A Grace Case: Moses (Part 4)

This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing” by continuing to look at the life of Moses.  Thus far we know he fled to Midain, but let me tell you what happened when he got there.  Scholars debate over the proper distance between Egypt and Midian.  Some say it was a three day journey and others claim it took Moses 9 days.  Either way, Moses had plenty of time to think about his mistake and he also had plenty of distance over which to grow hungry and thirsty.  When Moses arrived in Midian he headed straight for the well.  He was sitting on the well, getting some rest, when the seven daughters of the local priest (Reuel) came to draw water for their father’s flocks.  Moses watched as a few shepherds confronted the girls and started to chase them away.  Even though he was tired and hungry, Moses was still a man of courage.  Moses confronted the shepherds and protected the girls.  He then took the time to draw water from the well for their flocks.  Moses did not know it, but this was a divine appointment.

When the girls returned to Reuel, their father, he asked, “Why are you back so soon today?”  They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from some shepherds who wanted to attack us and he then drew water for us and watered our flocks.”  “Where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave him there?  Invite him to come and eat with us.”  Moses accepted the invitation, one thing led to another, and Moses wound up marrying Zipporah, one of Reuel’s daughters.  Later they had a boy who Moses named him Gershom,which means, “sojourner.”  Moses gave him that name because he said, “I have been a foreigner in a foreign land.”

Moses was a Hebrew who grew up as an Egyptian.  He was too Hebrew to actually be an Egyptian, but too Egyptian to be welcomed by the Hebrews.  After his mistake he settled in Midian.  But he was clearly not a Midianite, and while he wound up spending 40 years there he never really embraced Midian entirely.  Moses was, as the name he gave his son suggests, a sojourner looking to find himself and his place in the world.  Many of us can identify with him.

After many years the king of Egypt died and the Israelites continued to groan under their burden of slavery. They cried out for help and their cry rose up to God.  The Bible says, “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  He looked down on the people of Israel and knew it was time to act” (verses 23-25).  Moses had no idea, but his life was about to take a major turn.  He had taken a zig-zag road in life, but his purpose was about to become clear.  We will stop here for today.

So what does this mean to you today?  A few things:
1.  Delay does not mean denial.  Moses spent 40 years in Midian, thinking his chance for something great in life had expired, but God still had a plan.
2.  Detours may delay you, but they don’t derail you from your destiny.  You may take a zig-zag path, but you will still get there!  If you are still breathing, then God still CAN!
3.  Be who God made you to be.  If you don’t feel comfortable in the “box” or “label” the world attempts you to put you in, it is because the Father does not want you to be confined.  Don’t allow yourself to be limited.
4.  Let it out!  If you feel like there is something greater inside of you than what you are currently experiencing; there probably is.  Pursue your dreams.
5.  Sometimes your breakthrough will come when you least expect it.  Moses had no idea his life was about to change for the better, but God did.