Exodus: Book on Fire

Chapter 1

The Slaughter of the Innocents

Verse 1.

Now these [are] the names of the children of Israel, which came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob.

Moses begins his second book by giving the names of the sons of Jacob. Jacob journeyed to Egypt with his sons and all their children to weather the famine. Moving to a new location is a great transition that can change a person’s life. It changed Lot for the worse, and it changed the family of Jacob for the better. We do not know of any trouble that they got into while in Egypt. The fiery sons of Jacob were quieted, and they settled down to the business of daily living. There is no doubt that the way Joseph dealt with them caused them to become better men. Also, they were subdued by being guests in a foreign land. They knew they had to behave themselves, and they instilled that in their children.

They had no idea how long they would be in Egypt, five years at the most. Joseph told them in Genesis 45:11 that the famine would last another five years. They did not know that they would be there for four hundred years. That is a very long time, and if they were not careful, the promise of God that they would inherit the land of Canaan would begin to fade. In fact, it did fade, and by the time Moses came, they did not even know who God was, so much for them teaching their children about the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But among that group there was a small remnant that kept the faith, there always is. Someone wrote about the past and kept talking about it, but they were so few in number that they were not able to influence very many.

Someone had written the record, and preserved it for four hundred years. Moses must have had those writings and drew upon them when he began to compile and write his books. That person is the main reason we have the Book of Genesis. We do not know who he was, but God does, and we owe him and the people who aided him a tremendous debt. Moses made no attempt to tell us who it was, but it does not matter, because God knows, and we will know when we get to heaven. Those kinds of people are the true salt of the earth. They are the hidden preservers of godly values. They are the lights of the world, and they keep the knowledge of God shining, so that the darkness cannot put it out, such was the family of Moses. Perhaps someone in his own family kept those books.

Verses 2-5.

Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin, Dan, and Naphtali, Gad, and Asher. And all the souls that came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls: for Joseph was in Egypt [already].

The names of all these sons are well known. They went on to become the heads of the twelve tribes of Israel; actually there were thirteen, because Joseph’s two sons were given the honor of becoming the heads of two tribes. Jacob had twelve sons; each became the head of a tribe. Joseph was not the head of a tribe, but his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh were, making a total of thirteen. Only twelve of them were given portions of land in Canaan. Levi was a priestly tribe, and they did not need farm land, because they were supported by the other twelve tribes. They did receive a few cities to dwell in where they could cultivate small gardens for extra food. It says that seventy people went into Egypt, that was a large number for a family, but back then families lived together in compact communities for protection and to boost the production of food.

Verse 6.

And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

Joseph died. It was the end of an era. He was the last link between the old and the new. Now the old is gone. Abraham’s lively hope, Isaac’s patience and Jacob’s hope for a better day were gone. Something more than a man died the day Joseph died. The memory of the struggle to do well within the bounds of the Divine Plan was then put on the shelf. Moses said that Joseph’s entire generation also died. The dream of living in the land of Canaan in order to inherit the land began to fade. It looked and felt like there was nothing left but Egypt. They would now have to struggle to keep the Divine Plan for their race in the forefront of their minds. They would fail, but God would remember His covenant with Abraham, and after what seemed like an eternity, He would send a man to revive their hopes. Moses would become larger than Abraham, but he would not take Abraham’s place, because Abraham was their father and the father of faith, i.e. the first to clearly show that we are saved by faith. Paul restored the preeminence of faith by explaining in his writings that men cannot be saved by keeping the Law of Moses. It is not of works, lest any man should boast, Ephesians 2:9.

That generation, i.e. those who lived the dream of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, taught us many lessons. We know the value of honesty, forgiveness, love, loyalty and truth by having studied their lives. We have now become that generation, so it is imperative that we know the Divine Plan and teach it to our children. Our children must not repeat the mistake of the people of the Exodus. It is not an exaggeration to say that the most important ministry of the church is to give our children this knowledge, and it must begin in the home. Parents who do not live it cannot reproduce it in their children.

Verse 7.

