WEBVTT - #967 - Exodus 4 – Signs and Excuses

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<v Speaker 1>Life Audio The Bible Study Podcast, Episode nine sixty seven. Today,

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<v Speaker 1>The Bible Study Podcast continues the study of the Book

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<v Speaker 1>of Exodus with chapter four. Welcome to the Bible Study Podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm your host, Chris Christensen. We're going to continue on

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<v Speaker 1>with chapter four, Signs for Moses. This could easily be

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<v Speaker 1>called excuses from Moses and signs for Moses, but we'll

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<v Speaker 1>see more of that afterward. From this sponsor, Chapter four,

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<v Speaker 1>Signs for Moses. Moses answered, what if they do not

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<v Speaker 1>believe me or listen to me and say the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>did not appear to you. Then the Lord said to him,

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<v Speaker 1>what is that in your hand? A staff? He replied,

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<v Speaker 1>The Lord said, throw it on the ground. Moses threw

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<v Speaker 1>it on the ground. It became a snake, and he

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<v Speaker 1>ran from it. Then the Lord said, reach out your

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<v Speaker 1>hand and take it by the tail. So Moses reached

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<v Speaker 1>out his hand and took hold of the snake and

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<v Speaker 1>had turned back into a staff in his hand. This

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<v Speaker 1>said the Lord, is so that they may believe that

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord, the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham,

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<v Speaker 1>the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has

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<v Speaker 1>appeared to you. Then the Lord said, put your hand

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<v Speaker 1>inside your cloak. So Moses put his hand into his cloak,

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<v Speaker 1>and when he took it out, the skin was leprous.

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<v Speaker 1>It had become as white as snow. Now put it

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<v Speaker 1>back in your cloak, he said. So Moses put his

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<v Speaker 1>hand back into his cloak, and when he took it out,

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<v Speaker 1>it was restored, like the rest of his flesh. Then

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<v Speaker 1>the Lord said, if they do not believe you or

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<v Speaker 1>pay attention to the first sign, they may believe the second.

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<v Speaker 1>But if they do not believe these two signs or

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<v Speaker 1>listen to you, take some water from the nile and

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<v Speaker 1>pour it on the dry ground. The water you take

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<v Speaker 1>from the river will become blood on the ground. Moses

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<v Speaker 1>said to the Lord, pardon your servant, Lord, I have

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<v Speaker 1>never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you

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<v Speaker 1>have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech

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<v Speaker 1>and tongue. The Lord said, who gave human beings their

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<v Speaker 1>mouths makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight

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<v Speaker 1>or makes them blind? Is it not I? The Lord?

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<v Speaker 1>Now go, I will help you speak and will teach

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<v Speaker 1>you what to say. But Moses said, pardon your servant, Lord,

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<v Speaker 1>Please send somebody else. Then the Lord's anger burned against Moses,

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<v Speaker 1>and he said, what about your brother Aaron the Levite?

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<v Speaker 1>I know he can speak well. He is already on

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<v Speaker 1>his way to meet you, and he will be glad

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<v Speaker 1>to see you. You shall speak to him and put

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<v Speaker 1>words in his mouth. I will help both of you

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<v Speaker 1>speak and will teach you what to do. He will

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<v Speaker 1>speak to the people for you. It will be as

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<v Speaker 1>if he were your mouth, and as if you were

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<v Speaker 1>God to him. But take this staff in your hand

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<v Speaker 1>so you can perform the signs with it. And you

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<v Speaker 1>see why I say this could easily be Moses' excuses,

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<v Speaker 1>because Moses tries three times to say, I don't really

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<v Speaker 1>want to do this, And if he comes up with

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<v Speaker 1>excuses at first, it's like talking to your kids here

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<v Speaker 1>a little bit. What if they don't believe me. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>not sure that this is going to work because they

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<v Speaker 1>may not believe me. Well, God gives him two signs

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<v Speaker 1>to show them and tells him a third one so

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<v Speaker 1>he can He's got this staff, and this would be

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<v Speaker 1>the tool of a shepherd. Right, you use a crook

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<v Speaker 1>and a staff as a shepherd. A staff you use

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<v Speaker 1>against the wolf, and a crook you use to pull

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<v Speaker 1>the sheep back. It was so from the Lord is

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<v Speaker 1>my shepherd, thy rod, and thy staff. This is the staff.

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<v Speaker 1>It's that it's that long stick that's a bit like

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<v Speaker 1>a club. So he's carrying this because it's what shepherds do.

