Does God Tell Moses to Lie in Exodus 3?

Did God tell Moses to lie in Exodus chapter 3? That's a question from one of our international listeners and just one of the questions we'll be answering on today's edition of Core Christianity. Hi, this is Bill Meyer along with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

Welcome to a Friday. This is the radio program where we answer your questions about the Bible and the Christian life every day. Right now with your question at 833-THE-CORE. Our phone lines will be open for the next 25 minutes or so. So hop on and call us 1-833-843-2673. You can also post your question on our Facebook, Instagram or Twitter accounts.

You can watch us on YouTube and you can email us with your question at questionsatcorechristianity.com. First up today, let's go to Jose in Lemoore, California. Jose, welcome to the program. Hi, Pastor. Thank you for taking my call.

I did have a question. I am a converted Christian and I work in a casino currently and me and my wife have been praying for an opportunity in a different state where we want to live. I have also been praying to the Lord to kind of get me out of this environment of the casino. However, a new opportunity came up in another casino in the state where we want to live. My question is, could this be the answer to my prayer from the Lord or is it something that the evil one can also do?

Hey, Jose. Thank you for that question. I might have just a follow-up for some more information. The first thing I would say is, the big question is, can we work with a clear conscience and with integrity in whatever it is that the Lord has called us to? There's this really interesting scene in the Gospel of Luke where John the Baptist is calling people to repentance and crowds are gathering before him. In Luke 3, verse 10, it says, And the crowds asked him, What then shall we do? And he said to them, Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise. And tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, Teacher, what shall we do? And he said to them, Collect no more than you are authorized to do.

And the soldiers also asked him, And what shall we do? And he said to them, Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages. Now what's interesting about that section of scripture there is some of those jobs were pretty controversial jobs. Some people might expect that question from the tax collectors or the soldiers to come and John the Baptist to say, Hey, you need to quit those jobs. Don't be a tax collector. That's an evil occupation. Or don't be a soldier. That's not the right kind of occupation, that kind of a thing.

But that's not what John the Baptist says. He says, Work with integrity. Now there are jobs, I think, that we just shouldn't do, jobs that cause us to sin or are themselves sin.

I wouldn't think of an illegal occupation or something like that. But I would say the question is, can you work with a clear conscience and be a light for the Lord Jesus where you're at? And maybe you're praying to go somewhere else and the Lord has opened up a door in this other state, working in a casino as well. Can you do that with a clear conscience, honoring the Lord in your service there?

I think if you can, then maybe this is the answer to your prayers. One question I would have for you, though, Jose, is are you and your wife in a good church right now where you are? Yes, we are. We have been in this church since 2015, and it's a healthy church, preach the gospel, and we're comfortable where we're at in the church. Praise God, yeah.

I'm stoked to hear about that. I would say one of the big questions you want to ask yourself is, is there a solid church where we're going? So look at the community where you're thinking about moving. It's one thing to say we want to be in this state and there's a job opportunity, but what if there's not a solid Christian church in the area? That's one of the primary questions that you need to be asking, that I think we need to be asking when we consider these kinds of things, because we need the body of Christ. We need that kind of encouragement. So I even encourage people, look, you might have a better job in another place. You might make more money, but if there's no church there where you're going to hear the word of God, if you're going to be spiritually compromised, well, then it's not a good decision. So I would say, as you guys think about this, and as you continue to pray about this, also consider what are the churches like in that area where we're going, and maybe try to do some connecting now with some of those churches to get to learn about them and see if there's a place that would be a good fit for you and your wife to continue to grow in the Lord. So thank you for your question, brother, and may the Lord bless you guys in whatever decision you make.

Some great advice there, Adriel. You know, I was in Las Vegas recently visiting some friends and found out that about one third of the people that live in Las Vegas are employed in the gaming industry in some way, shape or form. You know, they could be working in a casino, they could be a slot machine repairman, you know, you name it.

And yet there are some huge churches there. I mean, preaching the gospel. And one of my friends said, yeah, a lot of people have had to come to grips with this. Are they doing something that, you know, is a job that has integrity or should they quit? And so, yeah, it's a struggle for many people in our culture.

I'm sure a lot of people have that same question, especially, as you said, Bill, if you're living in a place like Las Vegas. And that's where, you know, we have to be able to serve the Lord in whatever we do with a clear conscience. And there are some jobs, like I said, you know, you think about that text in Luke chapter three, which people have questions about. But, you know, the primary question is, can I still honor the Lord in whatever it is that I'm doing?

