Moses - Prince Turned Refugee

*Biblical Character Study*

2. *Moses*

*Prince turned refugee*

A prison to palace story is inspiring and desirous, who ever desires to leave the comfort of royalty for exile? Yet, that was the trajectory of this man of God.

He perceived in his heart the call of a deliverer and went about it in his own strength, the result? He was ran out of town. Timing and divine commissioning / empowering is important for fulfilling your vision sir/ma.

*When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."[Exodus 2:10]*

*And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened, and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well.[Exo 2:15]*. 

*It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin .He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great [Heb 11:24-26]*

 *Never too late to start over*

Moses' life can broadly be divided into three, 40 years in the palace, 40 years in the wilderness and 40 years as we know it, fulfilling purpose. To realize that he started over at 80 years of age is surely an encouragement to us.

'No matter how much time you have lost, it is never too late to start over following the will of God for your life. You might not even feel capable, God will empower you. You just submit to him'. 

*Moses said to the LORD, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue." The LORD said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute?Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." .[Exo 4:10-12]*

*Moses was eighty years old and Aaron eighty-three when they spoke to Pharaoh.[Exo 7:7]*

*Moses was 120 years old when he died, yet his eyesight was clear, and he was as strong as ever. [Deut 34:7]*

*Delegate, delegate*

With so much power and influence as a leader, it is possible to think that you are the only person that has the solution, and Moses almost fell to that trap. He will seat in judgement from morning to evening 6 days a week. It took his father-in-law and God to save him from himself. *[Exo 18]*

Beloved, you cannot do it all, delegate as much as possible, it will preserve your life. But what if they cannot do it as good as you will? They can't; but they can only get better by doing, so delegate.

*This is not good!" his father-in-law exclaimed*

*"You're going to wear yourself out – and the people, too. This job is too heavy a burden for you to handle all by yourself. Now let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people's representative before God, bringing him their questions to be decided. You should tell them God's decisions, teach them God's laws and instructions, and show them how to conduct their lives. But find some capable, honest men who fear God and hate bribes. Appoint them as judges over groups of one thousand, one hundred, fifty, and ten. These men can serve the people, resolving all the ordinary cases. Anything that is too important or too complicated can be brought to you. They will help you carry the load, making the task easier for you. If you follow this advice, and if God directs you to do so, then you will be able to endure the pressures, and all these people will go home in peace." Moses listened to his father-in-law's advice.[Exo 18:17-23]*

*Meekness*

He was declared to be the meekest man on earth and that is no mean fit. His experience of trying to do things by himself and failing and then seeing what God can do had completely humbled him. He no longer had any reason to fight for himself or prove himself.

Even when his authority was challenged twice, he left it to God to answer and even pleaded when the answer was severe. Beloved, there is so much grace in humility, quit the fightings and trust in God's righteousness.

*When the cloud lifted from above the Tent, there stood Miriam--leprous, like snow. Aaron turned toward her and saw that she had leprosy; and he said to Moses, "Please, my lord, do not hold against us the sin we have so foolishly committed. Do not let her be like a infant coming from its mother's womb with its flesh half eaten away." So Moses cried out to the LORD, "O God, please heal her!" [Numbers 12:10-13]*

*Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.[Numbers 12:3]*

*The man Moses*

It is easy to focus on all the great things Moses did and forget that he was a man after all. He almost lost his life because he did not circumcise his son. He missed stepping in the promise land because he got angry for God.

What I find most worrying though is the absence of his children in the scheme of things, I am sure you will struggle to remember the names of his children.

 *On the way to Egypt, at a place where Moses and his family had stopped for the night, the Lord confronted him and was about to kill him. But Moses' wife, Zipporah, took a flint knife and circumcised her son. She touched his feet with the foreskin[Exo 4:25]*,

*Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard about everything God had done for Moses and his people, the Israelites. He heard especially about how the Lord had rescued them from Egypt. Earlier, Moses had sent his wife, Zipporah, and his two sons back to Jethro [Exo 18:1-6]*

*But the Lord was angry with me because of you. He vowed that I would not cross the Jordan River into the good land the Lord your God is giving you as your special possession. You will cross the Jordan to occupy the land, but I will not.[Deut 4:21]*

*Beloved of God*

God specially loved Moses and it showed. He had access to God and a relationship with him that we in the new and better testament need to be conscious of. God is not a far away task master as some paint him. He is loving and relational.

To cap off the story and life of Moses, God did what has not been repeated again, HE BURIED HIM.

*And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name." Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory." And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name [Exo 33:17-19]*

*...the LORD, in your presence... But you cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live." Then the LORD said, There is a place near me where you may stand on a rock When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by [Exo 33:20-21]*

*And the Lord said to them, "Now listen to what I say: "If there were prophets among you, I, the Lord, would reveal myself in visions. I would speak to them in dreams. But not with my servant Moses. Of all my house, he is the one I trust. I speak to him face to face, clearly and not in riddles! He sees the Lord as he is [Numbers 12:6-8]* 

*So Moses, the servant of the Lord, died there in the land of Moab, just as the Lord had said. The Lord buried him in a valley near Beth-peor in Moab, but to this day no one knows the exact place.[Deut 34:6]*

*Knowing God's ways*

Moses did not only see the acts and wonders of God, he knew God's ways. He understood God and could make his case before God with a confidence that God will listen.

While it is good for us to desire the miraculous in our lives, it is better to desire to know God. Our daily cry should be more of God and his ways. When you know God, you will see his glory in your life.

*I feared the anger and wrath of the LORD, for he was angry enough with you to destroy you. But again the LORD listened to me[Deut 9:19]*

*And the LORD was angry enough with Aaron to destroy him, but at that time I prayed for Aaron too.[Deut 9:20]*

*And the LORD said to Moses, "I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name."*

*Then Moses said, "Now show me your glory."*

*And the LORD said, "I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name the LORD, in your presence*. *I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have [Exo 33:18-1]*

*He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.[Psalms 103:7]*