Friday, June 24, 2016

Identity

DEVOTION
EXODUS
IDENTITY

Ex 2:11-17
11 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. 12 Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. 13 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?" 14 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." 15 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. 16 Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. 17 Some shepherds came along and drove them away, but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.
NIV

Well a lot has happened before Moses grew up, but we are not told anything of these years before he grew up from the three month old found in the river by the daughter of Pharaoh. If fact it is approximately forty years that has past when this incident occurred. What we know is that he never thought himself to be anything but a Hebrew. Although he was raised as the same as a son of Pharaoh he always knew he was a Hebrew. Although we are not expressly told that fact, it is clearly evident in the context of the narrative. What we do not know, is this the first time he when out to watch them at their hard labor or had he done this throughout his growing up in the palace of Pharaoh? The only reason we are told about this day is because of his actions. Thinking no one could see him, he kills an Egyptian who he saw beating one of his fellow Hebrews. Again we are not told if he waited until the Egyptian left, walking away, being alone, or he killed in in the presence of the beaten Hebrew. According to the text, it appears he thought no one could see him do this, so he must have waited until the Egyptian was alone. Yet we are told he was seen and the next day when he tried to arbitrate a dispute among two Hebrews his actions were outed. Although the narrative brings us to his fleeing Egypt and arriving at Midian where he will meet his wife, have sons, and live the next phase of his life, our lesson is within his knowing he has always been a Hebrew living as an Egyptian. Growing up, being considered as a son of Pharaoh, Moses would have been schooled in all the higher points of this civilization. He would have learned all the knowledge he would need to be the leader of the children of Israel. Although he was not spiritually ready yet for this task, he had the knowledge, the skills, provided by God through the Egyptians. What we learn here can be twofold. First we can learn knowledge and skills in this world, but their purpose should not be self-serving, but we should recognize God intends us to use them for the benefit of his kingdom. The scriptures are full of words that admonish us to serve each other. This is but one example.

1 Thess 5:11
1 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.
NIV


What we learn in this world, should serve as a tool so we can encourage, exhort, teach, build up, and help each other. Secondly and perhaps most importantly we can learn about how we identify ourselves. Although Moses grew up in wealthy Egyptian lifestyle, he knew he was a Hebrew. We could say, because of the text, it took him forty years to make that final choice. But that is not what we are told. We are simply told about one day when a particular situation happened. The point here is how we identify ourselves. When asked who we are, do we answer, an engineer, a teacher, a janitor, a truck driver, a lawyer, a banker, a salesman, a business owner or perhaps we answer, we are Afro-American, Italian-American, German or English  or whatever our education, or profession or ancestral background? Should we not answer, a believer in Jesus Christ? Is that not our true identity? It could have been a far better life, at least in a worldly sense, for Moses had he remained living as an Egyptian. But his true identity caused him to have to leave all that behind. Should we not learn something here as well? If we never reveal our true identity the world will never turn us away, in fact, it will embrace us. We might find a great deal of success and wealth from the world’s embrace. But if it knew our true identify perhaps certain forms of persecution would rear their ugly heads. Although we do have to live in this world, we do not have to identify with it, we need to know and see ourselves for who we truly are, followers of Jesus Christ. This is our true identity.  

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