"WHO IS THE LORD THAT I SHOULD OBEY HIS VOICE?"

INTRO:

1. The children of Israel had faired well in Egypt while Joseph was living.

2. But we soon read that "there arose a Pharaoh that knew not Joseph." Ex. 1:8.

3. From this particular Pharaoh on, the children of Israel begin to be oppressed by the Egyptians.

4. It was during this time of oppression that Moses was born in Egypt.

5. When Moses was three months old, he was hid by his mother among the reeds, in an ark made of bulrushes, in the edge of the river.

6. He was found there by Pharaoh's daughter and was taken by her as her own son and reared in the king's palace.

7. He stayed in Egypt until he was 40 years old, at which time, seeing one of his fellow Hebrew brethren being afflicted by an Egyptian, he rose up and killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.

8. He then fled into Midian, where he married a daughter of the priest of Midian.

9. After 40 years in Midian, being now 80 years old, he was approached by God in a burning bush and was told to go back into Egypt and lead the people of God out.

10. So, we find Moses and Aaron as they approach the Pharaoh asking for the release of the Israelites.

11. And it was on this occasion that Pharaoh made the statement that is the subject of our lesson today.

A. He said: "Who is Jehovah, that I should hearken unto His voice to let Israel go? I know not Jehovah, and moreover I will not let Israel go." Exo. 5:2.

12. Pharaoh's answer expresses an attitude that is often seen in people even today.

13. Many feel that God has no claim on them, and that they do not owe Him anything.

14. But, Pharaoh soon learned of God the hard way.

15. As the ten terrible plagues were brought upon the Egyptians, he learned that he was not dealing with an idol or a powerless god.

16. Often, men of today learn their most valuable lessons the hard way from the consequences they suffer of their own stubborness and hardness of heart.

17. Yet it is sad to see so many destined to spend an eternity learning the lesson that Pharaoh learned so long ago.

18. We should be able to read of accounts such as this and avoid repeating the same type of mistake that Pharaoh made.

19. So, men of today have no excuse for asking, "Who is the Lord that we should obey his voice?"

20. Yet many are doing so; perhaps not verbally, but by the attitudes displayed in their lives toward His will.

21. We have the Word of God whereby we can learn everything we need to know about Him and to develop a a respect that will bring about obedience to His commands.

22. Let us now note some of the things that the Bible teaches concerning the Lord, our God.

I. HE IS THE ETERNAL CREATOR:

A. The Bible teaches that God is eternal. He existed before time began.

1.The Psalmist says: "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hads't formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God." Psa. 90:1,2.

B. The Bible also teaches that God is the Creator of all things.

1. In the very first verse of the very first book of the Bible, we read: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Gen. 1:1.

2. We also read in Isa. 42:5, "Thus saith God Jehovah, he that created the heavens, and stretcheth them forth he that spread abroad the earth and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein."

C. When these two things, His being Eternal and the Creator of all things, can be recognized about the God of heaven, the evolutionary theory is at once defeated.

II. GOD IS A SPIRIT BEING. Jno. 4:23,24.

A. A spirit differs from the physical bodies that we know in that it "hath not flesh and bones", Lk. 24:39.

B. Since God is a spirit, He possesses characteristics that men do not.

1. In Psa. 139 we learn of His omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.

a. No man can lay claim to knowledge or power equal to God's. Isa. 55:8,9.

III. GOD IS ONE, AND IS THE MASTER DESIGNER OF THE UNIVERSE. Eph. 4:6.

A. The order and unity of everything He created serve to prove this.

B. There is no division in nature, but everything works together to sustain and perpetuate life.

1. It is no accident that the sun provides light and heat for the earth; that the moon and stars reflect the light of the sun at night; that the earth rotates on its axis and revolves around the sun to effect night and day and the change of seasons.

2. Job recognized God's power as a master designer in the fashioning ofhis physical body, Job 10:8-12.

3. David said, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made", Psa. 139:14.

IV. GOD IS FAIR AND IMPARTIAL IN HIS DEALINGS WITH MAN. Acts 10:34,35.

A. Some people, because of their misfortunes, do not want to believe this.

B. But Jesus taught that no one has an exclusive claim on God's favor.

1. He said, "For he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust." Mt. 5:45.

C. But God is not so nearly concerned with out lot here in this life as he iswith the eternal destiny of our souls. Mt. 16:24-26.

D. Eternal salvation has been offered to all by the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ, Jno. 3:16; Titus 2:11-14; Heb. 2:9.

1. But if man is to avail himself of the blessings that come through Christ's death, he must be willing to obey his commandments, Heb. 5:9.

V. GOD IS GOOD AND SEVERE. Rom. 11:22.

A. his desire is that all should come to repentance and be saved. 2 Pet. 3:9.

1. But He intends to keep His promise of punishment for those who refuse to comply with the conditions of salvation. 2 Thes. 1:7-9.

2. The Hebrew writer says: "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Heb. 10:31.

VI. GOD IS THE SUPREME RULER AND NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO QUESTION HIS ACTIONS. Dan. 4; 35.

A. Most people today, even the very religious, fail to realize this important principle. Zec. 2:13; Hab. 2:20.

1. Many think that they too have the power to legislate and enact religious laws, thus setting aside the law of God as revealed in the New Testament. Mt. 15:8,9; Mk. 7:1-13.

a. Such people need to remember the words of Jeremiah: "O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself;: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." Jer. 10:23.

VII. GOD IS LOVE. 1 Jno. 4:8.

A. But many people have a misconception of true love.

1. It is not a wishy-washy, emotional feeling that embraces every kind of error and false doctrine.

2. We have already noted in our study where Jesus said that some would worship in vain. Mt. 15:9

3. And we see countless millions today who are guilty of doing so.

4. Yet when Godly men make an effort to point out these errors, they are often accused of not having any love.

5. Certainly God does not embrace false doctrines, yet we have learned that God is everything that love stands for.

6. So, to love as God loves, we must take a stand for truth and against error. Psa. 119:97,104.

VIII. GOD IS OUR FATHER IN HEAVEN. Mt. 6:9-15.

A. Jesus repeatedly referred to Him as His Father.

B. We are not to call any other our father in a religious sense. Mt. 23:9.

C. Paul tells us that we are the children of God by faith. Gal. 3:26.

D. When we allow the Spirit to guide us through the word, we become sons of God by adoption. Gal. 3:26-29; Rom. 8:14; Gal. 4:5-7.

E. The parable of the prodigal son is Lk. 15:11-32 depicts God as the loving Father who welcomed the return of his erring child.

1. Even though the story teaches a valuable lesson on repentance, we need to understand that the son did nothing to merit his father's love and forgiveness.

2. Actually, the illustration is to prove that God loves and will forgive His children when they properly repent of their wrong doing.

a. The father, not the son, is the real hero of the parable.

CONCLUSION:

1. All men need to realize these things that God has revealed to us about Himself in His Word.

2. Those who do will not have the attitude of Pharaoh, that questions the propriety of obedience to such a God.

3. What will be your answer to the God of heaven today?

A. Will you say as did Pharaoh: "Who is the Lord that I should obey him?"

B. Or will you be willing to say; "Speak Lord, Thy servant heareth," command and I will obey?

Return to the Sermon Outlines Page