Moses had been born into a very chaotic time in Israel’s history (Exodus 2). His people had been under intense slavery to the Egyptians, who were attempting to stop the Israelites’ rapid population growth in case they would join together with an enemy nation to defeat Egypt (Exodus 1:7-14). When putting Israel under extreme bondage did not prevent their growth, Pharaoh (king of Egypt) commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn males (1:15-21); however, his plan failed so he demanded that the citizens of Egypt seek out newborn males and put them to death by drowning them in the river (1:22). Moses’ mother hid him away in a basket and placed him in the river, but he was soon discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter, who ended up raising him as her own son (2:1-10). Although Moses was raised in an Egyptian home, he never forgot his real identity as an Israelite. This reality is evident in an incident which transpired in his early years of adulthood (40 years old, 1485 BC). ”Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand” (2:11-12). Acts 7:24-25 speaks concerning this incident, “And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.”
The very next day Moses sees two Israelites fighting and asks the one who was in the wrong why he was hitting his friend (2:13). The Israelite man responded to Moses saying, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” (2:14). Moses, unaware that someone had seen him murder the Egyptian, became fearful and when Pharaoh found out about Moses’ actions, he sought to kill him (2:15a). Moses fled to Midian where he sat down by a well and there met the seven daughters of the priest of Midian, who were watering their father’s flock (2:15b-16). The shepherds also came to the same well where they were gathered, but drove the daughters away until Moses “stood up and helped them, and watered their flock” (2:17). The daughters returned home earlier than usual because Moses had helped them and upon hearing about Moses’ kindness their father, Reuel, demanded that they bring him to their home (2:18-20). Moses came to the house of Reuel where he was given Zipporah, Reuel’s daughter, to take as a wife (2:21-22). Moses dwelt in Midian for the next 40 years. While Moses was dwelling in Midian, the king of Egypt died and the “…children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage” (2:23). In response to Israel’s groaning, “…God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them” (2:24-25). God had not forgotten about His promise.
Dear God, thank You for keeping Your promises.
