Exodus 3:1
Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
EXODUS 3:1
Moses’ ordinary life as a shepherd in Midian is the backdrop here. He had fled Egypt after his costly impulsive act decades earlier and was living far from the royal courts of Egypt, tending Jethro’s flocks. The “backside of the desert” evokes a quiet, hidden space where the Lord begins his unexpected call. Horeb, also called Sinai in later tradition, is not glamorous in this moment; it’s a rural, remote place where shepherds watch flocks. This setting matters: God often meets people where they are, not where they imagine themselves to be ideal for a grand mission. The Midianite priest’s family tree matters too—Moses is about to discover that God works through someone who has waited, watched, and learned what it means to follow God in a mundane season. The verse signals that a divine appointment can interrupt ordinary life, turning a routine day into a history-shaping moment.
This passage foregrounds vocation: God chooses unlikely vessels. It challenges any assumption that leadership or service must stem from status or power. Moses’ anonymity is deliberate, highlighting God’s sovereignty in choosing “the least likely” to carry out his purposes. The “land of milk and honey” promise already hints that God’s plans extend beyond personal comfort to communal deliverance. The narrative also foreshadows the revelation that God uses ordinary people in ordinary places to enact extraordinary salvation.
You may be comfortable in a routine season, yet God may be preparing you for something beyond your current scope. Pay attention to “backside-of-the-desert” moments—times of waiting, ordinary work, or hidden faithfulness. Are you open to a calling that disrupts your plans? Like Moses, you might need the humility to start where you are, not where you wish you were. Practical step: cultivate spiritual attentiveness in daily chores—prayer during commute, reflection while tending tasks, or journaling about how God might use your ordinary skills for others’ sake.
Cross-References: Genesis 28:10-17; Luke 1:26-38; Romans 11:29; Acts 9:3-6; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29