Martin Wickens

These are my notes from my message last night.
Moses’ first efforts to help his countrymen resulted in absolute failure. Whether he intended to or not, he killed an Egyptian. In Acts 7:25, in Stephen’s sermon, it reveals that Moses thought his countrymen would see this as their time to be delivered. What happened in reality is the next day he was rebuked, mocked, and rejected. Pharaoh discovered Moses’ crime, and he fled the country. In a matter of days he went from the palace to obscurity.

It was a failure in every concievable way. Yet, failure that drives us to God can be a great teacher.

In Japan, there is an art form called Kintsugi. When a valuable bowl breaks, it isn’t thrown away. The craftsman repairs it using lacquer mixed with gold.

The cracks remain visible, not as marks of shame, but as part of the object’s beauty and history.

God often works that way. He doesn’t pretend our failures never happened. He redeems them. The very places where we were broken often become the places where His grace shines brightest.

Moses had to carry the memory of the events recorded in Exodus 2 for the rest of his life. A day would come when God would have him write this event down as part of Israel’s official history and a part of God’s Word. But forty years later after failure, the murderer became the deliverer, the fugitive became the leader, the shepherd became the lawgiver, and the broken man became God’s chosen servant. Importantly, take note that Moses became a great leader not because of the man he was, but because of the man he became by God’s grace.

The things Moses learned, and potentially learned, should not be seen as him taking steps of self-improvement. Failure had put Moses squarely in God’s classroom, and these were lessons God determined he needed to learn.

1. Moses learned that your sin will always find you out (Exodus 2:14). Numbers 32:23 and Luke 12:2 remind us that hidden sin never stays hidden before God. As they prepared to enter the promised land, Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh requested land on the other side of Jordan. Initially, Moses believed they were refusing to enter the Promised Land and abandoning the rest of the tribes to fight without them (Numbers 32:6–15). They promised to establish their families, then cross the Jordan to help the other tribes before returning home (Numbers 32:16–19). Moses told them that if they failed to do as they had promised, they would be sinning against the Lord (Numbers 32:20–24). This is the context of the phrase, “your sin will find you out.” Moses learned, and he taught others, that hidden sin never stays hidden before God.

2. Moses learned that timing is a vital part of obedience (Exodus 2:15). Many people focus on the what, but give less attention to the when and how. Hudson Taylor wisely said, “God’s will done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 reminds us that there is a time for every purpose under heaven. Moses learned that the right thing at the wrong time becomes the wrong thing.

3. Moses learned humility (Exodus 2:17). The prince of Egypt found himself getting water for sheep. Jesus likens Himself to a shepherd, so it is not a bad thing to care for sheep. But from Moses’ perspective, he went from living like a king to fetching water for animals. God entrusted Moses with some sheep before entrusting him with a nation. A few steps down are normally needed before taking any steps up. A. W. Tozer said, “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.” Immediate success will normally ruin a person. Moses learned that God often lowers a man before He lifts a man.

4. Moses learned to lead by service, not force (Exodus 2:17). He accomplished more by giving some water to sheep than he had done by defending his kinsman. When Moses killed an Egyptian to protect a countryman, it only resulted in mockery and rebuke. When Moses protected the daughters of Jethro and gave water to some sheep, he quickly became adopted into a new family. Later, when Moses served the people by delivering them, they were ready to follow him (poorly at times, however). Moses learned that people may fear force, but they follow servants.

5. Moses learned to do what he could, where he could (Exodus 2:17). Many people, when they cannot serve how they want to, choose not to serve at all. Matthew Henry wrote, “Wherever the Providence of God casts us, we should desire and endeavor to be useful; and, when we cannot do the good we would, we must be ready to do the good we can. And he that is faithful in a little shall be entrusted with more.” If we wait for the ideal circumstances before we do something for the Lord, then we’ll likely never do anything for the Lord. Moses learned that we must “Bloom where we’re planted.”

6. Moses learned contentment (Exodus 2:21). Moses was content not to be a prince of Egypt; a leader of a nation; and not out on a big adventure. Instead, he was content to remain in the home of Jethro, to marry, to raise children, to shepherd sheep, and to serve faithfully in obscurity. Moses lived an ordinary life for the next forty years. Those ordinary years were preparing him for extraordinary usefulness. Moses learned that one aspect of contentment is learning that God’s present assignment is enough.

7. Moses learned to live as a pilgrim (Exodus 2:22). He started life as a baby threatened with death. He grew up as a Hebrew in the Egyptian palace. He had tried to help his countrymen but was rejected. He was now a Hebrew in Midian. He named one son, Gershom. Every time Moses called his son’s name he was reminded, “I am a stranger. Egypt is not my home. Midian is not my home. My home is wherever God places me.” Moses learned that our identity is found in God’s calling, not our circumstances.

8. Moses had to learn to wait (Exodus 2:23–25). Earlier, in verses 18–20, Moses learned that reward does not quickly follow a good deed. He helped the daughters, and then they just left him there. It was only after their father told them to go back and get him that they introduced him to their father. Moses also carried an increasing burden he could do nothing about. If Moses could get to Midian, so too could others. No doubt he heard of the trials of his countrymen. Moses had to learn to wait patiently and that God’s delays are not God’s denials.

Failure should not be taken lightly if it involves sin. If a failure involves sin, then that must be first put right. Once sin has been confessed and relationship restored with God, then it can become something the Lord can use.

Sometimes failure does not involve sin.

Either way, let failure be the teaching tool the Lord would have it to be.

Someone has said, “Success is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm.”

Proverbs 24:16 reminds us, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

Galatians 6:9 encourages us, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

Do not let failure stop you. Learn from it, and press on.

While Moses waited in Midian, God was at work in Egypt. Israel groaned, but God remembered, heard, saw, and knew. We’ll cover what happened next on Sunday evening.