MOSES grew up from that little babe who had been hidden in the flags or
reeds of the Nile, and he had been educated in all the learning of the
Egyptians, as if he had been the real son of Pharaoh's daughter.
God was watching over Moses all the time, and preparing him for the
great and wonderful work he was to do.
Do we all sometimes feel it very hard to learn difficult tasks? Do we,
as we grow older, sometimes wonder what work God is getting us ready to
do for Him?
I remember when I was young, how I was asked to stay for a fortnight
at a lady's house whom I had never seen, or heard of, before. She
called on my father, and said she should like to know his two eldest
daughters, and would he allow us to come and stay with her?
So we went; we were about nineteen and twenty at that time, and we felt
very homesick and strange at first. But do you know? That was one of
the best things that ever happened to both of us!
That dear, kind old lady, had a heart full of love to Jesus our
Saviour; and she used her money, and her house, and her influence, to
help young people to love Him too. And when we got to know her, we had
such a happy time, and set to work ourselves to try to bring others to
love Jesus. Well, that was God's love in training us for what He wanted
us to do afterwards. So, with Moses; he went in and out of Pharaoh's
Court, and learned many things which were most useful to him, all his
life, in God's Service.
The Children of Israel, or the Hebrews as they were called at this
time, were slaves in Egypt, and one day Moses saw an Egyptian using one
of the Hebrews very badly. So Moses interfered, and killed the Egyptian
who was ill-treating one of God's people.
This made Pharaoh very angry, and he tried to kill Moses.
So Moses fled, and by and bye, he reached the land of Midian, where he
sat down by a Well, and rested himself.
[Illustration: MOSES IN THE LAND OF MIDIAN.]
This Well belonged to the Priest, or Prince of Midian; and he had seven
daughters, who every day came to the Well, and filled the troughs for
their father's flocks to drink.
But some shepherds came and drove the girls away, wishing, I suppose,
to use the trough to water their own flocks, without waiting for the
maidens to finish their task.
But Moses stood up and helped them, so that they watered their father's
flock very quickly.
When they came home, their father asked them how it was that they
returned so soon?
And they said: "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the
shepherds, and also drew water for us!"
In the East, people are very hospitable, and ready to entertain
strangers; and directly Reuel (or Jethro) heard what his daughters
said, he exclaimed: "Where is he? How is it that you have left the man?
Call him, that he may eat bread."
[Illustration: By and by, Moses and Zipporah had a little son.]
So Moses was very happy to stay with Jethro, and soon he married one of
Jethro's daughters, named Zipporah. And by and bye Moses and Zipporah
had a little son, whom Moses named Gershom.
But while all this was going on in Midian, the plight of the Hebrews
who were in Egypt grew worse and worse.
The King, who had wanted to kill Moses, had died, and the Children of
Israel sighed under the cruel bondage that the Egyptians put upon them.
And their cry came up to God.
And God looked down out of heaven upon the poor, hardly-used slaves,
and He came down from heaven and spoke to Moses about them.
And the words He said are full of the tenderest comfort to all who are
in trouble. For God sees it, whatever it is. Also He listens to our
cry, when things are too hard for us. But best of all, He knows just
what is in our hearts, which nobody else can see or hear, and to this
sorrow He says, "I, even I, am He that comforteth you."
So God said to Moses, "For I know their sorrows; and I am come down to
deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up
into a good land ... flowing with milk and honey."
And God chose Moses, whom He had so wonderfully trained, to be His
Servant, who should deliver the Children of Israel from their hard
slavery.
Moses knew all about Egypt. He could speak the language of the
Egyptians: he understood all about the Court of Pharaoh, and the
customs of the Egyptians. So God sent him straight down to Egypt to
deliver His people, and He gave him this great and beautiful promise to
cheer his heart:
"Certainly I will be with thee."
Then God explained to Moses that Pharaoh would not let them go, but
that He would shew great wonders in Egypt by His Mighty Hand, and after
that, Pharaoh would be so frightened, that he would let them go.
All this came to pass; for God sent plague after plague on the
Egyptians, until at last, in a marvellous way, God delivered the whole
of the Israelites, with all their possessions and flocks and herds,
right out of the hand of Pharaoh. And God brought them through the Red
Sea on dry land, while the great army of the Egyptians who followed
hard after them, with their Chariots and horses, were drowned in the
deep waters, so that there was not one left!
And afterwards, God led His people through the wilderness, and did
bring them into the Land of Canaan as He had promised.
[Illustration]