Meditations in Exodus
Exodus 2:11-15 reads, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.”
Furthermore, Acts 7:22-29 reads, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.”
These two passages speak concerning a choice that Moses made when he was forty years old. He had been adopted by Pharaoh’s own daughter and had been raised in the palace as her own son. Yet at the age of forty, it came into Moses’ heart “to visit his brethren the children of Israel” and to look “on their burdens.” This Moses did because he recognized that Lord God had called him for His work of deliverance on the behalf of His people. In fact, he even supposed that the children of Israel themselves “would have understood how that God by his [by Moses’] hand would deliver them.” Indeed, Moses visited the children of Israel, attempting to find a way to bring about this deliverance on behalf of his brethren. Yet at that time Moses failed in his attempt because he made the attempt in dependence upon his own ability, rather than in dependence upon the Lord his God.
Exodus 2:11-15 reads, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.”
Furthermore, Acts 7:22-29 reads, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: for he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.”
These two passages speak concerning a choice that Moses made when he was forty years old. He had been adopted by Pharaoh’s own daughter and had been raised in the palace as her own son. Yet at the age of forty, it came into Moses’ heart “to visit his brethren the children of Israel” and to look “on their burdens.” This Moses did because he recognized that Lord God had called him for His work of deliverance on the behalf of His people. In fact, he even supposed that the children of Israel themselves “would have understood how that God by his [by Moses’] hand would deliver them.” Indeed, Moses visited the children of Israel, attempting to find a way to bring about this deliverance on behalf of his brethren. Yet at that time Moses failed in his attempt because he made the attempt in dependence upon his own ability, rather than in dependence upon the Lord his God.
The Case
First, we must understand that Moses was a man of natural ability and accomplishment. In Acts 7:22 Stephen gave the report, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” Through the circumstances of his life, the Lord had been preparing Moses for a role of leadership. Yet there is a great temptation in such natural ability and accomplishment. It is the temptation to depend upon our own abilities and accomplishments, rather than upon the Lord who empowers that ability and accomplishment.
Second, we must understand that Moses was a man who recognized God’s call upon his life. In Acts 7:25 Stephen gave the report, “For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.” He recognized that the Lord God intended to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, and he recognized even more that the Lord God intended to bring about this deliverance “by his [by Moses’] hand.” Yet there is a great temptation in such recognition of God’s call upon one’s life. It is the temptation to attempt the fulfillment of that call in dependence upon one’s self, rather than in dependence upon the Lord who called.
Third, we must understand that Moses was a man who chose to heed God’s call upon his life. In Hebrews 11:24-26 God’s Word gives the report, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”
The Conflict
Yet as we have already noted, Moses yielded under the temptation to attempt the fulfillment of God’s call in dependence upon his own ability. In Exodus 2:11-12 God’s Word gives the report, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.”
Certainly, it was right that Moses “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” Certainly it was right Moses esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” Certainly, it was right that Moses acknowledged the children of Israel as his true brethren, and that he went out with burden of heart to consider their burdens of bondage.
Yet it was not right for Moses to seek the deliverance of his brethren in his own way or through his own ability. Yet it was not right for Moses to murder the Egyptian oppressor out of vengeance. Yet it was not right for Moses to engage in such an act that he had to look “this way and that way” in order to make sure “that there was no man” to observe what he was about to do. Yet it was not right for Moses to engage in such an act of vengeful murder that he had to secretly hide the Egyptian oppressor in the sand. This was Moses’ own way through Moses’ own ability. This was not God’s way through God’s own ability.
The Consequence
What then was the result and consequence of Moses’ attempt to fulfill God’s call through his own ability?
First, it damaged Moses’ testimony among those to whom he was called to minister. In Exodus 2:13-14 God’s Word gives the report, “And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.”
Second, it produced discouragement and fear in Moses’ own heart. Even so, the closing line of Exodus 2:14 gives the report, “And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.”
Third, it caused Moses to flee from his call and from the good fight of faith. In Exodus 2:15 gives the report, “Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.”
Finally, it brought Moses to a place of content outside of God’s call upon his life. When Moses fled from Egypt, he ended his flight in the land of Midian. There he met a priest of Midian and married one of his daughters. Even so, Exodus 2:21 gives the report, “And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.”
Yet the Lord God was not content with these results and consequences; for the Lord God was not content that His chosen people should remain in the bondage of Egypt. Even so, Exodus 2:23-25 declares, “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” Indeed, the Lord God still intended to deliver his people from that bondage by the hand of Moses. However, He had first to develop Moses’ spiritual character as man of God.
First, we must understand that Moses was a man of natural ability and accomplishment. In Acts 7:22 Stephen gave the report, “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” Through the circumstances of his life, the Lord had been preparing Moses for a role of leadership. Yet there is a great temptation in such natural ability and accomplishment. It is the temptation to depend upon our own abilities and accomplishments, rather than upon the Lord who empowers that ability and accomplishment.
Second, we must understand that Moses was a man who recognized God’s call upon his life. In Acts 7:25 Stephen gave the report, “For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.” He recognized that the Lord God intended to deliver the children of Israel from the bondage of Egypt, and he recognized even more that the Lord God intended to bring about this deliverance “by his [by Moses’] hand.” Yet there is a great temptation in such recognition of God’s call upon one’s life. It is the temptation to attempt the fulfillment of that call in dependence upon one’s self, rather than in dependence upon the Lord who called.
Third, we must understand that Moses was a man who chose to heed God’s call upon his life. In Hebrews 11:24-26 God’s Word gives the report, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”
The Conflict
Yet as we have already noted, Moses yielded under the temptation to attempt the fulfillment of God’s call in dependence upon his own ability. In Exodus 2:11-12 God’s Word gives the report, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.”
Certainly, it was right that Moses “refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.” Certainly it was right Moses esteemed “the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.” Certainly, it was right that Moses acknowledged the children of Israel as his true brethren, and that he went out with burden of heart to consider their burdens of bondage.
Yet it was not right for Moses to seek the deliverance of his brethren in his own way or through his own ability. Yet it was not right for Moses to murder the Egyptian oppressor out of vengeance. Yet it was not right for Moses to engage in such an act that he had to look “this way and that way” in order to make sure “that there was no man” to observe what he was about to do. Yet it was not right for Moses to engage in such an act of vengeful murder that he had to secretly hide the Egyptian oppressor in the sand. This was Moses’ own way through Moses’ own ability. This was not God’s way through God’s own ability.
The Consequence
What then was the result and consequence of Moses’ attempt to fulfill God’s call through his own ability?
First, it damaged Moses’ testimony among those to whom he was called to minister. In Exodus 2:13-14 God’s Word gives the report, “And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.”
Second, it produced discouragement and fear in Moses’ own heart. Even so, the closing line of Exodus 2:14 gives the report, “And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.”
Third, it caused Moses to flee from his call and from the good fight of faith. In Exodus 2:15 gives the report, “Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.”
Finally, it brought Moses to a place of content outside of God’s call upon his life. When Moses fled from Egypt, he ended his flight in the land of Midian. There he met a priest of Midian and married one of his daughters. Even so, Exodus 2:21 gives the report, “And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.”
Yet the Lord God was not content with these results and consequences; for the Lord God was not content that His chosen people should remain in the bondage of Egypt. Even so, Exodus 2:23-25 declares, “And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.” Indeed, the Lord God still intended to deliver his people from that bondage by the hand of Moses. However, He had first to develop Moses’ spiritual character as man of God.
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