Why Moses fled Egypt…
Stephen continued to defend himself before the Sanhedrin because he talked about Jesus in public. He spoke of God’s promises and prophecies to Abraham and the Israelites. Stephen then reviewed the history of Israel in Egypt and how the Lord God raised up a man to lead His people out of slavery. This man was Moses, and Stephen continued to tell why Moses had to flee Egypt.
(NASB) Acts 7:23-29 “But when he was approaching the age of forty it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.
24 ‘And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.
25 ‘And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.
26 ‘On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’
27 But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
28 ‘You do not mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’
29 ‘At this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.”
Moses reacted in defense of his fellow Israelites. He thought they would understand that he would be the one to deliver them out of slavery…but they did not. Moses did not understand that God’s timing was involved…and there was much for him to learn.
Moses had a temper and at that time rage turned to murder.
Reacting in anger, many times, severs relationships.
Moses ran from Egypt and ended up in another country…tending the sheep of a man who became his father-in-law.
Did Moses understand that in that wilderness area, as he tended sheep, he would learn difficult and important lessons? Perhaps he thought that he had really blown it, that he had messed up and God would not use him to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
When Moses fled, he would not return to Egypt for forty years. And when he did return, he would have already stood in the presence of the living God Who called him to deliver his fellow Israelites out of bondage, out of slavery.
The Lord God placed Moses as a ruler and judge over the Israelites. Moses is a “type” of Jesus Christ. A picture of Who Jesus is…the Shepherd, the Ruler and Judge over all people.
~ Take it to heart ~
Do you know Jesus as the One Who is available to be your Deliverer out of the slavery of sin? Jesus is the Savior and Redeemer and Deliverer. He is also the coming King Who will judge all people. Do you rely on Him?