How does Exodus 2:16 illustrate God's provision through unexpected circumstances? Setting the Scene Exodus 2:16: “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock.” Unexpected Meeting at the Well • Moses has just fled Egypt, exhausted and alone (Exodus 2:15). • A remote desert well—hardly the place one expects divine intervention—becomes the stage for God’s next step. • Seven Midianite daughters appear. Their routine task intersects with Moses’ desperate need for shelter and direction. God’s Hidden Hand of Provision • Protection: By bringing the daughters, God positions Moses to defend them from hostile shepherds (Exodus 2:17). This act wins him favor and safety. • Shelter & Family: The well encounter leads to Moses being welcomed by Reuel/Jethro, gaining a home and, eventually, a wife (Exodus 2:21). God turns a fugitive into a family man. • Preparation: Midian’s wilderness becomes Moses’ training ground for leading Israel through similar terrain decades later (Exodus 3:1). • Continuity of Covenant: The same God who guided Abraham’s servant to a wife for Isaac at a well (Genesis 24:13-27) now guides Moses. God consistently provides through seemingly ordinary scenes. Lessons for Today • God weaves provision into daily routines—even a water-run can carry destiny. • Flight, fear, or failure cannot cancel God’s plan; He reroutes and resources His people (Romans 8:28). • Acts of faithfulness in small moments (helping strangers at a well) open doors to larger purposes. • Desert seasons are not detours but divine workshops where skills, humility, and dependency on God are forged (1 Peter 5:6-7). Related Scriptures Confirming the Principle • Psalm 37:23-24—“The steps of a man are ordered by the LORD, and He delights in his way.” • Proverbs 16:9—“A man’s heart plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.” • Isaiah 43:19—God makes “a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert,” echoing the well in Midian. |
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