“And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.” Exodus 3:2
The first forty years of Moses’ life was spent in Pharoah’s court. Though he was raised as the son of Pharoah’s daughter, there were rumblings in his heart concerning his true lineage. We see this when Moses went out “unto his brethren, ” and saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, “one of his brethren.” (Ex. 2:11) It was then that the dye was cast, for Moses, in killing the Egyptian, was forced to flee Egypt, and the court of Pharoah, becoming an outcast, a hunted man. In the book of Acts, in the testimony of Stephen before his accusers, he spoke of Moses. With regard to him killing the Egyptian, he wrote: “For he (Moses) supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.” (7:25) It is quite evident that the “rumblings,” or stirring in the heart of Moses, was the Spirit of God revealing to him something of his calling, and purpose. However, though he understood that by the hand of God, he would be instrumental in delivering the people of Israel out from under the authority of Pharoah, he did not realize that he was not yet prepared to do this. There would need to pass another forty years in Moses’ life, and this in the wilderness, behind sheep, and in the company of those who believed in God. Moses had to learn the ways of God, and conform to those ways, if he would fulfill his role and purpose. God did not need the wealth of Egypt, nor its idolatrous religion, and means. God told Moses out of the burning bush: ” I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” (2:8) It would be God who would save Israel, and deliver them, not Moses. Moses would be His instrument to speak to the people, giving them direction, and unveiling something of His glory to them. It was God who called Moses as a child, perhaps even before he was born. It was God who protected him from Pharoah and provided a way of escape for him. It was God who led him to Jethro, the priest of Midian, in the wilderness. And it was God who took the initiative to reveal Himself to him at exactly the right time, God’s time, when Moses was prepared. It has been said that God does not use many men today because they are too big. Such was Moses in Egypt. His calling was there, and the gifts, but the ways of God he did not know. What needed to occur in Moses’ heart, so that in the timing of God, he could be sent back to Egypt, and be used wonderfully by God to save the entire nation?
To answer this question, let’s look also at the life of Joseph. He also knew something of his calling at a fairly young age, as he had consistent dreams concerning this with regard to his family. There is no doubt that Joseph was very gifted. But his gifts and calling were not enough so that God could use him. There would be for him, as for Moses, a certain time in which something in the heart had to occur. What did these men lack with regard to knowing the ways of God to be effective to Him? It was an attitude of absolute dependence upon Him. When Joseph was in prison, at exactly the right time, he learned to abandon all to Christ, waiting wholly and only upon Him for his deliverance, and intervention. The lesson learned, and God intervened in his behalf. In God’s time, Joseph was delivered from prison, and made the governor of Egypt.
For Moses, it took forty years for him to abandon any hope of fulfilling his calling. Only by a total surrender of himself to God, and all his plans, would he ever depend wholly upon God, being useful and successful.
Dear Father, Give us to wait wholly, and only, upon Thee.