Unexpected Education In The Middle Of Nowhere Series

When we last left Moses, he had fled the land of Egypt leaving behind all the wealth and privileges that he was raised with. Moses was a rising star, who had had the very best education, the sky was the limit. However, a knee jerk reaction has cost him everything. Now he finds himself in the middle of nowhere surveying a life that is now nothing more than a pile of rubble. Questions and regrets probably flooded his mind. What am I going to do now? God do you really have a plan for me? Can God still use me since I have really blown it? The truth is that God still did have a plan for Moses but Moses would have to learn to totally trust in Him rather than in his own self. Despite his great education Moses still needed more preparation. So God enrolls Moses in a 40 year long leadership training course that would take place in the middle of nowhere. This desert experience would give Moses the intangibles that could not be learned by reading books or attending seminars. When Moses finally graduates he will be a seasoned spiritual leader that was ready for any task the Lord chose to give him. As we examine how God prepared Moses, hopefully we will discover how God prepares us for the tasks that He has for each of us.

I. Everything in Moses’ life was changed.

A. Moses had to grow accustomed to new surroundings.

1. Modern scholars place Midian on the edge of the deserts bordering Gilead, Moab, Edom and south into eastern Sinai.

2. Midian was never really considered a nation. It was made up of scattered clans that were independently ruled.

a. The Bible makes reference in the book of Numbers to support this.

b. Numbers 31:8 refers to the five kings of Midian.

3. The people were mainly nomadic shepherds and traders that traveled in caravans.

4. Religiously Midian was very diverse. People worshiped Baal, Yahweh and everything in between.

5. For Moses life in Midian would be vastly different than the metropolitan life style of Egypt.

B. Moses had to grow accustomed to not having a privileged life style.

1. Moses was accustomed to having anything that he wanted at his finger tips.

2. Moses probably never had to get his hands dirty. Manual labor was probably a foreign concept to Him.

3. Moses would find out that his great education didn’t mean very much in Midian.

4. Gone were the days of enjoying great political influence and all the luxuries that life had to offer.

5. Moses’ survival was dependent upon the way he would choose to respond to the culture shock that he was experiencing.

C. Moses had to find a new career path.

1. Although Moses had a very impressive resume the economy did not support anything he was trained to do.

2. There were no white collar management jobs, if he was going to make a living he needed to roll up his sleeves and get dirty.

3. To support his family the only job Moses could find was that of a shepherd. Accepting this job had to be humbling since shepherds were despised by the Egyptians.

4. Moses was probably very discouraged as he resigned himself to the fact that this was what the rest of his was going to be like.

II. An overview of Moses’ course work.

A. Obscurity 101: Being bottom man on the totem pole.

1. Beginning with the killing of the Egyptian Moses’ life has taken a downward turn.

2. Moses’ leadership skills will not be put to use leading men; he would find himself living the life of a lowly shepherd.

3. How would this once proud leader handle being reduced to a nobody in people’s eyes?

4. Nothing teaches humility like obscurity. Later in Moses’ life he will be referred to as the most humble man on earth.

5. Humility would teach him to follow God’s leadership rather than his own initiatives.

B. Time Management 101: Learning to wait on the Lord.

1. Making a knee-jerk reaction and knocking down the door is what got Moses in trouble in the first place.

2. Moses needed to learn that God’s timing is more important than ours.

3. Moses’ actions made him a meddler in the eyes of the Hebrews and a murderer in the eyes of the Egyptians.

4. Moses would spend forty years learning the value of patience and waiting before God would call him to service again.

C. Solitude 101: Getting to know God.

1. Solitude is an essential discipline in helping one to grow in their relationship with God.

2. Solitude prompts self reflection and evaluation. However, more importantly solitude enables us to more readily listen to God.