Exodus 2:11-25 ESV
Exodus 2:11-25:
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” 14 He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.
16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” 19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” 20 He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. 22 She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”
God Hears Israel’s Groaning
23 During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Introduction
Have you ever felt a strong desire to do something significant for God, only to, maybe, discover that the door was not yet open?
Perhaps you saw a need in your family, church, workplace, or community and felt compelled to act. You may have even believed that God was leading you toward a particular assignment. Yet despite your passion, things did not unfold as expected.
Moses experienced something similar, as recorded in Exodus 2:11-25. He had a burden long before he stood before Pharaoh, stretched out his staff over the Red Sea, or led Israel through the wilderness.
Consequently, he saw the suffering of God’s people and wanted to do something about it. His concern was genuine; his compassion was real. Yet his first attempt to help ended in failure, rejection, and exile.
Moses’ story teaches us an important lesson: a God-given burden does not necessarily mean we are ready for the assignment. Sometimes God must prepare the servant before entrusting the work.
Body
Moses Had the Right Burden
Exodus 2 records a significant moment in Moses’ life: “One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens…” (Exodus 2:11)
Although he was raised in Pharaoh’s household, he had not forgotten his Hebrew identity. He saw the oppression of his people and was deeply moved by their suffering.
Stephen later explains what was happening in Moses’ heart: “He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand…” (Acts 7:25)
Therefore, Moses believed he had a role to play in Israel’s deliverance. His concern for God’s people was not wrong; his desire to see justice was not wrong; his willingness to identify with the oppressed was not wrong.
The problem was, therefore, not his burden. It was that passion alone does not qualify a person for God’s assignment.
Sadly, many believers assume that because they strongly desire something, the time must be right to pursue it. Yet Scripture repeatedly shows that God often develops the person before He entrusts the mission.
Moses Took the Matter Into His Own Hands
When Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he intervened. Exodus 2:12 reads: “He struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.”
Therefore, Moses was attempting to solve a real problem. However, he acted according to his own judgment, strength, and method.
Notice that he looked this way and that before acting. Therefore, there is no indication that he sought God’s direction or acted under divine commission. His response was driven by human impulse rather than divine instruction.
This is an important warning for us. A person can have the right concern but pursue it in the wrong way; he/she can identify a genuine problem yet attempt to solve it apart from God’s wisdom; he/she can be passionate about God’s purposes while still moving ahead of God’s timing.
Passion is valuable, but passion without submission can lead to premature action.
Moses Was Not Yet Recognized as a Deliverer
The following day, Moses attempted to mediate a dispute between two Hebrews. But instead of welcoming his leadership, one of them challenged him: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us?” (Exodus 2:14)
These words expose a significant reality. That is, Moses may have viewed himself as a potential deliverer, but the people did not recognize him as one. More importantly, God had not yet publicly commissioned him for the role.
Acts 7 tells us that Moses supposed Israel would understand God’s purpose through him, but they did not.
Consequently, there is a difference between sensing a burden and being sent by God. And there is a difference between desire and divine authorization.
Many people become discouraged when others fail to recognize their gifts or leadership. Yet sometimes God allows such moments to reveal that preparation is still needed.
Failure Was Not the End of Moses’ Story
When Pharaoh learned what Moses had done, he sought to kill him. Moses, therefore, fled Egypt and settled in Midian.
What appeared to be the collapse of his hopes was actually the beginning of God’s preparation.
Imagine how this season must have felt because Moses had grown up in the palace. He, therefore, possessed education, influence, and privilege. Yet he ended up a fugitive tending sheep in the wilderness.
From a human perspective, his future looked smaller than ever. But God was not finished with him. The years in Midian were not wasted years. They were years of preparation.
The man:
- who would eventually shepherd a nation first learned to shepherd sheep.
- who would later lead Israel through the wilderness first learned to live in the wilderness.
- who once acted confidently in his own strength would eventually learn dependence upon God.
Therefore, what seemed like a setback was actually part of God’s process.
God Often Prepares the Person Before the Assignment
One of the greatest mistakes we can make is assuming that readiness and desire are the same thing. They are not.
A burden may reveal what God is placing on your heart, but it does not necessarily indicate that the season of assignment has arrived. God often works in stages. First, He gives a burden. Then He develops character; then He teaches dependence; then He opens the door for the assignment.
Moses wanted to deliver Israel at forty years old. God sent him at eighty.
The difference was not merely the passing of time. It was preparation.
What God intended to accomplish through Moses required a different man than the one who fled Egypt.
Reflection
Are there areas of your life where you are frustrated by delays, closed doors, or apparent setbacks?
Could it be that God is preparing you rather than rejecting you?
Moses’ story, particularly in Exodus 2:11-25, reminds us that God’s preparation is often hidden. The seasons that appear unproductive may be the very seasons in which God is doing His deepest work.
Do not confuse a burden with readiness; do not mistake passion for preparation; and do not assume that a setback means God’s purpose has ended. The God who worked in Moses’ life is still preparing His people today.
Prayer
Father, thank You for the burdens You place on our hearts and for the purposes You have for our lives. Help us not to run ahead of Your timing or rely on our own strength, as the example in Exodus 2:11-25. Teach us to trust You during seasons of preparation and to remain faithful when progress seems slow. Shape our character, deepen our dependence on You, and prepare us for every assignment You have planned. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Call to Action
Take a moment today to examine your journey. Is there a burden that you had or have? If so, do you believe you are being prepared by God for a specific assignment?
Additionally, you can read about Seeking God While Pursuing Your Calling, and explore How to Read the Bible in One Year or How to Read the Bible (for Beginners)
