Maturity Makes You "Woke": What Will You Do About It?

See post 1. See post 2.

Text: Genesis 2: 11-15

So Moses grows up as the child of Pharaoh's daughter, after being nursed for a few years by his birth mother. Don't miss that. I'm not sure, BUT some scholars say Moses stayed with his birth mother until he was 12, and then raised as an Egyptian from 12 until 40. That's a long time. Think about all the transitions of life that happen during that time. From pre-teen to young adult and then some... Moses was trained as an Egyptian and trained to have the Egyptian mindset. The Egyptian mindset was anti-Hebrew. Think about that- inside, I'm assuming, Moses was warring. He knew he was Hebrew and experienced that life for a few years as an adolescent, but then lived a contradiction by being raised as an enemy of the Hebrew. That had to be tough... Very much a "double minded man"... An internal tug-o-war, if you will.

• This is what happens to us in the Christian walk. Ephesians 4:22, 24 depicts it as "the old man" (which is corrupt) and "the new man" (which is created after God in righteousness and true holiness). As Christians, we also have 2 lives... the old (our flesh) vs. the new man (who we become when the Holy Spirit indwells us and we're saved; the Spirit.

The Bible says, 

So now we have an unstable man in our midst; Moses. Age 40. And he happens to go out, as a double minded man- part Egyptian (mentally), part Hebrew (biologically), and looks at his brethren; the Hebrews. Moses wrote the book of Exodus, and used the word "brethren". You see, even though he was graciously taken in by the Egyptians, he knew his real family lied in his Hebrew heritage.

• This reminds me a lot of when I was growing up. Saved at age 13, grew up as a kid knowing the things of God so that was one "(wo)man", but I wanted to pursue the things of the flesh and that was another "(wo)man". Even though I spent so many years pursuing my own worldly desires, I still had an inner longing to get to what I knew was right. I still knew that following my flesh was not me, just like Moses knew he wasn't truly Egyptian.

So Moses looks at the shape that the Hebrews were in as a people and is grieved. The Bible says, "...that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens." This Hebrew-turned-Egyptian had compassion on his people. So much compassion that it turned to anger (is that allowed? like, can we support how hard Moses went in the paint? hm.) He ends up seeing a Hebrew get treated so badly by an Egyptian, that he kills the Egyptian. That's loyalty gone wrong. lol

That's bad. Did you see that coming? I meannnn, I get angry when I see people mistreated or controlled, but so angry to the point of killing someone. Sheesh (*side note: That's how we should be about sin though. So angry at how it's affecting and/or controlling our walking in the Spirit that we want to do anything to get rid of it.)

If you keep reading in our text, you see that people found out Moses killed the Egyptian and he goes into a state of panic. Rightfully so. This sends him on the run DUN DUN DUN!

So let me just point some things out...

• The Growth Period That Led To Maturity and Leaving The Hiding Places
• Moses had to go through his period as an Egyptian. It was there where he matured, probably because he was in hiding. Sometimes God can put us in strange places temporarily to allow us to grow, without the distractions of the familiar. These times may feel right or they may feel wrong, but even still, God puts us in them for the purpose of growth. Moses was really Hebrew, but was raised Egyptian.The Bible doesn't say much about his life as Pharaoh's grandson, so we have to depend on the Prince of Egypt to help us infer lol. But it does say, in chapter 2, verse 11, "And...in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren..." It was under the care of Pharaoh's daughter, raised as an Egyptian, that Moses matured to the point of finally being able to have his eyes opened and see the burdens of his people. Do you think Moses would've really been able to have a burden to help the Hebrews, if he was raised as one in bondage? Sometimes God has to remove us from the place He's called us to in order to remove the smoke from our eyes; to help us see clearly. You see, when we stay in the midst of a troubled area that God is trying to deliver us from, it's so easy to become complacent; after awhile, you get used to the toxicity and accept it as the status quo, but when you have the opportunity to look at your situation from the outside looking in, your clarity will allow you to better see the good and the bad, and it should be a call to action. Don't fight the growth period. It's a temporary place that's meant to make you grow and mature. If you find yourself in a place, but it just doesn't feel like home or maybe it's making you uncomfortable, remember that Moses was a Hebrew raised Egyptian. His Egyptian life was seasonal. When he reached the level of growth that he was meant to reach in the palace, the Bible says he went out. You're not meant to stay in hiding forever. Get what you need out of that season, and move forward.
• Let your faith preserve the calling on your life. You do realize that in order for Moses to be able to lead his people out of bondage from Egypt, he HAD to experience life as a free Hebrew? The circumstances that on the surface level seem outrageous and unnecessary to us, in hindsight are the very circumstances that qualify us for the calling that God has on our life. Trust that no parts of your life is wasted or unuseful! The most perplexing seasons, to you, very well may be the ones that God uses to elevate you. Moses' experience as a free Hebrew and as an Egyptian were the foundations of his uniqueness that helped to make him a candidate to be instrumental in leading the children of Israel out of Egyptian bondage.
• I can look back at my years of spiritual rebellion and realize I had absolutely no clue that they could be used for good because I was in such a bad, sinful state, but my experiences of brokenness have been the very steps that have led to God establishing this blog platform which has led to me ministering and encouraging other Christians and having a burden of helping them make better choices and/or deliverance from their struggles.

Moses' beginnings were the bridge to his cementation in history! Don't doubt the disarray! God is intentional and uses everything for good! (Romans 8:28)

Appreciating This Seasonal Knowing It Will Birth Something Beautiful,

Dear God, Thank you for your intentionality! You waste nothing! You truly allow all things to work together for our God. You see our worth and lead us through life's dangers and toils when we don't even realize it. I pray for anyone reading this who doubts that their beginnings can't be used to be great for you. You can bring healing to brokenness. Heal us, O God, and then help us to be burdened to help others. Don't allow us to be so caught up on our own situations that we fail to see that you orchestrated or allowed them for us to deliver others, just as you did with Moses. I pray for any stronghold that any reader is going through, God. Deliver them. Help them to know that your grace is sufficient to get them through any and everything.Use us for you, God.

Leandria Johnson- Better Days

Anna Golden- Take Me There

Natalie Grant- Clean