Closing Thoughts

​We did it!  Fifty-eight posts and eighteen months later, we have come to the end of our time in Exodus.  This has been a powerful book with rich truths and life lessons.  We watched Moses grow from an infant to a mighty prince, and how God took him into the wilderness to shape Moses into the deliverer of Israel.  Then we watched Moses grow into his leadership calling and lead the group of slaves into the wilderness where God forged them into a nation. 

​We observed how God provided for the Israelites time after time, and read the powerful covenant He established with them.  But the Israelites disobeyed and tested God.  Nevertheless, God remained faithful and kept His promises.
 
There are so many take-aways we can walk away with as we prepare to leave this book.  But there are a couple points I want to highlight before we close this chapter and move on to another Bible study.  The focus of this study was analyzing how God shapes His leaders.  While there are many other truths, lessons, and tidbits that we picked up on the way, the purpose of studying this book was to watch Moses and see how God prepared him to become the leader Israel so desperately needed.
 
Therefore, the two take-aways I want to leave you with are lessons gleaned from Moses and Joshua—the powerful leader of the Exodus and the future leader of Israel’s conquest. Throughout the pages of Exodus, we saw God preparing and using Moses; however, Joshua was also lurking in the background.  The future leader of Israel was also being prepared and equipped for his destiny during the book of Exodus.  Thus, it is fitting to walk away from this study with a closing thought from each of these God-appointed and equipped leaders.
 
1. Don’t despise wilderness time.
 
Moses lived eighty years of his life before stepping into the destiny God had for him.  Forty of those years were spent shepherding sheep in the wilderness.  I doubt Moses dreamed of a career beyond sheep herding, but God had bigger plans, and the many years tending sheep was a training time for Moses’ larger task of leading people.
 
Therefore, the principal lesson we can learn from Moses is to not despise the wilderness time.  Don’t despair when God draws you into a lonely, quiet, isolated place.  It is in the wilderness that God refines our character and crafts His leaders into men and women who will be strong and courageous, walking in the power and favor of God.  Therefore, use your wilderness time wisely and be attentive to what God is trying to teach you, because I am confident that, as long as you are faithful in the wilderness, God has something great in store on the other side.
 
2. Don’t be afraid to serve in obscurity.
 
Joshua is mentioned throughout the book of Exodus.  However, as noted during this study, many of these references are side notes.  If we did not have the book of Joshua and know who he would become, we probably would not even notice Joshua the son of Nun in the pages of Exodus.  While Joshua did fight one battle—Israel’s first victory—he spent most of his time following Moses around.  He wasn’t famous or well-regarded, yet.  But he was faithful to serve Moses, accompanying him to Mount Sinai and waiting on Moses for forty days and later on keeping watch over the tent of meeting while Moses was busy with other duties in the camp.
 
It was through these small acts of faithfulness that Joshua was shaped into the leader he would become.  By hanging out with Moses, he saw godly leadership in action, and he also got to experience the presence of God.  Therefore, when his day came and God appointed him leader of Israel, Joshua knew what to do and Who was the ultimate leader.
 
So the big take-away we can glean from Joshua is not to fear obscurity.  In our culture and sinful nature, we love the lime light.  We want to be noticed, appreciated, and valued.  However, often our service to the Lord is done in obscurity, and through it, we learn that we are serving God and not men.  I doubt the Israelites commended Joshua for his faithful service at the tent of meeting or applauded him for serving and waiting on Moses on Mount Sinai.  But it was those experiences that showed Joshua the power and glory of God.
 
Therefore, don’t be afraid of obscurity, but be faithful in whatever place God puts you.  For if you are faithful in the small things, God will give you much more.  So be faithful right where you are and experience the power and glory of God as you draw near to Him and serve His people.

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​I have greatly enjoyed our time through Exodus!  While it has been a long journey, it has been good and timely considering what an unexpected season we all find ourselves in.  Now, as we prepare to move on, I’d love to hear what God has been teaching you through the pages of Exodus, so feel free to leave a comment.  It is always a blessing when I hear from my readers.
 
I pray that God continues His good work in you, preparing you for the glorious future and destiny He has planned for you.  Keep faithfully pursuing your God, and may He bless you in all your ways.