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Objective

In this lesson, we’ll discover how God prepared Moses through three distinct seasons of life to become His faithful servant, showing us how God shapes each of us for the unique calling He has on our lives.

Key Verse

Exodus 33:18: Then Moses said, “Now show me your glory.”

Introduction

The Bible calls Moses the greatest prophet that God ever gave to Israel. This remarkable statement appears at the very end of the Old Testament, as if God wanted to make sure we understood Moses’ unique place in history.

Deuteronomy 34:10: Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.

God called Moses to accomplish extraordinary tasks. He delivered Israel from four centuries of slavery in Egypt, and he received God’s law on Mount Sinai. Moses stands as one of the greatest examples of faithful service to God in all of Scripture. Yet his path to this calling was far from simple or quick.

The life of Moses unfolds in three distinct periods of forty years each—a total of one hundred twenty years that demonstrate God’s patience and thoroughness in preparing His servants. Through Moses’ journey, we can see how God works in our own lives to shape us for the purposes He has planned for us.

In this lesson, we’ll explore how God prepared Moses for a lifetime of service through these three seasons:

• Forty years in Pharaoh’s palace
• Forty years in the wilderness
• Forty years leading Israel

Forty Years in Pharaoh’s Palace

We learn about Moses’ remarkable early life not only from Exodus, but also from the New Testament books of Hebrews and Acts. These passages reveal that Moses’ preservation as an infant was directly connected to his parents’ extraordinary faith in God’s promises.

Hebrews 11:23: By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.

This tells us something profound about how God works: He was preparing Moses for his calling before Moses was even aware of it himself. God always has His hand upon those He calls to serve Him. We see this same pattern in the lives of Jeremiah and Paul, whom God set apart for their ministries from birth.

When Pharaoh’s daughter found baby Moses floating in a basket on the Nile River, she unknowingly became part of God’s perfect plan. Moses grew up receiving the finest education that Egypt could offer—learning languages, customs, administration, and leadership. He was being prepared to understand both Egyptian and Hebrew culture, which would prove essential when he later confronted Pharaoh and led Israel.

Acts 7:20-22: At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for by his family. When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

But the most important part of Moses’ preparation wasn’t his Egyptian education—it was what God was doing in his heart. Stephen tells us that God was drawing Moses toward His people, creating in him a love for those who were suffering under Egyptian oppression.

Acts 7:23: When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites.

Think about what an amazing choice this was. Moses had grown up in the king’s palace with every privilege and opportunity that Egypt could offer. He could have lived a life of luxury and ease. But God had planted something deeper in his heart—a desire to identify with God’s people rather than enjoy the temporary pleasures of sin.

Hebrews 11:24-26: By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

This passage reminds us that we too must make choices about what we value most. The world offers many attractive things, but they are temporary. What matters for eternity is our relationship with God and our willingness to serve His purposes.

Notebook Moment: What “treasures of Egypt” might God be calling you to turn away from in order to serve Him more fully? How does Moses’ choice challenge your own priorities?

What do we learn from the first forty years of Moses’ life? Three important truths emerge: God has His hand upon our lives from the very beginning, even when we don’t realize it. God honors the faith of godly parents who commit their children to Him. And God can use every experience—even difficult or unusual circumstances—to prepare us for the service He has planned for us.

Forty Years in the Wilderness

Moses’ heart was in the right place when he decided to help his fellow Israelites, but his timing and methods were completely wrong. He had a godly desire to deliver God’s people, but he tried to accomplish God’s work through human strength and wisdom. Moses had not yet learned to wait for God’s timing or to listen for God’s direction.

Acts 7:24-29: He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’ But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian.

Moses’ impulsive action forced him to flee into the wilderness, but this wasn’t a setback in God’s plan—it was the next phase of his preparation. God often trains His most effective servants in wilderness experiences, away from the distractions and dependencies of ordinary life. In the wilderness, God does some of His greatest work in shaping our character and faith.

The wilderness serves three essential purposes in God’s training program: He separates us from worldly influences that might compromise our devotion to Him. He teaches us to rely completely on Him rather than on our own abilities or resources. And He trains us to recognize and respond to His voice above all other voices that compete for our attention.

