WHEN THE STORMS OF LIFE ARE RAGGING
Exodus 2:15-22
Intro:
1. Philip Yancy decided to spend a few days in a monastery. He wanted to get away from all of the hustle and bustle. The monk said, “I hope your stay is a blessed one, and if you need anything, let us know, and we’ll teach you how to live without it.”
2. There is only one thing that we cannot live without – and that is God Himself. But usually it’s not until all we have is God, that we discover God is all we need. Then our song will be Give Me Jesus! Moses is going to be reduced to God in the University of Obscurity. He is going to learn to put into practice the greatest truth in the Bible:
Let your character or moral disposition be free from love of money [including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions] and be satisfied with your present [circumstances and with what you have]; for He [God] Himself has said, I will not in any way fail you nor give you up nor leave you without support. [I will] not, [I will] not, [I will] not in any degree leave you helpless nor forsake nor let [you] down (relax My hold on you)! [Assuredly not!] Hebrews 13:5 (AMP)
As I studied this I kept thinking of the song Stand by Me:
When the storms of life are raging,
stand by me (stand by me);
when the storms of life are raging,
stand by me (stand by me).
When the world is tossing me
like a ship upon the sea,
thou who rulest wind and water,
Stand by me (stand by me).
In the midst of tribulation,
stand by me (stand by me);
in the midst of tribulation,
stand by me (stand by me).
When the hosts of hell assail,
and my strength begins to fail,
thou who never lost a battle,
stand by me (stand by me).
In the midst of faults and failures,
stand by me (stand by me);
in the midst of faults and failures,
stand by me (stand by me).
When I do the best I can,
and my friends misunderstand,
thou who knowest all about me,
stand by me (stand by me).
When I’m growing old and feeble,
stand by me (stand by me);
when I’m growing old and feeble,
stand by me (stand by me).
When my life becomes a burden,
and I’m nearing chilly Jordan,
O thou “Lily of the Valley,”
stand by me (stand by me).
I. FIRST, MOSES’ SEVERITY.
A. First, he had Sinned. 2:12
So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand – the verb “killed” [Na-kaw] means “to strike down.” It is in a hiphal stem which is an active voice, in the causative. This was forbidden by God (Gen. 9:6), and later, under the Law, would be a capital offense (Ex. 21:12). He could have been put to death for killing this Egyptian. When we sin we lack peace, joy, power and the feeling of well-being. Sin always disturbs us within.
B. He had been Separated from his family and friends. 2:15
When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh - he no longer has any contact with family and friends. He was alone and no doubt lonely.
C. He was Stressed out.
• He was a Wanted man. Pharaoh sought to kill Moses – was placed on Egypt’s FBI most wanted list.
• He was Weary. and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well - The founder of these people was Midian, a son of Keturah, wife of Abraham, who sent them “to the land of the east” (Gen. 25:1-6). The Midianites lived in southeastern Sinai and northwestern Arabia on both sides of the Gulf of Aqaba. This desert land differed greatly from Goshen in Egypt.
• He had traveled a long Way from Egypt and was no doubt exhausted.
D. He was in a Strange land. We all like familiar surroundings.
E. He had no place to Stay. He is just sitting there, soon it will be dark and where will he spend the night?
F. He has no Substance. Surely any food he brought was gone and he was likely getting beyond being hungry.
G. He had no means of Support. He is out of a job and there are not may openings for an ex-pharaoh hopeful.
Trans: I would say Moses is in a fix, in a storm. We all know how it feels after we have sinned and just made a mess of everything. Imagine being Separated from all your family and friends; being Stressed out from seeing your name on a wanted poster and being physically exhausted; of being in a Strange land, with no place to Stay, no Substance and no means of Support. I have been there, I left home when I was still in High School with absolutely no place to go; got out of the military and went to Pine Bluff AR., where I did not know anybody. Hurricane Sandy has left many people destitute. The effects of Hurricane Sandy just in New York was amazing, flooding the New York City Subway system,[1] many suburban communities,[2] all road tunnels entering Manhattan except the Lincoln Tunnel, and the closure of the New York Stock Exchange for two consecutive days. Numerous homes and businesses were destroyed by fire, including over 100 homes in Breezy Point, Queens. Large parts of the city and surrounding areas lost electricity for several days, some even more. Additionally, a large construction crane atop Excel’s One57 (157 W. 57th St.) partially collapsed, which required many blocks around the area to be evacuated for six days. At least 48 people died in New York as a result of the storm. Economic losses across New York were estimated to be at least $18 billion. Tempers were flaring, people waited for hours to get some gas, people needed food, shelter, and other basic necessities. And people learned the Government was not much help! After the photo-op, it’s business as usual! FEMA is a bad joke. When life turns severe who will you turn to? I know the Government promises everything. Rush Limbaugh said we lost the election because you can’t compete with Santa Claus!” Truth is Santa Claus’ bag is about empty! Don’t turn to the Government – turn to God!
