Aug 21
15
New Testament Reading: Hebrews 11:24–27
“By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” (Hebrews 11:24–27, ESV)
Old Testament Reading: Exodus 2:11-25
“One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, ‘Why do you strike your companion?’ He answered, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid, and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known.’ When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, ‘How is it that you have come home so soon today?’ They said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.’ He said to his daughters, ‘Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.’ And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.’ During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” (Exodus 2:11–25, ESV)
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Please excuse any typos and misspellings within this manuscript. It has been published online for the benefit of the saints of Emmaus Reformed Baptist Church but without the benefit of proofreading.
Introduction
As you can see, this little section of the book of Exodus covers a lot of ground as it pertains to the passing of time. In the previous passage we learned about the birth of Moses, and by the end of this passage we learn of the birth of Moses’ son. About 36 years pass between the end of verse 10 and the beginning of verse 11, where we read, “One day, when Moses had grown up…”. The text does not tell us anything about the life of Moses from the time he was weaned (probably at about the age of 4) and the events that are described to us here starting in verse 11.In Acts 7:23 Steven says that Moses was 40 when these things that are described to us in 2:11ff took place. This should remind us of the way that the life of Christ is narrated in the Gospels. With the exception of Luke, the Gospel writers jump from the birth of Christ to his ministry which began when he was about 30. Luke tells us one story about Jesus as a child.
So then, it is left to our imagination to think of what life would have been like for Moses from the day he was taken into Pharaoh’s house up to the age of 40. The Hebrews to whom Moses originally wrote would have had a clear understanding of this in their minds. They were once slaves in Egypt, so they must have had some understanding of the lavish and luxurious lives that those in Pharaoh’s house enjoyed. Moses was a prince of Egypt, remember? He lived a life of great luxury, privilege, and comfort, therefore. We should not forget about this fact as we consider this story, for here we learn that Moses forsook this life of power, privilege, and prestige when he decided to identify with his God and with God’s people.
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Moses Had Decided To Identify With God’s People
And that is the first thing that I would like for you to see. Moses, when he was forty years of age, decided to identify with God’s people, forsaking a life of privilege that he had for so long enjoyed.
In verse 11 we read, “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people” (Exodus 2:11, ESV).
Notice the repetition of the phrase, “his people”. He went out to “his people”, the text says. And again, “he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people”. Clearly the text wants for us to see that Moses had decided to identify with God’s people. He considered the oppressed Hebrews to be his people, and not the powerful and prosperous Egyptians, not even the family of Pharaoh.
This is astonishing if you think about it. Who in their right mind would choose to identify with a group of people who were in a situation like the Hebrews were in, especially when this would require them to forfeit the kind of glory, honor, and power that Moses possessed as a member of Pharaoh’s house?
We know why Moses did it. Hebrews 11 tells us that it was the faith of Moses that drove him to make this radical decision. Here it again: “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.” Well, what was his faith in? The second portion of the text clarifies, saying, “He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward” (Hebrews 11:24–26, ESV).
Can we pause for just a moment to think about that statement?
Moses broke with the house of Pharaoh and chose to identify with the people of God, knowing that he would be mistreated along with them because he “considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt…” His faith was in Christ. He identified with the Hebrews because he knew that the promises concerning a coming Messiah were entrusted to them. He knew that his people — the Hebrew people — were God’s people. They were set apart from the nations as holy and, according to the promises made to their forefathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Christ would one day come into the world through them.
So then, we must see that Moses’ break from Pharaoh’s house, and his identification with God’s people, was rational and deliberate. He did not act compulsively, nor was he driven by mere emotion or sentiment. No, he knew what God had promised to Abraham regarding his descendants, and he understood that God would bring the Messiah into the world through them. He understood these promises and he believed them. His hope was set on Christ. He “was looking forward to the reward” that Christ would bring. He counted the cost. As the Hebrews text says, he “considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt.” Faith was what drove him to make this dramatic and daring move. He had faith in God, in the promises of God, and in the promised Messiah.