And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

The people multiplied. They learned the art of survival, and some of them may have even prospered in Egypt, but it was still Egypt. The worse thing that a man could do was to be content in Egypt. Egypt will smother you spiritually. They could not breathe freely while the menacing Sphinx looked down on them and slowly exhaled the air of oppression and suspicion. The more they multiplied the more teachers and preachers they would need to arouse the people to spiritual action. They stayed far too long in that land, and they would soon suffer for it. Multiplying was only part of the command. We must reproduce spiritually also. As each new child was born they should have been told about their creator and covenant God. We see the same thing happening today. Vast numbers of children know nothing of God. We are multiplying, but the nation is lost, and it will take a mighty shaking to awaken our people. Moses was the man of his day, but who will save us? Christ is the only One who can, and He will soon appear to shake heaven and earth, but unfortunately many have already sealed their opposition to Him. They would be lying if they said that they would be glad to see the Messiah.

They were exceeding mighty but like the mighty men of Noah’s day; they were exceedingly empty. While they were playing games that strong men play, Pharaoh was watching them from the balcony of his palace, and he saw that the land was being filled with them. The Hebrews, like children at play, had no sense of danger. Those bulging muscles would soon be carrying heavy loads of rock and dirt for Pharaoh.

Verse 8.

Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

The new Pharaoh did not know Joseph. Actually there had been many Pharaohs since the time of Joseph, so he could not have known Joseph personally, but the influence of Joseph had lasted nearly 400 years. The new Pharaoh changed the government and made it favor the people more than before, and in order to do that he pointed to the Jews whom he claimed was the source of their displeasure. Joseph’s reforms were followed for many years, until gradually the people of Egypt reverted back to their heathen ways. They lost the desire to be just when they forgot Joseph, because they forgot about the godly wise man that saved Egypt and made it the richest nation on earth. In that sense the new Pharaoh knew not Joseph. It is the same old repeated story: a ruthless man takes control of a country that is in financial trouble and finds a minority that he can blame for it. Joseph, if he were alive, would have said that their trouble was overspending and a lack of faith in God, sound familiar? But Egypt would never be a nation that was favored by God; that was a place reserved for Israel. It would take a man like Joseph to lead Israel into abundant prosperity, that man was Moses.

Verse 9.

And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel [are] more and mightier than we:

This new king knew what to do. He was the typical worldly-wise tyrant who was only concerned with his own wealth. In his murky mind he could envision the Hebrews turning against the Egyptians, but this was silly. The Hebrews were not fighters. Pharaoh had a well equipped army that could crush them. He engaged in self-serving reasoning when he made up an excuse for enslaving them. He told the people that the Hebrews were a menace because of their numbers. All he would have to do is tell them to leave, but he knew they were good workers, and it would really weaken their economy if they were not there to work. The Egyptians had actually come to depend on the Hebrews, so they could not send them away. Besides, the Hebrews had lived in Goshen for four hundred years, so they should have been considered the owners of the land of Goshen, but oppressed people have their land taken from them all the time.

Verse 10.

Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and [so] get them up out of the land.

His propaganda campaign was designed to turn the people against the Hebrews, so that there would be no regrets. If a war came, he said that the Hebrews would join the enemy, but if a war came why not draft the men of Goshen and make them fight for the Egyptians. The Hebrew men were a large group who could be used for all kinds of service in a war. His reasoning was way off base, but when tyrants have their eyes on a prize, they always think the end justifies the means. He wanted them to work for free, and that would bring a large sum into his treasury. The root of the problem goes back to prejudices that were hundreds of years old. Joseph explained this to his brothers, when they came to Egypt. He said that the Egyptians did not like shepherds, Genesis 46:37.

Verse 11.

Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

The Egyptians adopted a new mindset toward the Hebrews, much like the Germans did in the 1930’s. Hitler claimed that the Jews were responsible for Germany’s economic woes, but instead of expelling the Jews, he confiscated their property and enslaved them to work in his war machine; the rest he destroyed. Ordinarily good family men were turned into monsters, because they felt compelled to do crimes against humanity by the law of the land. Heathen people can be persuaded to do wicked things, if they are not answerable to God. The question in men’s minds is how could so called Christian Germany be like the Egyptians when thousands of years of civilizational progress had transpired? The answer to that question cannot be found any where except in the Scriptures, which teach that men are basically the same, whether they lived in Noah’s day, Moses’ day or now. We are born with a sinful nature that is drawn to evil. We naturally love evil, and it is a huge struggle to deny our flesh the evil that it wants.

