Exodus 2:21-22 (KJV) And Moses was content to dwell with {the priest of Midian}: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Exodus 3:1-6 (KJV) Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. 4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. 5 And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

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There have been two recent suicides that have shaken Hollywood and the art world. Kate Spade was very successful in the fashion industry, and was worth an estimated $200 Million dollars. She took her own life at the age of 55 years old. What a terrible tragedy! Less than a week later Anthony Bourdain – a very successful celebrity chef and television host – took his own life. He was young – only 61 years old. He was also well off. His net worth was an estimated $16 Million dollars. They had fame. They had fortune. They had power. Yet they were not satisfied with the lives they had.

I do not know where their final destination is – only God knows this. And I am certainly not one to pass judgment on anyone. But I am convinced that the things of this life do not bring soul satisfying happiness. America is one of the most prosperous nations in the world. And yet suicide rates have increased nationwide over the last twenty years, and half of the states the rates are up by 30%. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for people ages 15-34. Why?

One of the greatest warriors this world has ever seen was Alexander the Great. In his lifetime he conquered most of the known world – but died mysteriously at the age of 32. Before Alexander died he asked for three things:

Let my doctors carry my casket.
Take the gold and jewels from my treasury, and scatter them before my funeral procession.
Bury me with both of my hands outside of my casket.

His general assured him that they would do as he asked, but asked why he wanted these things done. Alexander replied:

I want people to know that no doctor can cure death.
I want them to know that I chased wealth my whole life, but I can’t take it with me.
I want all to know I came empty handed into this world, and leave the same way.

You may find happiness – brief happiness – in fame or fortune. But until you come to know the Lord Who made you, until you walk hand in hand with Him, you will be unhappy. Unhappiness and dissatisfaction left untreated can turn into depression, and when depressed you may be convinced your life is not worth living. Your life is worth living. God loves you, and made you not to be controlled by things, but to be with Him. God did not make you to walk about controlled by social media and the politically correct mind police. God made you to do great things WITH Him.

We Become Depressed When We Forget God

Exodus 2:21-22 (KJV) And Moses was content to dwell with {the priest of Midian}: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.

Our text starts out with “Moses was CONTENT”, but the context itself shows you this is not a good translation. If Moses is “content” then why would he name his child “Gershom” which means “stranger”? Why would Moses says “I am a stranger in a strange land” if he was “content”. He wasn’t “content”. He was – according to the Hebrew – YA’AL (יָאַל) which means “he was WILLING”. Moses had settled in life. He was just existing. He had a wife, a job, a new family – and Moses was willing to settle down into this life.

But something was lacking.
Moses said “I have been a stranger in a strange land”.
He was not where he wanted to be.
This is why he named his child Gershom!

God made us to be complete only in Him. We are made “in His likeness, in His image” (Genesis 1:26). We have no control over how we are born into this life. Some are born with silver spoons in their mouths. Others are born poor.

Moses wasn’t supposed to be born at all.

Moses’ mamma and daddy were born slaves in Egypt. The King of Egypt wanted to hold the Israelites in bondage, and wanted to restrict the number of male babies they had. So the King issued a decree to the midwives who delivered babies:

Exodus 1:16 (KJV) … When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.

This was selective abortion, much like we see in America today. If a child is inconvenient or not perfect in it’s form then let’s abort that baby. Kill the child, satisfy the King. But the midwives refused to do so because they realized that every life has value. Do you understand this?

Every life has value.
Every life is created by God for a purpose.
You have purpose. God made you for a reason.
That person next to you has purpose.
You will only find your purpose in Christ!

Since the midwives didn’t do their jobs, the Pharaoh told all of the nation:

Exodus 1:22 (KJV)… Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Moses was born into this world. His mother was under orders to “cast her son into the river”. What would his mother do? She “cast her son into the river”, but only after making a little boat to put him in. A mother’s love for God and her son saved her child.

Technically Moses’ mother obeyed the Law, but she wasn’t about to destroy her son. This was not only a violation of God’s Law, a but also a violation of her Divine Design. God made women with the ability to bear and mother children. No mother wants to destroy her child. And God honored a mother’s obedience.

Little Moses floated down the river, and was rescued by none other than the Pharaoh’s daughter. Moses was raised in the King’s household. Moses was taught to read and write, for God had a plan for his life. But Moses was a stranger in a strange land. A Hebrew, he was raised in the Egyptian household. His mother was ordered to look after him, but he was a man between two worlds. He was a stranger in a strange land.

God had a purpose for Moses, and that purpose was the Cross of Christ, the salvation of mankind. When man fell from paradise by sin the Lord God promised the evil one that a Redeemer would come. The Lord said:

Genesis 3:15 (KJV) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Satan, your days will be numbered. The Seed of the woman will come forth and crush your head. He will destroy the sin and havoc that you through Adam brought into the world. Time passed. God called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He promised first to Abraham:

Genesis 12:3 (KJV) … in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

It was through Abraham and his progeny that the Promised Redeemer would come. Abraham would have a child, Isaac, who would have a Jacob. From Jacob would come a nation and out of that nation “all the families of the world will be blessed”.

