A Difficult Beginning
Notes
Transcript
1. Moses attempted to accomplish the will of God in his own strength (2:11-15).
We know this is true because Acts 7:25 says :
He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.
Why did Moses assume this?
There is no divine command given to Moses up to this point.
Was it something he took upon himself?
We don’t know. The Biblical record is silent.
What do we know?
1. He was 40 years old (Acts 7:23).
2. He identified the Hebrews as “his people”. Probably from his mother.
3. He was concerned about the suffering of his people “went out to look upon their burdens”.
Likely he was forming some sort of plan to lead the Hebrew people out of Egypt.
A. Moses murdered a man (12).
Note an Egyptians was beating “one of his people” (11)
Moses identifying with the Hebrews, not the Egyptians.
There came a time when he refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Heb. 11:24).
He saw a terrible injustice. An Egyptian taskmaster was beating one of his kinsman.
Notice a few things about this murder:
Premeditated. “He looked this way and that way”. Looking to make sure there were no witnesses.
Violent. “Struck down” same Hebrew word used for “beating” in verse 11.
Moses did to the Egyptian what the Egyptian was doing to the Hebrew. Perhaps the Egyptian would have killed the Hebrew had Moses not intervened.
No one stopped Moses. He beat the man to death.
The Bible says Moses was well trained in Egypt (Acts 7:22). For a man this would include military training. As we will see later it appears Moses was a very strong man.
Concealed. Moses covered up the crime by burying the body of the Egyptian.
Implied Moses spoke with the man he rescued. The man obviously told people what happened & Moses must have told him he was going to deliver the people (14).
Imagine the look on this man’s face. An Egyptian was just beat to death in front of him by Pharaoh’s grandson.
We can think evil of Moses if we like but thank God he was willing to keep an innocent man from being beat to death.
In our day people would have just grabbed their phone and recorded the man getting beat to death.
Likely no one would have intervened.
Moses took it too far. But what we see in Moses is a desire for justice. He is willing to stand up for the abused and risk his life in doing it.
B. Moses met resistance from his own people (13-14).
“Went out the next day” not worried about anything.
He has a sense of purpose. Believes he is the deliverer.
He encounters another episode of injustice:
Two Hebrews. Fighting.
Stopped them and heard the story. Identified which one was wrong.
“Said to the man in the wrong” Moses not intent on being violent. He doesn’t want to fight. “Why did you hit him?
The guilty man says:
Who made you our prince and judge?
Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?
Who knew this but the man Moses saved? No one.
The man he saved was talking. Telling people what Moses told him.
Moses sees that the people are not ready to follow him.
In fact, they are not even willing to stand with him.
He couldn’t stand against Egypt if the Hebrews wouldn’t stand with him. He was alone in this war.
Moses thought if he took the Hebrew’s side then surely, they would take his. He was wrong.
He has burned all bridges it appears.
His people will not stand with him.
Pharaoh hates him and wants to kill him.
C. Moses moves.
In fear he runs and hides in the land of Midian.
A question: Why doesn’t God deliver the Hebrews now?
Why wait 40 more years?
Already been about 400.
Moses is not ready. He thinks he is. but he isn’t.
God is going to use Moses as a type of Christ. In other words, he will symbolize the ultimate Savior who is to come save His people from their sins.
Hebrews 7:26 says Moses would experience the reproach of Christ. Consider this:
An evil King sought to kill Moses when he was a baby- Herod sought to kill Jesus when He was a baby.
Moses left the palace- Christ left glory
Moses was rejected by the Jewish people- Christ was rejected by the Jewish people.
Moses spent forty years in the wilderness before he delivered the Jewish people- Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness being tempted by the devil when His ministry began.
Moses was the humblest man on earth in his day (Numbers 12:3)- Jesus was the ultimate example of humility.
Moses led his people out of slavery- Jesus leads His people out of the slavery of sin.
Moses would intercede for His people- Jesus would intercede for His people
Later in life Moses himself recognized this when he said:
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him” (Deut. 18:15)
Moses must learn to be like Jesus. He’s not there yet.
He thinks he’s ready, but he isn’t.
One of the most difficult things in life is to be ready when others are not. Illustration men/women
Moses must learn to identify with his people.
Moses must learn to identify with Christ.
The people are not ready yet.
Moses is not ready yet.
God is not ready yet.
God must prepare Moses and the people.
Moses got ahead of God and paid the price for it.
Do you want to be like Jesus? Be ready to experience rejection, exile, suffering.
2. Moses settled in the land of the Midianites (16-22).
A. He is quickly recognized as a man of justice (16-19).
“Priest of Midian” scattered remnants of worshippers. No Law given yet. A spiritual leader in that area.
“Seven daughters” They would go and get water for their father’s sheep during the day.
It seems there was a group of shepherds that harassed them. They would push them away from the well when they arrived. Made the ladies’ job difficult and longer than it should have taken.
Moses observes this. In same way as he observed the Hebrews. He stood up to the men. He drove them away.
Again, Moses must have been a strong man and probably imposing. He was not afraid of a single soldier or a group of shepherds.
Ladies return. Father is surprised at how quickly they were able to do the job.
Look what they said:
“An Egyptian” Probably dressed like one, had hair style like one. Maybe he didn’t tell them he wasn’t one because he felt rejected by his people. Moses may not have felt as if he belonged anywhere.
