He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.— Acts 7:25
Moses was spared by God in a miraculous way; instead of dying on the Nile river, he was taken in by Pharaoh’s daughter. When he was an infant and small child, Moses was cared for by his mother (Exodus 2:7-10). However, Moses soon moved into Pharaoh’s home, and instead of growing up in poverty and slavery, he grew up with all the best Egypt had to offer.
When he was 40 years old, he went out to visit the Israelites. Moses knew that he was uniquely gifted to help deliver the Israelites from slavery. He knew that he was a Hebrew, something his mother likely engrained in him. He was also trained and educated; he was mighty in words and deeds (Acts 7:22). He went out among the Israelites supposing that they would understand that God would use him to deliver them. Acts 7:24 says that Moses “defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian.” Moses thought his actions would make it clear that he was not an Egyptian sympathizer; he was on the side of the Israelites.
Moses thought he was ready to lead the people of Israel; he thought he knew God’s timing. However, not only was he not ready, the people of Israel were not ready to be led. They did not view Moses as someone to come in and lead them. They did not see Moses as one of them. Who was he to lead them out? He had not endured slavery like they had. He had not been oppressed like them. Why would they want to follow him? Defending one Israelite had not wiped away all the slavery they had endured. Instead of lining up behind him, they rejected his initial attempt to be their deliverer. Moses supposed they would understand, but they did not. Moses still had a lot to learn; it was not yet God’s timing. The people of Israel still had a lot to learn.
Moses spent the next 40 years in the wilderness taking care of sheep. Little did he know that this was preparing him to lead the people of Israel. The people of Israel were not yet ready to be delivered. The Israelites and Moses still had to learn to depend on God. It took each of them another 40 years to get to that point.
God’s timing is often different than our expectations. Once Moses was humbled through his wilderness experience, the Lord approached him through a burning bush.
'I have surely seen the affliction of my people who are in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send you to Egypt.’— Acts 7:34
Moses had tried to deliver the people in his own timing and power, and it was a quick and complete failure. After 40 years in the wilderness, he came to realize that he could not do it without the Lord. Moses would not deliver the Israelites; the Lord would deliver them. He would use Moses; however, the Lord was the One who came to Israel’s rescue. The Lord came at the right time and when He had prepared Moses to lead. May we learn to wait on the Lord’s leading and His timing.
Comments