The implications of this Hebrews text are pretty huge. Not only does Hebrews 11:24-26 sheds light on the question, what drove Moses to do what he did? It also sheds light on the question, what was known by the Hebrews who lived in Moses’ day concerning the promises of God and the good news that salvation would come through the Messiah? They knew a lot, evidently. The promises given to Abraham, and entrusted to Isaac, and Jacob were preserved amongst the Hebrews during those 400 years in Egypt. Many of the Hebrews were ignorant concerning these promises, I’m sure. Many did not believe. But the promises were preserved. And it appears that Moses, his family, along with others, believed them.
But the main point is this: Moses chose suffering over glory being driven by faith in God, in the promises of God, and in God’s Messiah.
Already we can see that Moses was a type of Christ. Not only did he have faith in the promised Messiah, but his life would serve as a picture and foreshadowing of the Christ who was yet to come. Moses would be used by God to rescue his people from bondage, and so would the Christ, but in a much greater way. And Moses would accomplish this redemption by setting aside glory, honor, and power, and so would the Christ, but in a much greater way. Moses set aside the wealth and treasures of Egypt, but Christ, “though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:6–11, ESV).
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Moses Had Developed The Heart Of A Deliverer
As we continue on in our passage, not only do we see that Moses had decided to identify with God’s people, by this time he had also developed the heart of a deliverer.
Verse 11: “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. [Verse 12] He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:11–12, ESV)
Here we see that Moses had developed a great concern for the Hebrews and wished to alleviate their suffering. When did he develop this concern? Was it with him from a young age, or was it a late development? The text does not say. But he surely had it by the age of 40! Also, we see clearly that Moses was concerned with matters of justice. He witnessed the mistreatment of his people, and it troubled him greatly, leading him to take action.
This same concern for the oppressed, and Moses’ willingness to stand up to oppressors, shows up again later in this passage when Moses comes to the defense of the daughters of Reuel in the land of Midian. When these seven daughters of Reuel “came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock… shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock” (Exodus 2:16–17, ESV).
Quite clearly, one of the reasons these stories are told is to show us something about the character of the man Moses. He was concerned for the oppressed. He was bothered by injustice. He was strong, bold, and courageous.
These are very good qualities. They are a reflection of the character of God. In fact, Psalm 103 connects these characteristics of God with the man Moses, saying, “The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel” (Psalm 103:6–7, ESV). And these qualities would also be found in the Christ, but purely so.
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But God Was Not Done Developing Moses
Moses had, by this time in his life, developed the heart of a deliverer. But evidently, God was not done developing Moses to be the deliver that he would call him to be. This is the third thing that I would like for you to see in our text for today. God was not done developing Moses.
In Acts 7:25, Steven clearly says that Moses’ intention was to deliver the Hebrews when he struck down the abusive Egyptian. And I quote, “He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:25, ESV). Perhaps Moses thought he could lead an uprising. He struck down the abusive Egyptian, but no uprising occurred.
In verse 13 of Exodus 2 we read, “When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, ‘Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, ‘Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?’ Then Moses was afraid, and thought, ‘Surely the thing is known’” (Exodus 2:13–14, ESV).
Moses assumed that the Hebrews would rally around him, seeing that he was willing to stand up for them, but they were not interested in following him.
“Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” That was a good question. In truth, no one had. Not God, nor anyone else. Moses had, at this moment, taken it upon himself to be the prince of the Hebrews. The Hebrews were not willing to follow him.
And they did not want him as a judge either. Perhaps this had to do with his killing of the Egyptian. Though I do not doubt that Moses acted out of a true desire to protect the oppressed, his response was not proportionate or just. He killed a man for wounding another. This sounds more like the ethic of that wicked ruler, Lamech, who boasted to his wives in Genesis, saying “I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me” (Genesis 4:23–24, ESV), than the righteous leader of Israel through whom God would give his law.
Listen again to the question of the guilty Hebrew: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” In other words, do you intend to apply the same standard of justice to me as you did to the Egyptian slave master? Will you put me to death for striking another? This standard of justice is very different from the one given to Noah, and thus to all nations, which is blood for blood, eye for eye, tooth for tooth.
