Editor’s note: In the post-pandemic era, sometimes it seems all of China is on the run. Modern Chinese have a lot in common with biblical Moses, who also lived a life on the run. God’s people may sometimes worry that God has forgotten them, but Moses’s story shows that God often uses wilderness seasons and a life on the run. People dislike the wilderness, but even in difficulty, God is still preparing his people.

This is the first of a three-part series, and will be continued in future weeks.

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.”

Heb. 11:23-28

On the Run… By Faith

Two key words describe the choices Moses made in his life: “drift” and “run.”

“Running”[1] is a popular new term in recent years in China. As the proverb goes: “Trees die when they’re moved; humans die if they’re not moving.”[2] To run is to constantly move to a more comfortable place, or to constantly adjust one’s life direction so it will be more comfortable. “Drifting” is not as popular, because drifting implies a sense of aimlessness, wandering, and floatation. Most people choose “running,” because human nature leads us to prefer a life of comfort and ease over one of uncertainty.

People are always faced with choices. In every era and society, people hope to transition from a life of drifting to one of running. No one likes to drift.

To run is to constantly move to a more comfortable place, or to constantly adjust one’s life direction so it will be more comfortable.

Moses probably felt the same way. But this passage in Hebrews summarizes Moses’ life from birth to the first Passover. Moses’ life was extraordinary, and full of ups and downs. What significance did the wilderness hold for him? Why did God prepare for him a life in the wilderness?

Moses’ Life in the Wilderness

Moses’ life can be roughly divided into these stages: from the river of death (the Nile) to the palace; from the palace to the wilderness; and from the wilderness to Mount Horeb (the mountain of God).

The first three chapters of Exodus record the first 80 years of Moses’ life. The following chapters record his return to Egypt to lead his people, their crossing the sea of death (the Red Sea), their journey from the sea of death to Mount Sinai, their wanderings in the wilderness, and finally, their arrival at the edge of the Promised Land.

What the Wilderness Is Like

Moses was born in one of Israel’s darkest and most difficult periods. Pharaoh had ordered that all the Jewish male infants should be killed and thrown into the Nile. Egypt had become a dangerous place for the Israelites. They were enslaved, and Pharaoh was attempting to wipe out their descendants. From the moment he was born, Moses faced profound darkness and wilderness.

People dislike wilderness, because it is full of uncertainty and lacks clear direction… Today’s China, from top to bottom, is facing a choice: where should we run?

It is not impossible to survive in the wilderness, but it is incredibly difficult. Water is scarce, vegetation is sparse. The wind and sand are harsh, the sun is scorching, and the land is arid. The wilderness lacks certainty, and a life in the wilderness is directionless, leaving people lost and uncertain.

How People Run

Over the pandemic years, maybe you got a taste of a sense of uncertainty, powerlessness, and despair. While living under three years of pandemic control measures, most people – no matter their faith – lived in a state of uncertainty and instability. People dislike wilderness, because it is full of uncertainty and lacks clear direction. Because of this, people choose to “run,” to escape. People want to change their luck and find a better situation.

Today’s China, from top to bottom, is facing a choice: where should we run? Due to global economic instability, finance, IT, and AI are no longer popular career choices. Instead, admission scores for political and legal schools in China are reaching new highs, because it is relatively easy to start a stable career after graduating from these schools. The number of people taking examinations to qualify as teachers have also reached new highs, because most people believe teaching is a relatively stable profession.

When facing a life in the wilderness, people want to run.

Moses’ Miraculous “Run”

Newborn Moses was born into the wilderness. In profound darkness, God miraculously opened a way for him. Moses experienced an incredible “run,” an almost meteoric rise.

When Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing by the river, she saw the basket among the reeds, discovering baby Moses and adopting him as her own son. The name Moses means “I drew him out of the water.” When she adopted him, Moses ran away from the river of death and entered the Egyptian palace. He went from a slave child destined for death to a prince of Egypt.

Although Pharaoh wanted to drown all the Israelite baby boys in the river, God allowed an Israelite boy to become a prince in the palace. Moses achieved the greatest upward mobility in life.

Where Are You Running?

Brothers and sisters: even in deepest darkness, God is still preparing his church. In the vastest wilderness, God is preparing redemption.

During the Boxer Rebellion in 1900, even as the Boxers besieged the legation quarter in Beijing, a baby named Wang Mingdao was born. In a time of great difficulty and turmoil, God prepared this infant, who would later become the banner of the Chinese church.

Brothers and sisters: even in deepest darkness, God is still preparing his church. In the vastest wilderness, God is preparing redemption.

As a baby, Moses “ran” from difficulty. When he entered the palace, people surely wondered how God would use this baby’s miraculous salvation. How would Prince Moses bless the Israelites?

Yet the palace was not the pinnacle of Moses’ life, but a true wilderness. God did not use Moses while in the palace. Eventually, after killing an Egyptian, Moses was forced to flee the palace. But his escape was not solely due to the Egyptian’s death.

Although the people expected God to use Moses through being a prince, while he was in the palace Moses made an incredible choice. He chose to run.

The author of Hebrews says: “By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward.”

[1] In the last few years, Chinese have begun to talk about “run philosophy,” advocating “running” away from China and the troubles endemic in the country. The phrase is based on the English word “run,” and is a way for Chinese to express their desires to leave China.

[2] “树挪死, 人挪活” or “Shu nuo si, ren nuo huo.”

Pastor Yang Xu (a pseudonym) and his wife live in Beijing, and have two children.

Pray for Chinese Christians to trust God whether they are running from a wilderness time or are currently in the wilderness.