Acts 7:1 – 8:1a (Continued)

November 24, 2012

Stephen recounted the history of the Israelites. As I was thinking about Moses, these things stood out to me.  

• When Moses was about 40 years old, he decided to visit his own people.
• When Moses saw an Egyptian mistreating one of his people, he defended him by killing the Egyptian.
• He thought his own people would understand God was using him to save them but they did not.
• When he saw two men of Israel fighting, he tried to make peace between them but it did not work. The aggressor said, "Who made you our ruler and judge" and blackmailed him with the knowledge of what Moses did to the Egyptian.
• Moses left to live in the land of the Midianites for 40 years.

"Who made you our ruler and judge?" was a good question. Moses was making his own decisions. He decided... he defended... he thought... he tried—and none of it worked. It was Moses' plan, not God's. Moses had his own 40 years of exile. God was preparing him. When God was ready, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush. Moses heard the Lord's voice, "I am the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... you are standing on holy ground... I have seen... I have heard... I have come down to same them. And now... Moses, I am sending you back to Egypt."

When Moses decided to go back on his own—he failed. But when God sent him back as a ruler and judge—he was successful. His people were freed from the Egyptians but they had to learn the same lesson as Moses. Wait on the Lord. Because they kept trying to do things their own way they were led into their own 40 years of exile.

God needed to change Moses before he could use him. Interesting that before his personal 40 years of exile Moses thought he was in charge and he could do anything. After the 40 years and after the encounter with God he was a different man. Now he knew he was not capable of doing the task alone. He had already tried and failed. He went from being proud and self-sufficient to, "Now Moses was very humble. He was the least proud person on earth." (Numbers 12:3) Periods of exile and encounters with God will do that to you. It changes you. It is no longer "who" you are, it is "whose" you are.

"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. So do you think you can build a house for me? Do I need a place to rest? Remember, my hand made all these things."  Isaiah 66:1–2 and Acts 7:49–50

Next Entry: Acts 8:1b–40