Exodus 2

Exodus 2:11-25

Moses’ Flight to the Land of Midian – Exodus 2:11-22 records the flight of Moses to the land of Midian and his marriage to the daughter of the priest of this region. Moses knew that he was a Hebrew since childhood. The occasion of his flight was due to the fact that he killed an Egyptian and brought the wrath of Pharaoh against him. At some point in time Moses came to understand his future role in leading Israel out of bondage (Acts 7:25). In Exodus 2:11-12 Moses tries to deliver the Israelites in the flesh. The result is murder. Moses had to learn after spending forty years in the wilderness that God will do things in His time, not man’s time or man’s ways. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). Acts 7:25, “For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.” Isaiah 55:8, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” It is very likely that God’s plan was to deliver Israel by Moses without the forty-year exile of Moses in the wilderness. God’s promise was to deliver Israel after four hundred (400) years (Genesis 15:13). Instead, Israel stayed in bondage for four hundred and thirty (430) years (Exodus 12:40-41). Perhaps this thirty-year delay was caused by the rejection of Moses by the Hebrews in Exodus 2:13-15, when they accused Moses of being a killer; or, perhaps it was caused by Moses’ efforts of trying to deliver the Hebrews before it was time. Thus, Moses would have acted in zeal, in the flesh, and not in the power of God. Genesis 15:13, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;” Exodus 12:40-41, “Now the sojourning of the children of Israel, who dwelt in Egypt, was four hundred and thirty years. And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.” Moses stayed in the wilderness for forty years. A forty-year period in the Scriptures represents a period of trial and testing. For example, God judged and tested Israel in the wilderness for 40 years for their rebellion; and Jesus was tested in the wilderness for forty days. Perhaps this thirty-year delay was a judgment on the Hebrews for rejecting Moses as their deliverer, causing him to go into exile for forty years. Exodus 2:14 — “Who made thee a prince and a judge over us” – Comments - The Hebrews asked Moses who made him a prince or a judge over them. Later in the wilderness, God did make Moses a judge over Israel. This statement is a foreshadowing of his future role as a leader over Israel. It will become typical of how the children Israel are going to begin murmuring against Moses in wilderness. Note: Exodus 18:13, “And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.” Note the New Testament references to Exodus 2:14 : Acts 7:27-28, “But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?” Acts 7:35, “This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.” Exodus 2:15 — Comments - The land of Midian was just outside of Pharaoh’s jurisdiction, so that Moses was safe there. Exodus 2:15-22 — Moses and the Priest of Midian – Exodus 2:15-22 records the early years of Moses in the land of Midian. He marries a daughter of the priest of Midian, who bears him a son named Gershom. Exodus 2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. Exodus 2:16 — “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters” - Comments – We recall Melchizedek, the king and priest of Salem. The Scriptures record the fact that both were righteous in their priestly duties. Note that the Midianites were descended from Midian, the son of Abraham and Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2). Therefore, Jethro could have easily followed in the faith of his forefather Abraham. Genesis 25:1-2, “Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.” Exodus 2:16 — “and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock” - Word Study on “the troughs” - Gesenius tells us that the Hebrew word “troughs” “rahat” (ψַ ?δַ ?θ) (H7298) literally means, “a watering trough” (Genesis 30:38; Genesis 30:41, Exodus 2:16). He gives us its figurative meaning as “ringlets, curls (apparently so called from their flowing down)” (Son 7:5). BDB tells us that it means, “a trough, a hollow, a lock of hair,” suggesting that this meaning may be dubious. Strong says it probably comes from an unused root meaning, “to hollow out.” The Enhanced Strong says this word is used four times in the Old Testament, being translated in the KJV as “gutter 2, trough 1, gallery 1.” Genesis 30:38, “And he set the rods which he had pilled before the flocks in the gutters in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.” Genesis 30:41, “And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger cattle did conceive, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the cattle in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.” Exodus 2:16, “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.” Son 7:5, “Thine head upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair of thine head like purple; the king is held in the galleries.” Exodus 2:18 — Comments - Reuel is the same individual as Jethro, or Jether and Hobab (see Exodus 3:1, Numbers 10:29). Exodus 3:1, “Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.” Numbers 10:29, “And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses’ father in law, We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, I will give it you: come thou with us, and we will do thee good: for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel.” Exodus 2:22 — Word Study on “Gershom” - Gesenius says the name “Gershom” (βֵּ ?ψְ ?ωׁ ?εֹ ?ο) (H1648) means, “expulsion.” Strong says it means, “a refugee.” PTW says it means, “exile.” Exodus 2:24 — Comments - God cannot lie (Numbers 23:19). He had a covenant with Abraham (Exodus 3:7). Therefore, God was watching out for the children of Abraham. Numbers 23:19, “God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?” Exodus 3:7, “And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;” Exodus 2:23-25 — Comments - Israel’s Cry for Deliverance - God hears the cry of His children.