II. FINALLY, WE HAVE GODS SUFFICIENCY.
This is Heb. 13:5-6 in action…
A. First, God Forgives.
Old Testament saints were saved like we are, by faith in Jesus Christ. They looked forward to His coming we look back to the fact that He has come. Moses was already saved.
“25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed [before the cross].” Romans 3:25
Trans: When we sin we are called to confess sin and appropriate a sin already ours (1 Jn. 1:9). The National Debt is almost 20 trillion dollars, by the time you read this it will likely be higher, but that’s nothing compared to our sin debt! It is unpayable by man but the blood of Jesus cleanses those who receive Him from ALL sin (1 Jn.1:7). The word "forgiven" is a beautiful word. We hear the word all the time, but what does it mean? It is from the Hebrew word nasa? {naw-saw'} which means "to lift up, to carry or sweep away; to bear." It is used almost 600 times in the Hebrew Bible. God lifted our sins off our shoulders and carried them to the cross! When you finally clean up your garage, or that messy room, you haul the junk away and take it to the dump. This is what the Lord does with the junkie sins. The Lord lifts and carries away the heavy burden of our sins, making us clean and giving us rest at last. He also bore our guilt and punishment on the cross of Calvary and became our substitute, paying the price for our sins on the cross.
In the first episode in season three of "Monk", Mr. Monk travels to New York to search for his wife's killer. At the end of the episode, he meets the man, who for a couple thousand dollars placed a bomb under her car. The man was near death, laying in a hospital bed, hooked up to a morphine drip. As Monk finished his questioning, the man asked, "Forgive me." Mr. Monk walked over to the morphine drip, turned it off while saying, "This is me turning off your morphine." A few seconds later, he turned it back on saying, "This is Trudy turning it back on.” Monk in turning it off was just; and in Trudy turning it back on was mercy. God put our sin, on Christ at the cross – that was Just! But when we trust Christ as Savior, He paid for our sin and thus offers forgiveness – that’s mercy. We need forgiveness when we go through a storm because we know deep down most of our storms are self-caused.
B. God gave him a Friend. 16a
Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters - this man, who is called Reuel and Jethro (3:1), was a blessing to Moses. Reuel means “friend of God” and he also became a friend of Moses. We all need friends when the storms of life are raging. A few winters ago, heavy snows hit North Carolina. It was interesting to see the effect along Interstate 40. Next to the highway stood several large groves of tall, young pine trees. The branches were bowed down with the heavy snow—so low that branches from one tree were often leaning against the trunk or branches of another. Where trees stood alone, however, the effect of the heavy snow was different. The branches had become heavier, but without other trees to lean against, the branches snapped. They lay on the ground, dark and alone in the cold snow. When the storms of life hit, we need to be standing close to other Christians. We need to allow God to strengthen us through them.
1. He is a Priest.
“That Jethro was a god-fearing and god-serving man is quite clear. The biblical record could be understood to teach that Jethro knew of Israel's God because he was a descendant of Abraham (Gn 25:2).
Having heard of Yahweh's deliverance of his people from Egypt, Jethro acknowledged him as God, greatest of all gods. He also brought a burnt offering and sacrifices, thereby worshiping Yahweh and identifying with Israel (Ex 18:11). Upon receiving Jethro's good counsel concerning procedures for judging disputes among the people, Moses appointed able men as heads and judges over the people (vv 13-27). Jethro departed to his own land and seems to have had no further interaction with Israel, but his son (Nm 10:29-33) and other descendants later became a part of Israel (Judges 1:16; 4:11).” [The Complete Book of Who's Who in the Bible]
Point is he was apparently a believer and had a good impact on Moses….
2. He was the Proud father of seven daughters.
This was especially relevant to Moses because one of them would become his wife.
3. He was Providentially used by God. 18-20
18 When they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that you have come so soon today?" 19 And they said, "An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock." 20 So he said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. - of course everybody is providentially used by God! But some seem to be more cooperative then others. Look at God’s perfect time-table! Moses just happens to go to this well; it happens to be the place where these daughter water their flocks; they just happen to go there at the same time; while they don’t seem overly appreciative, Reuel just happens to ask them why they are home early; and just happens to tell them to go back and invite Moses for dinner; who just happens to still be there! God is always working nonstop behind the scenes accomplishing His perfect will.