The Egyptians began to systematically persecute and enslave the Hebrews. They set taskmasters over them, which meant that they organized them into slave labor units. Notice that they built treasure cities for Pharaoh. This means that the men who were not building the treasure cities were working as slaves to put treasure in them. Evil had finally gelled, and it stirred the heart of a just and loving God.

Verse 12.

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

The Egyptians were grieved. Their plan was not working. They were shocked that the Hebrews grew more in number under the affliction of slavery, but the Hebrews had a natural reaction to the threat on their lives. When people are in the worse straits, they multiply, because this is a way to insure the survival of their race. The Hebrews now owned nothing, and the stress and worry about their future caused them to cling to each other and want more children, but the Egyptians had other thoughts. When the Egyptians saw that the Hebrews grew more numerous, they were afraid and formed a plan to cut down their number. They had no intention of letting them go.

Verse 13.

And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:

The next move for the Egyptians was to increase their work load. If the Hebrews worked harder, then they would not have the time or strength to multiply. This shows how much the weak rich know about real life. To them sex is recreation to be indulged in for fun and entertainment. They have a distorted view of the sex drive; it is next only to hunger for food. As long as struggling men and women can eat, they will have sex and produce children. This is a basic desire of hard working men and women. If God had not made us that way, the human race would have perished long ago, because most people go through some unbelievably hard circumstances.

Verse. 14.

And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, [was] with rigour.

Their work was not only hard; the Egyptians added enough to also make it bitter. If they came home disheartened and some even beaten for their lack of production, surely they would forget about sex. Wrong again. They fell into each others arms and sought love and comfort from one another. The only way to reduce their number would be to do as the Nazis did, starve them, but if they did that they could not do heavy work. The Egyptians were baffled, but they were slowly coming around to the ultimate plan of Satan. The natural impulse of man is to have pity, but after he becomes frustrated in doing that, then Satan can inject the hideous thought that came into Pharaoh’s mind that day. Imagine the report being placed on Pharaoh’s desk and his eyes falling to the bottom line: the Israelites continue to increase in number.

Verse 15.

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

The next step was to go to a plan that was certain to reduce them in size. Pharaoh called in the leading midwives for the Hebrews. One was named Shiphrah and the other was Puah. These women were in constant service for the pregnant women of Israel. Who could have known that among these pregnant women there would be one who would be the ancestor of Christ, and to kill her son would be to kill Christ. Satan did not care about the others. He was only interested in destroying Christ. He knew the prophecies, but he did not know which family Christ would come through. Satan’s knowledge of such things is limited. Since he did not know which son would be the heir, he put it in Pharaoh’s mind to destroy them all. Herod was the king when Christ was born in Bethlehem. Satan knew Christ had been born, but he was not able to tell Herod exactly where to find him, so he did as Pharaoh did long ago. He inspired Herod to kill all the boy babies in Bethlehem. Herod was afraid Christ would grow up and depose him. Pharaoh had similar thoughts that the Hebrews would one day depose him.

Verse 16.

And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see [them] upon the stools; if it [be] a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it [be] a daughter, then she shall live.

The order was clear and to the point. They were ordered to kill the newborn boy babies. Pharaoh did not worry about the pain that he would cause the midwives or the mothers and fathers of those doomed babies. He was now fully possessed by an evil spirit. Why would he kill the boy babies? It must have been that the Hebrews were now practicing monogamy in marriage; otherwise, the men would just have taken more wives and the number of children would have continued to increase. Fewer men meant fewer marriages and fewer children, because the men of Israel had learned from the mistakes of Jacob and turned away from polygamy.

Abortion is the alternative plan that Satan uses today to eliminate potential godly men and women. The midwives have been replaced by abortion doctors, but the principle is the same: they have their orders from their superior, Satan, to kill babies, so that they can eliminate anyone who would oppose the prince of darkness. The difference is that these educated and refined doctors are so much worse than the modest midwives of that day.

Verse 17.

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

The midwives did not obey the law of the land, because there is a higher law, namely the law of God. They feared God more than the king. Today, to excuse their conscience, people say it is fine to kill babies because it is the law of the land. How absurd that is! Laws come and go, so to rely on politicians for moral guidance is clearly wrong. God is our foundation and His laws are absolute. The commandment is, Thou shalt not kill, Exodus 20:13. Clearly this applies to the born or unborn child. We are living in the same times as Pharaoh and Herod. Jesus predicted that a sign of the end times would be a repeat of the wickedness of the past, Luke 17:26-30.

