And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. Exodus 2:11
According to Acts 7:23, during Stephen’s defence before the high priest, we learn that Moses was 40 years old when the incident in today’s text occurred. By that time, he had already become a mighty and accomplished prince in Egypt’s royalty. What took him so long to clue in to his own people’s burdens? We may never know. But his eventual eye-opening is cause for us to take courage today as we pray for the salvation of our loved ones.
As the children of Israel groaned under their bondage in Egypt, they must surely have taken courage at first to see one of their own rise to prominence in the royal palace. It was no secret that the princess had adopted a Hebrew child and raised him to be the heir apparent. And yet, for 40 years, the Israelites saw the adoptee pour his energies into exploits for the Egyptian government and not into easing their burdens. Many must have prayed for him to respond, and many must have been discouraged. It’s the same today as the Lord’s people see loved ones neglecting and rejecting the Gospel. Perseverance in prayer for them is not always easy.
So it took 40 years for Moses to go out unto his brethren and look on their burdens. Have we prayed that long for those who are heavy burdens on our hearts? Do we become impatient when we see children who we hope to see saved in their tender youth linger in their sins into their teenage years? It’s a totally understandable response. So we need to be encouraged to continue to pray and witness and never give up on those prayer targets. – Jim MacIntosh
Here is the link to the video of this message: https://youtu.be/RuVr3tTKWkU