“Delivered” he saved us. This is the third time in a few verses Moses has saved someone. Slave, countryman, women.
“Drew water” he is a servant.
Father impressed. “Where is he? Go get him!
B. He is content to live in the land (21).
Moses and Reuel (AKA Jethro) are friends. So much so he is willing to let Moses marry his daughter.
It appears Moses has found a place he belongs.
He is a shepherd now.
Probably a major culture shock. Prince to a Shepherd.
Notice he was content. Didn’t feel forced. He was willing to live there. He probably thought he’d spend the rest of his life there.
He has a job.
He has a father figure.
He has a wife.
Moses life is divided into three 40 year sections:
1st 40- a Prince in Egypt
2nd 40- desert.
3rd 40- leader of God’s people
That middle 40 may seem boring to you. But it’s where:
He was married
He got his children
God spoke to him
God called him
God commissioned him
I’ll guarantee you Moses holds those years dearly in his heart.
C. He wrestles with sorrow (22).
He names his first son Gershom.
In Hebrew that name sounds like the same word for sojourner.
I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.
Moses knows he doesn’t belong where he is.
But he doesn’t belong in Egypt either.
If you are dealing with sorrow listen to me:
God never wastes time. Not a second. He is doing something. He is always working.
Moses thought he was a prince!
Then he thought he was a deliverer!
Now it appears as if he is just a sheep farmer!
Hear me now, In the eyes of God not one of those is any better than the other.
If you belong to God, you have value.
God has:
Teachers/janitors
Doctors/plumbers
Web designers/Waitresses
Where you are doesn’t determine who you are.
Moses has gone from a
Slave hut
River
Palace
Desert
Not once did God love him any less.
Listen to me Christian:
It doesn’t matter where you are in this world you’ll feel out of place. Do your best to be content in whatever circumstance you find yourself in.
3. God was aware of everything (23-25).
A. He allowed the oppression to continue.
“Those many days” 40 years!
It took a long time for that Pharaoh to die.
Four years seems like forever! Can you imagine 40?
The people groaned.
The people prayed.
Why so long?
The people weren’t ready to be delivered.
Moses wasn’t ready to be the deliverer.
God may allow us to live in a difficult situation for a long time.
Moses probably wasn’t happy about being in that desert. You know who was happy
Jethro was happy- he gained a son in law
Zipporah was happy- she was rescued and the Lord gave her a husband.
Gershom was happy- He wouldn’t exist if Moses wasn’t placed in that desert.
What we think were the worst years of our life God was accomplishing things.
It’s interesting that the Midianites thanked Moses. The Hebrews didn’t.
Moses was where he was needed.
He may not have felt like it, but he was.
B. He heard their prayers.
The people of Israel never stopped praying.
430 years of praying.
“I already prayed about it.”
Pray again!
Keep knocking, seeking, asking!
If you’ve stopped praying you’ve stopped believing.
If you’ve stopped believing you’ve stopped hoping.
If you’ve stopped hoping you’ve stopped living.
C. He was preparing to act.
Notice all the verbs in 24-25:
God heard
God remembered
God saw
God knew
God knew!
We often don’t know what people are going through but God does.
God knew:
Those poor babies had been killed
The Hebrews were being beaten
The enemy was prospering
The sorrow of their slavery
But pastor does He know about:
The aches in my body?
The trouble in my family?
The heaviness in my heart?
The bills that are due?
Yes He knows! He knows and He cares.
Let’s think about what God remembered.
The covenant. The promises He made to Abraham.
When the Bible says God remembered it means He is about to act. Doesn’t mean He forgot. It means He is revisiting a promise He made.
There are people who think all God remembers is our sins.
Ironically, for the believer that’s the only thing He forgets.
He remembers what He has promised us.
In time all He has promised us will be delivered to us.
Illust. Olivia Zieglar received a package from her mother filled with VHS tapes 15 years after they were mailed.
Her mother was happy people didn’t believe she was crazy!
Mama said they were on their way, and they were!
Don’t doubt God’s promises. If He has promised it, He will deliver it.
God has promised us:
A heart that will no longer be broken.
A home that will not rot or rust.
A future that will not end.
A family that will not be taken from us.
Listen to what the Bible says about Moses:
He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward (Heb. 11:26).
Friend, have you considered all Christ has promised you and all He has waiting on you?
Or have you only considered your suffering?
This is the key.
Consider the reward God has promised you.
Is 10 years of suffering worth the wealth of Christ in heaven?
20, 50, 100?
100 years of suffering is worth all Christ has promised us!
Every trial has an expiration date but the rewards of Christ do not.
God will act. In His time He will act. When He does the suffering of this present time will not be worthy to be compared to the reward He has for us.
You say “Moses didn’t even get to go to the Promised Land!”
Yes friend, but he got to go to heaven! Heaven is better!
There are many wonderful things on this earth I may not experience. But none of those things are even close to how wonderful heaven is.
My name is already on the role.
My home is under construction.
My seat at the table is reserved.
But Pastor, what about all the things you missed because God didn’t act quicker.
What about all the things you missed because you lived by faith in God’s Word?
The only thing the Christian misses is hell!
We get all God has promised us!
The promises of God are all Yes and Amen in Christ.
Do you have Christ?
Come to Him today if you do not.