(Exodus 1:1-6, 2:11-25) 

Freedom = a treasured, precious possession, something not to be taken for granted. Exodus is a book about freedom, but then misinterpreted by liberation theology and apartheid theology (used to justify as such).  It talks about the greatest freedom of all. 

Exodus provides us with a PATTERN OF REDEMPTION. 

It beings with a poignant reminder, in 1:1-6, that Abraham’s descendants would become exceedingly numerous: an echo of that promise of population, of land. 

Then a harsh reality appears – (slaughter of children, a new king) in 1:8-22.  You ask here and now, urgent questions – how can they be free now?  They are a people without power.   

The Start of Exodus confronts us with the reality of utter hopelessness.  Exodus 2 gives the answer that there is no hope for Israel or the human race.  However, it also presents a glimmer of optimism at the start of Ex 2 – Moses, a second Joseph who is second to the Pharaoh is a glimmer of hope for Israel.  BUT then, Moses kills an Egyptian and thus Moses, the political leader is banished. 

At the end of the story, Moses is banished – all hope for Israel’s salvation is lost; the door is shut.  The author closes the door on any hope that there is any hope of salvation from within. 

There is a parallel here to Jesus – we are hopeless, ensnared by Satan, there is no hope for salvation from within.  Reason, religion, money, nothing can save us. 

“With man – it is impossible” (2:1-22), unless we come to admit this point, we’re not even off the starting point with Christianity: “I can not save myself.” 

The gospel = ‘momentous news’, therefore before there can be a gospel, there must first be bad news.  There is no salvation for Israel from below. 

However, Exodus puts before us GLORIOUS HOPE! (Ex 2:23-25).  God heard their groaning, remembered his covenant with Abraham and was concerned for them.   Israel can turn to the living God: ‘God looked’, ‘God heard’, ‘God saw’, ‘God was concerned’ -> He sees, He cares, and for that reason, HE CAN SAVE. 

The FAITHFUL GOD ‘remembered his covenant’, thus in the OT, it means that God is about to act in accordance with what God has done; God’s timetable has come to the point that he will do something about Israel’s plight. 

The Glory of the Gospel: it is a message that is hard to accept.  In this world, there are a myriad alternatives to religion.  We must hear tonight, and take to heart tonight that GOD ALONE SAVES: Mk 10, with God, all things are possible!

Talk 2: Mervyn Eloff –The God who saves (2)

(Exodus 3:11-15) 

Swearing = ‘swearing is the means by which the inarticulate give themselves the impression of eloquence’

Swearing seems to have become part and parcel of national speech.  Even though Paul rebukes us for it, we seem to have become accustomed to it!   

Blasphemy = taking God’s name in vain, using God’s name carelessly; there is a far deeper reason why we as Christians should have a reverence for the name of God.   

3:1 – when it comes to God, what’s in a name?  G.O.D. spells anything and everything in this day and age.  And us who stand against blasphemy are called ‘fundamentalists’ and ‘bigots’ when we say that there is only ONE God.  The world thinks G.O.D. spells whatever you want it to spell, and that everything and anything can lead to God. 

3:6 – God’s name matters to God, God introduces him to Moses by name. 

3:14-15 – God stresses the importance of His name (‘I AM who I AM’).  Therefore God’s name matters to God, and as a result, God’s name should matter to US! 

3:1-15 gives us good reasons for this. 

God’s name points to God’s person (3:14 – I AM WHO I AM).  The point of God introducing himself like this tells us some truths about him: 1) he is the PERSONAL GOD, 2) he is the LIVING GOD, the God of Abraham & Isaac etc, and 3) he is the ETERNAL GOD, the beginning and the end.   

Israel has to learn this again, having lived so long in Egypt, and we need to be reminded of this also.  So, God’s names matters because the God of the name matters. 

God’s name points to his saving work – love and faithfulness; the living God who is and will be has and will act. 

v12, 29:49 – Israel will know who God is when they see that He has done what he has promised them to do.  Therefore his person cannot be separated. 

THE BIG IDEA:

Ex 1-2, God alone saves!

Ex 3, …this God who alone can save, is UNIQUE, as we meet God as a HOLY God: whose person and work is bound up in his name.   

What are the Implications of Ex 3?

(i)                 God’s name DOES matter! Work out ways in which we can respond to people who habitually blaspheme,

(ii)               Jesus’ name matters! It arises out of Paul’s thinking in 1 Tim 2:3-6, v5 for there is ONE God, and since there is only one God who can save, there is only ONE mediator.  Thus, one God, one way, and Jesus matters because he is the ONLY mediator that we have to God.   

Thus the greatest blasphemy is to ignore Jesus.  Because, Acts 4:12, there is no other name… 

In a pluralistic world, where everything else is tolerated except for one truth, there is no other name under earth from which man can be saved.

Talk 3: Mervyn Eloff – The God who leads

(Exodus 15:1-8) 

Three reasons why assurance of salvation is important to ministry:

1)  1 Peter 1:13 onwards, the hope of eternal life is a key element to personal holiness; and holiness is a vital part to our ministry.

