New Testament Reading: 1 Timothy 6:11-16

“But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (1 Timothy 6:11–16, ESV)

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Old Testament Reading: Exodus 3:1-9

“Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’ When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. Then 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 sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them 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, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.” (Exodus 3:1–9, 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 we progress through our study of the book of Exodus, not only will we learn about what happened in those days when God redeemed Israel from Egyptian bondage, and not only will we learn from the successes and failures of Moses and the Hebrews, we will also learn about God, his nature, his attributes, and his ways.

 Who is God? What is he like? And how does he relate to man? These are very big questions. And truth be told, we would not be able to say anything at all about these questions — at least not with any certainty — apart from God’s revelation. No, apart from revelation — that is to say, apart from God choosing to disclose or show himself to us — we would be left to merely speculate about God.

Now, we know that God has revealed himself in two ways. He has revealed himself generally in the world that he has made. Here we are saying that some things about the Creator may be known by observing his creation. This is what the scriptures teach. Psalm 19 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork”. Paul makes a similar point in Romans 1:20, saying, “For [God’s] invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they [the wicked] are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:20–21, ESV). This kind of revelation is called general or natural revelation. And it is very important for us to confess that God does reveal himself to mankind in this way. Some things may be known about God through the observation of the natural world. In particular, we know that he exists and that he is glorious. 

At the same time, we must also confess that God has revealed himself much more clearly in other ways. God does not only speak in a general way to all humanity through the things he has made, he has also spoken in a special and specific way through his prophets. He appeared to them. He worked miracles in their presence and through them. He spoke to them in a variety of ways. And as he did, his people learned, not only about what God was doing in the world, and what he would do in the future, they also learned about who he is. 

This kind of revelation is called special revelation, for through it God reveals himself in a specific way to a specific people. All of humanity has access to God’s general revelation, but we know that God has revealed himself in an especially clear way through the prophets of old and to his chosen people. This special revelation grew in clarity with the passing of time as the words delivered to one prophet would build upon the words delivered to a previous prophet. So Abraham was given more regarding God’s plan of redemption than Adam was. Moses was given more than Abraham. And Jerimiah was given more than Moses. God’s special revelation of himself and of his plans and purposes grew in clarity with the passing of time, all of this culminating and concluding with the arrival of the Christ himself, and with his Apostles. 

Hebrews 1:1 summarizes all of this, saying,  “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1–2, ESV). Christ was not just another prophet in a long line of prophets. He was the prophet of God, for he was the eternal Word of God, the second person of the Triune God, come in the flesh. You will remember that that is how John begins his gospel, saying, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1-3, 14, ESV). 

So then, when we speak of special revelation, we are to think of God revealing himself to man, not through the world he has made, but by his word. This word revelation comes in different forms. Sometimes God would appear to the prophets of old in some form and speak to them. Sometimes they would hear his voice, but not see him. In other instances, God would come to them in dreams and visions. And at other times God would inspire the prophets to speak his word to his people. Quite often the word of the Lord would be accompanied by miracles so that the prophet, and those to whom they ministered, would know for certain that it was God who was speaking to them. Nowhere is this more clearly seen than in the ministry of Jesus Christ. He performed miracles, and these miracles validated that he was from God and spoke the word of God. This is why the miracles of Jesus were called “signs”, for they pointed to the fact that it was God who was behind them. 

So why have I begun this sermon on Exodus 3 by talking about special revelation? It is because in the days of Moses there was not only a great act of deliverance accomplished, there was also a great outpouring of special revelation. God spoke with an unusually loud voice in those days as he delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage and led them towards the promised land. He revealed himself, his plans, and his purposes to his people with greater clarity than in generations past, and he displayed his power and glory to the nations in a way not seen before or after until the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ from the grave.

In Exodus, we find a record of God’s redemptive acts accompanied by a rich deposit of special revelation. Act of redemption… and revelation. These two things do fit nicely together, don’t they? God reveals himself through words, but you will notice that often his words have been accompanied by action. This is a gracious gift. God knows that we would naturally doubt words only, so he has clothed his words with action. Examples of this can be found throughout the pages of Holy Scripture and throughout the history of redemption. But nowhere is more true than during the ministry of Christ, and at the time of the Exodus. These two eras were characterized by a great outpouring of special revelation accompanied by God’s redemptive activity. You’ve heard it said that talk is cheap. Well, God has not only spoken, he has also taken action. And in this way, he has condescended to our weakness. He has backed up his word with action so that we might know for certain that it was he who was speaking.  

