King James Daily Bible Study: God Has Other Plans
Date: Tuesday January 18, 2011
Chapters: Exodus 1-4
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-january-18
Details of Today's Reading: A new Pharaoh afflicts the new generation of Israelites, Pharaoh orders death to all male children born, Moses is saved from death, Moses grows up with Pharaoh's daughter, Moses kills a man and flees to Midian, God speaks to Moses, Moses heads back to Egypt with his brother Aaron to free the Israelites.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
God has a plan and purpose for each and everyone of us, regardless of whether you are completely healthy or have a disability, when God calls you to do something there are no excuses. The Bible says, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:26-28.

The Book of Exodus is the second book of the Old Testament and Bible and contains forty chapters. The time line is approximately 1706BC to 1490BC, God used Moses to write it and it was first written to the people of Israel in order to record their deliverance from slavery to the Egyptians and to document their purpose for existence as a nation. What we are to learn from the book is that the animal blood sacrifices made for salvation were a foreshadow of the Lamb of God, His Son, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself as a sacrifice to save mankind once and for all who believe. “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening... And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 12:5,6,13.

After Joseph died, a new Pharaoh was appointed ruler over Egypt and he had no idea who Joseph was, or any of his family, but he knew that there were more Hebrews in his land then there were Egyptians and that scared him to death.

“And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” - Exodus 1:6-12.

Pharaoh thought that if he afflicted (tortured) them enough that the Hebrews would weaken and pretty much die off. However, God had other plans, He increased their strength and number as well. We may not realize it, but God uses our burdens to our advantage, everything that we go through in life is allowed in order to grow and strengthen our relationship with Him and to prepare us for what is ahead. “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.” - I Peter 4:12,13

Pharaoh then came up with this idea to kill every newborn male baby that was delivered from the Hebrews, but the midwives refused and when Pharaoh found out he ordered all the male babies to be cast into the river. Pharaoh really thought that he had everything under his control, but the fact was that God was in control and will use any situation to His advantage. He used his own daughter to raise a Hebrew child and even paid his own mother to nurse and care for 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, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to 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 women 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.” - Exodus 2:5-10.

What an amazing God we have, God not only saved this child, but allowed his biological mother to get paid for nursing her own baby. When situations seem hopeless, it is more than comforting to remember that our God cares about us, knows how to deliver us from our afflictions, and even blesses us through them. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” - II Corinthians 4:17,18.

Now, some time had come to pass, Moses was in distraught at the way his people were being treated, he got so angry one day that he killed a man. Out of fear he fled to Midian, he made a life there and was content to live there and raise his family there. However, God had other plans, forty years later, He contacted Moses and told him that he was going to be the one to lead the Israelites back to Canaan. At first, Moses did not want to do it, he gave one excuse after another, but when God appoints you to do something He does not care how long it takes, He will get you to do it.

“And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The LORD hath not appeared unto thee...And Moses said unto the LORD, O my LORD, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore, nor since thou hast spoken unto thy servant: but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue. And the LORD said unto him, Who hath made man's mouth? or who maketh the dumb, or deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? have not I the LORD? Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say. And he said, O my LORD, send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send. And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and he said, Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee: and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.” - Exodus 4:1,10-14.

God has a plan for you, it may be bigger than what you could ever imagined, but He knows you can do it. Embrace the calling from God and watch the blessings unfold. Oh, you are going to face some affliction, but He is right there with you to accomplish it, of course, He would be since He is appointing you to do it. “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” - I Peter 5:8-10. Praise God!

Jesus Christ Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through IAM, “..Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you.” -Exodus 3:14b. “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.” - Revelation 1:8.

Thanks and God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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