Moses wasn’t the only great servant of God who received wilderness training. David spent years hiding in caves and deserts, learning to depend on God’s protection and guidance (1 Samuel 30:1-8). Elijah heard God’s gentle whisper in the wilderness after experiencing both great victory and deep discouragement (1 Kings 19:9-12). Paul spent three years in Arabia, receiving direct revelation from God about the gospel he would preach (Galatians 1:15-17).

During his forty years in Midian, Moses learned humility as he tended his father-in-law’s flock. This was quite a change from his privileged position in Pharaoh’s palace! But shepherding was perfect preparation for the leadership role God had planned for him. Joseph and David were also shepherds before God called them to lead His people.

Exodus 3:1: Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

Those who lead people must first learn how to lead. Moses, Joseph, and David all learned responsibility and patience by caring for helpless animals before God entrusted them with the care of His people. A faithful shepherd watches over his flock with constant attention, protects them from danger, and guides them to good pasture. These are exactly the qualities that God’s people need in their leaders.

When Moses was finally ready to listen, God called to him from the burning bush. Notice that Moses had to turn aside from his normal routine to see this miracle. We need spiritual eyes to see God’s works and spiritual ears to hear His voice. God wants to reveal Himself to hearts that are prepared to receive Him.

Exodus 3:2-4: There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.”

Notebook Moment: When has God tried to get your attention through circumstances that seemed unusual or unexpected? How can you cultivate the habit of “turning aside” to notice what God might be showing you?

God assured Moses that He would be with him and that Moses would speak with divine authority. This is the only qualification that really matters for serving God—not our education, abilities, or natural talents, but the assurance that God Himself will empower and direct our efforts.

Exodus 3:11-14: But Moses said to God, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?” And God said, “I will be with you. And this will be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship God on this mountain.” Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'”

What do we learn from this period of Moses’ life? God always separates His servants from worldly dependencies so they learn to rely completely on Him. God speaks to us when we’re finally ready to hear and obey. And God sends us out with the authority of His Word, not our own wisdom or strength.

Forty Years Leading Israel

Moses continued to grow and learn throughout the rest of his long life. Even when he was leading Israel through the wilderness, he kept growing in his understanding of God’s character and in his skills as a leader. This teaches us that spiritual growth never ends—we should always be learning more about God and becoming more effective in our service to Him.

Notebook Moment: In what areas of your Christian life do you sense God wants you to keep growing? How can you remain teachable and open to God’s continued work in your character?

We’ll explore this final period of Moses’ life more thoroughly in our next lesson, but we can already see the foundation that God laid through his first eighty years of preparation.

Conclusion

How does the Bible describe Moses after his long life of faithful service? Two descriptions stand out that should inspire every believer who wants to serve God effectively.

First, Moses is called the humblest man who ever lived.

Numbers 12:3: (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)

This humility wasn’t weakness—it was strength under God’s control. Moses had many things he could have boasted about: his royal upbringing in Egypt, his unique calling from God, his miraculous powers, and his face-to-face conversations with the Almighty. Yet Moses remained humble because he understood that everything he accomplished came from God, not from his own abilities.

The humility of Moses reminds us of the humility of Jesus Christ, who though He was God, became a servant for our sake. This should be the attitude of every person who wants to serve God effectively.

Second, Moses was honored with the title “servant of God.” In all of Scripture, there is no higher calling or greater privilege than to be known as God’s servant.

Deuteronomy 34:5: And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said.

The apostle Paul understood this truth and always introduced himself as a servant of Jesus Christ. When we serve God faithfully, we join the ranks of the greatest people who have ever lived.

Moses’ life shows us that God has a plan for each of us, and He is willing to take whatever time is necessary to prepare us for that plan. Whether you are in a season of learning like Moses in the palace, or in a season of testing like Moses in the wilderness, or in a season of active service like Moses leading Israel, remember that God is using every experience to shape you for the unique calling He has on your life.

The God who prepared Moses for eighty years before using him in his greatest work is the same God who is patiently working in your life today. Trust His timing, submit to His training, and prepare your heart for whatever service He has planned for you.

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