2)  Colossians 1:4-6, speaks of our ongoing faith in Christ, the Colossians have love for the saints; faith and love is connected, because from the hope of eternal life, you will have love for the saints.  We can’t call others to trust in Christ unless we are doing this day by day, loving and serving them.  Because of faith and love we can do ministry.

3)  Assurance is important for Christian ministry because it is our product of and the key to our perseverance in the midst of struggle and sufferings (Rom 5:1-6).  Therefore being heavenly minded is of great earthly good. 

Therefore, assurance is absolutely important to our Christian lives and ministry.  Even if you aren’t struggling with the assurance of salvation yourself, you will undoubtedly encounter it in your ministries over and over again. 

Ex 15:3-12, Moses is looking back at God’s victories on Israel’s behalf, he is singing about God, what God has done for Israel.  God goes to battle for his people (cf. Is 59), by using his supernatural power.  It is this power, v11, that finally distinguishes God from the false gods.  It is a God who fights for his people to overthrow their enemies, Moses looks back at God’s saving past. 

V13 onwards, God will lead them in his unfailing love to the place where he dwells, and there he will rule over them, a ‘sanctuary’ (v17), a safe haven because God is there because he lives and rules there., therefore there is great safety to be enjoyed.   

The power God uses to redeem his people is the same power he uses to bring his people home to safety (see the 2 sections vv3-12, and vv13-18).   

This has everything to do with the subject of assurance.  vv1-2, Moses calls God ‘my’ strength/salvation – it is a personal song of God; ‘he is my God’.  Is this not the language of assurance? [The difference between religion and Christianity hinges on a personal pronoun – Christ died for ‘MY’ sins.] 

Thus, because he is my Saviour TODAY, he WILL lead me HOME. 

The Theology of Assurance:

- The good shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep (John 10).

- the God who is the warrior is also in John 12:31, and acts in majestic power at the cross to defeat satan.  Remember Jesus the warrior, who at the cross overturns the principalities and powers.

- therefore the theology of assurance comes out of Exodus 15; Moses’ testimony becomes our assurance in the light of Jesus’ death.  In John 14:1-7 Thomas answers – I don’t know the way! [that is the problem of the pilgrim people], but Jesus is the way, the good shepherd is the one who guides and leads his sheep to the sanctuary forever.  (heaven is only heaven when Jesus is there!) 

So, Romans 8:31-39,  

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³²He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶As it is written:
   "For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."  ³⁷No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Talk 4: Mervyn Eloff – The Gracious God

(Exodus 32:1-14, 34:1-9) 

There is and will be always a difference between authentic Christianity and religion which bears the same name.  The critical word is ‘grace’.   

The idea of ‘earning your place in life’ in society is in graceless/self-righteous religion.  Society has a pecking order, drawn by horizontal lines.  God’s way of looking at people was to draw a line down the middle instead, not horizontal lines creating a pecking order. 

Human Nature revealed – 32:8

An act of rebellion, despite all the privileges given to Israel, they very quickly turned away from God. 

The nature of this rebellion – they exchanged the invisible God for something that was visible and tangible; religion by sight rather than religion by faith and hearing.  They exchanged God for a god who they could keep out of their life, a manageable god.  Is this exchange any more worse than our exchange; our rebellion from God, the rebellion of the world? 

It is a pattern of the rebellion of the world.  People worshiping an unknown god, because human nature is stiff-necked. 

Here, the wrath of God is invoked and revealed.

32:10,12 – God’s burning anger is fierce and hot.  BUT, God doesn’t blow his top, he is not subject to our unworthy emotion.  Instead, God’s wrath is measured, controlled and determined.  God’s wrath is seen in his anger to rebellion. 

But it is also seen in his action – exiling Israel out of their land – Romans 2, ‘the day of his wrath’, acting in judgment against the rebellious human race. 

God’s grace revealed – something we find so hard to comprehend.

The God who relents; is shown in his mercy to sinners.  ‘Propitiation’ is God’s wrath being turned away from us and being directed at his son – Jesus. 

The man who intercedes – the prayer that Moses prayed (32:21 – Moses prays for Israel on Israel’s behalf in the presence of God because of his intimate relationship with God).  Moses had ACCESS to God, and an INTIMACY with God.  It becomes the basis of the high priest prayers in the OT, and in Hebrews. 

Because of who God is (34:6-7), he FORGIVES.  This is the glory of the gospel – that the God who is wrathful against sinners forgives, and he does it for his name’s sake. 

Therefore, how do we respond when the grace of God is revealed to us? 34:8 - ‘Moses bowed down at once and worshipped’. 

True worship is v9, acknowledging sin, being honest about our sins, then pleas for forgiveness.  If God is against us, where else do we go but God?  True worship is also the pursuit of holiness: our response is to pursue holiness. 

How do we respond?  What is the worship that we are to engage in?  It is the worship that pursues holiness, seeks forgiveness and recognises people in the graceless world, showing love and reaching out to the very ends of the earth.