Acts 7:1-51 / 23-29 – “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. ““When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.”
“When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.” Stephen stated Moses’s age to be forty years old. However we do not see in the Old Testament that Moses was forty years old, but rather that He had “grown up.” (Exodus 2:11) The expression we might say is that he had “come into his own” or that he had “arrived” at the pinnacle of his success. Stephen, however, had not pulled the number forty out of his hat, but is likely relating the number that rabbis often taught was Moses age at that time. As the Lord has inspired here what His age was bears witness to the taught age of Moses.
“He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” At this time Moses wanted to find out more about “his own people.” He likely was experiencing what many people are now experiencing as they make Ancestry.com such a popular website. It would seem quite natural that he would want to know more about his people that he has been separated from for forty years.
It would seem that the Moses had heard the calling that God had given to him to be used to rescue His people. Here again, the similarity between him and Jesus jumps out at us. Moses was called to redeem Israel as Jesus came to save Israel (Israel first and then the world). The first instance of Moses stepping out to save his people he was rejected, he was not recognized as a man sent by God. We know that the majority of Jews also rejected Jesus as the man sent to be their Savior. Moses then went to the Gentiles and made his dwelling place among them. Jesus, after being rejected by Israel (In general) next made salvation available to the Gentiles. When Moses went back Israel, this time in the timing of God (Interestingly after another forty years), the calling came to fruition and Israel was saved as God worked through Moses. When Jesus comes back, Israel will be saved! Praise the Lord for the Scarlet thread of God’s plan that runs through His Word! Praise God!
“The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ 27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. ““When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.” Even when we know the Lord is calling us to a ministry or work, we must do it in the Lord’s time and as He calls it to be done. It is His ministry that He allows us to be a part of and it is not our ministry. We too often decide, not by God’s Word or by being led by His Spirit, when and how to do the ministry that God has called us out to do. We move in our timing and in our thoughts about how God will develop this ministry instead of seeking when and how God will move. We become impatient and seek out how God moves with others instead of allowing His Spirit to lead, provide and guide us. Then we wonder why the ministry that we are sure that God called us to has not prospered. Sadly, many do not understand what it means to be led by the Spirit of God and that brings a sad ending to many good intentions. If God wants us to do something then let’s be ready to go when He leads. True is the saying that “Where God guides, God provides.” Praise our God who is faithful and patient with us and who can, even when we err, put us back on the right path and bring about His will for us. Thank you Lord! Praise you Lord! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.