Moses the Murderer

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. Looking 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.” 

-Exodus 2:11-14

We have all heard the amazing stories of Moses.  First was his epic beginning in Exodus 1 as a baby plucked out of the Nile River by the daughter of the Pharaoh and raised in the royal household.  We heard about Moses’ encounter with God in the burning bush in Exodus 3, the plagues inflicted upon the Egyptians, passover, crossing over the Red Sea on dry land, and the 40 years of wandering through the wilderness.  But we don’t often focus on WHY Moses was in the desert at Mt. Sinai to hear the voice of God in the burning bush.  Moses fled Egypt because he killed an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew slave.  Moses was a murderer.

It is human nature to narrow our perception of people based on one factor of their lives, their past, or their personality.  This limits our willingness to see the whole person.  Moses was much more than just a baby found in the river.  Moses was far more than the worst thing he ever did.  Moses was a complex person who became the greatest leader of the Hebrews.  How do we see other people?  Do we focus on one portion of their past?  Do we simplify our opinion of them to the worst thing that ever happened to them?  Or to the worst thing they ever did?  Do we have the ability to look past the trauma and see the whole person?  Do we see them with God’s eyes… the potential, the calling, the gifts that God gave them?  May we speak forgiveness, life, hope, support, and love into the lives of the people around us.

Please join us in worship this summer as we explore some perhaps unfamiliar stories from the Old Testament. They may bring insight and challenge our understanding of God’s work in the world… There’s trouble brewing in the Old West-ament.

Hear our prayer O God, as we hear your call. If only the world heard your voice as clearly as Moses and recognized its truth.  Grant us the strength to be your voice in this world.  We pray for this world, so much violence and no solution; so much that has been done rightly or wrongly; and a fear and panic that no solution can be found.  For ourselves, for those who are our family and friends we pray; those who we know are ill and those recovering; those who are lonely, anxious, confused, stressed we pray; and for those who bring color back to life we pray.  Hear us, O Lord.  Amen