Prince in the Pastures

Exodus 2:1–25 (NASB95)

The Birth of Moses

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi.

2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.

3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile.

4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him.

5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her.

6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?”

8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.

10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

11 Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13 He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?”

14 But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

Moses Escapes to Midian

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came to draw water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.

17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.

18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you come back so soon today?”

19 So they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and what is more, he even drew the water for us and watered the flock.”

20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he then? Why is it that you have left the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.”

21 Moses was willing to dwell with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses.

22 Then she gave birth to a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

24 So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.

Introduction

I don’t know about you, but there’s been more than one occasion where I’ve taken on a project of some kind and realize about half way through that I’m in a little over my head. Anyone ever been there? Maybe it’s a house project, you tried to do your brakes yourself, fix an appliance, or even go on a road trip. Sometimes you know right away, this was a bad idea, but oftentimes it takes a minute to realize you’re in over your head. You’re half way through and it’s usually one of four things, I don’t have enough material, I don’t have enough time, i don’t have the right tools, or i don’t have enough skill. If you’re lucky it’s all four and by the time you’re finished you’ve taken 7 trips to the hardware store, It’s taken three times as long as you expected, you’ve acquired some new tools, and the final product is... passable.

In our passage this morning we’re introduced to Moses, a Hebrew, who through extraordinary circumstances finds himself the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. Over the years it’s very likely he’s acquired an excellent education, a degree of influence, and even wealth. Surely Moses in this position of power and potential would find success should he put his mind to something much like Joseph in his position of power and influence, but he doesn’t. Moses sees the hard labor of His people and the abuse of one of his brothers and much like some of us when we see a problem concludes, “I’ll fix it myself.” Moses instantly finds himself in over his head and doesn’t even come close to finishing the job. What was he missing? By the end of the chapter, Moses has been severely humbled and reduced to a shepherd, but who will finish the job? Who will deliver the people of Israel from slavery? The chapter concludes: God heard, God remembered, God saw, and God took notice of them. The truth is Moses started a project he couldn’t finish because he tried to do it himself. God will graciously use Moses to deliver His people, yet he will make a few things clear to Moses, “I see my people’s needs, and I will deliver my people.” “I am not ignorant, and I am not incompetent.” “I desire good for my people, and I will bring it about.”

Those who seek to do kingdom work must know: God sees and God saves.

Moses the Hebrew exalted (vs. 1-10)

2. Moses the deliverer rejected (vs. 11-14)

3. Moses the Egyptian humbled (vs. 15-22)

4. God the deliverer… (vs. 23-25)

1. Moses the Hebrew exalted (vs. 1-10)

Our narrative picks up immediately where we left off last week, Pharaoh has put forth an edict that all newborn sons are to be thrown into the Nile. An unnamed Levite couple are married, they have a son, and when they can hide him no longer he’s put into the Nile in a basket only to be found by Pharaoh’s daughter. She cares for Moses, asks Moses’ own mother to care for him, yet ultimately adopts him and names him Moses, which sounds like the Hebrew word for ‘draw out’.

Though God isn’t explicitly mentioned in the first 10 verses, Moses’ story has God’s hand written all over it. We may know this story well, but if we pause and consider the extraordinary rise of Moses, there’s no other way to interpret these events than the work of God’s hand. Moses’ own name was a constant reminder to him of two things: 1. You are a Hebrew. 2. You should be dead. Moses didn’t receive an Egyptian name though he was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. He received a name of Hebrew meaning that would have been a continual reminder to him.

I can’t help but think of how many days he may have looked out on his brothers and sisters with an identity crisis going on in his heart. Did he think “I should be out there, a slave just like the rest of my people.” Did he ever wonder, “Who am I?” Perhaps there was guilt for the freedom he enjoyed living as an Egyptian while his family labored as slaves. Furthermore, his name reminded him that he was “drawn out’ taken from the Nile, the place where so many boys his age were thrown and died. How many times did he look out at the Nile river, the water he was drawn from, and realize, “I should be dead.” We can only speculate what Moses thought, but his very name is a testimony to all of Israel even in years to come that this man should be dead, and yet was spared by God’s hand. Moses had nothing to boast in, and in writing this he wants all of Israel to recognize as well, Moses did nothing to attain the position he did. His parents decided to spare him. Pharaoh’s daughter had compassion on him, adopted him. And the unnecessary icing on the cake, his sister made it possible for his own mother to care for him. Moses is absolutely indebted to all the women in his life for his survival and ultimately to God for his preservation.

