we have to raise a child. Is it possible to raise this child for God in an Egyptian world? And you know, beloved saints, it was able to be done. It was possible for it to be done then.
And as I'm speaking to you this morning, it's possible for it to be done now. So don't lose heart, you young ones, don't lose heart. Here's a father and a mother raising a child for the glory of God. Well, what about the culture of the Egyptian world?
As we consider this, what you'll find is this, that there's actually a direct parallel. This Egyptian world, it provides a direct parallel for the world in which we are living. Because you will notice that this Egyptian world, it was a world of idolatry.
One of the things that marked the culture, it was a world of idolatry. In fact, when the Lord spoke to Moses, and when he sent Moses into Egypt, he said to Moses, against all the gods of Egypt, will I execute judgment?
Because I am the Lord. So this wasn't random. You know that there's going to be 10 plagues. I'm drawing on your knowledge now, because I see this clock is going very quick. So I'm drawing on your knowledge.
There were 10 plagues, and they're divided three and three and three and one. And you say, sure it was haphazard, and it was random, and it was all of those things. It was nothing of the sort. The Lord, in a very particular way, and the Lord in a very systematic way, he decided those plagues that were going to come.
And in fact, he had marked out particular things that the Egyptians decided were gods, and the Lord is going to smite them, and strike them, and prove that he alone is God. Now, there is a nice line to be developed in that.
I can't stay with that. But if you want to develop it, you look for yourself. Chapter 7, Exodus chapter 7, and verse number 17. And the Lord says, that Pharaoh may know that I am the Lord. And there's three plagues.
And then read for yourself in chapter 8, and verse number, I think it's verse number, what happens to a man's mind on a Saturday morning? You would think you'd had a late night, and a flight, and some problems getting in.
But it's chapter 8. I think it's verse number 14. And you get the second reference. After the first three plagues, the Lord says to Moses, now go back into Pharaoh, and you tell Pharaoh, I am the Lord, that ye may know I am the Lord.
And you get the second three plagues. And then you come to chapter 9, and verse number 22. And Moses is told the third time, go into Pharaoh, and you tell Pharaoh, that all may know that I alone am God, in the midst of the earth.
And you get the third three plagues. And then you get the final, the tenth, and final plague, where the firstborn is touched. And so, it was a culture of idolatry. Have we ever seen it, beloved saints?
We are living, and you know that we are living in a generation that is marked by idolatry. It's one of the things that we see. It's one of the things around us. It's one of the things that is built up in our society.
And when our brother Clark, our brother Clark this morning, he started, and he said, third John. I was actually hoping you would read in first John. Because you remember the closing statement of first John.
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. And I look at my own heart, beloved saints, in a culture which is just like Egypt. And I can see it, that we build things up, and we follow things, and there are things that captivate our attention.
And you know, beloved saints, it was just the same in this Egyptian world. It was a culture of idolatry. It was a culture of immorality. You remember the thing that happened to Joseph in the Egyptian world?
It was in Egypt that there was a lady, one day came to Joseph, and she said to Joseph in Egypt, she said to that young man, Joseph, she says, Joseph, listen, she says, come and sleep with me. Just lie with me.
And Joseph said, what about my master? And she said, there's no one in the house. And she says, there's no one around. No one will see us, Joseph. Just take the liberties that you have. And take the liberties that you can take.
You know, beloved saints, we are living in a world, and you young people mark it well, it is a world of immorality that tells you, our brother Clark has highlighted this, it tells you that is your body.
You can do whatever you want with that body. That's not what the Bible says. You remember what the Bible says twice over? In fact, I find it an intriguing thing that in the section of 1 Corinthians, where it comes in, there's a large section in 1 Corinthians about Christian liberty.
And Paul's dealing with the liberty of Christians and what is lying to the hand of Christians in the liberality we have in Christ. And twice over in that section of Christian liberty, do you know what the Apostle Paul says?
