Exodus 2: 11-15

Exodus 2: 11-15

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.

Message:

This part of Exodus made known to me the inherent righteousness of Moses. He was raised as an Egyptian and could have been exposed to the ways of Pharaoh yet his heart remained pure that he detected cruelty when he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew and sensed the importance of settling a disagreement between two Hebrews. Yes, he could have felt something for the Hebrews as in reality he was one of them. The striking verse here is 14, when the reproved Hebrew reacted negatively to Moses’ act of goodwill. Moses tried to help by settling the argument between the Hebrews but his effort was rejected because he was judged unworthy of the slave’s compliance. The Hebrew sarcastically said that Moses himself did otherwise – killed a fellow – thus, making the latter undeserving of the former’s respect. Yes, I sometimes experience this. I tend to disregard a person’s advice only because she/he did something wrong in the past. However, as I am reminded of Tamar’s experience in Genesis 38, my perception has changed. People must not be judged by their past because they changed especially after repentance. Matthew Henry (n.d.) preached “It is a sign of guilt to be angry at reproof. Men know not what they do, nor what enemies they are to themselves, when they resist and despise faithful reproofs and reprovers.”

Application:

From now on, I will not let a person’s indecent past cloud my mind and keep me from acknowledging his/her reproof or advice.  

Prayer:

Dear Lord, thank you for making me understand that I am not supposed to judge others by their past not only because I myself am a sinner but, above all, because Your instructions indicated so. Forgive me Father, had I done differently in the past. Lord I pray for your blessing and guidance today that I may reflect what I have read and prayed about. This I pray in Jesus’ name, amen.