The picture that is painted here in this passage is that Moses did at this time possess the qualities of a great deliverer of God’s people. He had strong faith in God and in the promises of God. He loved God and God’s people. He was deeply troubled by their mistreatment. He was willing to sacrifice comfort, safety, and great wealth for the good of others. He was bold and courageous. These were wonderful qualities, and they would be needed in the future. But the time was not yet. The Hebrews were not ready, and neither was Moses.
If we were to critique Moses at this stage of his life, we might say that he was a bit arrogant, self-reliant, and reckless. Arrogant to appoint himself as the deliverer of the Hebrew people, self-reliant to do this apart from the call of God, and reckless in his approach. When he killed that Egyptian he did not act justly, and in so doing he probably brought great trouble to the Hebrew slaves. An Egyptian taskmaster was missing, and the authorities were sure to put the blame on the Hebrews. Moses realized this, and this is why he fled, saying, “surely the thing is known”.
Sure enough, in verse 15 we read, “When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well” (Exodus 2:15, ESV).
It is not surprising that Pharaoh sought to kill Moses. He was a traitor.
Moses fled to Midian. Why? Midian not far from the northeast portion of Egypt, it was rural and sparsely populated, and the Midianites were close relatives of the Hebrews — they too descended from Abraham through his wife Katura. After Moses ditched his Egyptian garb, he would have been able to blend in amongst that people.
And so Moses fled to Median, and the text says, “he sat down by a well.” Why this detail? Perhaps you remember that wells were very important in the Genesis narrative. Both Isaac and Jacob found their wives at wells. They signify blessing and life, and understandably so. When we read that Moses “sat down by a well”, it signals a new beginning for this man.
Just like Isaac and Jacob before him, Moses found a wife at this well. After he came to the defense of the seven daughters of Reuel, the women returned home. Verse 18: “When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, ‘How is it that you have come home so soon today?’ They said, ‘An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.’ He said to his daughters, ‘Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”” (Exodus 2:18–20, ESV)
Please allow me to say just a few things about these verses.
One, Reuel is also called by another name in the book of Exodus. In 3:1, for example, he is called by the name Jethro. Reuel was probably his clan name, and Jethro, his common name. You and I have first and last names too, so this should not surprise us.
Two, notice that Moses is presented by the daughters as a deliverer. In verse 17 it was said that Moses “drove away” the oppressive shepherds, “stood up and saved” the women, and afterward watered their flocks for them. Here verse 19 the daughters of Reuel say, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock” (Exodus 2:19, ESV). Aagin, we are to see Moses as a developing deliverer. He must have been very strong and courageous to drive those shepherds away on his own, and then afterward to do the work that the seven daughters came to do, and all in less time than was typical for them.
Three, Reuel is called the priest of Midian. I do wonder what kind of priest he was. How much did he know about the God of Abraham and the promises given to him? And if he knew something about those promises, how much did he believe? In other words, how pure or corrupt was the religion of Reuel?
The text does not explicitly say. But we know this for sure: he was hospitable to Moses, he would give his daughter to him in marriage, he would support and encourage him in his work of deliverance before and after the Exodus, and he would even rejoice in the good that God did for Israel, offering sacrifices up to the Lord. You may see Exodus 18 to learn more about that. The evidence seems to point us in this direction: Reuel was likely a priest who promoted worship that was somewhat true, yet impure. Perhaps we are to think that Reuel was refined through his relationship with Moses over many years.
Reuel was hospitable to Moses, and not just for a day. Moses would dwell with the man for 40 years. Verse 21 says, “And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a sojourner in a foreign land’” (Exodus 2:21–22, ESV).
What a fitting name for Moses’ oldest son. Gershom sounds like the Hebrew word for sojourner. Moses was a sojourner three times over. He was a Hebrew brought up in Egypt; he was a Hebrew raised in Pharaoh’s house; he was a Hebrew of the house Pharoah exiled now to Midian. And Gershom would be a sojourner too, eventually coming to wander in the wilderness with the people of Israel.
The phrase, “Moses was content to dwell with the man” is worth noting. It reveals a lot about Moses’ heart. Not many days before, he was dwelling in a palace, living in luxury. But he was content to dwell with Jethro in Midian, which would have been a very humble existence in comparison to his life in Egypt. Moses was not a worldly man, he was a man of faith.