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<v Speaker 1>And God uses what he has in a new way.

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<v Speaker 1>And we'll see when this staff is referred to in

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<v Speaker 1>the future, we won't necessarily hear it by the term

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<v Speaker 1>Moses staff, so keep an eye out for that. But

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<v Speaker 1>he says, throw it on the ground. It turns into

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<v Speaker 1>a snake, and Moses runs because he doesn't like snakes,

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<v Speaker 1>and it probably turned into something that was not a

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<v Speaker 1>pleasurable snake. And so God says, pick it up by

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<v Speaker 1>the tail. He picks it up, he turns back into

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<v Speaker 1>a staff. So that's one thing. And then he says,

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<v Speaker 1>put your hand in. Your cloak comes out leprous. Put

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<v Speaker 1>it back in. It comes out clean. Okay. So we've

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<v Speaker 1>got two signs to show people. And then says this

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<v Speaker 1>third one, pour water on the ground from the nile.

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<v Speaker 1>It will become blood. Okay. But that wasn't really the problem.

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<v Speaker 1>So Moses goes on and says, okay, Lord, I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>that good speaking neither in the past nor since you

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<v Speaker 1>have spoken to yourself. God just started speaking to Moses.

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<v Speaker 1>This is something that has happened minutes ago. So I

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<v Speaker 1>have not become a good speaker here in the last

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<v Speaker 1>few minutes, is what he's saying. I am slow of

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<v Speaker 1>speech in tongue. Well, he's been out with sheep a lot,

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<v Speaker 1>hasn't been spending as much time with people as someone

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<v Speaker 1>might have who was in a different line of work.

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<v Speaker 1>And he hasn't been in the court as he was

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<v Speaker 1>as a kid. Now, maybe he was a good speaker

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<v Speaker 1>at that point, but that's a long time ago. So

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<v Speaker 1>he says, I, really, I don't think I'd be very

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<v Speaker 1>good at this. Maybe you should just find somebody who

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<v Speaker 1>would be better at it. And then he says, well,

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<v Speaker 1>you know who gave people speech, who makes them talk,

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<v Speaker 1>who makes them dumb? Who makes them blind? Well, it

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<v Speaker 1>isn't it, ey, isn't that the Lord? I will help you.

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<v Speaker 1>I'll tell you what to say. And then finally we

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<v Speaker 1>get to the real thing. Lord, send someone else, and

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<v Speaker 1>God gets a little mad at Moses and says, well,

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron's coming to Aaron's gonna help. You'll talk to Aaron

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<v Speaker 1>Aaron will talk to the people, but I don't want

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<v Speaker 1>to hear anything else. Basically, at this point, you're going. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder whether we sometimes sound like this to God.

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<v Speaker 1>If God wants us to do something, do we come

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<v Speaker 1>up with excuses like this I don't have I'm not

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<v Speaker 1>sure we'll work, I'm not sure I have the skills

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<v Speaker 1>to do it. And maybe this should just be somebody

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<v Speaker 1>else's mission. And clearly, in the case of Moses, those

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<v Speaker 1>excuses were not listened to by God. God had a

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<v Speaker 1>plan for his people, and that plan included Moses, even

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<v Speaker 1>if Moses thought it sounded like a bad idea. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>was Moses also afraid of going back where there was

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<v Speaker 1>a price on his head? Was he afraid if he

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<v Speaker 1>goes back to Egypt he gets killed? Maybe? Was he

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<v Speaker 1>just wondering what people would think of him as somebody

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<v Speaker 1>who was a fugitive? Possibly, But whatever excuses he came

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<v Speaker 1>up with, God had a plan, and that plan included Moses.

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<v Speaker 1>And sometimes God is a plan and that plan includes you,

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<v Speaker 1>or that plan includes me, whatever excuses we may have,

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<v Speaker 1>Moses returns to Egypt. Then Moses went back to Jethro,

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<v Speaker 1>his father in law, and said to him, let me

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<v Speaker 1>return to my own people in Egypt and see if

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<v Speaker 1>any of them are still alive. Jethro said, go, and

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<v Speaker 1>I wish you well. Now. The Lord had said to

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<v Speaker 1>Moses Omitian, go back to Egypt, for all those who

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<v Speaker 1>want to kill you are dead. So Moses took his

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<v Speaker 1>wife and sons, put them on a donkey, and started

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<v Speaker 1>back to Egypt, and he took the staff of God

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<v Speaker 1>in his hand. The Lord said to Moses, when you

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<v Speaker 1>return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all

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<v Speaker 1>the wonders that I have given you the powers the

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<v Speaker 1>power to do. But I will harden his heart so

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<v Speaker 1>that he will not let the people go. Then say

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<v Speaker 1>to Pharaoh, this is what the Lord says. Israel is

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<v Speaker 1>my firstborn son, and I told you let my son

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<v Speaker 1>go so that he may worship me. But you refuse

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<v Speaker 1>to let him go, So I will kill your firstborn son.

