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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