Right desire; wrong action. Exodus 2:11-15 The years spent in Pharaoh’s court are not mentioned in Exodus, but Stephen, the martyr in the book of Acts, referred to Moses being educated “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians.” He also said he was “mighty in words and deeds,” which indicates he could speak well despite his own thoughts about himself. To be powerful in actions would mean that he was well-trained in both physical strength and mental sharpness.
For forty years, this man spent the prime of his life in the world, learning its ways and preparing for success. Then he reached the age of forty when he realized he had to choose between the “pleasures of Egypt” and temporarily “suffering affliction with the people of God.” His decision was personal, but the effects were ultimately felt by all the Egyptians and his “brethren,” the children of Israel.
There comes a time in the life of a child of God when we must distance ourselves from everything the world offers if we are to remain faithful to our Lord Jesus Christ. Not everyone will understand why we choose to separate ourselves from the worldly system and walk in the light with the Lord. Unbelievers may think and even say, “You think you are better than us!” Some believers might question, “What are you doing? You’ve trained for this for years, and you’re going to walk away from it all!?” or perhaps, “You’ve been successful in what you do. You can serve God right where you are by doing what you do! Don’t go join yourself to a bunch of losers!”
When we recognize that our “brethren” are those on whom our Lord has chosen to place His name, then choosing becomes easier. Ruth made a life-changing decision that placed her in the genealogy of Jesus when she declared, “Thy God shall be my God!” The world has been blessed because of her choice. Joseph’s decision to run from Potiphar’s wife ultimately impacted his entire family and the nation of Egypt. Daniel influenced his own life, his friends, and the nation when he chose not to defile himself with the king’s food. We may never fully realize the positive effects of dedicating ourselves wholeheartedly to living by faith.
Moses’ action in taking matters into his own hands when he saw the Israeli being abused by his tormentor was wrong. The keys of life and death are in our Lord's hands, and when we usurp His authority, we will face the consequences of that act by being sent to God's school to unlearn what we've been taught in the world and to learn what is right in God’s way. Actions driven by the energy of the flesh, which we have learned in the world, are not from God, no matter how justified we may think we are.
God’s school of faith isn’t a quick course that you can finish in a semester or two. Eight years at university and seminary still isn’t enough. To act according to the revealed will of God in the Bible and then make what we’ve learned personal and applicable takes a long time and hard work. A believer must learn how to work before he can teach others how to work. He needs to experience suffering before he can advise on handling suffering. He has to learn from his mistakes to avoid making them again and pass on common sense guidance to those he will instruct.
Moses needed to learn everything about sheep before he could become the shepherd of God’s people. That required forty years of obscurity in a remote and isolated place. God’s power, not human efforts or opinions, is what achieves the right goals in our service and life for the Lord.