God’s hand on a life
Preaching Outline on Exodus 2 – And a man of the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.
Introduction
Those who know the Lord know how to recognize the “hand” of God at work in their lives. How many times do we look back and see how He led us to salvation, to the right spouse, to the job we needed, to the church that welcomed us and to friends who supported us? God’s “hand” was on us in the moments of joy and also in the most difficult times. And just as He acts in our lives, He also acted in the life of Moses. In the first chapters of Exodus, we clearly see God’s hand shaping Moses’ story, preparing him for a greater purpose.
Development
A REFUGE – Verses 1-3
Exodus 2:1-3 – And a man of the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. And when she could hide him no longer, she took an ark of bulrushes, and overlaid it with clay and bitumen, and put the child in it, and laid it in the bulrushes by the river.
Pharaoh, in his cruelty, decreed that all newborn Hebrew boys should be killed (Exodus 1:22). Imagine the despair of Moses’ mother when she saw her little boy in danger. She couldn’t accept the death sentence. With faith and courage, she hid him for three months and, when she could no longer keep him at home, she put him in a reed basket and left it on the bank of the River Nile.
That fragile basket became Moses’ refuge, a place where he was protected, even in the midst of chaos. How often does God also place us in “reed baskets”, places that seem fragile, but which are actually refuges prepared by him?
A RESCUE – Verses 4-10
Exodus 2:4-10 – And her sister stood afar off to know what would happen to her. And Pharaoh’s daughter went down to wash in the river, and her maidens walked along the bank of the river; and she saw the ark among the reeds, and sent her maid, who took it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the child was weeping; and she was moved with compassion for him, and said, “This is one of the children of the Hebrews. Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I call for a nurse of the Hebrew women to bring up this child for you? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her: Go. So the girl went and called the boy’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and bring him up; I will give you your wages. So the woman took the boy and brought him up. And when the child was grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she adopted him; and she called his name Moses, and said, “For I have brought him up out of the waters.
God not only protected Moses, but also provided for his rescue in a surprising way. When Pharaoh’s daughter found the basket, she was touched by the baby’s cry. Instead of rejecting him, she adopted him as her son. Moses, who was to be killed, was raised in Pharaoh’s own palace, receiving royal education and privileges. God even used the enemies of His people to fulfill His purposes. This shows us that, when God is in control, even the plans of the powerful can be turned around for the good of those He loves.
A REVOLT – Verses 11-14
Exodus 2:11-14 – And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was a man, that he went out to his brethren, and considered their burdens; and he saw an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, a man of his brethren. And he looked on either side, and when he saw that there was no one there, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. And he went out again the next day, and behold, two Hebrew men were striving; and he said to the unjust man, Why do you strike your neighbor? And he said, “Who has made you ruler and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian? Then Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this business has been discovered.
But Moses’ life wasn’t all ease. In a moment of revolt, he decided to take charge of the situation. Seeing a Hebrew being mistreated by an Egyptian, Moses intervened and ended up killing the aggressor. He thought he was doing the right thing, but his rash action had consequences. He was discovered and, afraid, fled into the desert. This was a dark moment in Moses’ life, a moment when he learned that human justice, without God’s guidance, can lead to failure. How often do we also act on impulse, thinking we know what’s best, only to discover that we need God’s guidance?
A RETREAT – Verses 15-22
Exodus 2:15-22 – And when Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses; but Moses fled out of Pharaoh’s sight, and dwelt in the land of Midian, and sat by a well. And the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs, to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them out; but Moses rose up and defended them, and gave the flock drink. And when they returned to Reuel their father, he said, “Why have you returned so quickly today? And they said, “An Egyptian man delivered us from the hand of the shepherds; he also brought us plenty of water, and gave drink to the flock. And he said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses consented to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah, who bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom, because he said, “I was a sojourner in a strange land.
Moses fled to Midian, where he began a new life as a shepherd. Far from the luxury of the palace, he learned to live simply. It was there that he met his wife, Zipporah, and started a family. The desert, which seemed like a place of failure, became a school for Moses. God was preparing him, teaching him patience, humility and dependence. Sometimes God takes us to the desert not to punish us, but to prepare us. It is in the arid places that we learn to listen to His voice and trust in His timing.
A REMINDER – Verses 23-25
Exodus 2:23-25 – And it came to pass after many days, when the king of Egypt was dead, that the children of Israel sighed because of their bondage, and cried; and their cry came up to God because of their bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob; and God saw the children of Israel, and God considered their condition.
While Moses was in the desert, the people of Israel continued to suffer in Egypt. They cried out to God, and he listened. The text says that God “remembered” the covenant he had made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. In fact, God had never forgotten. He was working behind the scenes, preparing Moses to be the deliverer of His people. Even when we seem to be forgotten or sidelined, God is at work. He is preparing us for the right moment, when he will say: “Now is your time.”
Conclusion of Exodus 2
Moses’ life teaches us that God’s hand is always on those he calls. Even when we are in fragile refuges, in moments of revolt or in seemingly meaningless retreats, God is at work. He rescues us, prepares us and reminds us that we are part of a greater plan.
Sometimes he puts us aside for a while, but that time is never wasted. It’s a time of growth, learning and preparation. When God says it’s time to act, we’ll be ready, just as Moses was. So trust in God’s hand on your life. He never makes mistakes, he is never late and he never abandons us.
Preaching Outline on Exodus 2 – And a man of the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.
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