Exodus 4:18-31 Heading Out

Moses had his orders from God, and now he faced leaving the place he'd lived for the last 40 years, taking his family back with him to Egypt.  They'd never seen the wonders there where Moses had once lived.  My commentary listed five encouragements God gave Moses:

1)  His father-in-law's blessing -- Moses only told Jethro that he wanted to return to Egypt to see if his family members were still alive.  Jethro readily agreed and , as the priest of Midian, blessed him for his journey.

2)  The promises of God -- God promised him that those who'd wanted to kill him had died.  He told Moses that He would enable him to do the miracles He'd shown him, but He also informed him that Pharaoh's heart would be hardened.

3)  Zapporah's obedience -- There's not a lot of information here, but my commentary said that possibly Moses' wife had resisted when Moses had circumcised his first son, and that he had not circumcised his second son as a result.  For that lack of obedience, Moses almost died.  Seeing what was happening, his wife quickly took a flint knife and completed the ritual, agreeing to obey the Lord's command.  As my commentary said, it wouldn't do for a servant of God to disobey a command of God.

4)  Aaron's arrival -- It's hard to imagine two brothers being able to find each other "somewhere in Egypt or Arabia", but God directed them.  Aaron would become Moses' spokesman to the Jewish people for the next 40 years and would start the Jewish priesthood after accompanying Moses to Egypt.

5)  The nation's faith -- Moses had worried that the older Jewish leaders wouldn't believe that God had sent him, but once they saw the miracles, they did listen and believe, and when they heard that God was concerned about them and was going to rescue them from Egypt, they bowed down in worship.

Moses knew, though, that he had a battle ahead, but his trust was in the Lord, and he was ready for this next phase of his life.

Father, You've moved me to new phases in my life over the last few years.  Help me to trust You as Moses did and to know that You have the power to make all of Your plans happen.

 

Your Brother In Christ,
Gary Ford