EXODUS 2:15-25 A GLIMMER OF LIGHT Over 400 years is a long time to wait. But God has His plans and God has His way of bringing things to pass. The second son of a slave family, brought out of the River Nile where he was hidden in a basket - what person could ever have constructed such a story! Not only was he brought into the highest family of the nation, to be the son of Pharaoh's daughter, but educated in all the ways of Egypt and aware of all the pleasures awaiting him. But still, deep inside his soul, was the childhood training that reminded him to think of the future. Do not live just for the present. A choice had to be made in his mature years, "Should I live for the present, or prepare for the future?" Wise people still consider these choices and prepare for the future.
The way the decision came about in actual action was probably not the way we would have written the story if we were writing this as a novel. And unpremeditated murder; criticism from those you sought to help; an angry Pharaoh; a desert journey - what an intriguing story! Truth is more interesting than fiction. God arranged many generations before, that a God-fearing family descendant, living in a distant land would be in the right place to provide for a coming deliverer.
The forty years Moses spent in worldly living in Egypt stopped and was exchanged for forty years of quiet living in a pastoral setting. A God-fearing man becomes Moses' father-in-law. God has His people in places we may never have heard of. They too are waiting and wanting to do His will. A temporary act led to a permanent relationship with Zipporah and then a family. We may not realize the importance of some choices we make more or less on the spur of the moment. God does guide us even when we are not aware of the full effect of His guidance at the beginning.
Moses had to learn the value of quiet fellowship with God and His people contrasted with the noise and clamor of the world in Egypt. Pleasure and business always seem to create turmoil, unrestrained ambition and ungodliness. God had put His future leader in a place of silence and reflection and then took him through a time of depression and despair when he named his firstborn son, Gershom ("a stranger here"). Gradually that gave way to a growing faith and the ability to assume responsibility in small things like caring for sheep in a wilderness. He would have learned a lot about shepherding sheep that would stand him in good stead when shepherding God's people. It is always a good thing to apply ourselves with diligence to small tasks with little consequence. In that way one learns how to deal with big things that affect the eternal destinies of many people. Moses must have developed a lot by the time Eliezer, his second son, was born because his name means, "God is my help."
There were, no doubt, a lot of things Moses had to unlearn before he could be trusted with the leadership of millions of people. An inexperienced person leading a lot of people is a danger to himself, but a far greater danger to others. For 67 years Ramses II did great things at the cost of thousands of lives. In battles all the way to Mesopotamia, to the building of cities and huge monuments, the slave-labor of Israel was essential to his plans. In spite of his greatness, he died. "It is appointed unto man once to die." The fleeting of time is a reminder to us all that what we do for God is urgent. Our life will soon be over. And still, the people of God "sighed." The sighing, the hopelessness of a nation is grievous to behold. But God does allow sin to run its course by man's freewill, that ultimately that same freewill will turn in repentance to Him and He can lead them into the promised happiness. When the Lord Jesus was here, He sighed because of human suffering and human unbelief. Above all of these activities of men and women, God watches until the right time comes.
"God heard," and the great sigh of a nation in bondage came to the ears of the only One who can give abundant life. "God remembered," the covenant He had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob He had promised to keep to its fullness. "God saw," and everything He saw of human suffering, He had allowed to bring idol worshipping people to the place where they might come to repentance and faith in Him. "God knew," and everything that was going on with His people was directed to bring a desired nation of God- fearing, God-worshipping people to be what He intended them to be. He is the same with us as He was with those people of an ancient time. In the church today He has made us a kingdom pf priests that we might worship and serve Him in reverence and godly fear.
Divergent events taking place miles apart - Have one common purpose in mind. A life of faith may seem to have a small start - Before the purpose we find Is to bring together a people and God Through the work of a chosen man. Both have to acknowledge Jesus as Lord - Before they will understand.
God works on individuals that they may unlearn Things that will hinder their faith. It may be sometime before they have earned The confidence others in them will place. A year or more is not wasted time To replace the wrong with what is right. When a person is conscious of God leading him, He walks with the Lord in the light.
The divergent nature of the world with faith is incompatible. The two leaders are not in any way the same. To walk in the world's way is to a Christian unsuitable, He is responsible to act in Jesus' name. Choices we make stay with us for life - Others too are affected by what I do. Between the world and God's kingdom there will be strife - One is deceptive - the other is true.
"Father in heaven, I thank Thee for the glimpses of light in this dark world that I can see when Thy people come together. Also, when the light of Thy Word shines into my mind, I am conscious of the brightness of divine understanding that shines from its pages. I praise Thee for the light in darkness, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."