Verse 18.

And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

Again, Pharaoh read the population report and Israel was increasing. His informants told him that they investigated crying babies in the tents of the Hebrews, and they found that many of them were boys. Pharaoh then called the midwives for an accounting, but it was not severe. The midwives surely thought that they would be punished for disobeying the king’s command, but they were not. Why? Because God would not allow it. This was the case when Peter and John were brought before the same wicked council that condemned Jesus to death. The Lord restrained the Sanhedrin from killing them, and they only received a mild reprimand, Acts 4:21.

Verse 19.

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women [are] not as the Egyptian women; for they [are] lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

The midwives told the truth, but it was slanted for their benefit to cover their obligation to Pharaoh. They said that the Hebrew women were stronger than the Egyptian women and would deliver before they could get to them. How was Pharaoh to know any different? God gave them this wisdom.

Verse 20.

Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.

Again, it says that the people grew in number. It seemed that nothing worked for the king. He was defeated at every turn. The Hebrews had no idea how God was helping them. They had too many other things to worry about.

Verse 21.

And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

God rewarded the midwives with houses. This could have a dual meaning. It could mean that these poor women would have a physical house, but a far better meaning was that they would get married and have a large family themselves. There is no doubt that word got around as to what these courageous women had done, and nothing is more attractive in a woman than courage, especially during hard times.

Verse 22.

And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

In desperation the king told his own people to become executioners. They were to search the homes of the Hebrews and find all the little boys they could and cast them into the river. What could stop the Hebrews from questioning God? Many did because they had everything taken away, even their little sons, but God was in the same place He always is, in heaven ruling over the world. Pharaoh may have been the king of Egypt, but he was only a puppet in the hand of the Lord. God had a Divine Plan that would make a great nation out of the Hebrews, but first He would have to allow them to go through this burning, fiery furnace.

People do not realize what it takes to become a servant of God. All of self must be drained out; fear has to be replaced by love for God; doubt has to be replaced by faith, and obedience must take first place in a person’s life. Such things cannot happen over night; sometimes they cannot happen in a lifetime, because evil is so entrenched. However, there are some who claim to have these things by offering a simple prayer of dedication, but the day will declare where they are in their Christian walk. How many times have people fooled others, and even fooled themselves? Peter declared that he was ready to die for Jesus in John 13:37, but before that dreadful night was over he denied that he even knew who Jesus was three times. Such easy, flippant thinking comes crashing to the earth if Satan applies enough pressure. This catastrophe was by the design of God to get His chosen child Moses into the house of Pharaoh where he would learn to read and write. It was a high price to pay, but it was the only way. Justice would prevail after eighty years when Moses returned, and the first born of every Egyptian family would die. Do not fret; Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, Romans 12:19.

Chapter 2

The Life of Moses in Egypt

Verse 1.

And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took [to wife] a daughter of Levi.

A man of Levi took a wife of his father’s own tribe. The man’s name was Amram and his wife’s name was Jochebed, Exodus 6:20. This was perfectly acceptable, and it worked out that they had the most outstanding child.

Verse 2.

And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he [was a] goodly [child], she hid him three months.

This child had a certain look that made him stand out from all the rest. Jochebed did not allow the thugs that came to terrorize them to find out where Moses was. How she kept him hidden is not known, but after three months it became impossible, so she had to figure out what to do.

Verse 3.

And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid [it] in the flags by the river’s brink.

The searches became more frequent, and if they found Moses he would be thrown into the Nile to become food for the crocodiles. By faith she made a basket out of the reeds that grew along the bank and applied waterproofing to the outside. What sorrow must have filled her heart to think that she would have to put her beloved son in a basket and break that iron bond that exists between mother and child. But she knew that if she kept him, he would surely die. Her only hope was to put him near the place where the daughter of Pharaoh would come down to the river to be refreshed in the cool of the day.

How ironic that the same man who was killing the Hebrew babies would have a daughter who would save one, and a Hebrew child would grow up in his own house. Somehow Moses’ mother knew the disposition of this princess, and she trusted God and the princess to save her son. If she had only known that God’s mighty hand was on Moses, she would have also known that nothing could harm him, although it looked dreadfully dangerous to his mother. Actually, any plan that she could have chosen would have worked. No Egyptian sword or iron glove would touch him. This child had a destiny that was unique in human history. He would become the man who would best embody the qualities of Christ in the Old Testament. The Hebrews could look at Moses and see the type of leader their Messiah would be, because God told Moses that he would raise up a Prophet like him to speak to the people, and if they did not listen to Him there would be dire consequences, Deuteronomy 18:18. History has proven Pharaoh to be a fool. Let the Pharaohs of this world try, but they cannot harm God’s anointed.