So then, as we continue in Exodus, we must not only ask, what did God do? but also, what did he say? What did he reveal concerning himself, his plans, and his purposes? And I would like to suggest to you that the passage we are considering today is most foundational. Here we learn the A-B-C’s, if you will, concerning God’s nature and character. Yes, God revealed himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but hundreds of years had passed since God had spoken to his people. This word that God delivered to Moses is to be considered most important, therefore. You’ve heard it said that first impressions are everything. Well, here God is introducing himself anew and afresh to Moses, and through him, to Israel. We have better pay careful attention to what he says.

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God Revealed Himself To Moses As Self Existent

Let us now turn our attention to our text for today, and as we do, we will see that God revealed himself to Moses, and through him, to Israel and to us. First of all, notice that God revealed himself as the one who is self-existent. 

In verse 1 we read, “Now Moses was keeping the flock of his father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian… “ Remember that Jethro is another name for the man who in the previous passage was called Reuel. We know that Moses is now 80 years old, but he has not progressed much in this foreign land, for he is still watching after his father-in-law’s flock. It is not hard to read between the lines and to see that Moses was humbled during these 40 years in Median. I continue, “…and he led his flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.” Why did Moses go so far with the flock? Probably to find green pastures. And what is the significance of this mountain Horeb? Well, this same mountain is also called Sinai. The name Horeb may be another name for the same mountain, or it may have been the name of a range of mountains, of which Sinai was one. This mountain will become very significant in the Exodus story, for here God will give his law and enter into covenant with Israel after they are redeemed from Egypt.  

Verse 2: And the angel of the LORD appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked, and behold, the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed. And Moses said, ‘I will turn aside to see this great sight, why the bush is not burned.’”

Notice three things about this verse:

One, it was the LORD who disclosed himself to Moses; it was not Moses who discovered the LORD. This may seem like a small observation, but in fact, it is very significant. If we are to know God truly, God must make himself known to us. This was true for Adam in the garden. This is true for humanity after the fall. And this is true for each and every sinner who comes to God through faith in the Messiah. We come to him because he calls us. We are able to know him, not because we discover him, but because he graciously discloses himself to us. It was the LORD who appeared to Moses, and this after 80 years of sojourning. 

Two, God is here called “the angel of the LORD”. That it was in fact God who appeared to Moses, and not an angel, is made clear in verse 4. Why then is God here called “the angel of the LORD”. I think it is this: the title, “angel of the LORD”, communicates that this was in fact an appearance of God. But what Moses saw was not God as he really is, but a manifestation of the LORD. Here God appeared in the form of fire. But God is not fire. When God is called “the angel of the LORD” it is made clear that God is indeed revealing himself to man, but in some creaturely form. 

Three, the form that God took is significant. He “appeared… in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…. the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” Why this form? That is the question. And the answer must be that the form itself communicates some truth about God to Moses and to us. “The bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” What is the significance of that?

Well, the context seems to point in this direction: God is self-existent. He is the fire that needs no fuel to burn. This interpretation corresponds well with the name that God will reveal to Moses in the next passage. God is the “I am”. He is the one who was, and is, and ever will be. He does not stand in need of anything or anyone for his existence or his sustenance. 

Yes, it is true that humans are made in the image of God. We are like him in some ways, so much so that we are able to commune with him. But we are not God. And here is one of the most fundamental distinctions between us and him: he is self-existent, and we are not. Our existence is dependent upon so many things outside of ourselves, the greatest of them being God himself. If the fire of life is to continue burning within us, we need fuel. God must sustain us body and soul. But God is the fire that burns without fuel. The LORD “appeared… in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush…. the bush was burning, yet it was not consumed.” 

It is not difficult to see why God would reveal himself to Moses in this way given the mission he was about to call him to. Moses would need to trust the LORD as went to face Pharoah and he would lead Israel in wilderness places those 40 years. One thing he would need to know for certain is that this God who called him is not lacking in strength.

Think with me for a moment about power and strength. When we say that someone is not strong enough, we mean that they have reached the limits of their resources in some way. They have run out of muscle, energy, money, willpower, or some other thing. But God does not need resources to act. God is. When we say that God is powerful, we do not mean that he is really, really strong. No, we mean that his power is without boundaries at all. And his power is without boundaries because he stands in need of no one and nothing outside himself. God is. He is life and power without limit. He gives life and power to all, but no one gives life and power to him. He is the flame that needs no fuel to burn. 