And so that's what we have to be able to answer. And I think working in a situation like that, you think also of like food servers, you know, or people who, you know, on occasion they have to serve alcohol. You know, somebody, you know, going to dinner and that kind of a thing, people can ask that question.

Is that okay for me to do that? I don't know if this person is an alcoholic, that kind of a thing. Well, you know, it's a broader question, but I think, you know, with you in your service, can you serve the Lord with a clear conscience? That's the main thing.

I think Jose can. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. Let's go to Elias in Hampstead, Long Island. Elias, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes, for the King James Version. First of all, I always thought only God can forgive sin. In my New King James Version, New Testament book of John chapter 23, Jesus says, I think it was disciples, the Lord says, If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them.

If you retain the sins of any, they are retained. So my question is, can a Christian man or a priest forgive the sin of a person? I thought only God can forgive sin.

You're right, Elias. Only God can forgive sin. You see this in Scripture in various places.

Mark chapter 2, verse 7, for example, when Jesus healed a paralytic. The religious leaders get upset with him because Jesus says, Your sins are forgiven to the man. And they say, Well, who can forgive sins except God alone? But Jesus is revealing to them, to the whole world, that he is God. Now, what's going on there in John chapter 20? This is after the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus appears to the disciples. He breathes on them, says, Receive the Holy Spirit.

Kind of this picture of new creation, a really wonderful image that we're getting here. And then in verse 22, 23, it says, Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven.

If you withhold forgiveness from them, it is withheld. Now, I think the sort of idea here is this sort of picture of Jesus giving the disciples, the apostles, the keys of the kingdom of God. In Matthew chapter 16, Jesus essentially said this to Peter when Peter confessed him as the Christ. He says, Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah. Flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I'm going to give you the keys of the kingdom of God, essentially.

Now, what does that look like? It's through the preaching of the word of God. As they're proclaiming the gospel and people are hearing about the forgiveness of sins and receiving that word, the word of the Father, their sins are being forgiven. And then in the context of the church, again, these churches that were planted by the apostles. If someone is cut off from the church, excommunicated, well, that's a sign that they're cut off, essentially, from the grace of God. Really, what's happening here is we're seeing the authority that Jesus gave to the church as his representatives here on earth. Now, that doesn't mean that people, even the apostles, had the power in and of themselves to forgive people. That is only something that God does and yet God chooses these men to go and preach the gospel and to be the heralds of this message of forgiveness. And to guard the church through things like church discipline. And so I think that's the idea that we're getting here.

We don't want to, and gosh, that idea could really be abused. This sort of idea that an individual person, I have the power to forgive you, and if I say so, you can't receive the forgiveness of God. That's not what Jesus is getting at here. He's talking about how through the ministry of the word, in the context of the church, forgiveness is held out to the world.

And when people reject that, well then, the kingdom of God is closed to them. And so I think that's the best way to understand this passage, this text of scripture. And it really does highlight, again, the importance of the church, the local ministry of the word, where the gates of heaven are being opened to us through the preaching of God's holy gospel.

Thanks for your question, Elias. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. If you listen to this program on a regular basis and you find it helpful, we would invite you to prayerfully consider making a gift to come alongside us to support us in this ministry. You can do that by going to corechristianity.com and just click donate at the top of the page. We also have a group of what we call insiders, the inner core.

They are folks that support us on a monthly basis and receive some very special benefits as well. And you can find out more about that at corechristianity.com. Let's go to Vern calling in from Missouri. Vern, welcome to the program. What's your question for Pastor Adriel?

Yes, I do. I have a question about paying tithes. I know it's kind of a controversial deal, but we have a new pastor in our little church. And in a sermon recently, he said that tithes should be paid in one bulk group.

It shouldn't be split up. Now, in today's age, I am under the understanding that you should be paying into where you're fed. And I'm fed by our little church. I'm fed by numerous ministries on the Internet, on the radio, on television.

And I was just wondering if there was any scripture or what your thoughts were on this. Well, Vern, first I just want to say I love the fact that you want to contribute to, to give money, resources to the work of gospel ministry. I think that that's wonderful. Jesus said where your treasure is, that's where your heart will be also. Let me just, this is, I just think, a broad encouragement to people. If you want to be more committed to, invested in the work of God's kingdom, if you want your heart to be attached to the work of missions, to the advancement of the gospel, give to it. When you give to something, you do sort of attach yourself to it. And I think one of the problems why a lot of people feel like just sort of disconnected from the ministry of the church, from the advancement of the gospel is because we just don't give to it. We're focused on all these other things in our lives.

