Moses' story is a cornerstone of religious history, marked by pivotal moments that shaped the destiny of the Israelites. One significant chapter in his life is his time spent in Midian. This article delves into the events leading up to his journey to Midian, his experiences there, and the length of his stay.
Thus far, Moses grew up in the royal palace in Egypt. During the forty years of life in the palace, he must have received a very good education. But all the while Moses knew that he was not an Egyptian. He knew that he was a Hebrew.
One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. After arriving at the place where his people were, he watched them at their hard labor. Then he saw a shocking scene.
An Egyptian was beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Obviously, the Egyptian was one of the slave masters. And the Hebrew was a slave under his supervision. We do not know exactly how the Egyptian mistreated the Hebrew. But we can easily imagine what happened.
Upon seeing this scene Moses’ blood pressure probably went up. Without knowing what he was doing, like a ninja in a Japanese movie, Moses flew in. He grabbed the Egyptian by the neck, separated him from the Hebrew, dragged him to a corner and, glancing this way and that and seeing no one, with a few karate punches knocked him down. The man collapsed. He was dead. “Oh, no!” Moses said to himself. But it was too late.
Read also: Moroccan Visa Requirements
Moses had no time to lose. He quickly hid him in the sand. But he could not stay at the palace and do nothing for his people. The more he thought about his fellow Hebrews suffering, the more concerned he became. So the next day he went out again and saw a different scenario: this time two Hebrews were fighting.
The man who was in the wrong could have said, “Oh, sir. I am sorry. Thank you for reminding me that fellow Hebrews should not hit fellow Hebrews. Please forgive me.” But that was not what he said. Rather he said, "Who made you ruler and judge over us? Indeed, Moses’ hunch was right. Unbeknownst to Moses, the news spread quickly. The report went straight up to Pharaoh.
How did Pharaoh respond? Look at verse 15. But Moses acted more quickly than the Pharaoh. Let us stop for a moment and take a look at a map to see where Midian is located. We know where Egypt is located. Midian is located about 700 miles to the east of Egypt. In order to flee from Egypt to Midian you need to make a long journey.
From Los Angeles to San Francisco it is about five hundred miles, and if you drive, it easily takes you 6 to 8 hours. But the distance between Egypt and Midian is greater than that. And in between Egypt and Midian is the Sinai peninsula, which is a hot desert area.
Finally, Moses arrived in Midian. Then he found a well. Exhausted, he sat down by the well. He must have quenched his thirst. Unbeknownst to Moses, the Lord God was waiting for this moment to come. The Lord God came up with a provision for him. What kind of provision was it? Look at verse 16. “Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.”
Read also: Tradition and Elegance: Ray Darten Gowns
In the Middle East, even nowadays, women do not associate with men publicly. The chador women are wearing gives us a pretty good idea of what I am talking about. In America, when boys and girls meet each other on high school or college campuses, they say, “Hi,” and then some of them start hugging or smooching etc. But in the culture of the Middle East that kind of practice was an absolute no, no.
So, being a courteous man, Moses must have stepped aside away from the well. While the women were working around the well, some shepherds came along. The rule of thumb is first come, first serve. Because the seven daughters came first the shepherds should have waited until the girls finished. But they acted like a bunch of bullies.
Then Moses’ blood pressure went up. He got up. He went to the shepherds and said, “How dare you! These ladies came first. You go there and wait in line.” Then the toughest looking guy among the group flexed his muscles and tried to gang up on Moses. But he was no match for Moses. With a few quick moves, Moses twisted his arm, and put the bully under his control. The seven daughters were overjoyed. They thanked Moses for Moses not only saved them but also assisted them to water their flock.
Look at verse 18. “When the girls returned to Reuel their father, he asked them, ‘Why have you returned so early today?’” Here the Midian priest’s name is “Reuel” which means “God’s friend.” It was another name for Jethro. A question then arises, “Why, at this moment of Moses’ life here on earth, did the Lord choose to describe the name of the priest not as Jethro but as Reuel?
A quick answer would be this: Reuel was a god-send. In each generation the Lord God saves his people who are friendly to Him and his people. What kind of provision was it? Look at verses 19-22. “They answered, ‘An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock.’ ‘And where is he?’ he asked his daughters. ‘Why did you leave him? Invite him to have something to eat.’ Moses agreed to stay with the man, who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. The Lord God provided Moses a home in a desert land for the next forty years.
Read also: African American Businesses on Long Island
Let us now look at verses 23-25. “During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. God is the God of concern. He is not aloof or indifferent to our miseries. Moses understood God’s concern. So he too was concerned. So he was concerned about the needs his neighbors had. But he did not know how to bring about God’s salvation for them. So he used his own might, wit, and wisdom. The Lord God found that Moses was worthy of God’s divine training.
Acts 7:23: "When Moses was 40 years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. Acts 7:30: "After forty years had passed [after Moses killed the Egyptian], an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai.
See Exodus 2:1-25. Notice in verses 22-23 that after Moses got married to Zipporah, he had a son (Gershom), and the king of Egypt died. Verse 23 says, "During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God." He was 40 years old when he killed the Egyptian, and after a long period (marriage and the king died), he saw the burning bush.
Moses spent 40 years in self-imposed exile in Midian after killing an Egyptian. There, he married Zipporah, the daughter of Midianite priest Jethro (also known as Reuel).
The Midianites are also mentioned in the Quran. The word 'Madyan' appears 10 times in it. Surah 7 (Al-ʾAʿrāf), Madyan is mentioned as one of several peoples who were warned by prophets to repent lest judgment fall on them. Madyan was warned by the prophet Shuʿaib to repent of practicing polytheism, using false weights and measures and lying in wait along the road. But they rejected Shuʿaib, and consequently were destroyed by a tremor (rajfa, v. 91).
Here's a summary table of Moses' timeline:
| Event | Age of Moses |
|---|---|
| Born and raised in the Egyptian palace | 0-40 years |
| Kills an Egyptian and flees to Midian | 40 years |
| Lives in Midian, marries Zipporah | 40-80 years |
| Encounter with the burning bush | 80 years |
Exploring the Story of the Exodus - 5 - Moses flees Egypt to Midian | Mt Sinai in Midian, Arabia
The area of Timna valley contains large deposits of copper that had been mined from the prehistoric times onward. Scholars have noted the Midianite connections to metallurgy at Timna. "Rothenberg’s excavation of Site 200 revealed a number of Egyptian hieroglyphic inscriptions including those of: Seti I, Ramesses II, Merneptah, Seti II, and Queen Twosret of the Nineteenth Dynasty, as well as Ramesses III, Ramesses IV, and Ramesses V of the Twentieth Dynasty. Beno Rothenberg, the excavator of the site, suggested that the Midianites were making offerings to Hathor, especially since a large number of Midianite votive vessels (25%) were discovered in the shrine.
Midianite pottery, also called Qurayyah Painted Ware (QPW), is found at numerous sites stretching from the southern Levant to NW Saudi Arabia, the Hejaz; Qurayyah in NW Saudi Arabia is thought to be its original location of manufacture. The pottery is bichrome / polychrome style and it dates as early as the 13th century BC; its many geometric, human, and animal motifs are painted in browns and dark reds on a pinkish-tan slip. "Midianite" pottery is found in its largest quantities at metallurgical sites in the southern Levant, especially Timna.
Popular articles:
tags: #Egypt