If we’re honest our testimony as Christians is not so different. What facet of our salvation can we say is of our own making? At some point someone faithfully shared the gospel with you inviting you to faith and repentance and in your faith in Christ and turning from sin God made you alive from the dead. For many of us I imagine we are indebted to the women in our live’s who led us to Christ, else we would still be dead in our sins. We too ought to be reminded as Moses was, we should be dead in our sins... yet God in his sovereign grace picked us from death through the testimony of the gospel through one of God’s faithful saints.

As Moses introduces himself in writing the book of Exodus the first thing he wants Israel to know about him is the undeserved life and position which God gave him. In the first 10 verses Moses does nothing! If Moses speaks this way with regard to his bodily life and earthly position, how much more should we speak of our spiritual life and heavenly position which God has given us apart from works as a matter of first importance. Do we see ourselves in that light? What we deserve is wrath and the pure justice of God in eternal death, yet for we who have put our faith in Christ, we have been given eternal life and made coheirs with Christ, adopted into the family of God! Might we not so quickly forget what Christ has done for us!

For 40 years Moses enjoys the blessing of life and position in Pharaoh’s house, and yet it seems he forgets who His deliverer was. Should we look on the needs of our fellow man and think, “I will save you.” we have forgotten who saved us.

2. Moses the deliverer rejected (vs. 11-14)

11 Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

12 So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

13 He went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender, “Why are you striking your companion?”

14 But he said, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and said, “Surely the matter has become known.”

—-

There’s a turn in the narrative; “Now it came about in those days...”

Moses has grown and comes to be burdened with the oppression of his people the Hebrews. He’s in the prime of his life and now is the time to take action. No more sitting idly by while my people suffer! Moses sees an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and kills him outright.

He sees a conflict between two Hebrews and tries to make peace between them and rather than be respected or accepted as one of them, they ask, “Who made you a prince or a judge over us? Are you intending to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

“Who do you think you are you murderer?”

Not exactly the reception of a long expected deliverer. Quite the opposite. It’s outright rejection.

Moses realizes his deeds have become known and once again his life is in danger and he is forced to flee for his life.

Moses has made one fundamental assumption about himself that leads him to act as he did and his ultimate rejection.

Moses assumed he was necessary. It’s in moments of crisis where we reveal what we think is truly necessary. In that moment, Moses concluded that Israel needed a defender and a judge. “My people need someone… me!” I’ll do it.

No matter how great a person in the eyes of the world, they are nobody until God decides to use them for His purposes. I wonder if 40 years of prominence in Pharaoh’s house helped Moses to forget that God was His deliverer. It sounds somewhat foolish to think, “God delivered me, but you know what, you need me!”

The truth is Israel did need a defender, deliverer, and judge it just wasn’t Moses. It was God!

I’m afraid there’s nothing new under the sun: The same temptation to believe, “I’m necessary” plagues us today. Perhaps most often in the younger days of our prime when we’ve attained success, advancement, and a large degree of competence do we begin thinking that we have the solutions to all the world’s problems and we play an integral role in the solution. Every day someone has a new crisis and a new solution and if you just vote for this person, give to that cause, engage in this movement the solution is right around the corner. The truth is that identifying man’s problems doesn’t give us the right to provide a man-made solution. At the heart of it all, man’s greatest problem is sin and if we venture to provide a man-made solution we’ve made a grave mistake and are destined for rejection. How long do man-made solutions last? If we’re going to be rejected might we be rejected for providing a God-given solution.

I hope it goes without saying, should we see a tangible need of one of our brothers or sisters we would be quick to meet that need with what God has given us, yet very often material and tangible needs are accompanied by deeper spiritual needs, needs too great for us to meet in and of ourselves. The world would like to think they have solutions for the needs of the soul, the burden of guilt, the fear of death, purposelessness, and the brokenness in the world. In truth, there are things which only God can do, and we do well to pray, proclaim the hope of the gospel, comfort with the goodness of Christ, even call to repentance that forgiveness may follow. These are the means through which God does the work that only he can do, but if we are to use them, we must first realize the need for God amidst such great need. Moses took it upon himself to do what only God could do, and in the end He was deeply humbled for it.

