Tell the Truth

DEVOTION

EXODUS

TELL THE TRUTH

Ex 4:18-23

18 Then Moses went back to Jethro his father-in-law and said to him, "Let me go back to my own people in Egypt to see if any of them are still alive." Jethro said, "Go, and I wish you well." 19 Now the LORD had said to Moses in Midian, "Go back to Egypt, for all the men who wanted to kill you are dead." 20 So Moses took his wife and sons, put them on a donkey and started back to Egypt. And he took the staff of God in his hand. 21 The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go. 22 Then say to Pharaoh, 'This is what the LORD says: Israel is my firstborn son, 23 and I told you, "Let my son go, so he may worship me." But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.'"

NIV

First of all it appears Moses is not entirely truthful with his father-in-law, or brother-in-law since we have determined Jethro is not Reuel. We unveiled that from our previous investigations.  Nevertheless it is interesting that Moses did not tell the priest of Midian about his encounter with the LORD God. Did he think Jethro would not believe him or be offended about Moses talking with another god other than his? Maybe he thought that if he told him about his real mission he would not let him take his sister and nephews with him. Whatever the reason, it is clear Moses had some sort of challenge in being truthful. Another interesting fact is that now we are being told about a conversation we were not privy to during that conversation. Now we are being told the God had informed Moses all the men who wanted to kill him were dead, meaning no one remembers anything that happened when he was in Egypt. Now, Moses decides to go back. All the obstacles are gone, all the excuses were covered, but now it seems the path is clear, his fear of reprisal is gone and he is going back. Why the deception about the real reason for his return may be our lesson. We certainly could focus on this hardening of Pharaoh’s heart as a lesson instead. Perhaps we should at least take a look at this before we dive into the lesson about being truthful about God.  This word translated harden is rather unique. Its direct meaning is to strengthen, to become firm, to be resolute, or harden. The text does not say that God said he would make the heart of Pharaoh hard. It says that he would firm up, strengthen his resolve, harden an already hard heart he has against the Israelites. We know from the very beginning of this exodus story the Pharaoh had a hard heart toward the Israelites and began to enslave them, dealing harshly with them. This method or attitude by the new Pharaoh had not changed. He was a harsh ruler, master over the Israelites, for it was due to how hard he was on them that their cries went up to God. God did not make his heart hard, it was already hard, and God simply strengthened his resolve against what Moses was to ask about letting them go, so he could demonstrate his mighty hand. We could also focus on this first born son comment about Israel. They are the first born son of God, but not the only son. He first revealed himself to them, so to speak, he chose them as his first born people, to whom he sent Jesus into their midst. But as Christ was the firstborn of all the brothers, us, Israel is the firstborn of all the believers. But let us return to the first lesson here. Why did Moses keep the truth from Jethro? Do we keep the truth about God from others? Sure we might tell people they need to get saved. We might tell people they are sinners and doomed to hell unless they accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. No, we don’t tell them that truth, we tell them God loves them. We might tell them Jesus died for their sins, but certainly not that they are sinners doomed to hell, doomed to perish in the lake of burning sulfur. We have left those messages about hell fire and brimstone far in the past, for it is not the way to win souls into the kingdom. At least that is what we have been told by someone. Who would not want us to win souls into the kingdom of God? Who would deceive us into thinking we could not be truthful about God? Are we just going to love them into the kingdom? Do we think by loving them, by doing all sorts of good deed before them they will just automatically start understanding the truth about God? Someone needs to tell them. There are lots of really nice, loving people among the lost, among people who need to know the truth about God. Our being nice loving people does not relay the truth about God, we just look like many of them, no different. No, we need to tell the truth about God. He has made it clear, we all have the opportunity to be saved, in fact it is his desire, but if we choose to ignore him, we will perish. It is true that some will bury their heads in the sand, saying either, “I don’t want to hear about God” or “I don’t believe God would do that” or something of that nature, but if they do not hear the truth, they do not have the choice. Why should we be like Moses and keep the truth from them? Who will tell them, if we don’t?