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Harboring a fugitive
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†. Ex 2:11-12 . . Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
There wasn't exactly "no one" around. I mean; the guy being beaten saw everything.
Moses was a three-month old infant when the princess found him (Acts 7:20). At this point in his life, he was forty years old. (Acts 7:23-24)
Moses certainly over-reacted in that incident. He had connections in a Pharaoh's palace and could have simply reported the abuse to some higher-ups instead of taking matters into his own hands. Terminating the Egyptian's life was extreme to say the least. In most any sensible jurisdiction; the law permits using only enough force and violence as is necessary to prevent the commission of a crime. Since Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, then I've no doubt he was aware of the limits of the law. So then, I'm pretty much forced to conclude that his was a crime of passion and totally without excuse.
According to Stephen, Moses thought of himself as a somebody special.
†. Acts 7:25 . . For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Well; I don't think Moses understood either. Where'd he get the idea he was a divine emissary? I hate to say it; but I really think that Moses at this point in his life was just as delusional as a Jim Jones, and/or a David Koresh.
†. Ex 2:12-13 . . And he went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender: Why are you striking your companion?
A murderer is certainly no one to lecture anybody about striking people. And Moses was biased too. The previous day he had killed someone for striking an Hebrew. This time he merely protests.
†. Acts 7:27 . . But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying: Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
It wasn't uncommon for ancient governments to allow Jews within their jurisdictions enough autonomy to resolve their own differences. Pilate, for example, encouraged the Jews to judge Jesus according to their own laws because he could find nothing with which to charge the Lord in accordance with Roman law. Well; as far as the attacker was concerned-- royalty or no royalty --people visiting Hebrews job sites were just tourists and had no business in their affairs.
†. Ex 2:14b . . Are you intending to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid
He had good reason to be afraid. It was one thing to slay an Hebrew laborer; but slaying an Egyptian was a matter deserving Pharaoh's attention.
†. Ex 2:14-15 . . When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses.
The identity of this Pharaoh is uncertain. It had been forty years since Moses was discovered by the river. If it's the same that ordered all the Hebrew male infants slain; he finally, at long last, had Moses between a rock and hard place where not even Pharaoh's daughter could protect him.
†. Ex 2:15a . . Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian.
Midian was one of Abraham's sons by his second wife Keturah. His territory-- as well as some of Ishmael's --was located on the east side of the Red Sea (gulf of Aquaba). However, Midian's haunts included sites located on the Sinai Peninsula where Moses' father-in-law pastured his flocks. The Bible doesn't really say how Moses got there but if his journey took him from Memphis to the east side of Mt. Horeb; he traveled something like 300 miles to get there.
Ironically, merchants from Midian are the very ones who purchased Joseph from his brothers and then sold him into slavery in Egypt. But at least the Midianites and the Ishmaelites were Moses' kin; and probably his only friends in the whole Mideast since all of Jacob's people had evacuated Canaan way back when Joseph was Egypt's minister of agriculture, and second in command under the Pharaoh of his day. No doubt the Midianites and the Ishmaelites had survived the awful seven-year famine because of Joseph. Well; harboring a kinsman was their golden opportunity to reciprocate.
Buen Camino
/
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†. Ex 2:11-12 . . Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. So he looked this way and that, and when he saw there was no one around, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
There wasn't exactly "no one" around. I mean; the guy being beaten saw everything.
Moses was a three-month old infant when the princess found him (Acts 7:20). At this point in his life, he was forty years old. (Acts 7:23-24)
Moses certainly over-reacted in that incident. He had connections in a Pharaoh's palace and could have simply reported the abuse to some higher-ups instead of taking matters into his own hands. Terminating the Egyptian's life was extreme to say the least. In most any sensible jurisdiction; the law permits using only enough force and violence as is necessary to prevent the commission of a crime. Since Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, then I've no doubt he was aware of the limits of the law. So then, I'm pretty much forced to conclude that his was a crime of passion and totally without excuse.
According to Stephen, Moses thought of himself as a somebody special.
†. Acts 7:25 . . For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
Well; I don't think Moses understood either. Where'd he get the idea he was a divine emissary? I hate to say it; but I really think that Moses at this point in his life was just as delusional as a Jim Jones, and/or a David Koresh.
†. Ex 2:12-13 . . And he went out the next day, and behold, two Hebrews were fighting with each other; and he said to the offender: Why are you striking your companion?
A murderer is certainly no one to lecture anybody about striking people. And Moses was biased too. The previous day he had killed someone for striking an Hebrew. This time he merely protests.
†. Acts 7:27 . . But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying: Who made you a ruler and judge over us?
It wasn't uncommon for ancient governments to allow Jews within their jurisdictions enough autonomy to resolve their own differences. Pilate, for example, encouraged the Jews to judge Jesus according to their own laws because he could find nothing with which to charge the Lord in accordance with Roman law. Well; as far as the attacker was concerned-- royalty or no royalty --people visiting Hebrews job sites were just tourists and had no business in their affairs.
†. Ex 2:14b . . Are you intending to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid
He had good reason to be afraid. It was one thing to slay an Hebrew laborer; but slaying an Egyptian was a matter deserving Pharaoh's attention.
†. Ex 2:14-15 . . When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he tried to kill Moses.
The identity of this Pharaoh is uncertain. It had been forty years since Moses was discovered by the river. If it's the same that ordered all the Hebrew male infants slain; he finally, at long last, had Moses between a rock and hard place where not even Pharaoh's daughter could protect him.
†. Ex 2:15a . . Moses fled from the presence of Pharaoh and settled in the land of Midian.
Midian was one of Abraham's sons by his second wife Keturah. His territory-- as well as some of Ishmael's --was located on the east side of the Red Sea (gulf of Aquaba). However, Midian's haunts included sites located on the Sinai Peninsula where Moses' father-in-law pastured his flocks. The Bible doesn't really say how Moses got there but if his journey took him from Memphis to the east side of Mt. Horeb; he traveled something like 300 miles to get there.
Ironically, merchants from Midian are the very ones who purchased Joseph from his brothers and then sold him into slavery in Egypt. But at least the Midianites and the Ishmaelites were Moses' kin; and probably his only friends in the whole Mideast since all of Jacob's people had evacuated Canaan way back when Joseph was Egypt's minister of agriculture, and second in command under the Pharaoh of his day. No doubt the Midianites and the Ishmaelites had survived the awful seven-year famine because of Joseph. Well; harboring a kinsman was their golden opportunity to reciprocate.
Buen Camino
/
Last edited by a moderator:
YIKES.... I am so DEEPLY embarrassed. Please forgive me AirDancer! As a moderator, you have your hands FULL with keeping everyone pleasant, and here I am wasting your time by having a temper tantrum over something that never happened. 
