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.

Rejected by His People

One day, Moses made a conscious choice to reject the false gods of Egypt for the one true God or Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. He rejects the palace for the promises of God. That choice comes to a physical action here in Ex. 2:11. It is seen in the action he takes in defending one of his brethren.

Exodus 2:11-12 he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 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.

The word “smiting” means to severely beat someone, to the point of killing them or nearly killing them. Moses looks around to make sure he is not seen and then he kills the aggressor. Now you can question Moses’ timing or means but I don’t think the Bible questions his motives.

The great faith chapter of Hebrews 11 lists the heroes of faith and when we come to Moses, he ranks 6 verses.

Hebrews 11: 24-26  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.

Do you ever hear it preached or taught that Moses was a murderer? I see it all the time on the internet. You know the meme, “Noah was a drunk, Moses was a murderer” and it goes on, but this really isn’t murder is it. He stepped in to save a man’s life. We may question if he acted before God was ready or in a way that created problems instead of solutions, but you cannot question that he acted. He acted to save a life and to protect one of God’s chosen people.

The Bible doesn’t condemn him for choosing to help his people. He may have thought that this action was the start of the deliverance of the Hebrews, though again the Bible makes no such revelation. Whatever Moses thought would happen after he saved a man’s life, what did happen on the second day was a shock.

 Exodus 2:13-14 two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?

Can you imagine anything more painful, more shocking? After having made the choice to stand for God’s people to now be rejected and threatened by them?

Moses hearing this accusation knows he is in great danger, and then when Pharoah hears of the killing. Moses flees for his life to the land of Midian.

Rejected by Our Own

Don’t you wish that what happened to Moses was an isolated event? That never again or at least very rarely do God’s people reject and hurt one another. But if you’ve been a Christian even a short time you know it is not really that uncommon at all.

The reality is that God’s people are not infallible, they are not sinless and they can and often do hurt us. They still live in a sinful world and are subject to sin’s influence. This doesn’t excuse the sin of hurting others, or rejecting a brother or sister in Christ, but it should help us to understand why it happens. People make mistakes, people are selfish, people are just sinners and surprise, surprise, there is a bunch of those ol’ sinners sitting right in middle of every church you’ve ever attended.

You see the next lesson we should learn from this passage is that not only is this world not my home, but that even God’s people in this world can fail me. I can’t put all my hope and trust in people, even my people. I must understand that only God will never fail me.

People will fail you; family will fail you, not because they don’t love you, or aren’t saved but because they are people with all the weaknesses and failings of people.

Moses learned and we must learn that our only sure place of absolute trust and faith is in Jesus Christ. When I truly learn this, then the disappointment of others will not drive me further from Him but will drive me closer to Him.

Jesus knew this and among His own apostles, those closest to him, there were contentions, arguments, disagreements, and betrayal. On His last night before the crucifixion, He instituted the Lord’s supper and He taught the most important life lessons to the apostles. One of those vital lessons is found in..

John 13:33-35 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

This was so important that Jesus said, “I give you a new commandment.” A commandment that supersedes the other commandments because it is the most essential.

John, in his letter to the churches, emphasizes this in 1 John 3:23 23 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment.

First, John says, have faith in Jesus and second love one another. That is how important it the new commandment is.

I know it isn’t easy. We want to retaliate, to hurt the one who has hurt us. Reject them because it feels as if they have rejected you.

What then must we do when we are so hurt, so rejected by those we believed would never let us down? Look at what David did.

David, who was betrayed by the commander of his army and by his own son Absalom. He wrote this prayer in

Psalm 27:7-14 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.  When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.  Hide not thy face far from me; put not thy servant away in anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.  When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.  Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.  Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies: for false witnesses are risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.  I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.  Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

When others reject us, fail us, break us, then do what David did. Look to the Lord. “The Lord will take me up!”

Look to the one who never fails you and you’ll find the faith to forgive those who have failed and hurt you.