Last week we saw that:
- God is faithful to keep his promises and fulfill his plans (1:1-7).
- God’s plans rarely work out the way we think they should (1:8-22).
- Trust God as you wait on him (1:17, 20-21; 2:1-10).
“One day, when Moses had grown up…” (Exodus 2:11a)
3 Sources That Fill In The Blanks On Moses’ Life
- The Book of Acts – “At this time Moses was born; and he was beautiful in God’s sight. And he was brought up for three months in his father’s house, and when he was exposed, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds.
“When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. (Acts 7:20-23)
- The Historian Josephus: The Antiquities of the Jews
- The Writer of Hebrews – “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)
There are only two ways I can live my life – I Can:
- Trust God!
- Try to be God!
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. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 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?” 14 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 2:11-14)
Spectacular Failure
- When I operate by my emotions. (Exodus 2:11)
- When I operate in known transgression. (Exodus 2:12)
- When I operate in my own strength. (Exodus 2:12)
- When I operate in covering up my sin. (Exodus 2:12)
- When I am blind to my own hypocrisy. (Exodus 2:13-14)
15 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.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 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 2:15-22)
Am I trusting God?
Am I trying to be God?