So then, Moses was 40 when he left Egypt and came into Reuel’s house. Exodus 7:7 tells us that he was 80 years old when he spoke to Pharaoh saying, “let my people go.” I told you this passage covers some ground. 40 years passed between Moses’ birth and his exile from Egypt, and another 40 years would pass before Moses would return to Egypt as the redeemer of God’s people.
What were those 40 years in Midian for? Why didn’t God accomplish his work of redemption when Moses was 40? Why did he wait until Moses was 80?
The ways of the Lord are often a mystery to us, and so I will not attempt a thorough and definitive answer to the question, why? But two things seem obvious: One, Moses was refined by God during those 40 years. He was further prepared to be the redeemer that God had called him to be. And two, God would be glorified in a greater way as worked his redemption, not by the hand of a strong and courageous warrior, but a man of meekness and weakness.
Concerning the refinement of Moses, we should carefully compare the 40-year-old Moses with the 80-year-old Moses. When he was 40 he was eager to be a deliverer. Yes, he was bold, strong, and courageous, but also a bit arrogant, impulsive, and reckless. Contrast this with who he was when God spoke to him in the burning bush and finaly called him to deliver Israel. He didn’t want to go! He argued with God and tried to convince God to send someone else. He did not see himself as qualified. And in Numbers 12:3 we find this remark concerning the character of Moses in his later years: “Now the man Moses was very meek, more than all people who were on the face of the earth” (Numbers 12:3, ESV).
Meekness is not typically the character trait that we would associate with a great leader like Moses. The man was used by God to lead hundreds of thousands of Hebrews out from under the oppression of a great and powerful nation. In fact, most would imagine someone like the 40-year-old Moses, but certainly not the 80 year old Moses. Moses, by that time, was very, very meek. He was humble.
I would propose to you that Moses was exiled to Midian so that God might humble him there.
I can see how 40 years in the wilderness could do that to a man. What did Moses, the prince of Egypt, do for 40 years? He tended to the flocks of his father-in-law, Jethro. That’s humbling. Marriage can also humble a man. So too can parenthood. Age should also bring humility. I say “can” and “should” because these things do not always produce humility in men (or women). Sometimes men grow even more prideful and hardhearted in marriage, as parents, and with the passing of time. But the faithful will grow more humble, meek, and mild as God refines them through these experiences. This seems to have been the case with Moses.
God was not done developing Moses at the age of 40. He had more work to do in his soul. During those 40 years of exile, his body grew weaker, but his faith grew stronger. And this was the thing that he needed if he was to do the work that God has set him apart to do: strong faith. Paradoxically, to be strong in faith, one must be weak as it pertains to pride. Those who are prideful trust in themselves, whereas those who are humble are free to trust in the Lord.
This theme can be found through the scriptures, for this is how God works in the world. He chooses “what is foolish in the world to shame the wise… what is weak in the world to shame the strong… what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God… as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:27–31, ESV).
I think you can see where this is going. When God did finally provide redemption for the Hebrews, he would do it through Moses, but no one would say that it was Moses who redeemed Israel. Clearly, it was the LORD’s work, and it was the LORD who would get the glory.
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Conclusion
Verses 23 through 25 are transitional. They set the stage for what is to come. There we read, “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.” (Exodus 2:23–25, ESV)
Consider a few things:
One, the people of Israel went on suffering under Egyptian bondage for 80 years after the birth of Moses. Ponder that for a moment. Yes, God does permit his people to suffer, and he works in the midst of suffering.
Two, the king of Egypt who had sought Moses’ life when he was 40, died. It is good to remember that these powerful rulers of the past, present, or future are mere mortals. Their lives will come to an end, but God remains. His plans and purposes will never fail.
Three, “the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.” Their suffering was great, but here we learn that they cried out to God for help. God works through the prayers of his people, brothers and sisters. Yes, God is sovereign over all. And yes, God has foreordained all that will come to pass. Nevertheless, God has determined to work in and through the prayers of his people. We must pray, brothers and sisters, for God commands it.