Verse 4.

And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.

Children were often playing in different areas, so it would not be unusual for Miriam, Moses’ sister, to be nearby. This was a brilliant piece of strategy on the part of Moses’ mother. If an adult had been watching the Egyptian princess, she would have noticed that, but children are everywhere, and what do they know?

Verse 5.

And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash [herself] at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.

The daughter of Pharaoh came down as usual to wash and cool off in the river, and her maidens came with her. The stage was set for the transition of Moses from a hovel to the palace. We saw this happen in the life of Joseph. He went from prison to the palace in one hour too.

Verse 6.

And when she had opened [it], she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This [is one] of the Hebrews’ children.

The little ark had a cover over it, perhaps to keep insects out, and she lifted it back and saw a beautiful child. The baby was weeping, and that drew more pity from the princess. By the time she recognized the blanket he was wrapped in, it was too late. God had smitten her heart with love for the young child. How could she pick this baby up and throw him in the river, as her father had commanded? Instead, she instantly claimed the child as her own, and she asked her maidens how she could stop his crying. One spoke up and said that he must be hungry, as all babies are.

Verse 7.

Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?

Moses’ sister heard them, and with divine boldness she came up to see if she could get one of the Hebrew women to nurse Moses, and she knew just the woman, Moses’ own mother.

Verse 8.

And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.

Moses’ mother, Jochebed, was also nearby watching what would happen to her baby, and she was delighted when Miriam came to get her to nurse her own son. It is amazing how God works. This was a very painful thing for Jochebed to go through, but it was all according to God’s plan, and it was softened by God making it possible for her to nurse her own child. Moses would need to know how to read and write, because he would write the first five books of the Bible. What better, and what other way could he have received a good education than by being the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He went to live with the enemy, and eventually he would overthrow them. How fitting and just are the ways of God! The problem was that the people of God could not see it when it was happening. This was a millstone of sorrow tied around their necks. There is no happiness or joy when something like this is going on, but we can rejoice if we have faith in God that God is working all things out for our good. Our joy comes from having faith in the plan of God, even if we cannot see it or understand it. Jochebed would probably not live long enough to see it unfold. Moses was eighty years old when he stood before Pharaoh and demanded that he let the people go. The plan of God sometimes takes much longer than we have time to live. Can we stand that? Actually, we have no choice, because the Scripture says, The just shall live (every day) by faith.

Verse 9.

And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give [thee] thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

It should have been clear to Jochebed that this was all happening by the hand of God, especially when she was offered money to nurse her own child. She would have gladly done it for free, but this was an extra bonus. She was relinquishing her claim to Moses by becoming a hired nurse, but this was far better than having her child thrown in the river. There is nothing stronger than a mother’s love. She was willing to part with her son in order to make sure that he was safe, no matter what the cost to her. Now, by the grace of God, she would have him at least two more years. He would be talking by the time she took him back to Pharaoh, and that was all the time she needed to teach him about the Lord. By the time a child is three all their values are in place. They are very teachable, and they believe anything their mother tells them. It is incredibly foolish for Christians to miss this critical time in their children’s lives. This is when atheists are made, or saints, and all the various shades between. Jochebed knew her time was short, and being a God fearing woman she made the most of her time with Moses. She was not overly paternalistic, because she knew that she must prepare him to leave her, but she placed inside his little mind the gifts of knowledge that he would need to ward off idolatry and immorality. These are the chief sins of heathenism, and Moses would face them constantly in the house of Pharaoh.

Like Jochebed, we must let our children go out into the world, and that can be deadly if we have not prepared them. Parents who are not dedicated to Christ cannot properly prepare a child for a Christian life in this world, because they are not living the life themselves. A child learns by watching others, and if what they see acted out is not true to what they know is right, then they will be confused. Small slip ups, which are ignored by lukewarm Christians, are deadly to children. Children innately know right from wrong, but they also have a fallen nature, and that is frustrating to a child, so they must be given guidance and encouragement to do what is right. This means that children are doomed without strong Christian parents.