You are not your own, you are bought with a price. And you know, beloved saints, you young men today, and you young ladies today, we are living in a world, and the world says, use your body for pleasure.
You do whatever you want. This is your body. Exercise your own freedoms. Live whatever way you want. And God says in this book, that's not the case. God says in this book, that body is mine. And it was purchased by the blood of Christ.
It was a culture of idolatry and a culture of immorality. It was a culture of intolerance. One of the things that marks Exodus chapter 1 is this. In this culture of immorality and idolatry, it was intolerant of everything.
It was tolerant of everything apart from God's things. And here we are today. Has there ever been the mark of the Egyptian culture just like today? I'm reminded of a student. I heard of a student recently, an English student, an English major.
And in that English class, they were given an assignment. And the assignment was this, that they could write about everything or anything. They could choose their own topic and choose anything they wanted to write about.
So many thousand words, but they had to write and then pass it in. And the professor came to that Christian girl and he said, what are you going to write about? And the Christian girl looked at him and she said, I'm going to write about the intolerance of tolerance.
He said, what? Well, she said, we're in a society and we're supposed to tolerate everything. So she said, the subject I have chosen is this, the intolerance of tolerance. And the professor looked at her and he said, you can't write about that.
That's where we are, beloved saints. And you say in this culture, in this society, in this Egyptian world, that's marked by idolatry, that's marked by immorality, that's marked by intolerance. Is it possible to live for God?
And here's a couple, and they have marked it out in their life. We will live for God. And here's a couple, they have two children already. There's an older sister in the family. We're not sure of her age.
I'm guessing, I'll only mention this, but I would suggest to you, she was likely somewhere between eight and 11 years of age. There was an older brother in the family. And when Moses was born, he was three years of age.
Aaron was three years of age when Moses was born. And into that home, there was another little boy born, just a bundle of joy. And into that culture and into that home, there's a little boy that is born.
Is it possible to raise the boy for God, the culture of the Egyptian world? The second thing that I want to speak about is not just the culture of the Egyptian world, but I want you to notice the circumstances of the Egyptian world.
They had been placed there. You see, it wasn't by accident that they had been placed there. Our brother Marvin has already told us that. You see, it's not by accident that you are here. We are in the world, according to what we have heard from John 17.
We are in the world, but we are not of the world. And in fact, in that Egyptian society, it was God's will that they should be fruitful, that they should be abundant. God actually saw to it through Joseph that they got the best part of the land of Egypt.
Listen, beloved saints, if you forget everything I'm communicating this morning, don't forget this. We've already got the best part. God has already given to us everything that pertains to life and godliness.
God has already seen to it that we've already got the best part in Christ, and yet God expected them to be fruitful, and there was affliction came. Suddenly, into that society, there comes a new pharaoh, and he doesn't know Joseph, and into that background and into the circumstances, there comes affliction.
Mind you, this morning, mind you, I'm looking across an audience of people. I imagine that there are a variety of needs this morning, and I imagine as I look at you that there's beloved saints here, and when you come through that door this morning, and when you met some of the Christians here, you put a smile on your face.
That's how we do it, isn't it? We come to the conferences. We see the Lord's people. We put a smile on our faces. We greet one another, and yet there's saints here this morning, and I know deep down in the inner recesses of your being, there's something going on, and only you can feel it.
There was affliction here, and what affliction it was. They were feeling it, and they knew it, and there's dear beloved Christians, and I'm looking at you this morning. Is any of you afflicted? There's things that you're going through.
There's circumstances in your life. There's a watershed that has been reached. There are marks that have come. There's depths that you are plumbing, and only you know the depths. Well, I shouldn't say that.
Only you and God know the depths. Did you notice how Exodus chapter 1 begins? It's an amazing thing. Exodus chapter 1 and verse number 1 says this, now these are the names. You remember when dear old Jacob, Genesis 46, dear old Jacob was about to go down into Egypt.
