"When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well." (v.15)
Back in chapter 1, the Pharaoh began a genocide campaign against God's people. He worked them very hard under taskmasters to the demise of the weak, he ordered the midwives to kill every male born to the Hebrew women at birth, and finally he commanded all of his people to throw every son born to the Hebrews into the river (vv.15-22).
Now here in chapter 2 we see that a man and a woman from the tribe of Levi conceive and gave birth to a son, whom they hid from the Pharaoh for three months. After that period of time, the woman put the child in a sealed wicker basket and floated down the river to where Pharaoh’s daughter was bathing. And when Pharaoh’s daughter saw the baby she had pity on it. Then the sister of this baby asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" The Pharaoh's daughter agreed and promised to give wages to the woman who nursed the baby. Then she named the baby ‘Moses’ because she had drew him out of the water.
Now when Moses had grown up he went out and walked among his people, and looked on their hard labors; he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. At that moment Moses chose to identify himself with his own people, by killing the Egyptian who was mercilessly beating an Israelite. As a result, Moses had to flee Egypt (and the comforts of the palace) for his life, and spent the next 40 years as a sheepherder in Midian.
Now it wasn't until eighty years after Moses left Egypt, that he finally realized why God had allowed him to be humiliated - run out of town. He also understood why the Lord had permitted the Israelites to go through 40 more years of oppression and then 40 years of wilderness wandering. Just before the Jews crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land (which Moses never saw), he told them that God’s goal was to humble them and strengthen them through the long years of testing (Dt. 8:2) so they would know God in a new way and rely fully on Him.
The Lord places a higher value on our long-term moral and spiritual development than on our short-term happiness. He often puts us through the fire to refine us and strengthen us. While calm waters in life are comfortable, they do not stir us to action, they do not test our patience nor strength. Even though we may never know (this side of heaven) why we had to experience some of the things we have, we can rest assured they were for our good. Remember - God uses life's setbacks to help us move ahead.
In looking back over your journey, what have you learned in your days of testing? Now praise Him for them.
The Truth: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens." (Ecclesiastes 3:1)
