Between Two Worlds
Have you ever felt like you just didn’t fit in? Maybe you were raised in a different country or a different part of the country, and your mannerisms and food preferences aren’t the same as those around you. Maybe you work in a job where your education level is different than your peers. Maybe your spiritual roots, or lack of them, make you stand out.
I suspect that Moses often felt like he didn’t fit in. Born of Hebrew parents, yet raised by the daughter of Pharaoh, likely created the tension Moses felt. Because his nurse was his biological mother, he would have certainly learned of his family history, which of course was tied to the history of the slavery they had endured. On the other hand, he was living in Pharaoh's household, which would have included unimaginable resources compared to what he saw in the Hebrew nation.
Research in brain development tells us that the first five years of life is when 90% of brain development happens. So, Moses had the influence of his biological mother during much, maybe most, of this time. Research also tells us that the frontal cortex of the brain develops last, and it is not uncommon for adolescents to be in their mid to later 20s before this area of the brain matures.
Back to Moses. His maturing was first shaped significantly with the love and care of his mother nearby. And as Moses aged into adolescence, his brain and emotional development would have happened more in the surroundings of Pharaoh's family. So you can imagine that as an adult who observed the abusive nature of Pharaoh toward the Hebrew people, there came a breaking point for Moses that resulted in the murder of an Egyptian citizen. Moses knew that his decision was now final, and he had to leave Egypt or die.
Sometime after Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down by a well. Surely, he was pondering his new life when he saw seven women being mistreated by a group of shepherds. The adrenaline and testosterone kicked in, and Moses rose up to defend the daughters of the priest of Midian. But this time instead of running away he was invited into the home of the priest who was grateful for the protection he had offered his daughters.
Soon Reuel, the priest, offered Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage and the new life of Moses had begun.
I am certainly not defending the actions of Moses when he killed the Egyptian. But it seems clear in this story and in many situations in the Bible that God redeems our mistakes. There is no mistake that ends God’s love for you. In the case of Moses, God provided a 40-year period of time where he would prepare Moses for a unique and courageous assignment that would result in the end of the Hebrew slavery at the hands of the Egyptian Pharaohs.
Father, increase our faith to turn to you in our times of need instead of acting impulsively and foolishly. Today we surrender our lives to you. Use us wherever you choose. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Exodus 2:2-25 ESV
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