God of the Small Things
Listen to the Sermon
Scripture: Exodus 2:1–10
Speaker: Josh Wood
Date: February 1, 2026
Series: Where Is God?
Sermon Summary
Exodus 2:1–10 shows God working quietly in the shadows. Israel is crushed under oppression, and the natural question rises: “Where is God?” The scene looks godless—pain, loss, silence. But the birth and preservation of Moses reveal that God’s hiddenness is not absence. His work is slow, ordinary, and invisible from the inside. This sermon confronts the tension between how God feels and what God is doing, and calls us to trust Him even when His timing makes no sense to us.
Big Idea
God often hides His activity, but His hiddenness is preparation—not abandonment.
Outline
1. Setting the Stage
Exodus 2 opens in the middle of a crisis. A nameless Hebrew couple has a son under Pharaoh’s decree of death. The people of God are enslaved, oppressed, and met with absolute silence from heaven. This is the emotional backdrop: a promise was made to Abraham, but reality feels like the total opposite.
2. The Honest Question: “Where Is God?”
The speaker admits feeling this question personally—and Scripture validates it. David said it in Psalm 22. Jesus said it on the cross.
It’s not sinful to feel abandoned; it’s sinful to build your worldview on that feeling. We’re told to test everything and hold fast to what is true.
3. God’s Hidden Work in Exodus 2
A string of small “coincidences” quietly reveals God’s hand:
A child is born during a genocide—and survives.
He’s hidden for three months against impossible odds.
The river—normally a place of death—becomes his path to life.
Pharaoh’s own daughter finds him and shows compassion.
Miriam appears at the perfect moment.
Moses’ own mother becomes his nurse.
The future deliverer is raised inside the house that tried to kill him.
These are quiet providences. No miracles. No thunder. No burning bush yet. God is moving—but in a way only hindsight can see.
4. God’s Pattern of Hiddenness
God waited roughly 400 years before raising up Moses. He waited another 400 years before sending Jesus. Each time, silence was followed by overwhelming intervention. God is not early by our definition, but He is never inactive.
5. How We Live When God Feels Hidden
1. Remember who God is and what He has promised.
Even Psalm 22—full of anguish—ends in hope. God rules even when we feel abandoned. Since Genesis 3:15, He has been moving history toward redemption.
2. Search for Him in prayer and Scripture.
Scripture is God-breathed—His thoughts made readable. If we want clarity, this is where it comes from.
3. Rest in Jesus
Jesus understands our weakness and carried our burden. His yoke is easy, not because life is easy, but because He carries the weight.
Through Him we have direct access to the Father.
4. Stay rooted in the local church.
We need people who tell us the truth when we can't see it ourselves. God strengthens His people through His people.
Why This Matters
If you only trust God when He acts loudly, you will doubt Him most of your life. Exodus 2 teaches us that God’s silence is usually strategic. He shapes us while we wait, and He prepares salvation long before we recognize it.
Discussion Questions
When have you honestly felt like God was hidden from you?
What details in Moses’ story show God’s quiet involvement?
Which of God’s promises anchor you when life feels out of control?
How can the church help you trust God during seasons of silence?
What is one area of hiddenness in your life where you need to keep waiting faithfully?