Verse 10.

And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

The child grew until it was time to return him to Pharaoh’s daughter. We do not know the exact age, but it was probably three years old. The princess gave the boy the name Moses, which means drawn out. This was prophetic of his life, because he was drawn out from the water, and he was drawn out from his brethren to live in the palace. Later, he was drawn out of the palace to be with his brethren; then he was drawn out of a shepherd’s life to save his people. He was a man who was truly separated from others to do the work of God. God’s Divine Plan for saving His people was now focused on him, and he would bring to it the organization and authority that it needed to become law. God often works through a man or a small group of men in order to advance the kingdom, in this Moses was like Christ. God is not looking for consensus among men, but rather He is looking for a man who has the qualities that He wants. Moses had Aaron; Christ had the Twelve, and they sought only one thing, i.e. to do God’s will. They cared nothing for public opinion, yet no one ever affected public opinion more than they have.

Verse 11.

And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.

Between verses ten and eleven is a lifetime about which we know nothing. Moses was educated and trained in the best of the Egyptian schools and was being groomed for high office in the Egyptian government, but that meant that he would have to manage the slave labor of the Hebrews, and that put him in a quandary. Naturally, he went out to look at their work. This implies that he was shielded from doing this before. He may have been kept away from the Hebrews by his princess mother. If not, why did he not visit his biological mother? Evidently he did not know he was adopted until this time. That knowledge would have interfered with his learning. Moses was the kind of person who could not live in luxury and know his mother and father lived in squalor. In fact, God shielded his mind from these thoughts until he was ready for them.

When he visited his people, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a Hebrew. This was commonplace, but Moses must have never seen it, because on this occasion he had a violent reaction to it.

Verse 12.

And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that [there was] no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.

He looked around and thought no one would see him, but the man who was being beaten saw Moses kill the Egyptian guard. Moses used human effort to save a man, but God did not want it to be done that way, because He would not get the credit for delivering His people. The whole point of the Hebrews being enslaved was to turn them back to God and prepare them to enter the land of Canaan. Moses was the man who was to lead them on the path back to God, but he had just killed a man. Now Moses would not be able to help the people, because he had committed a murder. Of course, at that time he did not know his destiny, but herein is a great lesson: since we do not know our destiny, we must not do anything to jeopardize it. Behave now in such a way that later on whatever your work is, it will not suffer.

If Moses had known the strict qualifications he would need to speak for God, he would not have given his opponents the opportunity to condemn him. Later, he would find out how harsh his critics could be. Even though a leader only points the way to God, the people will condemn the way that he points to if there are flaws in the man who does the pointing.

Killing men was only a short term solution to the problems of the Hebrews anyway. How many would he have to kill in order to free the Hebrews? Using this method does not work in peace time. A war would have been different, then it becomes necessary to kill as many as possible in order to stop the killing. A quick victory is a good thing for both sides.

Pharaoh’s quarrel was going to be with God, because God had heard the prayers of the Hebrews and had sent Moses to help them. If the Egyptians could be persuaded to respect the God of the Hebrews, then they would let them go. The problem was how to persuade them. How could slaves persuade their captors to let them go? It would take a miracle for that to happen, and so a miracle it would be.

Verse 13.

And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?

The next day Moses went out again to check on the Hebrews and offer any assistance he could. Then he found two of them fighting. Moses could not understand why they would do that, so he asked one of them why he was hitting his brother. Moses did not think about what he had done the day before, when he had killed his own Egyptian brother.

Verse 14.

And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.

God provided the perfect rebuke for Moses. He was caught by his own methods. He used violence to settle a dispute, and this gave license to others to do the same. Evidently, neither of the men who fought saw what Moses did the day before. This meant that the news had spread to others, and Moses was recognized as a murderer by total strangers. This could only mean one thing, the Egyptians would soon know what he had done, and he would be thrown in prison or executed.

Moses’ efforts had completely fallen flat. He was through with helping anyone, and the Divine Plan for delivering the people of Israel would now be on hold for forty years. By the time he returned the people who knew about his abortive effort would probably be dead. Some may argue that this had altered God’s schedule, but this cannot be. God knew what would happen, and He knew what it would take to make Moses the leader that he should be. It takes a lot longer than six weeks in boot camp to adequately prepare a soldier in the Lord’s army. How about forty years?