Exodus 4:1-9 New Living Translation… But Moses protested again, “What if they won’t believe me or listen to me? What if they say, ‘The Lord never appeared to you’?”

2 Then the Lord asked him, “What is that in your hand?” “A shepherd’s staff,” Moses replied.

3 “Throw it down on the ground,” the Lord told him. So Moses threw down the staff, and it turned into a snake! Moses jumped back.

4 Then the Lord told him, “Reach out and grab its tail.” So Moses reached out and grabbed it, and it turned back into a shepherd’s staff in his hand.

5 “Perform this sign,” the Lord told him. “Then they will believe that the Lord, the God of their ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—really has appeared to you.”

6 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Now put your hand inside your cloak.” So Moses put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it out again, his hand was white as snow with a severe skin disease. 7 “Now put your hand back into your cloak,” the Lord said. So Moses put his hand back in, and when he took it out again, it was as healthy as the rest of his body.

8 The Lord said to Moses, “If they do not believe you and are not convinced by the first miraculous sign, they will be convinced by the second sign. 9 And if they don’t believe you or listen to you even after these two signs, then take some water from the Nile River and pour it out on the dry ground. When you do, the water from the Nile will turn to blood on the ground.”

Introduction: The question of “what if” stalls, stunts, and suppresses the possibility of greatness in our lives.

Moses learns that the bush is still burning with God’s fiery presence, and that is an indicator that God has not changed God’s mind!

Transition: God is patiently God.

Reference The book of Jonah; Isaiah 55:11.

Exposition: God did not come down to deliver Israel from slavery empty handed, and I’d argue that God, in our text, shows God’s hand and schools Moses on what’s in his hands.

Moses three signs… a staff that God transforms into a snake then back into a staff; a healthy hand that God transforms into a lifeless limb then back healthy; and a scoop of water from the Nile river that God transforms into blood.

Reference Galatian 6:7

Our God is not empty handed, God is the God of…

-Creativity

Reference Isaiah 55:8-9

-Flexibility

Reference Matthew 26:39

-Authority

Reference Romans 1:16

Conclusion: Whatever it is name it and use it, because that’s where you’ll find freedom. Don’t be startled by it, stingy with it, or stubborn about it!

The God of Dry Places

Exodus 17:1-7 NLT… At the Lord’s command, the whole community of Israel left the wilderness of Sin and moved from place to place. Eventually they camped at Rephidim, but there was no water there for the people to drink. 2 So once more the people complained against Moses. “Give us water to drink!” they demanded. “Quiet!” Moses replied. “Why are you complaining against me? And why are you testing the Lord?” 3 But tormented by thirst, they continued to argue with Moses. “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Are you trying to kill us, our children, and our livestock with thirst?” 4 Then Moses cried out to the Lord, “What should I do with these people? They are ready to stone me!”

5 The Lord said to Moses, “Walk out in front of the people. Take your staff, the one you used when you struck the water of the Nile, and call some of the elders of Israel to join you. 6 I will stand before you on the rock at Mount Sinai. Strike the rock, and water will come gushing out. Then the people will be able to drink.” So Moses struck the rock as he was told, and water gushed out as the elders looked on.

7 Moses named the place Massah (which means “test”) and Meribah (which means “arguing”) because the people of Israel argued with Moses and tested the Lord by saying, “Is the Lord here with us or not?”

Introduction: The previous chapters of our life story, should fuel our faith, so that we don’t hit the panic button every time trouble arises. Reference Exodus 14:11-12; 15:23-24; 16:2-3.

The story is always the same, our problem becomes God’s platform to display his power. We grumble, then God gives us what we don’t deserve; grace so sweet and amazing!

Transition: Moses asked two questions during the argument… why are you mad at me and why are you testing God’s patience?

Exposition:

–Impaired Vision… verse 3
Israel can’t see for looking! The situation has caused them to focus on the opposition, without any regard for the opportunity before them.

-Impassioned Prayer… verse 4
“I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

–Incredible God… verses 5-6
The people wanted to stone Moses, so God took a rock they would’ve used for murder and gave them water. God specializes in doing something ‘super’ with our ‘natural’!

Conclusion: “Is the Lord here with us or not?” Yes, he is!