What lessons can we learn from Moses' response to rejection in Acts 7:29? Setting the scene Stephen reminds his listeners that Moses was rejected by the very people he tried to help (Acts 7:23-28). Their stinging question—“Who made you ruler and judge?”—sent him on an unexpected, forty-year detour in Midian. Verse in focus “At this remark, Moses fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.” (Acts 7:29) Moses’ immediate response • No retaliation, no debate—he leaves. • He exchanges Egypt’s palace for Midian’s pasture (Exodus 2:15). • He submits to decades of anonymity before God re-commissions him (Acts 7:30). Lessons drawn • Setbacks can be God’s set-ups. – Romans 8:28: the Lord weaves every disappointment into His larger purpose. • Humility must precede authority. – Numbers 12:3 credits Moses’ wilderness years for shaping his meekness. • Waiting isn’t wasting. – Isaiah 30:15; James 1:2-4: the desert refines faith and endurance. • Retreat can be an act of faith. – Hebrews 11:27: Moses’ departure was “by faith,” not cowardice. • Identity rests in God, not in human approval. – Hebrews 11:24-26: he chose mistreatment with God’s people over palace comfort. • Wilderness seasons are classrooms. – Psalm 78:70-72: shepherding sheep prepared him to shepherd Israel. Living it out • Let rejection drive you to God, not to bitterness. • View hidden seasons as training, not sidelining. • Guard humility; greatness in God’s kingdom grows in low places. • Trust His timing—He knows when to move you from Midian to mission. • Anchor your worth in Christ alone; His call eclipses every human verdict. |
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