He stopped at Beersheba. He didn't want to go any further until the Lord directed his pathway, and he stopped at Beersheba, and it's just after the Lord gave the go-ahead to go to Egypt. You know what Exodus 46 says?
It's a little Hebrew expression. These are the names, and God took account of every name, and here they are in the midst of affliction, and here they are in the midst of circumstances, and here they are in the midst of trial, and here they are in the midst of the depths, and you know what the Lord says?
The Lord says, now these are the names. God has taken account of everyone. God knows the heartbreak, and God knows the affliction, and God knows the depths, and God knows what you're suffering, beloved saints.
The Lord alone knows, and as you are found here at this conference this morning, praise the name of God. You are not alone. Every name. He's the shepherd. You remember John's gospel. This is a sidebar.
That's the problem with ministry. Our brother Marvin has already told you this. This is the problem with ministry. You get too many sidebars, and I know myself. I know myself. I take liberties more than most, but you do remember the shepherd gospel, and in the shepherd gospel, the Lord Jesus says that he knows his sheep, and he calleth them all by name.
These are the names, the circumstances of this Egyptian world. I would like to stay with that. There was fruitfulness. There was affliction. There was an attack on the sons. I would like to stay with it, but I don't have time to do that.
Let me come to the third point, the culture of the Egyptian world, the circumstances of the Egyptian world. The third thing that I want to take up is this, the convictions that have been developed in this Egyptian world.
You will notice the child and his parents, quite the parents, weren't they? Here's this little home, just a typical home, here's a little family, almost just a typical little family, but you see in that family, there were parents, and they had developed convictions about living for God.
You know, one of the things that is a challenge to my heart, one of the things, beloved saints, that's a big challenge to my heart is this, what about my children, and what about my convictions? Because you can rest assured now, you can rest assured that whatever my children see in me, at least some of that, at least some of that will be replicated in them.
In fact, it's one of the most frustrating things in life when you raise a child, and you would know we would never fight. You would know that. There'd be no fighting. There would never be any fighting in our home, but did you ever, did you ever start to discuss things with your own child and found that you're just discussing them with a mini me?
And in fact, the problem is this, that they almost are stronger than you are because you've developed in them the very thing that's in yourself, and almost every, almost every argument you advance, they advance the same until you think to yourself, it's the same in spiritual things, beloved saints.
The convictions of the parents in this home, one of the things that I love about the Bible, you see when we're reading in the book of Exodus, in the book of Exodus, it gives the credit to the mother. It actually highlights Moses' mother, Moses' mother, Moses' mother, when his mother, you see when you go over to the book of the Acts, Acts chapter seven, this is very well known.
When you go over to Acts chapter seven, it says about Moses that he was raised in his father's house. His father gets the credit, and the one that I love particularly is Hebrews chapter 11, because there it's not the mother, and it's not the father, but Hebrews chapter 11 says this, by faith Moses' parents, and it was a united home.
One of the things that I learned from this, beloved saints, is this, that if our children are going to survive in an Egyptian world, there needs to be a united home, a husband and a wife, and they're on the same page.
They're on the same page about physical things. They're on the same page about life. They're on the same page about spiritual things, and we put our best into the things of God, and we live for the assembly, and we live for the glory of God, and we put our best into these things for the honor of Christ.
May God help us, beloved saints, the conviction of the parents. I want you to think not only of the child and his parents, but I want you to notice the child and his protection. It's quite a thing, isn't it?
They hid him for three months, and the reason why, the reason why was this. There was a sanctuary in that home, three months in the home. Now, I'll be coming to the hidden man this afternoon, and we'll get back to that, but here's a child in the home just for three months, and one of the great things about it is this.
You see, when three months elapsed, they couldn't hide him any longer. You say, why was that? Life always manifests itself. Isn't it great when we see people saved? I shouldn't tell anecdotes. I have no time to tell anecdotes here, but people have told me.
