Exodus 2:11-25 “Moses Flees to Midian”

“He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Exodus 2:12 (ESV)

The honor role of Bible heroes is a list of sinners. If God only used perfect people, then there would be only one person He could use. Instead, God uses people with sinful passions like you and me. Moses was such a person.

We are told that when Moses became of age, he did not want to be identified with the Egyptians, even though he was considered the prince of Egypt. His mother had instilled in him his Hebrew identity. No doubt he was deeply wounded when he saw his people suffering beneath the oppression of Egyptian taskmasters. He chose to suffer the reproach of Christ rather than to enjoy the treasures and pleasures of Egypt (Hebrews 11:24-26).

When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, it was too much. He looked this way and that and then killed the Egyptian. He figured that the Hebrews would know that he had come to rescue them, but they didn’t. Moses needed to learn the painful lesson that we cannot do God’s work in the wisdom and strength of the flesh. He fled for his life to Midian where he would “go to school” for the next forty years herding sheep.

One of the most difficult lessons in our Christian life is to learn that we cannot do God’s work in our own strength. We can’t even help God out! It is God who works in us to will and to do according to His good purpose. We can only work out what He works in. And we can only do this in His time with the grace He provides.

It’s been said that when Moses tried to deliver the Hebrews, he couldn’t even bury one Egyptian. But when God delivered the Hebrews through Moses, He buried the entire Egyptian army in the Red Sea.

God wants to do more through you than you could ever imagine, but you must learn to wait on Him to do it! You must learn all of His ways. He will open the door in His time. Then you may step through it with faith, courage, and total dependance upon God.