Contemplative Bible Reading

Exodus 2:11 and 2:19 (New Living Translation

11 Many years later, when Moses had grown up, he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews.

19 “An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds,” they answered. “And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks.”

These verses are about Moses. He had become an adult and began to explore the world of adulthood. Learning that he was Hebrew, the son of Hebrew slaves, he went to see his Hebrew kinsmen. The Hebrews were his own people (see verse 11).

After fleeing Egypt, Moses went to Midian where he rescued the daughters of Reuel from vandals. These daughters told their father that an Egyptian rescued them.

Moses is Hebrew. Moses is Egyptian. That makes no sense. That isn’t a good way to be, not knowing what you are or who you are to be. That is a good way to be, having the advantage of an Egyptian education and the closeness to God of being a Hebrew.

Sometimes God mixes us up. We aren’t sure what we are or who we are or where we are or anything. If, however, we are with God, we are fine. It is that first-and-only look to God instead of to this land or that culture or those friends or this education. Look to God first. Consider God first. All the rest seems to fall into place on some days. When it doesn’t fall into place the way I want at the time, look to God.