And that doesn't sound like that's you, Vern. It sounds to me like you're really wanting to understand how should this work out best. Under the new covenant, I'm persuaded that Christian believers today ought to be generous givers, but that the tithe was something that was specifically associated with the Old Testament, the old covenant, and so that it's not in place today as it was under the old covenant. Now, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't give to gospel ministry. On the contrary, I think we should give generously, and that's exactly what the apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9. The point is this, verse 6, whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. And what a promise that is, brothers and sisters. If you sow sparingly, you're going to reap sparingly. If you sow bountifully, you're going to reap bountifully.

Each one must give as he has decided in his heart. See what Paul doesn't say there. He doesn't say, hey, you've got to make sure it's a lump sum at the first Sunday of the month, or at the end of the month, or you can't split it up, that kind of a thing. I don't know why your pastor has said this. Maybe it's for sort of budgetary purposes or something like that.

I have no idea. But I don't think we can say as pastors you have to give just like this at this time, that kind of a thing. Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver, and God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work as it is written. He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures forever. He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the harvest of your righteousness.

Now, I love that there, because I think a lot of times people get confused about this. They think, if I give my tithe, then God is going to give me back more money, that kind of a thing. Well, that's not necessarily what Paul says in 2 Corinthians. He says, it's the harvest of your righteousness. We're sowing to God's kingdom. We're laying up treasure in heaven, and God is going to supply all our needs.

He's going to take care of us as his children. But ultimately, this is a good work, and it's pleasing to the Lord God. And so I would say, brother, give as you've purposed in your own heart generously as one who has received from the Lord the free salvation of Jesus Christ. And I think that's what we should be encouraging as pastors for our people. Now, a lot of times people do give a tithe, and I think there's nothing wrong with it. I think that the tithe is great.

That's kind of a helpful, I think, maybe starting place or that kind of a thing. There are believers who feel like, man, the Lord has just blessed me so much. They give even more than that. The point is, each person should give as they've decided in their own heart, not under compulsion but freely, and the Lord loves a cheerful giver, and the Lord loves you, Vern. God bless you.

Vern, thanks so much for your question and for being a regular listener here at A Core Christianity. And by the way, one of the things that we've been hearing a lot about in our culture recently is how many people are suffering from depression. If you or someone you know is struggling with that, we actually have a resource that we want to send you, and it's absolutely free. Nine things everyone needs to know about depression.

As Bill just said there, it's free when you sign up for our weekly newsletter. This is a resource that we put a lot of thought into as an organization. We want people to know what depression is and how they can help someone who is struggling, battling with this very serious disease with depression. So head over to corechristianity.com forward slash offers to download nine things everyone needs to know about depression. You can also call us for that resource or any one of our resources at 833-843-2673.

That's 833, the core, if you want to spell it out. Well, one of the ways you can ask a question here on Core Christianity is by going to our website and clicking on the little microphone icon there, and many of our international listeners ask questions that way. And here's one that we received yesterday. Hello, Pastor Adriel and Bill. My name is Jayanthi, and I am calling you from Hyderabad City in India, and I'm so blessed by your ministry.

Thank you so very much for that. My question is from the book of Exodus in chapter three, verse seven, and he says that he's going to bring them from that land, which is Egypt, to a good and spacious land flowing with milk and honey. And then again, when I see Exodus chapter three, verse 18, I see an instruction that the new, along with elders of Israel, must go to the king and tell him that the God of Hebrews has met with us. So please let us go on a three-day trip into the wilderness so that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God. So when God's intention is to bring Israelites out of Egypt, but when they go to king, they say something else, and it appears to me that God tells them to say this.

I know God doesn't lie, but this has been really confusing for me, and I hope you can provide some clarity. Thank you so very much. God bless you. Yeah, and I appreciate that you ended that way, Sister. And by the way, so great to hear from you.

Thank you for reaching out to us with your question. But I do appreciate that you ended that way, saying, I know that God doesn't lie, because that is something that we read about in the Scriptures. I think in particular about the book of Hebrews. In Hebrews 6, the author of the Hebrews is talking about the assurance that we have as believers before the Lord, because God makes these promises to us, and because God does not and cannot lie. He says in Hebrews 6, verse 17, When God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope that has been set before us. And so it's so important that we grasp this truth, because if God cannot lie, well, then we can cling to his promises.

We know that what he said is true, and what he promises he's going to accomplish. And here in Exodus 3, God is promising his people that he is going to bring them out of the land of Egypt, out of slavery. You mentioned verse 7. The Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters.