I was having a series of meetings one time with Peter Oroszak, and there was a 41-year-old who was coming to those meetings, and he was still going to Sunday school. Believe it or not, still going to Sunday school, 41 years of age, and there was one of the believers said to me, when he gets saved, sure, there'll hardly be any change at all, and you see, when he got saved, the change, it was unreal, just the dynamic change in a person's life because you can't hide life, beloved saints.
When they could no longer hide him, the child and his parents and the child and his protection, you know the thing that I'm driving at with this? That home was a sanctuary. It was a safe location. Just at the end of the day, they could come into that home.
At the end of the day, they could take repose in the home. At the end of the day, the home was different. No cursing in the home. There was none of the things that marked the world that was found in that home.
Oh no, it was very, aren't you glad, beloved saints? Sometimes just at the end of the day, just to step into your own home and close the door and just see the difference in a home where Christ is acknowledged.
The child and his parents, the child and his protection. I want to come to this one, the child and his preservation. The edict came out from the king, and the edict from the king was this. All those children, put them into the river.
All those male children of Israel, they have to die. Make sure they're put into the river. And here's a woman in that home with that precious little bundle, and she says to herself, I want this boy to live for God.
I want this boy to serve God. I want this boy to live for the glory and honor of Christ. And she made him a little basket. And it was, it was labor intense. And she pitched the little ark within and without with pitch.
Do you know what she said? She said, I know, I know that I have to put him into the river. I know. I have got to put him into the river. But what she said is this, I will protect him as best possible so that the river doesn't get to him.
And did you notice beloved saints? Oh, you say, she took the little basket down to the river Nile and she put it into the fast flowing current. And she says, there you are, Moses there. No, no, no, no, no, no, no.
None of that beloved saints, just as tentatively as possible. She just left it at the brink. She didn't push it out into the world. One of the practical lessons I learned there is this beloved saints, we need to be very careful about introducing our children into the things of the world.
Just be very careful. You say, how did she know? One of the things that I asked myself is this. She's obviously acting by faith. She's a spiritual lady. The home is predicated on her. It's the things that she is doing that will make the big impact in the life of the boy.
Don't forget beloved sisters, largely speaking now, it's not so much us men that have the biggest impact on the children. Could I encourage our sisters this morning, the biggest impact on our children, I would judge, comes from our wives and comes from their mothers.
And here is this lady and I see her weave the little basket. I see her pitch the little basket. I see her take the little basket to the river's brink. I see her put a guard on the basket. She sent Miriam there to guard the little boy in the basket.
All of it was done and it was done prayerfully and it was done carefully and it was done for the glory of God. You say, but tell me, tell me, how did she know that she could trust God? Well tell me, how do you know that you can trust God?
But how did she know? We need to answer that question. How did she know that she could trust God with a little bundle of three months that she could put into the river? It had been done before. You say what?
She knew the stories that this had happened before. It wasn't a three month old. There was a man and his wife and they had three children and their wives and God said one day to Noah, come thou and all thy house into the ark.
And she had heard the stories. There's a family that has already been preserved from the water. God is able to preserve a family. God is able to work. God is able to save. God is able to keep. And she says if God was able to do that with Noah and with his family, God is able to do that with my little boy.
You know beloved saints, I've got to sit down here. Some of the other aspects I'd have to leave. But can I tell you, God has preserved a former generation. The God that preserved a former generation, he's able to preserve this generation.
The God that was able to preserve assembly testimony in former times, he's able to preserve assembly testimony in these days. And you say what's the secret? Just trust God. And so we've got the child and his parents, the child and his protection, the child and his preservation.
I'll finish with this. What about the child and his potential? Did he reach his potential? Well, we leave it for this morning. Perhaps we come back to it if the Lord helps us this afternoon. Maybe we come back to it.
Beloved saints, let me conclude with this. It is possible still to live for God. Amen.