Day 899: Play the man - Exodus 2 vs 11 - 25

11-14 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his own people and observed their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. After looking this way and that and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid his body in the sand. The next day Moses went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you attacking your companion?” But the man replied, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you planning to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “This thing I have done has surely become known.” 15 When Pharaoh heard about this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian, where he sat down beside a well.

16-20 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s flock. And when some shepherds came along and drove them away, Moses rose up to help them and watered their flock. When the daughters returned to their father Reuel, (also known as Jethro) he asked them, “Why have you returned so early today?” “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they replied. “He even drew water for us and watered the flock.” “So where is he?” their father asked. “Why did you leave the man behind? Invite him to have something to eat.” 21-22 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. And she gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”

23-25 After a long time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned and cried out under their burden of slavery, and their cry for deliverance from bondage ascended to God. So God heard their groaning, and He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw the Israelites and took notice. Exodus 2:11-25 Berean Bible (ESV)

This is another straightforward narative which doesn't need too much explanation. But it was commented on by the disciple Stephen when he was on trial as a follower of Jesus. Recapping Jewish history he said: “Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds. When he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brothers, the children of Israel. And seeing one of them being wronged, he defended the oppressed man and avenged him by striking down the Egyptian. He supposed that his brothers would understand that God was giving them salvation by his hand, but they did not understand.” (Acts 7:22-25)

It seems that Moses' desire was to intervene on behalf of his own people, the Hebrews. But it wasn't yet God's time to bring that about. We're reminded again, especially in our computer driven age where we want answers in an instant, that God's timetable may be much longer than we realize. We must not become discouraged as we await the return of Christ. But as I read this narative I was struck by something regarding Moses, and wonder if it came to your mind as well. What sort of man do you think he was?

I suggest he probably had a good physique as he would have had access to any gymnasiums Egypt had in those days - and that he was also intelligent, having been instructed (as Stephen told us) in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. His manliness comes through in his defending of and an oppressed slave, and then bravely protecting seven women from a group of men who’d chased them from a watering trough.

Now why I think this is worth mentioning is because we live in days when it seems that many in the Western world are doing all they can to weaken the role of manhood! They use terms such as 'toxic masculinity' and urge men to use make up and be more feminine. But it cant be coincidence that some of most popular blogs on the internet are by men who encourage other men to 'man up' and take responsibility for themselves and their families. The Bible teaches that men should take the lead in the home as well as be the ones who are first to go into battle against foes. As a man named Joab said to his troops who were surrounded by an enemy: “Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people, and for the cities of our God.” (2 Samuel 10:12) Yes, we need men in our times like Moses.