I know their suffering. And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of the land, up out of that land to a good and broad land, a land flowing with milk and honey to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, so on and so forth. But then when they go to Pharaoh, as you said in verse 18, we're told, they will listen to your voice, and you and the elders of Israel shall go to the king of Egypt and say to him, The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has met with us, and now please let us go a three-day journey into the wilderness that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.

And so is there a contradiction here? Is God lying? Is he being misleading to Pharaoh?

I don't think so. The command is, let my people go so that they might worship me. Now, initially, when Moses goes to Pharaoh, it's let them go for three days, but I think what's being focused on here, what we're seeing is the hard heart of Pharaoh, how cruel he was.

Certainly, if the children of Israel said, Let us go, we're headed to Canaan, we're going to build houses out there, it's going to be great, he would have said, No way. But what we're seeing here is even this request, Let us go for three days just to worship our God in the wilderness, and Pharaoh sort of scoffs later in chapter 5, Who is the Lord? I'm not going to let you guys go, and there's this sort of tug-of-war, this battle back and forth, and God is loosening the grip of Pharaoh upon his people until ultimately he brings them out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. And so I would say, No, God cannot lie, and he isn't lying here. What is being focused on, what's being emphasized, is the fact that even this minor request, the request to go into the wilderness for three days, which was a legitimate request, Pharaoh rejects, and what we're seeing here is, again, the cruelty of Pharaoh, the hard heart of Pharaoh, in being unwilling to let the people of God go.

And so God has to show up in might, and he does, so that ultimately Pharaoh lets the people go. Thank you so much, sister, for your question, and may the Lord richly bless you. This is Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez. We love hearing from you. You can call us anytime with your question and leave a voicemail. If you can't call during the live program, well, call during the overnight hours, anytime you want, 833-THE-CORE. You can leave a message, 833-843-2673.

Let's go to Roland in St. Louis, Missouri. Roland, what's your question for Pastor Adriel? Yes, hi. My question is, in the Book of Acts, when Jesus approaches Saul on Damascus Road, and Saul asks him, he says, Who are you, Lord? And so when he calls him Lord, does that mean he knows who Jesus is?

Yeah, you know, that's a great question. What did Saul of Tarsus know in that moment? I mean, it seems, in that very moment, that he's quite confused. He's knocked off of his horse. There's this blinding light, a light from heaven shown around him, and then verse 4 of Acts chapter 9 says, And falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? And he said, Who are you, Lord? Now, right there, when he says Lord, you know, I think just general, I don't think that he recognizes yet that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, that kind of thing, the King of kings and Lord of lords, and Jesus responds and says, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.

But rise and enter the city, and be told what you are to do. And the men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice, but seeing no one. And Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing.

So they let him by the hand and brought him into Damascus, and for three days he was without sight, and neither ate nor drank. And so this is his introduction to the risen Christ, to Jesus. He doesn't fully understand everything there, Roland. He doesn't grasp it all yet, but he is going to, and over time, especially, I mean, he's gonna go and speak now in the next scene. He's going to the disciples. He's gonna speak to an individual named Ananias who the Lord appears to in a vision, and Ananias gives Saul more guidance.

So I don't think he fully understood everything yet, like we are in that situation. When we first come to the Lord, we don't totally grasp everything, and yet the Lord brings us along, and that's exactly what he did with Saul of Tarsus when he knocked him off of his horse. And so thank you for that question, and may the Lord bless you. You're listening to Core Christianity with Pastor Adriel Sanchez.

We received this question through our YouTube Live channel, and here's what Irena says. What does it mean to be a lukewarm Christian? Yeah, well, I think people take that language, in particular, Bill, from the book of Revelation where Jesus is giving these exhortations to the seven churches. And the way in which a lot of people use that word today, a lukewarm Christian, is, you know, obviously you're not hot or cold. The idea is you're not really on fire for the Lord. I actually don't necessarily like that phrase because the reality is that as Christians in our own lives, we wrestle with commitment to the Lord. The question is, do we cling to the gospel?

Do you hold fast to it? Are you serving the Lord through that in knowing his grace and his truth? Thanks for listening to Core Christianity. To request your copy of today's special offer, visit us at corechristianity.com and click on offers in the menu bar. Or call us at 1-833-843-2673. That's 833-THE-CORE. When you contact us, please let us know how you've been encouraged by this program. And be sure to join us next time as we explore the truth of God's word together.