Exodus 2 gives us a valuable character study into the life of the adult Moses. From three instances we learn that Moses has a special place in his heart for the oppressed. First, Moses stands up to an Egyptian oppressor. As Moses surveyed the scene, he did not notice Egyptian luxury, noble society, or a great empire; he saw forced labor. Even though Moses is of the high court, he still considers his Hebrew kinsmen. When he witnessed an Egyptian in the process of beating a Hebrew to death, he intervened and killed the Egyptian oppressor in the same way he was afflicting the Hebrew.
Second, Moses stands up to a Hebrew bully. The next day, he observes two Hebrews fighting so he addresses the guilty one and stops the fight. The guilty one is not happy and scolds Moses for assuming an authoritative role that he does not have. He also reveals that he knows that Moses has killed an Egyptian (perhaps he uses this knowledge as blackmail). When Pharaoh learns that Moses has killed an Egyptian he demands Moses' life, forcing Moses flees to Midian.
Finally, Moses stands up to belligerent shepherds. In Midian, Moses takes rest at a well. He witnesses local shepherds pushing aside the priest of Midians’ daughters. Again, Moses intervened and came to their rescue and watered their flocks.
From these three instances we learn that Moses is passionate for standing up for the oppressed. As chapter two comes to a close, we also learn that Israel is being oppressed and is in need of someone to stand up for them. Who might there be to stand up to the Egyptians?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment