THURSDAY
Yesterday we saw that God had preserved his deliverer through the efforts of two midwives, Moses’ mother, and Pharaoh’s daughter. The narrative moves ahead quickly, now, to a time when Moses has grown up and he is about 40 years old, according to Stephen in Acts 7:23.
It’s reasonable to assume that Moses would have received a good education in Pharaoh’s household and most likely military training and leadership training. According the Jewish historian, Josephus, Moses served as a general in the Egyptian army. Josephus tells of Moses leading an invasion of Ethiopia, a country to the south of Egypt. He employed some genius military tactics to conquer the enemy.* After conquering the enemy, it is said that he married an Ethiopian princess who was impressed with him. This makes sense of Numbers 12:1 that documents Miriam and Aaron talking against Moses because he had a Cushite (Ethiopian) wife. If this story is true, he married her when he was a prince in Egypt and she likely stayed in Ethiopia as she was of the royal family. This account isn’t certain because it isn’t attested to in other ancient manuscripts. However, it is possible that the manuscripts of these events were available to Josephus but were destroyed in the fires that destroyed the library in Alexandria.
Exodus 2:11–15 (NIV)
Moses Flees to Midian
11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. 12 Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?”
14 The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.
Again, this speaks to the sovereignty of God. He raises up his deliverer in the household of the oppressor whom he is about to overthrow.
It’s clear in the text that Moses knew of his identity as a Hebrew. Verse 11 twice mentions “his own people.” However, it’s unclear if he was aware of his calling to deliver the Israelites from slavery at this point. Upon witnessing the abuse of a Hebrew, he kills the Egyptian and tries to cover it up. This reveals his impulsiveness, which will come up again later in the story. Then when he witnesses two Hebrews fighting, he tries to break it up and restore peace. Ironically, they ask, “Who made you ruler and judge over us?” The reader knows that God has but that won’t be revealed until later. This shows us Moses’ strong sense of justice. In both cases he stands up for the weak and the oppressed. Again, we will see this play out later in the story. When Moses learns that the Hebrews know he killed an Egyptian, he rightly discerns that it is only a matter of time before Pharaoh finds out about it and he flees.
The text doesn’t give us a clear picture of what is going on in Moses’ thoughts here, but it seems as if he is attempting to deliver the people of God in his own power. In Acts 7:25 Stephen recounts the story of Moses and says, “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” It is likely that Moses has some sense that God has called him to be the deliverer and he gives it a go in his own power. He is well educated. He is a military expert. He is a Hebrew. He thinks his status will be enough to win over the respect and the allegiance of his people. It isn’t and he is forced to flee. Moses must learn that he cannot accomplish God’s purposes apart from God’s means (killing the Egyptian, and the Hebrews following Moses into battle weren’t God’s means of deliverance). God’s purposes must also be done in God’s power (this was Moses’ power), and in God’s timing (this was Moses’ timing not God’s).
To teach him this, God sends him to the desert where he will shepherd for 40 years.
Additional Content
*He reportedly crossed a dangerous desert path that no one expected because it was infested with deadly snakes. He did so by bringing birds that ate the snakes and setting them loose before the army to clear out the snakes and make a path for them to travel. Therefore, the army arrived long before they were expected and took their enemy by surprise.
Reflection
Look back on your life. Have you learned this lesson the hard way? How have you tried to accomplish something by your own means, in your own power and in your own timing? What has God taught you about yourself and your need for him in that time?