Moses Finds a Family

 Moses Finds a Family

Exodus 2: ¹⁶ Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. And they came and drew water, and they filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. ¹⁷ Then the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

 

¹⁸ When they came to Reuel their father, he said, “How is it that you have come so soon today?”

 

¹⁹ And they said, “An Egyptian delivered us from the hand of the shepherds, and he also drew enough water for us and watered the flock.”

 

²⁰ So he said to his daughters, “And where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”

 

²¹ Then Moses was content to live with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses. ²² And she bore him a son. He called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a stranger in a foreign land.”

 

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Moses wanted to get away from the Egyptians because he killed one of them. He also wanted to get away from the Hebrews because they saw what he did and asked him “Who made you prince and judge over us?” Moses went to Midian.

 

My Observations:

• Moses was scared and confused when he left Egypt.
• Moses was a physically strong, brave fighter who could kill someone easily.
• Moses was actually a gentle servant.

 

Reuel, or Jethro would eventually become Moses’s father-in-law. Zipporah would become his wife. They were Midianites. This group of people would fight the Israelites later. But for now, Moses was accepted into the family.

 

Zipporah would bare a son named Gershom, meaning a stranger. Gershom would not inherit the leadership of the Hebrews because GOD chooses HIS leaders. Not much was said about Gershom. Midian was probably near the mountain where Moses would eventually meet GOD.

 

Challenge

• Why did GOD tell Moses to talk about his encounter with the Midianites?
• Have you ever felt like getting away from the problems you may have caused?
• Has GOD sent you to a strange place for you to start over?

Vigilante Approach

 Vigilante Approach

Exodus 2: ¹¹ 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. ¹² So he looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. ¹³ And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?”

 

¹⁴ Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?”

 

So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” ¹⁵ When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

 

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Moses knew he was a Hebrew being raised as an Egyptian. He had the best Egypt had to offer at his every whim. He was the adopted grandson of Pharaoh. One day, Moses had enough of the Egyptian tyranny. He took it upon himself to kill an Egyptian. He thought he hid his murder, but was exposed by the Hebrews. He fled from Pharaoh.

 

My Observations:

• Moses felt he had the right to murder someone, just by watching someone else’s mistreatment.
• Moses was growing a heart for the salvation of the Hebrews, but he was going about it in a way that was not pleasing to GOD.
• Moses fled to the land of Midian, otherwise known as the desert.

 

While Moses motive was good, his method was not. Killing someone is appalling to GOD. Ever since the first murder of Cain, GOD saw people killed and felt every one of the murders. Moses had to confess that he was a murderer when writing Exodus.

 

This passage of scripture brings Moses up to date. From this point on, Moses can recall clearly what happened. Yet, GOD had to bring the information to his memory. This slice of history is less about Moses and more about the Israelites. Moses did not know that he was being choses to be the leader of the Israelites and would take them out of bondage someday.

 

Challenge

• Why does GOD tell Moses to write down his act of murder and his attempt to cover it up?
• Have you ever tried to cover something up?
• Have you made some mistakes that needs GOD’s forgiveness so HE can make you the leader HE needs you to be?