Acts 7:23-30 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers the children of Israel.… I. LONG NURSED — "forty years." 1. Inspired by his mother. The precious time during which he was entrusted by the princess to the care of his nurse, Jochebed, would, we may be sure, be well employed, and subsequent opportunities would be utilised for reminding him of who he was, and of his possible destiny as the leader of his race. No throne in the universe is so potent as the mother's knee for good or evil. 2. Cherished among smothering influences. (1) Gratitude to his deliverer. (2) Egyptian learning and court training. (3) Prospects of advancement, even to the throne of Egypt. It must have required a very deep-seated patriotic instinct to have resisted all this. II. PREMATURELY EXHIBITED. 1. Without a Divine call. Moses acted on the spasmodic impulse of the moment. Here was a palpable opportunity — the first which presented itself — of showing his long-nursed patriotism, and the ill-usage of his brethren acted like a spark on a train of gunpowder. Many men call themselves to rectify certain evils, and mistake a seeming opportunity for the voice of God. Passion, however noble, is not inspiration. This is seen in its effects. That which leads to murder, however great the provocation, as in the case of Moses and the French Revolution, is manifestly not from heaven. When the hour comes the man will be inspired; let the man, then, wait for the hour. 2. Without the least .chance of success. What was one man, even suppose that he was sure of the loyalty of the unorganised slaves, against the disciplined might of Egypt? This has been the mistake of well-meaning but impulsive patriots all through history, and the results have ever been fatal to the interests of those whom they would have served. III. EVENTUALLY RECTIFIED. Moses soon saw that force was no remedy, and that his people were hardly fit for immediate emancipation. What chance of liberation for a people divided amongst themselves? Union is strength; and Moses began to educate the people in the two great unifying principles — 1. Fraternity. "Sirs, ye are brethren." Moses saw that the only hope for Israel was the cultivation of brotherly feeling. Other ties without this are ropes of sand. 2. Justice. "Why do ye wrong?" The fetters of internal wrong-doing are far stronger than those imposed from without. Tyrants are safe when their subjects are depraved. If a community would successfully resist the iniquities of the powers that be, they must be law-abiding themselves. Agitators are at length recognising this principle, and passionately appeal to their followers not to break the law. IV. UNGRATEFULLY REPUDIATED. When Moses smote the Egyptian no protest was raised; but on attempting to sow the seeds of self-deliverance he met with the fate of many reformers. Most people are willing to be helped; but when urged to help themselves, the whole situation is often changed. They had no objection to Moses being a ruler and a judge when he assailed the oppressor; but when he advised the oppressed to follow a more successful but prosaic and unromantic course, the worst feelings of jealousy were aroused. The public sentiment towards Cromwell was very different when he was driving out the Stuarts from that which was expressed when reducing the chaotic national elements to order. V. SUDDENLY ABANDONED. "Then fled Moses." 1. Not, we may well believe, through sheer cowardice. Fear of Pharaoh had something to do with it, no doubt; but this was the fear of a man who felt that he would have to encounter the monarch alone. The cause was hopeless; he would have no following; it was useless to throw his life away. 2. Disgust, we may believe, had something to do with it. Why should he sacrifice himself for a people who would not even treat him with common gratitude. "Those who would be free must themselves strike the blow." Moses adopted the right course. He accepted the inevitable. The time was not ripe, nor was he — a lesson for all would-be patriots and reformers. VI. DIVINELY REVIVED. That his patriotism died out in Midian is obvious from his reluctance to embark on the mission when the time had come. By minding other people's business he had lost everything; henceforth he would mind his own, And he did so for forty years. But all this time he was being Divinely qualified. His character matured, his old impulsiveness was gone. Cool reason took the place of spasmodic passion. He became familiar with habits and scenes which stood him in good stead for the next forty years. The time came, and when it came the fire of the bush laid hold of his soul, and the Divinely-inspired leader went to beard Pharaoh and to lead his brethren out of the house of bondage. (J. W. Burn.) Parallel Verses KJV: And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. |
    |