Moses the Prince

In contrast to the cast of characters in Genesis, the Book of Exodus focuses on the story of Moses. Moses is such a significant figure that I will divide his story into three parts; Moses the Prince, Moses the Liberator, and Moses the Lawgiver.

If you will recall, at the conclusion of the Book of Genesis Jacob and his twelve sons were living in Egypt, having left Canaan in the famine.  For the next four hundred years or so, the clan of the Israelites grew and prospered—prospered so much, in fact, that the Pharaoh at the time decided that they were a little too prosperous and made them slaves, instead.  (Ex.1:8-14)

Which Pharoah pulled this double-cross? Believe it or not, it is unclear, with Bible scholars having differing opinions. The films made about these events usually depict Ramses the Second, but it is by no means settled.

To add insult to injury, the Pharoah decreed that all the male Hebrew babies were to be killed at birth, so that there would be no future army to rise up against him. (Ex. 1:16-22) Therefore, when baby Moses was born his mother hid him in a basket and sent him floating down the Nile, in the hopes of saving his life. And who should find the drifting baby? None other than the Pharoah’s daughter, who realized that he must be a Hebrew child, but nonetheless decided to adopt the boy as her own. (Ex. 2:1-10)

And so, Moses grew up as a Prince of Egypt, his secret identity known only to a very few. One day, however, Moses witnessed an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew slave and in a fit of rage, he killed the taskmaster.  Since this impulsive act could reveal his true heritage, he quickly buried the body and hoped no one would discover his crime. (Ex. 2:11-14)

But word soon spread, and the Pharoah—realizing his adopted grandson must be one of the dreaded Hebrews—sent his men to kill him.

Fearing for his life, Moses fled into a land called Midian, which scholars believe is located east of the Gulf of Aqaba in what is now northwest Saudi Arabia. (Ex.2:15)

He married Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, and “a long time passed” as he raised his family and tended his father-in law’s flock—Moses no doubt thanking his lucky stars that he’d managed to escape, and wanting nothing to do with his former royal relatives.

But as we shall see, God had other plans.