Most of us will accept the idea that God has a plan for our lives. However, we often struggle with the notion that God could use us in a significant way to impact the Kingdom. Why do we have this struggle? Because we know what we are really like and we know our failures. Needless to say it takes a lot of convincing for us to buy into the idea that God can actually use us in a significant way. Andy Stanley writes in his book “Visioneering” this powerful insight. "God's vision for your life is much bigger than you. Apart from His intervention and preparation, you and I are incapable of pulling off even our small part of the operation." God doesn’t let our failures determine our usefulness; He determines our usefulness based on what His power can do in and through our lives. Moses probably could have used these words as he struggled with the notion of God ever being able to use Him again. He was a failure, in fact he failed at the very thing God was calling him to do. It would take God’s continual leading and direction to convince Moses that he could still be of use in the deliverance of the Hebrew people. Moses committed to following God’s leading and timetable as he moved forward doing things God’s way. As Moses traveled the road of obedience he continued to learn and grow. Our goal today is to learn from Moses’ example that traveling the road of obedience is a learning process. In fact there will be times that we really blow it, but if we continue to faithfully strive to travel this road God will grow us and bless us.
I. How am I going to explain this to my family?
A. Moses for some reason decides not to share any details with Jethro.
1. More than likely Moses has some lingering doubts about what he experienced at Horeb.
2. Moses is seeking his father-in-law’s blessing on the journey not his permission to make the journey.
3. When you examine the Hebrew text Moses desires to return to Egypt to check on “his brothers.” The word translated brothers usually refers to his own family not necessarily all the Hebrew people.
4. Although Moses does not fill Jethro in on all the details, he did do the right thing be talking to his family before setting out on this journey.
5. By including his family in his plans Moses is able to depart from Midian on good terms.
B. Moses is apparently still reluctant about going back to Egypt.
1. Despite the favorable response from his father-in-law, Moses is still dragging his feet.
2. This time God appears to Moses in Midian and tells him that it is safe for him to go back to Egypt.
3. Moses will finally load up the donkey and begin the journey with his wife Zipporah and his two sons, Gershom and Eliezer.
C. There are five things in our text that helps Moses become more comfortable with accepting God’s call.
1. Jethro doesn’t try to discourage Moses from making this trip.
2. As Moses and his family start the journey to Egypt God gives him further information and instructions.
3. God disciplined Moses during the journey for failing to follow His instructions.
4. Moses met Aaron during the journey and he believed all that Moses shared about his experience.
5. The leaders of the Hebrew people gave Moses and Aaron a favorable reception.
II. The road trip back to Egypt.
A. Besides his family Moses also takes along his shepherds’ staff.
1. Moses is not simply making a short term trip back to Egypt to visit relatives. He is relocating with his family to live in Egypt and to become a part of the Hebrew community.
2. Moses took along his staff because it would reassure him since it was a symbol of God’s presence with him.
3. In ancient Israel a man’s staff was an important personal possession.
a. It was a means of protection.
b. It was a form of identification.
c. It was a symbol of one’s status or power.
d. The staff was the ancient equivalent to our wallets or passports.
4. All of this indicates that Moses was planning to be in Egypt for quite a while.
B. Moses would encounter several potholes on the road to Egypt.
1. God informs Moses that it would not be easy to accomplish the task of delivering the Hebrew people.
a. He was to perform all the signs just as God had instructed him.
b. Pharaoh would be stubborn and refuse to listen.
2. God instructs Moses to tell Pharaoh that Israel is His firstborn son and that God desires him to release them from slavery so they can worship their God.
3. God prepares Moses for the fact that this will become a test of wills between Pharaoh and God which God will ultimately win.
4. The literal translation of the Hebrew in verse 23 captures God’s tone. “I told you, send out my son.”
5. God disciplines Moses for not completely obeying His commands.
a. Moses was reluctant about obeying God and returning to Egypt.
b. Moses failed to carry out a fundamental command God given to Abraham and his descendants.
6. Zipporah understands the reason for God’s anger toward Moses and grudgingly circumcises Gershom. She is obviously disgusted by the whole circumcision thing.
7. Many scholars believe that this is the point the Zipporah, Gershom and Eliezer return to Midian.
III. Meeting that long lost relative.
A. God arranges a tearful reunion for Moses before he arrives in Egypt.
1. Moses’ eighty-three year old brother Aaron is overjoyed to see Moses just as God had told him.
2. Moses and Aaron had forty years of events to catch up on plus Moses had some recent experiences with God to share.
3. Moses finally shares all that has happen with someone. Aaron listens intently as Moses tells him all that God had instructed him to do.
