The Path To Victory. Pt.2 Moses
Key Character: Moses
Main Theme: God’s call remains even when we fail—His redemption restores us to His purpose.
Introduction: The Challenge of Obedience
• Opening Thought: Have you ever felt like you’ve made too many mistakes for God to use you? Have you ever felt disqualified by past failures?
• Illustration: Think about a GPS navigation system—when you take a wrong turn, it doesn’t abandon you. It recalculates the route and still gets you to the destination. That’s how God’s call works—even when we mess up, He recalculates, redirects, and restores us to His purpose.
Like Abraham, Moses faced moments of failure. Yet, despite his flaws, God still called him, redeemed him, and led him into His purpose.
Part 1: Moses – Called Despite Failure
A. The Call of Moses Exodus 3:10–12 The Mission of Moses
10 “Therefore, come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring My people, the sons of Israel, out of Egypt.”
11 But Moses said to God, “Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring the sons of Israel out of Egypt?”
12 And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.”
• Exodus 3:10 – “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
• *Moses had a divine calling—to deliver Israel—but he struggled with doubts, fear, and moral failures.
B. Where Would Moses Be If He Had Not Obeyed?
• He would have remained in Midian, living a quiet, forgotten life.
• Israel would still be delivered—but Moses would have missed the opportunity to walk in God’s power and purpose.
Lesson: God’s purpose for us doesn’t disappear when we fail, but our willingness to obey determines whether we will walk in it.
Moses’ Moral and Character Failures
1. Murdering the Egyptian – Taking Matters into His Own Hands
• Exodus 2:11-12 – Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and in his anger, he killed the Egyptian and hid the body.
Moses likely had a sense that God was going to use him to deliver Israel even before God officially called him from the burning bush (Exodus 3). This is suggested in Acts 7:23-25, where Stephen, in his sermon before the Sanhedrin, provides insight into Moses’ thoughts at the time of killing the Egyptian:
“When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” (Acts 7:23-25, NIV)
• Failure: Instead of trusting God’s timing, Moses tried to force deliverance through violence.
• Consequence: He fled Egypt in fear, spending 40 years in the wilderness.
• Lesson: When we act outside of God’s timing, we create more problems than solutions.
Moses had the right calling but the wrong method and timing. His premature attempt at deliverance led to rejection and exile, showing that even when we sense God’s call, we must wait for His direction and empowerment.
His later encounter with the burning bush (Exodus 3) was God’s official commission, where God called him to go, but this time in God’s strength—not his own.
2. Making Excuses at the Burning Bush – Avoiding God’s Call
• Exodus 3:11-14, 4:10-13 – When God called Moses to go back to Egypt, he argued with God:
• “Who am I?” (3:11) ? Insecurity
• “What if they don’t believe me?” (4:1) ? Fear of failure
• “I am not a good speaker.” (4:10) ? Lack of confidence
• “Send someone else!” (4:13) ? Reluctance to obey
• Failure: Instead of trusting in God’s power, Moses focused on his own weaknesses.
• Lesson: God doesn’t call the equipped; He equips the called.
3. Losing His Temper and Striking the Rock – Letting Frustration Override Faith
• Numbers 20:7-12 – God told Moses to speak to the rock to bring forth water, but in anger, he struck the rock twice instead.
• Failure: He misrepresented God by acting out of frustration instead of faith.
• Consequence: Because of this, Moses was not allowed to enter the Promised Land.
• Lesson: Even great leaders must obey God fully—partial obedience is still disobedience.
4. Allowing His Father-in-Law to Step in as a Spiritual Leader
• Exodus 18:13-24 – Instead of seeking God’s wisdom for leadership, Moses relied on Jethro’s advice to delegate leadership. Moses was overwhelmed by judging the disputes of the Israelites alone from morning to evening. His father-in-law, Jethro, saw this and advised him to delegate leadership by appointing capable, God-fearing men to handle minor cases while Moses focused on the most difficult matters. Moses listened to Jethro’s advice, easing his burden and improving leadership efficiency.
• Failure: While delegation is wise, Moses initially carried the burden alone instead of seeking God’s structure for leadership.
• Lesson: When we lead in our own strength, we will always feel overwhelmed—but when we follow God’s wisdom, He provides the help we need.
5. Doubting God’s Ability to Provide
• Numbers 11:21-23 – When God promised to feed Israel with meat, Moses questioned whether God could really provide enough.
• Failure: He limited God’s power in his mind, forgetting all the miracles God had already done.
• Lesson: God’s provision is never limited by our understanding—it is always greater than what we expect.
Part 3: God’s Redemption of Moses
Despite all of Moses’ failures, God never abandoned him. Instead, God restored, strengthened, and used him mightily.
1. God Reaffirmed His Call (Exodus 3-4)
• Even after Moses’ excuses, God didn’t revoke His calling.
• Instead, God provided signs, miracles, and help through Aaron.
2. God Used Moses to Perform Miracles (Exodus 7-14)
• Plagues of Egypt, Parting of the Red Sea – God’s power worked through Moses despite his past failures.
• Lesson: Our failures don’t disqualify us from God’s miracles—our obedience invites them.
3. God Allowed Moses to Experience His Glory (Exodus 33:18-23)
• Moses, the man who once ran from God’s call, was later so close to God that he saw His glory.
• Lesson: When we walk in obedience, we grow in intimacy with God.
4. God Restored His Leadership (Exodus 34:29-35)
• After meeting with God, Moses’ face shone with God’s glory—a powerful sign of God’s presence in his life.
• Lesson: True leadership comes from time spent with God, not human ability.
Final Application: Lessons from Moses’ Journey
1. God Can Redeem Your Past Mistakes
• Moses murdered a man, yet God still used him.
• Your past does not disqualify you from God’s future.
2. Excuses Don’t Change God’s Call
• You might feel inadequate, unqualified, or afraid—but God’s strength is greater than your weaknesses.
• Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
3. Frustration Must Not Override Faith
• Moses let anger and frustration lead to disobedience.
• Lesson: Obedience must be complete—not just partial.
4. God’s Power is Greater Than Your Doubts
• Moses doubted God’s ability to provide, but God provided beyond expectations.
• Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first His kingdom… and all these things will be added unto you.”
Conclusion: Will You Trust God’s Redemption?
• Moses had every reason to feel unqualified—a murderer, a doubter, a man of excuses.
• Yet God restored him, empowered him, and fulfilled His purpose through him.
• Final Challenge:
• Where would Moses be if he had stayed in Midian?
• Where will you be if you choose to trust God’s call today?
