Acts 7:23 says, “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.”
I think one of the key words in that verse is the word “visit”. He didn’t go to live. He didn’t go to support or to serve. He went to visit. This may be one of the first recorded instances of what we often call “mission tourism”.
How often do we, as modern day Christians, fall into the same traps Moses did? We go on a visit, either to the inner city or another country. We go to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ. We go because we have been blessed with so much. We go to feel better about ourselves and what we possess.
Just like Moses.
And when we see the persecution and oppression, we, in our superior wisdom, take it upon ourselves to do something, to take action. We decide we must fix things. And, like Moses, we simply make things worse.
God does call us to reach out to our brothers and sisters wherever they are. The examples set by the early church to go and make disciples are still relevant. The fellowship of support between churches in different areas and situations is documented throughout the epistles. But we must do it with respect and understanding. If we swoop in, with an attitude of superiority and an expectation of gratitude, we too will be asked, “who are you?”
But if we come along side our “own people”, fellow believers in Christ, and we share in their burdens and support them and give them aid and encouragement and build long term lasting relationships and teach others and build influence for them, then, we won’t be asked “who are you?” because they will see Christ in us.
My Answers:
3.
a.
“He looked this way and that and seeing no one”
b.
40 years old. Decided to visit his own people the Israelites. Killed to avenge. Thought his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not
c.
Prophecy, teaching by his parents – clearly Moses had education outside of what was taught in the Egyptian schools about God, His promises and covenants
4.
a.
Choice to identify with them. He decided to visit his own people
b.
He grew to know that he was not Egyptian, that he was adopted, that his birth parents were Hebrew
c.
Choice to visit did not cost him, choice to act on his own and murder cost him his home, eduction, adopted family, power
d.
Would you rather have 1 marshmallow now or 2 marshmallows in 3 minutes? how about 1 now and 20 in 3 minutes? what if the one now was plain, but the ones to come were coated in chocolate and everything yummy? That was moses choice.
5.
a.
Wanted to help, wanted to rescue, He was strong, brave, bold, not afraid to act, identified with an oppressed people
b.
lack of patience, eagerness to rely on his own strength, can’t go around killing people
The Notes are Good 