Four, God heard the prayers of his people. He always does. “Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning…”
Five, God remembered his covenant. This is so important to see. What God will do in the Exodus event is in fulfillment of the promises previously made. He remembered the promises of the covenant that he had transacted with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding their offspring and the land. When the text says “God remembered” it does not mean he forgot. God does not forget, friends, for he is not a man. No, “God remembered” means that he was ready to act and to keep the promises that he had previously made.
Six, the words “and God knew” tell us that God was not unaware of the suffering of his people. “He knew.” Indeed, he knows all things, past, present, and future with perfect clarity. When the text says, “he knew” it means that he was aware, cared, was near, and engaged. This should be a great comfort to the people of God as they suffer in this world. God knows. In other words, our suffering is not the result of God being absent, indifferent, aloof, or impotent. He knows. He is aware, near, and engaged. And though the purpose for our suffering is often a mystery to us, it is a comfort to know that we are in the hands of our God who loves, is infinitely powerful, and wise.
Verses 23-25 clearly signal that something is about to happen. God is about to act to bring about the deliverance of his people in fulfillment to the promises made to Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, for he is faithful.
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Suggestions For Application
Will you please allow me to conclude now with a few brief suggestions for application?
One, I ask, will you identify yourself with God and his people if it means the loss of comfort, fame, and prosperity?
I think Moses was a wonderful example of one who was willing to do that. It was his faith that drove him in this direction, mind you. To quote Hebrews 11 again, “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.” (Hebrews 11:24–26, ESV).
I’ve put emphasis upon the words “refused”, “choosing”, “considered”, and “looking”, in order to show that Moses was deliberate about this. He knew what he was doing. He truly believed that he was choosing the better thing when he walked away from the Egyptians and stood with the Hebrews. He was rejecting the world and the things of this world and choosing Christ instead. Have you? Will you?
You cannot have this fallen and sinful word and Christ. You must choose. And I pray that you would choose God in Christ.
Paul the apostle did. As he reminisced about the high status he enjoyed in the world before following Christ, he said, “But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:7–11, ESV).
Paul and Moses shared the same faith. They had the faith of Abraham, which is faith in the Messiah. Do you? Have you decided to follow Christ and forsake this sinful world? Have you chosen to identify yourself with God and his people, lowly as they may be? I pray you will. Young and old alike, I pray you will.
Two, do you, like Moses, have a zeal to see God’s plans and purposes advance in this world? Moses’ zeal to see God’s redemptive purposes furthered, and also his willingness to stand up for the oppressed, is commendable and worthy of imitation.
There was only one Moses, just as there was only one Christ. His particular calling was very different from ours. But we do share the same faith in the same Messiah. We have the same hope: life everlasting in the new heavens and earth through faith in the Messiah. And we are aiming at the same thing, namely, the glory of our Covenant keeping God. We simply have different roles to play.
If we are to advance God’s redemptive purposes, we must devote ourselves to the proclamation of the gospel of Jesus Christ, to the building up of the church of Christ, and to the maintenance of the worship of his most holy name. In other words, we are to devote ourselves to the furtherance of Christ’s kingdom. And as it pertains to Moses’ concern for the oppressed, we too should share his concern and seek to promote true justice within the communities where we live.
Thirdly, and lastly, I will ask you, do you have the humility that Moses had in his later years? Are you meek? The scriptures say that we must pursue meekness. Listen to the words of Paul: “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:12–13, ESV).
I’ve heard people say things like, well, it’s not who I am. In other words, I’m not a meek person — I am bold and aggressive. And granted, there are different personality types within Christ’s church. But it is possible for someone who is bold, and maybe a little loud, to also be truly meek and humble. It may not be who you are now, but it is what God calls us to be. We are to “put on… compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience…”
As I said earlier, I think Moses spent 40 years in Midian so that the Lord might develop this humility within him. I’m sure there were other reasons too! Lots of good things happened during that time, I’m sure! But the narrative of Exodus seems to highlight the development of this trait within Moses.
Have you ever considered, dear brothers and sisters, that the Lord may be doing something similar with you? Why is it that you are sojourning in this desert place, or enduring this prolonged trial? I can’t tell you for sure, but I do know this: the Lord is seeking to refine you through it. Be patient, brothers and sisters. And be believing. Walk by faith knowing that the Lord is in control, he is at work within you, and he will surely bring that work to its completion.
