GOOD TRIUMPHS OVER EVIL

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In Christ, Mark

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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"

The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"

Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."

When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.

Exodus 2:11-15

This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.

As we continue our study of Exodus, chapter 2, we fast forward from the baby Moses being plucked from the reeds along the Red Sea and adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter in infancy to becoming "grown up." Through this development, he witnessed the terrible oppression suffered by Israel at the hands of Egypt’s supreme leader, Pharaoh, and within the context of our passage for today, we get a sense that he had seen enough. Look again at those words here:

One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Glancing this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, "Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"

The man said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"

Then Moses was afraid and thought, "What I did must have become known."

When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in Midian, where he sat down by a well.  Exodus 2:11-15

Here, we find Moses reach a breaking point in regard to the oppressive treatment of the Egyptians who had committed the Israelites to slavery. We read where he sees an Egyptian beating a fellow Hebrew and, after surveying the area and seeing no one else around, he took matters into his own hands and killed the Egyptian. Then, the scriptures tell us that he buried the body in the sand.

This action taken by Moses would serve to be a precursor of what was to come for we know he will be used by God for much greater purposes than saving a single Israelite. Here’s a couple of things we learn about his character early on:

First, Moses showed contempt for abuse, especially against his fellow Israelites.

Although he grew up with the luxuries that came from being a part of Pharaoh’s family, Moses didn’t forget his roots. His love for his fellow Hebrews was evident as he came to aid of his fellow Israelite being assaulted by the Egyptian.

Second, Moses showed great courage to intervene and save the Hebrew.

Let’s not be led to feel like that was an easy matter to step into. In fact, scripture tells that Moses first glanced "this way and that” to see if anyone would witness what he was about to do. Indeed, there was a lot at stake and Moses knew he would be put to death if Pharaoh ever discovered that he had killed an Egyptian. And yet, his desire to save one of his own people was greater than his own personal safety and so Moses took action. His courage and willingness to save would be used by God on a much bigger stage later.

So to recap, Moses had saved a brother Hebrew from an assault by an Egyptian national, killing the assailant and burying his body. We know that no one had seen what happened and so Moses had to think that the issue was over but he was wrong.

We know this because some time after burying the Egyptian, the scriptures tell us that Moses sees two Hebrews fighting one another. We should see how volatile things were for the Israelites because if it wasn’t bad enough that the Hebrews were being subjected to beatings from the Egyptians, we see where there were beating on one another as well.

We read where Moses steps in and confronts the Israelite aggressor, the "one in the wrong", asking a simple question:

"Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?"

I’m sure Moses’ intent  was to just try and diffuse the situation peacefully but we find the Hebrew who was in the wrong verbally assaulting Moses asking:

"Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"

The question had to shock Moses for he had been careful to make sure there were no witnesses when he came to the rescue of his fellow Israelite. The only thing Moses didn’t plan for was that the person he helped would possibly tell their fellow Hebrews about what happened. This is how the person who was in the wrong knew about the prior killing.  

And so we find the Hebrew aggressor refusing to admit he was wrong in his actions and instead going after Moses, letting him know that he was well aware of what he had done prior. This revelation whisked away Moses’ courage and replaced it with fear for he now knew that word was spreading about the killing and indeed that word made its way to Pharaoh himself who we read tried to kill Moses after he heard what had happened.

Fortunately for Moses, it wasn’t yet his time to die for the Lord still had much for him to do. And so he escaped death at the hands of Pharaoh yet another time, fleeing to the region of Midian.

In regard to life application of our scripture passage for today, we can see a distinct flaw in our human nature as we look at the behavior of the Hebrew aggressor. For if we’re honest, we have all acted as he did at one time or another.

You see, I think we all have a hard time just admitting that we’re wrong sometimes. In the case of Moses and the fighting Israelite, we find him trying to get the Hebrew to see the wrongs of his ways with the hope he might say:

"You know, you’re right Moses. I got upset and I shouldn’t have started hitting my brother. I’m sorry."

Unfortunately, we know that this didn’t happen.

Instead, the Hebrew successfully deflected the blame off himself by putting it onto Moses instead. In essence, he was asking Moses, “Who are you to tell us to not fight? Are you in charge of us?"

And then, he plays his money ball, asking Moses if he was going to kill him as he did the Egyptian. I can imagine the distress and fright that immediately showed up on Moses’ face and the Hebrew thinking in his mind, “That’s right. I know ALL about it. Now, just go and mind your own business."

I wonder if we don’t get equally vindictive against someone when they call us out for our transgressions and/or seek to shift the blame on the accuser instead of taking accountability and responsibility for what we’ve done. Indeed, our scripture passage for today gives us a look into the good and bad of humanity.

In one case, we see the courage to stand up for what is right and save another, even at the expense of oneself. And this was what Jesus did as well, except the life He sacrificed for the cause of peace and salvation was His own.

In the other case, we see the destructive nature of a spiteful, non-repentant attitude. The Hebrew man’s caustic, hateful response to Moses was meant to hurt him just as much as he was physically hurting the fellow Israelite he was fighting.

Into the midst of this, we find our Lord stepping into the gap when His chosen ones are facing danger. For what the Hebrew assaulter intended for evil, asking Moses if he planned to kill him as he killed the Egyptian, God made it end up for good because Moses was made aware that the word about what happened was out. This allowed him to escape and remain safe, despite Pharaoh’s murderous intentions.

As stated prior, God still had much for Moses to do.

Friends, we need to keep all this in mind as we live as Christ followers each and every day because we will inevitably run into others who will want to do evil unto us, feeling in every way that they will succeed.

The good news is that, like Moses, we are servants of a God who wishes to use us for good. And as He ever works to shape is in His righteousness, He watches over us and protects us from sinister acts of wickedness. In the end translation, we need to embrace the good news that Satan will never get the upper hand against the Lord. Never.

Good triumphs over evil. It has, does, and will always continue to right up to the day when Jesus returns to set things straight forever. Thanks be to God that we can trust in this truth.

Amen.

In Christ,

Mark

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