4. Aaron now shares with Moses that God had called Him as well and sent him to meet Moses.
B. Moses and Aaron will renew their relationship and it will deepen as they follow God’s plan.
1. Moses will undoubtedly realize that he can share anything with Aaron and he would intently listen to him and support him.
2. Aaron will be a source of comfort for Moses as he assumes the role of spokesman that God had called him to.
3. Aaron and Moses know their God given roles and will journey together to Egypt to confront Pharaoh.
4. The family reunion will confirm for both Moses and Aaron that God has specifically called them to do something quite significant.
IV. Revisiting the scene of a great failure.
A. Moses was probably quite uncomfortable with the idea of going and meeting with the leaders of the Hebrew people.
1. He had tried once to help them out and the rejected his help. So once again the wounds of failure and rejection are opened.
2. Moses is hoping that things will be different this time but he is not getting his hopes up.
3. Moses and Aaron follow proper protocol as they first go to the leaders that represent the people.
4. Aaron speaks to the people and tells them everything that the Lord had told Moses, they do the miracles and things happen just the way the Lord told Moses they would.
B. Moses learns that timing is everything when following God’s instructions.
1. Perhaps forty more years of hardship have now made the Hebrew people more receptive.
2. The people were probably overjoyed by the news that God cared and was concerned about their situation.
3. News of the salvation that was on the horizon for them, the Hebrew people worship and put their trust in God.
4. The Hebrews are not home free yet. This new found faith in God will be put to the test.
V. Unpacking the lessons from Moses’ trip down the road of obedience.
A. When we are walking in God’s will, we need to realize that our lives and resources all become His.
1. The old shepherd staff that Moses had carried for years became a powerful tool in the hands of God.
2. Whatever we choose to use in the service of God, will become a powerful tool in His hands.
3. Everything that we have been blessed with does not belong to us, God has simply loaned them to us and expects us to use them for His glory.
B. When we are doing things God’s way, we can even attempt the most difficult tasks with confidence.
1. Moses felt unqualified to do any of the things that God had asked Him to do but the more he experienced God’s presence the more confident he became.
2. The most difficult task for us is that of listening to God and obeying.
3. Faith must tell us that God is with us. This should give us the confidence and security to know that He will see us through.
C. When we walk in full obedience to God He will often show us other areas of our lives that we have neglected.
1. The deeper Moses got in his relationship with God, the more he discovered areas of his life that needed work.
2. We all have blind spots in our lives, areas that we have neglected as have been growing in Him. This is all a part of the growth process.
3. As God shapes us into the person that He desires us to be the more these neglected areas will become visible.
D. God will often use those closest to us to speak into our lives and help us discover areas that need some work.
1. God used Zipporah in our text to point out areas that Moses needed to work on. Later, God will use Aaron and Jethro to do the same.
2. We need to be open and receptive to receiving constructive criticism and insight from those closest to us as it will help us address areas that we often over look.
3. Those overlooked areas can often be a hindrance to our spiritual growth.
Closing:
In the movie 'Karate Kid', young Daniel asks Mister Miagi to teach him karate. Miagi agrees under one condition: Daniel must submit totally to his instruction and never question his methods. Daniel shows up the next day eager to learn. To his chagrin, Mister Miagi has him paint a fence. Miagi demonstrates the precise motion for the job: up and down, up and down. Daniel takes days to finish the job. Next, Miagi has him scrub the deck using a prescribed stroke. Again the job takes days. Daniel wonders, What does this have to do with karate? but he says nothing. Next, Miagi tells Daniel to wash and wax three weather-beaten cars and again prescribes the motion. Finally, Daniel reaches his limit: "I thought you were going to teach me karate, but all you have done is have me do your unwanted chores!" Daniel has broken Miagi's one condition, and the old man's face pulses with anger. "I have been teaching you karate! Defend yourself!" Miagi thrusts his arm at Daniel, who instinctively defends himself with an arm motion exactly like that used in one of his chores. Miagi unleashes a vicious kick, and again Daniel averts the blow with a motion used in his chores. After Daniel successfully defends himself from several more blows, Miagi simply walks away, leaving Daniel to discover what the master had known all along: skill comes from repeating the correct but seemingly mundane actions.
