If first impressions count, what do we learn about Moses in these verses?
1. Physically he was strong and imposing. (If you go down a couple of verses, he confronts two Israelites who are fighting and one of them asks him "are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?") Also when he gets to Midian and the shepherds chased Jethro's daughters away from the well, Moses stands up and his presence is imposing enough that the shepherds back down.
2. Moses is wired for justice. Injustice makes him burn and turn and churn - he cannot be a spectator to injustice - he feels forced to action immediately. He sees the Jethro's daughters being chased from the well and he "_got_ _up_ and came to their rescue and watered their flock." (Ex.2:17)
3. He turned to violence as his first resort. We can probably attribute this to him being young and testosterone-filled. His physical strength was an asset and he naturally played toward his strengths. He would have to develop other strengths...
4. He hadn't yet learned that if you're going to do something that is wrong, there is always someone who will see you!!
This is our initial picture of Moses: Strong, Passionate, Violent and Unwise. But God could transform these qualities into great leadership. We should learn from Moses' mistakes, but also be encouraged by God's transforming grace.
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Theo Groeneveld theo@gracepresby.org.za
You can see past EmmDevs at http://emmdev.blogspot.com/
