In the last part of our series, we saw that Pharaoh commanded Egyptians to cast every Hebrew baby boy they found into the river to drown. Only the Hebrew baby girls would be allowed to live. That would eventually destroy the Hebrew race within a couple of generations because there would be no males to continue the ‘Hebrew race.’

However, God was not going to let that happen because the ‘Seed’ of the woman who would destroy the ‘seed’ of the serpent would come through the Hebrew people – specifically the Tribe of Judah. God was also about to unveil His ‘salvation’ of Israel and teach them how to ‘reign.’

Moses

Meet Moses –

And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’ Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?’ And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’ Exodus 2:10

Moses was one of those Hebrew baby boys whose life was saved from drowning in the river. However, Moses wasn’t just ‘any’ Hebrew boy. God was going to use Moses to save the Hebrew people from extinction.

Moses grew up in the household of Pharaoh, learning ‘all the wisdom of the Egyptians.’ He was ‘mighty in words and deeds’ (Acts 7:22). However, Moses did something that appeared to be a fatal error. He was 40 years old when he decided to ‘visit his brethren, the children of Israel’ (Acts 7:23). Moses saw the burdens they suffered in slavery. He also saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Moses killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. What Moses didn’t know was that some Hebrews had seen what he did and told him. Moses became afraid when he realized what he had done was known. Pharaoh did hear about it and sought to kill Moses, but Moses fled to the land of Midian to escape. Depending on the route Moses took, and if he was on foot, it may have taken him weeks or even months to travel hundreds of miles to the east to escape Pharaoh and anyone he may have sent to search for Moses.

Moses arrived in Midian and sat down by a well. Seven daughters of the priest of Midian came to the well to water their father’s flock. Shepherds came to drive them away, but Moses stepped in and helped them water their flock. The daughters returned to their father and told him that ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock’ (Exodus 2:16-20). Their father asked his daughters to find Moses and invite him to eat with them.

Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, ‘I have been a stranger in a foreign land.’ Exodus 2:21-22

Keep in mind that Moses had no idea about the plan God had for his life. He spent the next 40 years in Midian living as a shepherd, husband, and father. Moses may have thought about his time in Egypt and what he had done by killing the Egyptian. He may have also thought about his people who were suffering as slaves. Whether he did or didn’t, what Moses didn’t know was what God was thinking about His people –

Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them. Exodus 2:23-25

The time had come for the next part of God’s eternal plan.

Training Moses to Reign

God saw the oppression of His people in Egypt. He heard their cry because of their cruel taskmasters. He knew their sorrows. It was time for God deliver His people ‘out of the hand of the Egyptians’ and bring them from Egypt ‘to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey’ (Exodus 3:7-8). God’s plan was to send Moses to Pharaoh ‘that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.

First step? God would introduce Himself to Moses in a most unusual way –

Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian. And he led the flock to the back of the desert, and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. And the Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush. So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed. Then Moses said, ‘I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn.’ So when the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, “Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then He said, ‘Do not draw near this place. Take your sandals off your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.’ Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. Exodus 3:1-6

To say the least, Moses was hesitant (even resistant) to the idea of returning to Egypt and confronting Pharaoh about letting the children of Israel go free. God assured Moses by saying – ‘I will certainly be with you. And this shall be a sign to you that I have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God on this mountain.’ Moses responded with a question –

Then Moses said to God, ‘Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?’ Exodus 3:13

God answered Moses by revealing His full identity and an important aspect of His eternal plan for Israel –

And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ Moreover God said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.’ Go and gather the elders of Israel together, and say to them, ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, appeared to me, saying, ‘I have surely visited you and seen what is done to you in Egypt; and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt to the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Perizzites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, to a land flowing with milk and honey.’ Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt; and you shall say to him, ‘The Lord God of the Hebrews has met with us; and now, please, let us go three days’ journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the Lord our God.’ But I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not even by a mighty hand. So I will stretch out My hand and strike Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in its midst; and after that he will let you go. And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians; and it shall be, when you go, that you shall not go empty-handed. But every woman shall ask of her neighbor, namely, of her who dwells near her house, articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing; and you shall put them on your sons and on your daughters. So you shall plunder the Egyptians. Exodus 3:14-22

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Next Time

You might think that meeting with God (the Angel of the Lord) would have convinced Moses about God’s purpose for his life, but Moses continued to have doubts. We’ll see how God convinced Moses to obey Him in the next part of our series – Train to Reign.

“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”

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