Journeys

We pick up a journey of a different kind today; a journey of desperation. In Exodus 2:15 we read, God’s people are enslaved in Egypt, and Moses flees from Egypt to Midian: 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

So from a position of trust within Pharaoh’s government, the descendants of Joseph now find them as slaves within Egypt. But strangely, Moses, through the clever actions of Miriam, his sister, rises to high office within the Egyptian Royal family. We recall how Moses, in spite of his high office still has deep within him a love for his people and kills an Egyptian guard abusing a slave. As a consequence he needs to flee the country and journeys to Midian.

It is whilst there he takes on the role of shepherd a task that will set him in good stead for his future role as leader of the Israel.

Such journeying with all its ups and downs reminds me of the hymn that says:-

As the varied way of life we journey,
Come the plains and then the mountainside,
Come the days of joy when birds are singing,
And the world is fair and sweet and wide;
Then a deeper joy comes, overfilling,
From the everlasting throne of love,
And all other joy is but an echo
From the ever-blessèd heights above.

There are shadows on the earthly pathway
Where, at times uncertainly, we tread;
In perplexity we halt and linger
Till our faith again is upward led.
For the heights of truth are ever calling,
And celestial radiance from afar
On our pilgrim way is gently falling
For our comfort where the shadows are.

In the days of peace and golden sunshine,
In the days of joy, or days of woe,
There is confidence in Him who holds us;
There is light to guide us here below.
And beyond await the heights of rapture,
Where all earthly joys, transcended, fade
In the glory of the Saviour’s presence,
In the Home eternal He has made.

Lily Sampson 1906-2000