3. Moses the Egyptian humbled (vs. 15-22)

15 When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.

—-

We talked a bit last week about how God was showing himself faithful to Israel even without an earthly king or a land of their own. He was teaching them that they only thing they truly needed was God because God was their provider! Over time they would forget that reality when granted a land and a king. As a result they would be taken into exile to be taught the same lesson again. They’ll go back to the beginning, back to a foreign land without a king so that they can be reminded, The God of Abraham is the one true God, He is the God of Israel, and He is their provider. God will remind Moses of these simple truths in much the same way. Let’s go back to the beginning and try again.

Being relatively new to town I’ve missed a few exits and I realize too late that I’ve missed my turn off. I get sent a mile in the wrong direction and I learn my lesson. The next time i take that highway, I go back to the beginning, and I look a little more intently for the exit sign making sure I don’t follow the same path as before.

If we take a close look a the details we’ll see how the latter half of chapter 2 parallels with the first half. God is taking Moses back to the beginning to teach him something so that next time he won’t miss his exit. Moses writes it down in this parallel way for our benefit too so that when we get to the exit, the path God intended for Moses all along, we won’t miss it either.

Let’s make a few observations.

Moses’ life is in danger once again. (vs. 15)

Moses meets a group of women by the water (vs. 16)

Moses is recognized as a foreigner, an Egyptian this time rather than a Hebrew (vs. 18)

Moses is welcomed into a new family. (vs. 20)

A baby boy is named, Moses’ son Gershom rather than Moses. (vs. 22)

All these simple narrative elements are repeated again from the first section of the chapter.

Perhaps Moses notice it in the moment but he certainly noticed what God was doing afterward as he wrote it down for all of Israel: God was providing for Moses later in life in the same way he did was he was a child. When his life was in danger God saw him and God provided. When Moses was a stranger amongst foreigners God saw him and provided a home for him. The noteworthy facet here is that this time Moses has killed a man and is rejected by Pharaoh his adopted family, and Israel his own people. Moses is rejected by everyone and a killer, yet God still provides.

At time God humbles us to the helplessness of a baby so that he can show us just how gracious he his and how necessary he is if we desire to do any kind of good for the kingdom of God. Moses who once enjoyed the privileges of Pharaoh’s palace is now tending sheep that don’t even belong to him, and he will do so for 40 years. Talk about humbling! How many days did he find himself in the heat or the cold of the desert and think about the luxuries of Pharaoh’s palace? And yet through it all he gained a family, and was more equipped to do the work which God intended him to do.

This passage concludes in the same way our first point’s passage does, a naming. A name that reminds Moses, “I don’t belong here.” In the same way Moses’ name reminds him he’s not an Egyptian, he doesn’t really belong in Pharaoh’s house, and in fact his people are suffering as slaves, Gershom Moses’ son tells us that Moses still isn’t home. It functions as this mirror which points our eyes to Israel. What will Moses do about His people? Who will deliver them?

There’s the same hinge point in this second half as we saw in the first half.

vs. 23 Now it came about in the course of those many days...

—-

Notice in verse 11 a similar phrase

“Now it came about in those days”

If we’ve never read the story before we might expect the parallel to continue. Aaaah, Moses has been humbled now. He’s more recognizable to his people now as a shepherd. He’s a family man and matured a bit. He’s just acknowledged that he’s a sojourner in a foreign land. This is the part where Moses remembers his brothers, their hard labors, their suffering, their striving and goes back to free his people just like before.

Not quite...

This is our exit sign we can’t miss. This is where the parallel stops and we can’t miss the exit.

—-

4. God the deliverer… (vs. 23-25)

Exodus 2:23–25 (NASB95)

23 Now it came about in the course of those many days that the king of Egypt died. And the sons of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry for help because of their bondage rose up to God.

24 So God heard their groaning; and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

25 God saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them.

—-

Previously in verse 11 what do we see Moses doing?

he looked on their hard labors

he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew

He looked this way and that,

and when he saw there was no one around he struck down the Egyptian.

Previously Moses is the one observing and taking action.

This time however, we’ve taken a different road.

God heard,

God remembered

God saw,

God took notice of them.

The implication here is plain: What Moses saw, God sees, and what Moses tried to accomplish of his own power, God will accomplish in His power.

