Have you ever really looked at the lives of Moses, David and Joseph more closely?
Well just recently I have been studying their journeys in more detail, and I have uncovered a profound truth that runs consistently throughout their lives.
They were princes in their own right, with royalty and rank, but then God turned their world upside down, and for a season each became almost ruined and rejected. What was God doing in their lives? Let’s take a closer look.
Moses was regal. Born into a family of Hebrew slaves, he was raised in the Egyptian royal household as the son of a princess, receiving the best education. The Bible says he was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action. But then life happened, and he ended up on the back side of the wilderness for 40 years raising sheep. When you look deeper you see that he needed to be trained in leading God’s sheep, and he needed to understand the way of the wilderness.
David became the right-hand man to King Saul, was the best friend of King Saul’s son, fought in King Saul’s army and was anointed as king of Israel even while King Saul was on the throne. Man, what a position, and yet he ended up living in caves for 15 years as King Saul hounded and hunted him like a criminal. Look deeper, and you understand that David needed to be trained as a king before he became one, and God used Saul as his tool to hone David into royalty.
Joseph, likewise, was a prince in his home as his parents loved him more than their other sons. A bit spoiled and a braggart, he was betrayed by his brothers and sold into slavery. But, again, look deeper, and you see that in order for God to save Israel and Egypt from famine and to save a nation for the coming Messiah, God had to get Joseph into Egypt and he used the sins of his brothers to do just that. Once God dealt with Joseph’s pride and immaturity through his slavery in Egypt, he became the Prime Minister of that country, and saved two nations from starvation.
Moses had to deal with the contentious complaining of his comrades.
David lived constantly under the relentless rivalry from his commander.
Joseph experienced stinging setbacks from his circumstances.
So, if your journey right now is painful, think of your ancestors, Moses, David and Joseph, and realize you are in good company. Know that you are being treated as they were treated in order to transform your heart so that you can walk in the destiny that God has for you.