A couple of times a year, over in The Devoted Collective community, we do a deep dive Bible study together and spend a bunch of weeks mining the depths of a book in the Bible to see what God has to say to us about it all.
We’re about to start our Exodus Bible Study on March 20th and so as part of the team I’ve been preparing for this by reading Exodus.
Here are some of the observations and takeaways He downloaded to me when I was in only the second chapter of the book! I can’t wait to see what else He’s going to impart as we get intentional about being in the Word together. (Sidenote: if you want to access the same devotions, video teaching and extras, then you can purchase the Reading Through Exodus course here).
Before you go any further, I would highly recommend you read Exodus 2 also. See what you notice about the idea of positioning and observation.
Done?
Here’s what I noticed:
Throughout this chapter, there is significant positioning going on:
v.1) A man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman Who you position yourself with matters. Are you aware of who you’re joining forces with? Who you’re aligning yourself with? It matters.
v.2) she hid him for three months Even when you feel hidden and unseen, that can still be divine positioning. Being hidden may sometimes be God’s protection. Don’t discount the quiet and unseen places the Lord may have you.
v.3) she placed the child in the basket You might not like where you are placed, but it can be preparation and protection for you from things you do not understand. Trust your heavenly Father that He will position you where it is safest. (FYI: being in the centre of His will is always the safest).
v.4) His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen Moses’ sister positioned herself so she could see what would happen. So she could stand watch. Are you intentionally positioning yourself to see what God is doing or what He might do in a situation? Are you watching?
v.7) Because Moses’ sister was positioned to see what was happening, it allowed her to step forward with boldness and speak up. She wasn’t afraid to use her voice from her position. Are you using your voice where you are positioned?
v.8) Because of the positioning, it enabled Moses’ mother to be the one to care for and nurture him in the beginning years of his life. This would have allowed his parents to speak truth about who he was, to instil and educate him in the ways of the Israelite people, to tell the stories and history of all the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had done for them. Moses was positioned back into the family he belonged to allow for preparation for what was to come.
v.11) He went out and positioned himself to watch his own people
v.15) Moses sits down and is positioned by the well. Even in times that you feel you’ve run away and positioned yourself somewhere far from where you think you’re supposed to be, God can still meet you in that place and bring about His good purposes in your life.
v.16) His future wife comes to draw water from that very well
v.17) Because of his positioning, Moses was able to intervene and protect Reuel’s daughters from the shepherds. Your positioning is never only about you. You are positioned on purpose, for purpose. And that purpose will be to bring God glory and be good news for others in the process.
vv.20-22) Moses is invited into a new family and is positioned in a foreign land. Don’t despair if where you’re positioned feels unfamiliar and alien. God is with you even in the unknown.
Alongside noticing all the intentional positioning within this chapter, there’s also a significant amount of ‘seeing’ that occurs:
Moses’ mother saw that he was a fine child
His sister stood watching to see what would happen to him
The Egyptian princess saw the basket among the reeds
She then saw the baby
In v.11 Moses watched his people working as slaves
He saw an Egyptian beating one of his own
Intentionally looking to see if anyone was watching, he then killed the Egyptian
The next day he saw two Hebrews fighting
He saw Reuel’s daughters needing help at the well
And finally,
God sees the Israelites and was concerned about them (v.25).
We have the hindsight and blessing of knowing that it’s in this foreign land that Moses sees and encounters God in the burning bush and from then is called to his position as leader of the Israelites so that God’s purpose of setting His people free can be outworked.
No matter your positioning, you can still choose to look and observe what God is doing from that viewpoint.
Moses’ positioning in the palace was preparation for what would come later. He was taken away from his own people to be trained and prepared for all God would need him to know. He was uniquely placed inside the walls of the Egyptian palace to receive education and be equipped to be able to lead such a vast people in the future.
His positioning was his preparation.
Personally, I doubt killing an Egyptian was part of God’s plan for Moses’ life. And yet, in running away, God was able to use Moses’ new position to bring about the next stage of his purpose. God led Moses to a specific God-fearing family, at a specific time. He was positioned on purpose, for purpose.
God used Moses’ faithful parents, an Egyptian palace, a grave sin, running away, hiding, feeling lost and unknown, strangers in a foreign land. . . in all these situations and more, God was able to use to bring about His will and purpose.
And He can do the same for you, too.
You are positioned on purpose, for purpose.
No matter where you find yourself – whether it’s by your own doing or someone else’s – God can use your position for His good purposes. We know that “The Lord will fulfill his purpose” for you (Psalm 138:8 ESV) because he can work all things “together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28 ESV).
Friend, you are called according to God’s good purpose. No season or moment is wasted. All the varying ‘positions’ you may have found yourself in over the years can be used for good. They may have been training and preparation for God’s purpose to be outworked in your life. Even in the hard times, the mistakes, the moments that you want to run away and hide, God can use those to equip you for the next stage of His perfect plan.
Throughout this chapter in Exodus, people were placed and positioned so that God’s good plan of saving His people could be outworked. Many key moments were able to be set in motion as a result of people watching and observing what was going on around them.
May I encourage you today to ask Holy Spirit to give you “eyes to see” (Proverbs 20:12) what He is doing around you as you stand firm in the position you have been placed? Let’s invite the Lord to help us watch what He is doing and be willing to be positioned on purpose, for His purpose!
Praying for you to see God’s hand in your positioning today.
Em 💛