Bible Study Online Article

In the last article we touched on some things that would help us to be able to connect with Moses on a personal level.

But now we begin to move forward a little bit more when it comes to the Sacred Account of Moses.

We are now at the point where we get somewhat of a glimpse of what happened during his first forty years in the wilderness.

Yes, you read that right: "the first forty years." The reason why I stress this little bit of information, is that it's important to know that Moses had already spent forty years in the wilderness, prior to the more famous account, that talks about his forty years that he spent in the wilderness with the Israelites.

Let's start by looking at the surface of the Sacred Text first: "And she [Zipporah] bore him [Moses] a son, and he called his name Gershom; for he said, 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land.'" -- Exodus 2:22

Now as we can see, Moses and Zipporah ended up having a child and they named him "Gershom" which signifies (a stranger here, or exiled, or foreigner) just like the text tells us. And it's by the naming of his son that we gain some deeper insight into how Moses was feeling about his new home.

Being that Moses knew that this place, in which he now dwelled, wasn't who he really was, or a place that he could really call home. One can only imagine how he must have felt, knowing that he had left his people to suffer mightily at the hands of the Egyptians. But honestly, what more could have done? Maybe he could have gone about it in a different way, who knows? But that time has passed.

When one takes a look at the disadvantages that Moses had at this point in his life, it should remind us how blessed we truly are to have the Sacred Scriptures that we can turn to, whenever we need direction and reassurance from the Lord. Moses couldn't see what God was doing for him, because Moses did not know what was to come next, being that he would soon enter into the third phase of his life.

But fortunately for us we are able to see, if we are willing to look beyond the surface of the Sacred Text. When we learn how to do this, we are now able to see how God was preparing Moses for not only the next phase of his life, but for greatness. We are also able to see how God was molding and crafting Moses into the man that He created him to be. Moses couldn't see this, but we can.

Notice how God has Moses in the land of Midian. This is important to note, because Midianites occupied the desert north of the peninsula of Arabia. This forty year experience out in the desert would prepare Moses on how to live in an environment of such. And rest assure, he would need this expertise, being that God would lead him and the Israel nation out into a similar environment, for the same length of time.

This is a part of Moses' life that's mainly overlooked by most teachers and preachers. And it's shameful that it is, being that it provides us with some insight on how God would deal with us within our own personal lives. This record is a reminder that even when we don't see God working in our lives, we can be reassured that He is, even tough we don't see it. This helps to give us the confidence in knowing that God is always near, in spite of our situation. We don't need anybody to tell us, we can see it, right here and throughout the Word of God.

This is why we must read about the things that God has already done, so we don't make the crucial mistake of abandoning God before we can see the movement of God within our lives. You see, it's more than this is the Old Covenant, and we are in the New Covenant that is built on better promises.

For we must understand, that the Sacred Record shows us how God provided, protected, and blessed those when it came the Old Covenant. And since God never changes, then why shouldn't we expect the same, when it comes to the New Covenant that we are beholden to, that's built on better divine promises and the blood of Jesus (Yeshua) Christ? Make no mistake, if we don't walk away from Him, God will never fail us.

Now let's go forward some more...

"Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage." -- Exodus 2:23

Now we begin to see things developing, being that the Scriptures reveal to us that the Pharaoh who had ruled during the time that Moses had fled the kingdom, has passed away. This Scripture also points to the disappointment of the Israelites after this had taken place. Understand that they weren't disappointed that the Pharaoh had died; in fact they were happy that he had passed away. The disappointment came, after they soon realized that things weren't going to get any better under the new Pharaoh that had risen.

But notice what happens when the Israelites cried out to God: "...and their cry came up to God because of the bondage." Could it have been that the Israelites were starting to give up hope? This is why we must keep in mind that God will never put more on us than we can handle, in spite of how unfair the situation may seem to us.

Rest assure, you're a lot stronger than you realize, and often times, God has to put us in an extreme position to get us to realize this. However, look at what happens next: "So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them." -- Exodus 2:24,25

One could wonder: "Could it have been possible that God had forgotten His covenant?" Of course not, but this is how it seemed to the Israelites, being that they had been in bondage for so long. But God had already foretold the length of time that the Israelites were to endure such hardships:

"Then He said to Abram: 'Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.'" -- (Genesis 15:13,14)

Understand that the end of the aforementioned "four-hundred years" was fast approaching and being that God had already spoken the prophecy, He will not be made out... to be a liar. So therefore the Israelites will have to endure a little while longer; and endure, they shall.

One can't help but to think: What if, they could have only knew what God was preparing them for? If they had known, that they would emerge from this horrific ordeal as a great nation? But fortunately for us, this we can see; thanks to the Sacred Record... for we are reminded that God strives to bring out the greatness from within us.

If we could only remember these things while we're going through our challenges in life, then perhaps we could go through, with the peace of mind, of knowing that everything will be okay and that we will emerge far stronger than before, being that we have the one true God on our side.

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? -- Romans 8:28-31

We must not make the crucial mistake of forgetting these things; we must learn to accept the fact that we are invaluable, priceless, a unique treasure, and a creature with tremendous value. Know this, embrace this, this is who you are... remember this.

In the next article we will move forward with the "call of Moses." We will journey along with Moses as he comes across the "Mountain of God" and stumbles upon a divine burning bush. Are we daring enough to go beyond the surface of the text?

Joseph the Overseer of Egypt

Jacob Becomes Ill

The Prophecies of Jacob

**YOUR CURRENT BIBLE STUDY ONLINE SERIES WOULD BE HERE**

128) Moses the Historian

129) The Exodus Stage

130) The Fall of the Hyksos Kingdom

131) A New Pharaoh Rises

132) The Egyptian Affliction

133) Israel a Nation within Transition

134) Israel's New Generation

135) The Hebrew Midwives - Shiphrah and Puah

136) The Hebrew Midwives - The Fear of God

137) Moses the Son of Levi

138) Moses the Son of Egypt

139) Moses the Sympathetic Killer

140) Moses the Exiled Son

141) Moses Finds Refuge in Midian

142) Moses a Man on the Run

143) Moses the Midian Dweller

144) <-CURRENT PAGE->

145) The Call of Moses

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