Acts 7:23 says, “But when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.” In the Bible the number forty signifies trials, tests, and sufferings. The children of Israel were tested by God in the wilderness for forty years, Moses was on the mountain for forty days, and the Lord Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days. The first forty years of Moses’ life were years of trial, testing, and suffering. At the end of these years, Moses was confident that he had been furnished, equipped, qualified, and perfected to save the children of Israel. He “supposed that his brothers would understand that God through his hand would give salvation to them” (Acts 7:25). When he spied an Egyptian oppressing a fellow Hebrew, Moses “slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand” (Exo. 2:12).
Acts 7:22 says that Moses was “powerful in his words,” but in Exodus 4:10 Moses said to the Lord, “I am not eloquent...but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue.” How can we reconcile these verses? Was Moses mighty in words or was he slow in speech? At the age of forty, Moses regarded himself as fully educated and qualified. Hence, he acted in a bold, strong manner. But his strength and boldness were altogether natural. God would not use Moses’ natural ability, natural strength, or natural boldness. In order to break down Moses’ natural strength, God arranged to have him work as a shepherd in the land of Midian. Thus, one who had been raised in the royal Egyptian family and who had attained the highest level of culture became a shepherd. For another forty years Moses kept the flock of his father-in-law in the wilderness. This was the best “graduate school” for Moses. In this “school” he was trained to have no confidence in his natural ability. Naturally speaking, he was eloquent, bold, mighty, and strong. But spiritually speaking, he was disciplined until he realized that he had nothing.
When God called Moses in chapter three, He showed him the sign of a burning bush, a bush that burned without being consumed (3:2-3). It seems that God was saying, “Moses, you are just a bush through whom I desire to manifest Myself. Although I want you to be My channel, I shall not use your energy, nor your strength. You are the vessel, and I Myself am the fuel. Whatever you do, you must do in dependence on Me.”
Do not think that God will use your strength or energy for the fulfillment of His purpose. In order to be used by God, we need to have a heart for Him and His interests, but our natural strength must be set aside. God does not care to use our natural eloquence, knowledge, talent, ability, energy, or power. Anything natural in us cannot be used by Him.
God took the first forty years of Moses’ life to build up a man who was strong in the natural life, and then He took another forty years to strip this man of all his natural ability. It may seem to many, especially to the young people, that forty years is too long a time for God to deal with our natural ability and energy. But as an elderly brother with more than fifty years’ experience in the Lord, I can testify that forty years go by very quickly. Do not expect to grow and develop like a mushroom. God’s way is first to build us up and then, in a sense, to tear us down. God intended that Moses learn all the wisdom and knowledge of the Egyptians, but wisdom and knowledge should not remain raw, unprocessed. Rather, it must always be processed. Whether we like this process or not, we must pass through it in order to learn not to depend upon our natural strength or ability. After all that has been built up in us in a natural way has been set aside, we shall be useful to the Lord.
In this chapter Moses was raised up by the female life and rejected by the male life (vv. 11-15). In times of crisis, the female life is used by God to raise up something for His purpose. But whatever God raises up through the female life is rejected by the male life. This principle can be applied to the history of God’s move on earth.
Which life do you prefer—the raising-up life or the rejecting life? If this question were addressed to me, I would say that I appreciate both and need both. I need to be raised up, and I also need to be rejected. If in the Lord’s recovery you have never been rejected, you cannot know where you are. Only those who have been rejected can be used by God. If you have not been rejected, you are still “raw” and unprocessed. To be processed we need to be rejected. I have been rejected many times. My character and disposition need and deserve this rejection.
We have seen that Moses was naturally very strong and supposed that his Hebrew brothers would recognize him as their deliverer. Because Moses was strong, he was frank. This is characteristic of all strong ones. But, like Moses, the stronger we are, the more we shall be rejected. Perhaps only those who are like “jellyfish” will always be welcomed.
Having a good heart with a good intention, Moses intervened in the struggle between two Hebrews. He said to the one who was in the wrong, “Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?” (2:13). It seems that Moses was saying, “As Hebrew brothers, we should love one another. Why are you wronging your brother?” The one Hebrew who was wronging his fellow Hebrew answered, “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?” (v. 14). Hence, the one raised up through the female life was rejected.
In the same principle, the Lord Jesus was crucified by the male life, but appreciated by the female life. When the Lord was crucified, the sisters’ presence was a display of their love and appreciation. In times of crisis it is always this way. Therefore, we all need to be females.