How does Exodus 2:19 demonstrate God's provision through unexpected sources? Setting the Scene in Midian • Moses, fleeing Pharaoh, arrives in Midian and sits by a well (Exodus 2:15). • Seven daughters of Reuel come to water their flock but hostile shepherds drive them away (Exodus 2:16-17). • Moses steps in, defends the women, and waters their sheep. • The women recount the event to their father: “They answered, ‘An Egyptian delivered us from the shepherds; moreover, he drew water for us and watered the flock.’” (Exodus 2:19) Spotlighting the Unexpected Source • Moses looks like an Egyptian to the Midianite women—yet he is the very man God will raise as Israel’s deliverer. • Reuel’s family never dreamed help would come from a foreign fugitive. • God’s provision appears in the form of a stranger, highlighting His sovereign freedom to use whomever He chooses. Tracing God’s Hand in the Details • Protection: The daughters are spared injury or loss because God prompts Moses to intervene (Psalm 121:5-7). • Practical supply: The flock receives water, a daily need met in an extraordinary way (Philippians 4:19). • Divine appointment: This meeting forges a relationship that gives Moses a home, a wife, and decades of preparation for leading Israel (Exodus 2:21-22). • Pattern of reversal: God often selects unlikely instruments—Joseph in Egypt (Genesis 41:14), David the shepherd boy (1 Samuel 16:11-13), and a humble Bethlehem stable for the Messiah (Luke 2:7). Connecting the Pattern Across Scripture • 1 Kings 17:6—ravens feed Elijah, showing God can employ even birds. • Matthew 17:27—a coin in a fish’s mouth pays the temple tax. • Acts 9:25—disciples lower Paul in a basket to escape; mundane items become rescue tools. Each example echoes Exodus 2:19: the Lord orchestrates resources and people outside conventional expectations. Personal Takeaways for Today • Remain alert to God’s help; it may arrive through people or situations we would never predict. • Do not dismiss “outsiders” God places in our path; they might be His chosen means of blessing. • Trust that apparent detours in our lives—like Moses’ exile—can be God’s strategic training ground. |
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