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God Revealed Himself To Moses As Holy

Not only did God reveal himself to Moses as self-existent, he also revealed himself as holy. 

Look at verse 4. “When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ And he said, ‘I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.”

God’s call to Moses was gracious. To repeat someone’s name twice, as God did with Moses, was considered a friendly greeting in that culture. And I think you would agree with me that for God to reveal himself to Moses and to call out to him was a gracious thing in and of itself. But as Moses drew near to God, God warned him concerning his holiness. God is holy. This means that he is different from us. He is set apart from us and highly exalted above us. This also means that he is perfectly pure and without blemish. But we are sinful. 

So God warned Moses, saying, “Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.” Moses was to come near, but not too near. This pretty much sets the tone for Israel’s approach to God under the Old Covenant — they would be invited to draw near, but not too near. They would be warned to keep back from the mountain of God, and when the tabernacle and temple would finally be constructed, a veil would keep the people out of the most holy place. Under Moses the people would be invited to draw near to God, but not too near. Christ would accomplish something greater.  He himself would enter into the heavenly sanctuary, and in him, we have full access to the Father. 

Moses was told to take the sandal off his feet. This was a sign of respect. For the place on which he was standing was holy ground. There was nothing special about that place, but God’s presence made it special. God met with Moses in that place, and not long after this, God would reveal himself to Israel there to give them his law and to enter into covenant with them. 

What would they need to know about their God? If they were to approach him right? One thing they would certainly need to know is that he is holy, and they are not. If they were to approach him at all, God would need to provide atonement for their sins.  

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God Revealed Himself To Moses As Merciful And Kind

Thirdly, God revealed himself to Moses as merciful and kind. This is seen in the words, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Here the Lord reminds Moses of the kindness that he had shown to Abraham to reveal himself to him, to call him out of that pagan land, and to give him his precious and very great promises. Notice that God said, “I am the God of your father”, referring to Moses’ own father. Here we have a reminder of God’s covenant faithfulness. Though the Hebrews had suffered greatly as slaves those many years, God had not abandoned them. He preserved his people so that he might accomplish his purposes through them. God is merciful and kind. 

And this is also seen in the words, “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 sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them 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, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And now, behold, the cry of the people of Israel has come to me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them” (Exodus 3:1–9, ESV).

God knew of the sufferings of the Hebrews. He was not unaware. And now he was ready to act to fulfill the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, concerning their possession of Canaan as a great multitude and nation.  God is merciful and kind. 

I’m afraid that many modern Christians will look at the suffering of the Hebrews and will tend to say, God was not merciful or kind to them. He was cruel. In fact, many modern Christians have a very hard time reconciling the goodness of God with the suffering that they see in the world. This is a very difficult question, I will admit it. And I am not sure that specific answers can be given to the question, what about evil and suffering? There is much that remains a mystery. But one problem I see, many Christians do tend to have a sense of entitlement. They begin with the presupposition that God owes us a degree of health, wealth, and prosperity. Does he? Is this what we deserve from him — health, wealth, and prosperity? I’m not saying that this will make all of our questions concerning the sovereignty of God and suffering go away, but I will help a lot. It will help if we start at the right place. We are not entitled to receive anything good from God, only his judgment. Every good thing that we enjoy in this life is a gift from him. 

God revealed himself to Moses as merciful and kind. He saw the suffering of the Hebrews, and he knew. He was about to act to bring them relief and to fulfill the gracious promises he made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. How is this not astonishing to us that God would think of man, much less sinful man, at all? And yet he has looked down upon us in our pitiful state with compassion in his eyes, as it were. 

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Conclusion

First impressions are important, aren’t they? And I do believe that we are to view this encounter between God and Moses in that light. Moses and Israel would learn a lot more about their God in the years to come, but this is where God began. He wished to show forth his self-existence, to place emphasis upon his holiness, and to stress his mercy and kindness. Moses, and all of Israel after him, would need to know these things about their God if they were to trust, worship, and serve him faithfully as he led them out of Egypt and towards the promised land. And so I ask you, do you know these things?

Do you know that God is self-existent? He stands in need of no one and nothing. Never does he lack power and strength, therefore. 

Do you know that he is holy? To approach him, you must be made clean. And when you do approach, you must come with reverence. 

Do you know that merciful and kind? He has invited you to come, friends, and he has made a way. We must come through faith in Christ the Lord, for he atoned for all our sins. 

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.