Chapter, 30. Exodus 2. Moses in Midian.
PHARAOH’S daughter nourished Moses as her own son and had him taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, so that he became mighty in words and deeds. The Egyptians knew many things, and had much wisdom, but not the wisdom of God. They did not know that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” Prov. 9:1010The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the holy is understanding. (Proverbs 9:10). They worshipped animals: bulls, sheep, crocodiles, dogs and cats. But the Israelites remembered the God of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the mother of Moses, no doubt, taught him holy things, true wisdom, when he was a very little boy, for when he was fully grown, he remembered it and chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. (Heb. 11:2525Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; (Hebrews 11:25).) The apostle John says: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world; if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” Jesus said to His disciples: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.” Matt. 6:19, 2019Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: (Matthew 6:19‑20). When Moses was forty years old, he went to visit his brethren, the Hebrews, who were suffering so much in Egypt, and looked on their burdens.
One day, he saw an Egyptian, cruelly beating one of the Hebrews. He looked this way and that way, and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. He supposed his brethren, the Hebrews, would understand that God, by his hand, would deliver them. But they understood him not. The next day, Moses went out again, and that day he saw two Hebrews fighting. He said to him that did the wrong: “Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?” But he answered: “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?”
Moses was very much afraid at these words for he thought the people knew what he had done. When this king heard this, he sought to have Moses killed, but Moses fled from Egypt into the land of Midian, and sat down by a well. As he sat there, there came to the well seven maids, the daughters of the priest of Midian. They filled the troughs to water their father’s flock, but the shepherds came and drove them away. Moses stood up and helped them and watered their flock.
When they came to Jethro, their father, he said to them: “How is it that ye are come so soon, today?” They answered: “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and also drew enough for us, and watered. the flock.” Jethro asked “Where is he, why is it that ye have left the man? Cali him, that he may eat bread.”
Moses lived with Jethro, and sometime after married one of his daughters who was named Zipporah.
Moses had not now the riches of Egypt which he had in the king’s house; he was a poor man, keeping his father-in-law’s sheep in the wilderness. But the Lord was with him, teaching him what he could not have learned from the wise men of Egypt and preparing him for the great work, He had for him to do. For he was God’s instrument to be used to deliver Israel from Egypt.
It come to pass that, as time went on, the king of Egypt died. But it did not lighten the Hebrews’ trials, for they continued to be afflicted, and their cry came up to God, and He heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and He looked upon the children of Israel and had respect unto them.
We may be sure that God hears our cries and prayers. He knows all our sorrows and sees all our tears and will help us bear them if we cry to Him for help.
“Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me.” Ps. 50:15.
ML 10/10/1909