Why the Palace?

    The story of Moses is one that almost everyone knows. Even those who rarely grace the doors of the church, or never enter at all, have a concept of this story. For those who did grow up in the church or that have been in church for many years have heard this story preached...a-lot! For me I tend to connect to stories that relate to me. Moses was never one of those stories. A prince of Egypt, a runaway, a deliverer,  to name a few. Don't get me wrong, I love the story of Moses! But when it comes to connecting to a character Joshua is my man. Joshua was under Moses for many years. When Moses would leave the Tent of Meeting, Joshua stayed behind. When no one was aloud on the mountain, Joshua went halfway up with Moses and stayed there. Ultimately Joshua took over command and the leadership role of Moses to lead Israel into the Promise Land. I have always felt that I am like Joshua. I grew up under many men and women of God. I have had the ability to witness many great and wonderful things while serving under them. And ultimately I know one day their time will come and it will be my time to take the leadership role they held for years. (In this moment I think of my Great Grandfather, my Grandfather, my Father, my Youth Pastor, Missionaries, and all of their spouses) 

As much as I connect to Joshua, this post has nothing to do with him. This post is about Moses. 

    Back in August of 2019 we were doing a series with the Youth called Burning Bush. Each week we looked at the life of Moses from birth to after the Red Sea. In the process of studying up and reading over Moses story something happened. A connection was made. As I read my eyes were open to an area of Moses life that I connected with. This led to me share it with the students on the final night of our series. More than just a connection for me, I believe everyone at some point in their life has this same thought process that brought me and Moses together. If you would allow me...let's take another look at Moses. 

    Moses was never meant to make it past day one of his life. Born at a time where Pharaoh declared all Hebrew boys born to be killed upon birth, yet the Hebrew women found favor in God's eyes. Moses mom hid him for 3 months until she couldn't no more. So in an incredible moment she puts her son in a basket she made and puts him in the reeds along the bank of the Nile. With sister near by watching to see what becomes of baby brother, someone comes to the Nile to bathe. That woman just so happened to be the daughter of Pharaoh. God's favor was still with Moses mom, for she is the one who was tasked with nursing this baby (and was even paid for it). As he got older, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and called his name Moses. For many years after this Moses grew up with the best Egypt had to offer while his brethren lived as slaves. We know this bothered him because he would go out and visit his own people. One day he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrew so he put his hands on the Egyptian and killed him. Yet the next day he is confused when he comes and visits and sees two Hebrews fighting each other. When Moses try to say something, the men snap back at him. You can even hear it in their voice..."Who made you prince and judge over us? Do you intend to kill us like you did the Egyptian?"

- Pause -

    I promise we are going somewhere with this, but we have to truly understand Moses life. So take a moment and think for a second...How lonely was Moses? Though he grew up with Egyptians in the palace, he would always be an outcast because he was a Hebrew. An amongst his own people, though Hebrew, was only seen as a Egyptian. No matter where he goes he is unwanted, unaccepted. He had a longing to belong somewhere to someone yet every place he turned left him empty and without purpose. Moses didn't choose this life. Moses didn't choose to be born. He didn't choose for his mother to hide him and one day place him in a basket. He didn't choose to be found by Pharaoh's daughter. But this was the life Moses had. So what did he do? He ran away. He ran away from the Egyptians, ran away from the palace, ran away from the Hebrews, ran away from everything he had ever known.

    Time passes and Moses finds a family. He gets married, has kids, becomes a shepherd. After years away he has become good at suppressing his thoughts of the life he left. But in moments in the field by himself I believe that thoughts of that life still popped up in his mind time to time. Then one day as he is watching the sheep, something catches his eye. It looks to be a bush that is burning yet it is not being consumed. So he draws near it. As we know God speaks to Moses through this bush. He tells Moses that He has heard the cry of His people and seen their affliction, and now is the time of their deliverance. The cherry on top is that God has chosen Moses to be the one to lead His people out of Egypt. Moses goes on to tell God all the reasons why he is not the one for this. "Send someone else." At this God got angry with Moses. 

Moses felt he wasn't enough, didn't know enough, wasn't skilled enough. I believe this insecurity and self-doubt came from his early years of never finding a place of acceptance. Yet in the midst of Moses saying, "Send someone else, I'm not the one!" God declares that He is the right person!