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<v Speaker 1>At a logic place on the way, the Lord met

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<v Speaker 1>Moses and was about to kill him, but Zipporah took

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<v Speaker 1>a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses'

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<v Speaker 1>feet with it. Surely you are a bridegroom of blood

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<v Speaker 1>to me, she said, so the Lord let him live.

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<v Speaker 1>And at that time she said, bridegroom of blood, referring

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<v Speaker 1>to circumcision. The Lord said to Aaron, go into the

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<v Speaker 1>wilderness to meet Moses. So he met Moses at the

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<v Speaker 1>Mountain of God and kissed him. Then Moses told erin

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<v Speaker 1>everything the Lord had sent him to say, and also

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<v Speaker 1>about all the signs he had commanded him to perform.

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<v Speaker 1>Moses and Aaron brought together all the elders of the Israelites,

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<v Speaker 1>and Aaron told them everything the Lord had said to Moses.

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<v Speaker 1>He also performed the signs before the people, and they believed.

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<v Speaker 1>And when they heard that the Lord was concerned about

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<v Speaker 1>them and had seen their misery, they bowed down and worshiped.

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<v Speaker 1>So lots of stuff going on. He tells his father

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<v Speaker 1>in law, Jethro, I'm going to go back and see

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<v Speaker 1>people alive. He doesn't in this passage. It doesn't look

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<v Speaker 1>like He says, Oh, by the way, Jethro, I was out,

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<v Speaker 1>I saw a burning bush. God talk to me, and

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<v Speaker 1>I've got a mission to go. He makes up some

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<v Speaker 1>other reason. Not quite comfortable with that role yet, I guess,

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<v Speaker 1>and he goes back. God tells him all the people

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<v Speaker 1>want to kill your dead. That may have been a

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<v Speaker 1>concern on his mind, as I suspected, which might be

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<v Speaker 1>why God tells him. And so he and his wife

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<v Speaker 1>and sons go back by the way. When you see

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<v Speaker 1>Pharaoh tell him all these things. And also when he

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<v Speaker 1>tells you he won't let them go, we get some

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<v Speaker 1>subtle foreshadowing here, or not so subtle, that Israel is

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<v Speaker 1>my firstborn. Let my son go so that you may

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<v Speaker 1>worship Be, or I will kill your firstborn son. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>we will get there, but not for a little bit.

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<v Speaker 1>And then there's this odd story here that the Lord

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<v Speaker 1>met Moses was about to kill him. Now. I don't

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<v Speaker 1>know if this is related to things we will see

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<v Speaker 1>later in the chapter that you can't look on God

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<v Speaker 1>and live, or what's going on here, but it is

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<v Speaker 1>circumcision that prevents this, and so from now on, circumcision

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<v Speaker 1>will be part of what it means to be an Israelite.

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<v Speaker 1>Lord says to Aaron. So Aarin is now sent to

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<v Speaker 1>meet Moses and they meet up. They haven't seen each

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<v Speaker 1>other for many years at this point, and Moses tells

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<v Speaker 1>him everything that's going on. He tells him about the

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<v Speaker 1>sheep business, but they get around at some point to

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<v Speaker 1>the burning Bush tells him all the signs shows them

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<v Speaker 1>to him, probably, and they go and they talk to

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<v Speaker 1>the elders, and the elders believe, they believe, and they worship.

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<v Speaker 1>So far, so good. It won't be that easy, but

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<v Speaker 1>we'll see that next time. With that, we're going to

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<v Speaker 1>end this episode of the Bible Study Podcast. If you

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<v Speaker 1>have any questions, send an email to Chris to xat

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<v Speaker 1>gmail dot com, or better yet, leave a comment on

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<v Speaker 1>this episode at the Bible Study podcast dot com. And

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<v Speaker 1>as always, thanks so much for listening. I want to

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<v Speaker 1>take just a second to thank the team at Life

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<v Speaker 1>Audio for their partnership with us on this podcast. If

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