[Sunday Sermon] A Killing and a Calling
“11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”
14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well. 16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.
18 When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?”
19 They answered, “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 “And where is he?” Reuel asked his daughters. “Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. 22 Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
23 During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. 24 God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. 25 So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”
We often question our calling in life—who calls us, and for what purpose? The story of Moses reveals that true calling does not come from people but from God alone. Though Moses was influenced by his mother, Pharaoh’s daughter, and his sister, none of them called him. The Israelites, in their suffering, cried out not to Moses but to God, and it was God who called Moses by name, just as He calls us. As Isaiah 43:1 reminds us, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.” Our calling is a divine appointment, not an accident or coincidence.
Yet, being called does not mean an easy path. Moses grew up with privilege in Pharaoh’s palace, yet for 40 years, he ignored the suffering of his people. When he finally saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, something in him changed. He realized that his true identity was not with the powerful but with the oppressed. In our own lives, we, too, may struggle with identity and belonging. Sometimes, God allows us to wrestle with these questions so that we may step into the purpose He has for us. The moment Moses recognized his people was the beginning of his journey as a leader.
Moses lived in a liminal space—a place of transition and in-betweenness, much like the experiences found throughout the Bible. He lived between two identities, Egyptian and Hebrew, struggling to define himself. David, before becoming king, existed in a liminal space as both a celebrated war hero and a fugitive on the run from King Saul, his own father-in-law. But the ultimate example of liminality is Jesus, who was fully God and fully man—sinless, yet able to empathize with broken humanity. His life demonstrates how to navigate the tension of in-betweenness with grace and purpose.
Moses' journey teaches us that God’s calling often involves the liminality and seasons of preparation. Raised in Pharaoh’s court, Moses gained knowledge of leadership and governance, which later helped him lead Israel. But after killing an Egyptian, he was driven into the wilderness, where he learned humility and patience as a shepherd. In the same way, our in-between identities and experiences are not wasted. God uses them to prepare us for His work.
As we embrace our own journeys, may we trust that God is shaping us for His purpose, preparing us for the calling He has placed on our lives.
Prayer: Lord, we thank You for the example of those You have called, from Moses to Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us. Many faced struggles of identity and uncertainty, yet You gave them strength, wisdom, and courage to follow Your will. We ask for the same guidance as we seek Your calling in our church, our community, and our daily lives. Help us to listen, trust, and follow where You lead. Amen.
(Note: This summary was created based on an AI draft.)