Hello my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
In the past several years we’ve often seen news reports of huge numbers of migrants, refugees fleeing North Africa or Syria or Central Asia trying to gain access into Europe and also a large number of refugees from Central and South America trying to gain access into North America. Most all these people are leaving their homes, often with little more than the clothes on their backs, fleeing danger and seeking a better life. We’ve begun a new journey following the story of Moses and did you know he once had to flee his homeland and live as a refugee?
Yesterday we left his story on the wonderful day of his adoption by the Pharaoh’s daughter. He went from being the young son of a slave family to being adopted into the royal Egyptian family. The Exodus record gives us no details of his growing up years but we have every reason to believe he lived a life of royal privilege. It seems clear he knew his family roots were Hebrew slaves, but his future was privileged potential, until one day he was out observing the slaves in their work and he did something which changed the course of his life. Exodus 2:11 says ‘Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that…he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand…When Pharaoh heard of this he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian…” What Moses had done was intolerable. Slaves had no rights. Regardless of why the Egyptian slave master was beating a slave, no member of the royal family should intervene and certainly they should not defend the slave by killing an Egyptian! Pharaoh had to act, and he must strip Moses of any royalty and exile him immediately from Egypt. Moses fled east, out of Egypt, into the open regions of Midian. He knew no one there and it could give him a fresh start, but he also had no occupation and it would likely be wise to keep his ancestry, both his Hebrew slave heritage and his Egyptian royalty a secret.
What Moses was experiencing is what millions of exiles in recent years have experienced. Moses found a well of water and sat down there, knowing people would come to draw water. Perhaps he might find someone to help him start a new life, even a place to spend the night and have a meal? As Moses sat there, not having any idea where he was, what kinds of people he might meet, do you suppose he reflected on what had been his life story thus far… born into slavery, rescued from the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter, nursed by his own mother till able to be adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter, raised in the palace, groomed for some royal role in the royal family, and then suddenly banished, exiled and run out of Egypt. As he was reflecting on all this sheep began coming toward the well, it was time for watering, and their shepherds led them. The closer they got Moses was surprised to see the shepherds were women! They began to draw water for their sheep and Moses just watched.
Suddenly other sheep and shepherds approached and these shepherds were angry men, demanding that the women, who had arrived first, move out of their way so they could water their sheep. Something welled up inside Moses, the same as happened that day when he saw the Egyptian slave master beating a defenseless Hebrew slave. Moses couldn’t stand by and watch these women bullied, so he jumped up and came to their rescue. The angry men backed away while Moses drew water for the women and their sheep. Soon the girls left with their sheep and Moses beckoned the men to come for their turn at the water well. Justice had been served and when the girls arrived home their father was surprised they were so early. Their explanation was simple: “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.’ Their father asked, ‘where is he? Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat with us.” (Ex. 2:16-20)
Evidently one of the girls ran back to the well and invited Moses to dinner. Now pause here just a moment. Do you see the similarity between the two confrontational situations in which Moses had found himself. First defending a Hebrew slave against an angry Egyptian slave master, and a few days later, defending some female shepherds against some bully guy shepherds. What does that tell us about the heart of Moses and his response when he sees injustice, unfairness, regardless who is involved? Where did Moses learn this? Perhaps in those first early years with his Hebrew mother, perhaps in those years with Pharaoh’s daughter as his mother. Both women had tender hearts. Remember the Hebrew mother refused to kill her son, rather she risked her life to save his. Pharaoh’s daughter did the same. She too refused to kill the Hebrew baby, and she risked her life to save his! Oh the powerful influence of a tender hearted mother… and Moses had two of them!! Do you see what God was doing as He blessed Moses with these two women who so greatly influenced him?
Moses was taken in by that family of female shepherds and he married one of them, and began a family in exile! His father-n-law had two names, Reuel (Ex. 2:18) and Jethro (3:1). He was evidently a good and wise man who also greatly influenced Moses in these years. While Moses didn’t know it, God now had him in a second school of preparation! His first was those years in the palace, gaining a royal education preparing a royal leader. This education would be as an exile shepherd gaining a survivor’s education. From his perspective, I presume Moses thought the rest of his life would be tending sheep as an unknown shepherd in an unknown place. From God’s perspective, God was preparing one of the greatest leaders of all time.
And back in Egypt, the record describes what was happening: “During that long period, the Pharaoh died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered His Covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and He was concerned about them.” (Exodus 2:23-25) What do we learn here about God, my friends? Once again we are reminded that God is always fully aware of all that is transpiring here on earth! (Ps. 14:2, Ps. 33:12-15) We also see God is compassionate and tender-hearted, especially when it concerns His people. Thirdly I see God never forgets His promises, His plans and purposes. And one other thing… even though the Israelites are in slavery because of their own choices, remember their ancestors stayed in the ‘best of the land of Egypt’ rather than returning back to Canaan, generation after generation… still, God sees us in our self-enslavement and He cares deeply about us in our misery!
If you know the story of Moses, you know God is about to bring all this together and do something that will change the trajectory of Moses’ life forever and will change the future for nearly 1 million Hebrew slaves. But that’s tomorrow. . . for today, let’s look at shepherd Moses far from the palace and all the royal finery that he knew. Months turn to years. I wonder if Moses gave up on himself and any hopes of having a significant life that might make a difference in this world? I’m fairly confident word had made its way to Moses’ Hebrew family about his exile, and perhaps they had given up on any hopes that things might be different with Moses in the royal family.
May I ask, are you at a place where you’re giving up on hope that things might be better in the future for you or your family or your community or even your nation? My friends, don’t ever give up on God! There is always hope with God…even in desperate times! Ponder that today, and consider that right now God might be planning to do in your situation something similar to what He did in Exodus 3 with Moses… we’ll see that tomorrow!
I found a song to help you never give up. . .
Today’s Scripture is Exodus 2:11-25.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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