     Before we go any further on my connection with Moses I have to share some of my story. I was born and always have been a Pastor's Kid. This alone isn't extremely rare, but my grandfather, and great grandfather were also pastors for well over 50 years. So before I was ever born I was already apart of 3 generations worth of God fearing, Bible believing, faith walking, powerful praying, men and women of God. (That isn't even counting the generations before them) Does that mean they are perfect? No. But my parents and those before them strived to have a deep relationship with God and walk in His ways. Here are some true statements about my life. #1: I have never known a day that God or my parents don't love me. This knowledge has been with me since the womb. My parents are people of prayer and long before I was ever born they prayed over me. They taught me this as I grew up and reminded me of it often. #2: I have never been of need of anything in my life. I have always had what I needed to live; food, clothing, money,  a place to live, etc... My parents are tithers, and because they tithed they were blessed. #3: I have never seen my parents argue or fight about anything. They had disagreements, but never once have I seen either of them yell at each other or even raise their voice towards each other. #4: The sight of my parents love for one another has always been there. Kissing, hugging, laughing together, my mom sitting in my dads lap...These were common place for me growing up. 

    Some may see this and think I am trying to brag about my life, but that's not the case. I say those things to lead to this. I didn't choose this life. I didn't choose to be born to 3 generations worth of pastors. I didn't choose to have the amazing parents that I did. I didn't choose to have everything I would ever need. I didn't choose for my parents to stay together and love each other as they do. I didn't choose this life, it's just the one I have. Growing up I struggled with this! I struggled with the fact that when I would talk to my friends or hear other kids at school speak, their lives were nothing like mine. Divorced parents, abusive parents, unloving parents, parents that would argue all the time. Many times I would ask myself why? What makes me any better than my friends? Why is it that I find myself with such great parents and great heritage, while my friends family seems to be struggling. I didn't choose to be born to this family of these people, and neither did they for their families. 

    This is were the connection to Moses was made. Moses never choose to grow up in the palace and be an outcast to everyone. Moses didn't choose his life, just like I didn't choose mine, and just like you didn't choose your life. This is where God began speaking to me. Moses probably spent a lot of time asking himself "why?". Why me and not someone else? Why did I have to have this life and grow up as an outcast to everyone around me? Why was I in the palace while my brethren were slaves? 

Moses felt that his past is what made him un-usable for God's plan. But it was Moses past that made him the only person to carry out God's plan. 

    Why Moses? Because God needed someone who didn't have a slave mentality and knew what true freedom was. For 600 years the Hebrew people have been slaves under Egypt. Generation to Generation has only known slavery and being less than. Their purpose in life is to serve the Egyptians. If God didn't need someone without a save mentality, then Moses was never meant to be found by Pharaoh's daughter. Remember...Moses grew up in Pharaoh's palace! The most powerful man in the world is his grandfather! How many feast did Moses attend where the most powerful men in the world set around and talked for hours? How often did Moses overhear conversations of leadership and being over others? I bet Moses knew how to approach royalty and speak to people of high honor. Moses knew what it was like to be free and on top, when his brethren only knew what it was like to be on bottom. If Moses was unnecessary then why didn't one of the slaves rise up and lead them out? 

Moses didn't understand his life, or why he experienced the things he did...but it was this life that would help lead his brethren out of bondage and slavery into freedom. Because of his past, he was able to lead his people to a place they hadn't known for over 600 years. 

    I still don't understand, "why me?". But in the midst of connecting to Moses I have come to this conclusion...God has allowed to have known such Love because I am called to show that Love to those who have never known it. I can't boast about my life, because if I'm honest with myself its not because of me. What I have; Love, great heritage, great parents, prosperity, etc... Isn't because of what I have done. They are by-products of the Faithfulness of those who have come before me. I believe many of the good things in my life are because years ago my great grandparents, grandparents, and parents sowed prayers, tithes, offerings, praise, & worship. And because of their faithfulness I am blessed today! (Side Note: We spend a lot of time speaking on generational curses, but I believe we should spend as mush time speaking on Generational Blessings as well)

    Maybe you find yourself like Moses as well. You look back at your life, or you look at it now, asking yourself "why?". Why was I born to this family? Why was I adopted? Why did I lose a parent at such a young age? Why did I experience a traumatic event? Why did I have to go through this season? Why did I have to go through cancer? In this I'm not saying that God has made these things happen to you, some of these things happen because of the choices and decisions of others. But I do feel God is saying this, Your past is what will lead others one day to freedom. That you are going to be the one for others, in your situation, that you wanted in that time of struggle.