The Bible tells us that:

1 Peter 1:18-20 (KJV) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain {way of life} received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

Christ would come through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Christ would come through Israel. Jesus Christ – Almighty and Incarnate God – would go to the Cross for us. God ordained this from eternity. God ordained Christ to die for our sins so that we would not be strangers to God. The Scripture declares of those who have received Christ as Lord and Savior:

Ephesians 2:19-20 (KJV) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Moses felt himself a stranger in a strange land. Why? Because he was without God at this time. Moses is in Midian in hiding because he murdered a man he never should have murdered. He is dispossessed. He is a stranger in a strange land. But God is working in the background to bring Moses where he needs to be. Though the Bible says:

Romans 3:10-12 (KJV) …. There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

God seeks us. Though the Bible says:

Romans 3:23 (KJV) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

God in His infinite love seeks us, calls us, loves us. Up to this point in his life Moses has followed his emotions, but not the Lord Who made him. The Lord seeks Moses. The Lord seeks you. He seeks our best, and knows our best will not come until we repent and follow Him.

Ezekiel 34:11-12 (KJV) For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. 12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day.

Gods seeks His people. He calls us to His side. Jesus said:

Luke 19:10 (KJV) {I have} come to seek and to save that which was lost.

We were made to walk with and worship God.
Not ourselves, but God.
Not money, but God.
Not sex, but God.
Not power, but God.
You were given eyes to look UP to Him.
You were given ears to hear His creation and His Word.
You were given hands to raise in praise, or to bow in prayer.
You were given feet to follow where He leads.
You were given lips to sing to Him, to pray to Him.
Your bodies are temples that should be inhabited by Him.

When We Meet Christ Life Begins To Make Sense

Moses is just existing. He has a wife, he has a son, and has a job. He is a shepherd. He’s doing his job, but he isn’t content. We read:

Exodus 3:1-3 (KJV) Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. 2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. 3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

God reaches out to Moses. Moses sees a bush burning – but not burning up.
God reached out to the Apostle Paul on the Damascus Road.
He reached out to David when he was but a boy shepherd watching his father’s sheep.
God reaches out to Moses through a burning bush.
God controls events around us to bring us to Him.
He will not force us to Him. But He calls.

Exodus 3:4 (KJV) And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

God approached Moses, just as He approaches every person at least once in their lives. God puts events and circumstances into our lives that make us turn toward Him. He calls – and we can choose or not choose to respond. Jesus said:

John 6:44 (KJV) No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

The Father draws through His Spirit. He does not force. He attracts. He opens the door. He directs events to bring us to Him. Moses saw the burning bush, and turned to approach it. Moses could have passed on by, and never heard the call of God. But he saw the burning bush – and from this bush God calls out to Moses. The Lord says:

Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I

God distinctively called Moses. Moses, Moses! And Moses responded to the Lord. Here I am. God calls to us through His wonderful creation.

Psalms 19:1 (KJV) … The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork.

We see God in creation. God approaches us through creation. Moses turns, and God now introduces Himself.

Exodus 3:5-6 (KJV) And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. 6 Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.

God introduces Himself as the God of our fathers.
He is the God Who called Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to salvation.
He is the God Who promised Satan’s destruction, and Abraham’s blessing.

Moses was afraid to look upon God, but God loved to reach out to Moses. God calls Moses to salvation. Moses is to repent, to turn from the life that he was at, and begin life anew with the Lord. God tells Moses something astounding. He wants Moses to go back to Egypt, to come from hiding, and to lead His people out of Egypt.

God has not forgotten His promise.
God has not forgotten the Cross.
God has not forgotten our salvation.
God never forgets to reach out in love to us!

Exodus 3:9-10 (KJV) Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. 10 Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.

Oh dear ones, salvation comes but with it brings the Cross. Jesus said:

Mark 8:34-35 (KJV)34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

You were not saved to sit on the sidelines, but to be like Christ. Moses, you have a Cross before you. Love my people. Lead my people from Egypt, from the godless world. Turn and follow Me, and call others to walk with us. This is salvation. It is not a selfish ticket punched to Heaven, but a life of love to God and to man!

J.D. Greear the newly elected President of the SBC wrote an article and a book called “Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart”. In this article he said:

“The gospel is the declaration that Jesus is Lord and has made an end to our sins. We are saved by submitting to those two truths. Conversion is a posture we take toward the declarations that Scripture makes about Jesus. The point is not how we felt or what we said at the moment of conversion; the point is the posture we are in now.”

When God saved Moses He called Moses to His side. When God saves a person, He calls that person to His side. God says to us in salvation:

You are not your own.
You belong to Me.
I have something I want to do through you.

God told Moses “I am going to send you to Pharaoh. You will be my instrument, and I will be with you.”. Moses asked God “Whom shall I say has sent me?” God replied:

Exodus 3:14-15 (KJV) … I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. … The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.

God Is Able To Use You

The God Who saves you is the God Who sends you. God stands with His children. God is able! God is able! God knew that Pharaoh would harden his heart and not let his people go. But God also knew – and told Moses – that in time Pharaoh would relent and let Israel go. God is in control. He is always in control.

I would like to say that Moses immediately did mighty things for God – but this would be untrue. Moses was newly saved. He was full of doubts about his ability to do what God asked him to do. As Moses came up with objections the Lord showed how He could use a lowly stick – so He could use Moses. God’s reply to Moses’ worry is:

Moses, I called you.
Moses, I will equip you.
Moses, just do as I say.

Moses did what God said, and became the instrument by which Israel was led from Egypt. God was going to save Israel because He promised Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God was going to send Christ through Israel because He promised He would do so. God will always do as He has said He will do. God is able. God is able. God is able to save whosoever will. Will you trust God in Christ today?

A little boy was riding around and around the block. A man asked him, “What are you doing?”

“I’m running away from home,” he said. “But you’re just going around and around the block,” said the man. The little boy responded, “That’s because my mom won’t let me cross the street!”

You’re going to keep going around in circles until you give yourselves to the Lord!