Before get ahead of ourselves, we need notice, God is not merely in this moment coming to a recognition of what is going. Moses, being a man simply responds to what he sees in the moment. The people of Israel are certainly in dire circumstances of which God is all knowing, yet the text says God remembered

God remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

God has had an eye on his people from the very beginning. Not just with an eye of awareness, no more than that, an eye of ambition and purpose:

Genesis 15:13–18 (NASB95)

13 God said to Abram, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, where they will be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years.

14 “But I will also judge the nation whom they will serve, and afterward they will come out with many possessions.

15 “As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you will be buried at a good old age.

16 “Then in the fourth generation they will return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete.”

17 It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces.

18 On that day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your descendants I have given this land, From the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates:

—-

Whatever ambitions Moses had in that brief moment of seeing the plight of Israel, they paled in comparison to what God had planned to do hundreds of years before. Furthermore, God knew when he was speaking to Abraham that this slavery and hardship would come upon His people. He was not surprised. God saw what Moses saw before Moses was even born, and His plan was far greater than Moses could have imagined.

The long and short of it is,

God has promised deliverance, he sees the plight of His people, and God will act upon his promise.

How true is that of us today who have the new covenant in Christ to hope in, a covenant which secures more than a deliverance from earthly slavery to receive an earthly kingdom. In Christ, we know the deliverance from slavery to sin and death. We have the hope of an eternal kingdom which will not end. Our king Christ Jesus now sits on his heavenly throne. He sees all that burdens us today, and he is not surprised.

Our main point this morning puts us in the shoes of Moses as one ambitious to good for the people of God and the kingdom of God, yet we ought first step back and put ourselves in the shoes of the ordinary Israelite who bears a burden too great to bear. Perhaps they did remember the promises given to Abraham, but it’s likely many were hopeless in their slavery. The greatest news the people needed to hear was that God sees and God saves. God knows you and hears you, and he will come for you! The news of, “Moses sees, and Moses will deliver.” just doesn’t quite do the job. From the outside looking in we can all say, “Amen.” The greatest need of the people was God and no mere man. Might that same principle hold true when we see our fellow saints in moments of great burden and hardship.

I fear there are movements within the broader church today that readily admit, “The greatest need of every person, unbeliever and Christian, alike is God and no mere man.” , and yet are quick to point to various pastors, professors, or authors with the encouragement, “This person really knows your need, and he’s the one who can help you.” Now there are certainly, brothers who I’ve personally benefitted from time and again, but it wasn’t because they had a unique sight of my problems or had some solution exclusive to their writing or ministry. It’s the men who are quick to recognize and quick to give the greatest news, “God sees, and God saves” who prove to be of most help to the unbeliever and the Christian alike. Read good books, listen to good sermons, but make sure they have Christ in the content.

Paul in his ministry to the Corinthians understood their greatest need and gave his utmost to ensure they looked to God as Savior and not himself.

1 Corinthians 1:22–24 (NASB95)

22 For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom;

23 but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness,

24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1–2 (NASB95)

1 And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.

2 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.

—-

There are no shortage of preachers, professors, and authors providing every kind of wisdom, superiority of speech, and even extraordinary signs, yet if the message at the end of the day falls short of Christ crucified, the power of God and wisdom of God, there is no deliverance!

For the unbeliever, the only hope of deliverance rests in the salvation which God provides in Christ Jesus. He sees us and knows our need better than any man, and what he has provided in Christ is the only hope of deliverance. God calls us to repent of our sins, and believe that Christ’s death on the cross paid for our sins and his resurrection secures our forgiveness and eternal life. In the humility of that faith in Christ and repentance from sin we will know deliverance!

In short, let us not be tempted to think that the deepest needs of humanity can be met by any mere man.

For those who look for salvation, a freedom from guilt, God provides deliverance in the forgiveness Christ provides.

For those of us who know Christ as savior and yet are burdened by sin, pain, and death, God sees, He has provided, and will deliver us into His eternal kingdom in the end.

For those of us who know Christ and hope to do lasting kingdom work, we are instruments in the Redeemer’s hands: God sees more than we ever will, and there is nothing we can provide of ourselves that compares to the deliverance found in Christ.

Whether Israel recognized it or not,

they were not waiting for a man like Moses to see.

They were not waiting for a man like Moses to deliver them.

They weren’t even waiting for God to see. God knew. God saw.

They were waiting for when God in his sovereignty would work for their good.

Might we rest in knowing that God sees, and in His time, not ours, He will provide.

Let’s Pray.