The Story through the Bible Exod 2

Moses the savior of his own strength

Last week we had the setting for our story and birth narrative for Moses. This week we’ll jump over 30 years in the future. This pattern is not unique for Moses and is also common in ancient biographies for important figures. It’s also not the only place in the Bible this pattern emerges. Moses- Deliverer and Prophet Samuel- Prophet Samson- Deliverer John the Baptist- Prophet Jesus- Deliverer and Prophet

There are some others but they aren’t quite as neatly and clearly the birth narrative - gap of time - adult commissioned by God. Just something to remember as we get to those other stories over the years.

Exodus 2:11–12 ESV

One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

This is essentially Moses’ first attempt at saving his people. Like many times we see in the stories of the Bible often people tend to try and accomplish the promises of God by their own might or wisdom. We see this failure to follow God and act on our own as a pattern that started right in the garden of Eden. We talked a little about this but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or “what is good and bad” that wisdom of discerning right from wrong is taken up by humanity. It’s no longer humanity relying on God directing them in what is good and what is bad. We take it for ourselves. This is what all the figures that have faltered have done in the other stories we’ve talked about. Cain and Abel with what sacrifice is good then Cain killing his brother because he’s able. At the Tower of Babel people had been instructed to fill the land and multiply but instead they decide to stay together and try and reach heaven on their own so God scatters them by confusing languages. Then in the most exemplifying we see all the people of the earth do whatever is right in their own eyes and every intention is wicked when God sends a flood to wipe out all but Noah and his family.

So here we get Moses, alone and in his own wisdom and strength trying to save his people, but this wasn’t what God wanted him to do nor did He ask him to murder an Egyptian!

How does this go over?

Exodus 2:13–15 ESV

When he went out the next day, behold, two Hebrews were struggling together. And he said to the man in the wrong, “Why do you strike your companion?” He answered, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid, and thought, “Surely the thing is known.” When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and stayed in the land of Midian. And he sat down by a well.

So he is rejected not recognized as a saviour for the people of Israel, his own people. Realizing that others know about this whole thing that happened he’s freaked out leaves Egypt to live out in the wilderness. Now, it doesn’t tell us here that Moses thought he was a saviour it might be a little implied by the language including himself and the actions of rescuing someone but we do have a clearer statement about what’s going on. In the New Testatment book of Acts chapter 7 we see the speech that Stephen makes. He’s been accused of “speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God” meaning someone is claiming that Stephen says God and Moses are wrong in what they taught us. So when asked by the high priest Stephen gives a long answer to that intends to prove his point that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior come for all mankind. Acts 7:22-29

Acts 7:22–29 ESV

And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. “When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand. And on the following day he appeared to them as they were quarreling and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why do you wrong each other?’ But the man who was wronging his neighbor thrust him aside, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’ At this retort Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

Stephen continues to summarize Moses’ story and points out that this Moses that thought he would be recognized was at first rejected but eventually leads the people to freedom from Egypt also says : Act 7 :37

Acts 7:37 ESV

This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers.’

which is a prophecy about capital T The Prophet and savior that is to come. That is Jesus. Stephen points out lots of these figures from the old testament. He even pushes it in vs 52

Acts 7:52–53 ESV

Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of the Righteous One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered, you who received the law as delivered by angels and did not keep it.”

Their response to that was to kill Stephen. Because if they had really kept the law, not in a legal sense but followed the law in heart and it’s intent to follow after God they would have seen how it leads to Jesus as the messiah. All the sacrifices for sin in the old testament are temporary and merely cover up sin they don’t erase it.

Then we see a little more revealed about this in Heb 11:24-27

Hebrews 11:24–27 ESV

By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. By faith he left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.

Now we get some more insight. In exodus it said Moses was afraid and it said he fled from Pharoah. But it was Moses being seen as a murderer by his people when it said he was afraid. Fleeing from Pharoah keeps him alive.