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. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (2:11-12)
Moses had been raised apart from his people. “He was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in words and deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand” (Acts 7:23 – 25).
God was preparing Moses for something big. But timing was everything. When Moses tried to help his people, either he wasn’t ready (quite likely) or his people weren’t ready (quite likely) or both! It wasn’t God’s timing. God had been preparing him, but apparently a whole lot more preparation was needed…forty years, in fact!
So off to Midian he went. He ended up marrying and having two sons. He was a shepherd for many years. Then:
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Isael groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel-and God knew (Exodus 2:23-25).
I love the words: God saw the people of Israel-and God knew (2:23-25). God hadn’t forgotten his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and was very aware of what was going on. God always saw the people of Israel. But now it was time.
This is so helpful to me as I cry out daily for my people, Israel, fighting a war that they don’t want, and for the Israeli hostages that Hamas holds even as I write. God sees. God knows. I continue to cry out and one day it will be time. And God will do what He will do. God will do His part. Meanwhile I do mine, which is to ask and keep asking (Matt. 7:7). God is doing many, many things at any given moment. One of them is making me into who He wants me to be.
Prayer: God, You see, You know, and You will act in Your perfect timing. You do all things well, even when I don’t see it. All glory to You. Amen.
