Exodus 2:11-15 "And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well."
Moses grew up in the house of Pharaoh. In all likelihood, he was educated as was befitting a prince of Egypt. Pharaoh had ordered all the males born to the Israelites to be killed at birth. However, by the time Pharaoh actually became aware of Moses, Moses may have been upwards of two years old. Remember that Pharaoh’s daughter told Moses birth mother to “take the child away and nurse it (Exodus 2:9).” Moses was returned to Pharaoh’s daughter after he had grown to the point where he no longer needed to be “nursed.”
Men might surmise many reasons why Pharaoh allowed Moses to live. Perhaps he had great affection for his daughter and wanted to please her. Maybe he did not realize that Moses was a Hebrew. All the “what if’s” and “maybe’s” in the world cannot overshadow the fact that God had a purpose for Moses life. In the course of growing up in Pharaoh’s household, he learned that he was one of the children of Israel.
The day came when he could no longer sit at ease in Pharaoh’s house. He went out into the land to see the plight of his brethren. He saw how they were burdened and made to serve by the use of violent force. Moses observed one of the Egyptian taskmasters beating an Israelite slave. Seeing that no one else was around, Moses stepped in and killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.
When Moses came out the next day, he discovered two of his Israelite brethren fighting. He intervened and rebuked the man who was in the wrong. This man asked a question that the answer would not be revealed for several years when he asked Moses who had made him a judge over them. However, Moses was immediately concerned when the man revealed that it was known that Moses had killed the Egyptian taskmaster.
Realizing that his “secret” was not a secret any longer, Moses ran from Egypt. When Pharaoh was made aware of what Moses had done, he sought to kill him. But Moses was already out of his reach and had fled into the land of Midian. As we often see in the scripture when someone came to a strange place, he sat down by a well. He knew that people would always come to a well, and he could learn something of the people and their labors.
When God has a purpose in our lives, rest assured that our lives will be preserved. Even if our very existence is a death sentence (as it should have been for Moses), God is able to save us. He can cause our very enemies to care for us. We can also be assured that in His own good time He will reveal His purpose to us and to those around us. May we be blessed to sit down by the Well of Living Water.