Trans: My point is God is giving Moses a friend who God will work through to help and minister to Moses. Remember he is at this stage friendless. Has God not placed friends in our path through the years that God has used to minister to us? See Eccles. 4:9-12. Reminds me of the movie The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy was heading down the yellow brick road, off to see the Wizard who promised to solve all of her problems. But she did not go it alone! She had Toto with her right from the beginning and was enriched when she ran into the scarecrow, the tin man, and the cowardly lion. In life we are on our way to meet God in eternity, and, we, like Dorothy, need friends to help us along the way.
C. Thirdly, God reassures Moses of his Fate [his destiny]. 2:16b-17
And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock – don’t miss the significance of this! God had called Moses to deliver the children of Israel from Egyptian bondage. Has God changed His mind? Has Moses’ sin caused God to find somebody else? No! Notice Moses is using his God-given ability of delivering others. I believe this was a foretaste or a reminder of what Moses was going to later do for Israel.
For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29 See, Phil. 1:6. We were given a God-given ability for service, a spiritual gift when we were saved, and God never takes that gift back! We change but God does not (Num.23:19/Mal.3:6).
• God called Jonah to go to Nineveh and he took off in the opposite direction! But that didn’t deter God from sending a huge fish to bring him back. Jon.3:1-2)
• Abraham was told to leave his kindred and go to a particular land…He took his kinfolk and stayed in Haran for 5-6 years! But God spoke to him again! Gen.12:1-4
• Peter’s denial of the Lord did not stop the Lord from making Peter the keynote speaker on Pentecost.
• John Mark deserted Paul and Barnabas during their missionary journey…yet God used John Mark! 2Ti.4:11
Charles Swindoll, “When God calls individuals into His Vineyard, He calls only sinful people. Each inadequate in himself, weak and wayward by nature, and could pose for a portrait painted in the lyrics of the beloved hymn, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it; Prone to leave the God I love.” Demas, having loved this present world, forsook Paul and fled to Thessalonica; Gehazi, Elisha’s servant couldn’t hide his materialism and greed; Isaiah admitted he was a man of unclean lips; Aaron promoted the golden calf; Samson was a notorious womanizer. No one is immune to imperfections. None above, and neither are you and I.”
Yet hear me – God never gave up on any of them and he will not give up on you and me!
D. God gave him Food and shelter. 20-21a
20 So he said to his daughters, "And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread." 21 Then Moses was content to live with the man - Moses was hungry and homeless and what a wonderful offer! Food! Place to stay! A Job!
Trans: God can do something the Government cannot, He can take care of us! Psa. 37:25; 23:1/Phil.4:19/Mt.6:33
He did not leave or forsake Moses and He will not leave or forsake any of His children! We need to know and believe that. There was a Commercial by an insurance company illustrating its ability to protect and provide for its clients in a world of uncertainty. There is this little girl standing in the middle of a meadow. Then a gigantic African rhino comes charging toward her. There she stands, calm, smiling, totally unmoved. As it gets closer the words on the screen appear, “Trust is not being afraid.” The rhino is just about to run that little girl over when it stops, she never wavers, she reaches up and pets the animal on its massive horn. The final words then appear, “even when you’re vulnerable.” When we place our total trust in God, we need not be afraid, even though we are so vulnerable.
E. God gave him a Family.
A Spouse and a Son…
and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. 22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land. – our spouses and children are surely a source of encouragement especially when we face storms.
Con:
1. When the Storms of life are raging – God will stand by us, just like He did Moses.
2. The bottom line: He has promised to never leave us or forsake us…to really believe that we all will spend some time in the University of Obscurity being reduced to Jesus.
3. A hurricane is a storm with cyclonic winds that exceed 74 M.P.H. Rain, thunder, and lightning usually accompany the winds. Hurricanes can be very fierce storms with relentless pounding winds that continue hour after hour, as we all witnessed with Hurricane Sandy. But a very fascinating thing about a hurricane is its "eye"—a place of perfect calm in its center. Though the winds blow and rage all around it, there are none in the eye. To live mindful that we are In Christ, is to live in the eye of the storm! As long as we are “strong in the Lord” (Eph. 6:10) we will be able to stand regardless of how fierce the storm rages.
Johnny A Palmer Jr.
