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YAG 13th Retreat Session 3

Text: Exodus 6
4 June 2011

13th YAG RETREAT
Session #3
04 June 2011
Theme: “SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP II”

Focus: Great spiritual leadership always demands depth in the leader

1. Deeper Lessons

Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he
will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.

Exodus 6:1

a) God’s reply

i) Understanding
ii) Gentleness
iii) Repeat of word given
iv) Revelation of future plans

b) God’s plan

i) Still in place
ii) His plan will not be thwarted by anyone
iii) To be understood better
iv) To be trusted

2. Reiterating Previous Lessons Taught            Exodus 6; Exodus 3-4

a) I am the LORD            Exodus 6:2b

i) Appeared to Abraham
ii) Isaac
iii) Jacob

b) Appeared to the patriarch as “God Almighty”            Exodus 6:3
c) God will now be known to Israel by the name “LORD”            Exodus 6:3b

3. Reinforcing Spiritual Lessons

a) Establishing the doctrine of God’s Covenant            Exodus 6:4

i) This was established with Abraham            Genesis 15, 17
ii) This Covenant was being remembered in the days of Moses            Exodus 6:5
iii) The land of Covenant will be given to the children of Israel            Exodus 6:5

b) Applying the ramifications of God’s covenant

I am the LORD

Exodus 6:6a

I will

Exodus 6:6-8

i) I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians            Exodus 6:6b
ii) I will rescue you from their bondage            Exodus 6:6c
iii) I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments            Exodus 6:6d
iv) I will take you as My people            Exodus 6:7a
v) I will be your God            Exodus 6:7b

Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

vi) And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob            Exodus 6:8a
vii) I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD            Exodus 6:8b

4. The unbelief of the Children of Israel

So Moses spoke thus to the children of Israel; but they did not heed Moses, because of anguish of spirit
and cruel bondage.

Exodus 6:9

a) Israel had a choice

i) To believe
ii) To disbelieve

b) Israel chose unbelief

i) Because of anguish of spirit
ii) Because of cruel bondage

c) Israel could have chosen to exercise faith in God and His word

i) Israel did not
ii) The nation expected God to come up with a swift and painless solution

5. The faltering spirit of Moses

Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go
out of his land.’
And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, ‘The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall
Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?’
Then the LORD spoke to Moses and Aaron, and gave them a command for the children of Israel and for
Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 6:10-13

a) Moses was deeply discouraged
b) He felt that he had failed in ministering to the children of Israel
c) How could he succeed with Pharaoh?
d) An old problem of diffidence returned

i) Moses felt himself lacking in eloquence
ii) Worse, he was a man of uncircumcised lips (Cf. Isaiah 6:5 “unclean lips”)

6. Vital Challenges

a) Remembering God’s Covenant promises
b) Believing God’s word
c) Fending off negative feelings

i) Doubts
ii) Fears
iii) Unbelief

d) Returning to God
e) Determining to choose faith in God
f) God’s word was nothing less than a command:

i) To the children of Israel            Exodus 6:13a
ii) To Pharaoh as well            Exodus 6:13b

g) Lessons on cultivating spiritual depths

i) Human reasoning cannot go beyond a certain level
ii) There must be a deeper level of knowledge of God and His word
iii) There must be greater depth of thought and plans if there is to be significant spiritual progress
iv) Depth is not easily obtained, but it is possible
v) Depth is wisdom; it is not easily obtained!