Killing
Background and Printed Text: Exodus 2:11-15
Exodus 2:11 And he was in those days. And Draw [Moshe] ‘biggened.’ And he exited unto his brothers. And he saw via their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man from his brethren. 12And he turned so and so. And he saw that there is no man. And he smote the Egyptian. And he buried him in the sand.
13And he exited in the second day. And behold, two Hebrew men are striving. And he said to the culpable-one, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” 14And he said, “Who set thee a prince man and a judge over us? Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” And Draw [Moshe] feared. And he said, “Ah, established, this speech is known!”
15And Pharaoh heard this speech. And he sought to slay Draw [Moshe]. And Draw [Moshe] fled from the faces of Pharaoh. And he dwelt in the land of Contention [Midian].
I. Maturity (verses 11-12)
Moshe grew. He went out among his Israeli brothers. He saw what was occurring by means of their burdens.
He also saw an Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew man who was one of his brethren.
He turned this way and that way, and he saw that there isn’t a man to witness this. Moshe smote the Egyptian who was smiting the Israeli. He then buried the Egyptian in the sand.
Questions
1. What was in those days?
2. Where did Moshe grow up?
3. How did Moshe know who his brothers were?
4. Why did Moshe exit (go out) unto his brothers?
5. What is so significant about Moshe’s seeing via the burdens of the Israelis? After all, he didn’t have to lift a finger to help.
6. Why was the Egyptian man smiting a Hebrew Israeli man?
7. What does smiting mean?
8. Why did Moshe turn “so and so”?
9. Why did Moshe smite the Egyptian enough to kill him? Why didn’t he just use his rank and authority to stop the Egyptian man?
10. Why did he bury him in the sand?
11. Was what Moshe did right?
II. Prince Man and Judge (verses 13-14)
He went out in the second day again to view his Israeli brethren. Behold, two Hebrew men are in a violent fight. Moshe said to the culpable one—the one who was truly the culprit, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” The culprit answered, “Who set thee a prince man and a judge over us? Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?” Moshe feared. He said, “Ah, established, this speech is known!”
Questions
1. Why did Moshe return back to the place where he had violently ended the life of a man?
2. About what were the two Hebrew men striving (fighting)?
3. Why did Moshe just ask the question, “Why wilt thou smite thy neighbour?” Why didn’t he jump in to stop the fight?
4. Had anyone set Moshe a prince man and a judge over the Hebrew slaves?
5. Why did the man add, “Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?”
6. Explain the wording, “Art thou saying to slay me just as thou slew the Egyptian?”
7. The text states, “And Moshe feared.” What did he fear?
8. Why did he say, “this speech is known,” instead of saying, “what I did is known”?
III. Moshe Flees (verse 15)
Pharaoh indeed heard this speech. He sought to slay Moshe! And Moshe fled from the faces of Pharaoh. He went all the way to the land of Midian.
Questions
1. How did Pharaoh hear what happened?
2. Why did Pharaoh desire to kill Moshe?
3. What is the difference between, “Moshe fled from Pharaoh,” and “Moshe fled from the faces of Pharaoh”?
4. Was the land of Midian far from Egypt?