Moses’ Journey: From Palace to Wilderness (Exodus 2:11–25)
Sometimes life takes unexpected turns before we step into the purpose God has for us. That’s exactly what happened to Moses. Though he grew up in Pharaoh’s palace with wealth and comfort, deep inside, he cared about his people, the Israelites, who were suffering as slaves.
In this part of Moses’ story, we see that even through failure, fear, and waiting, God was preparing him for something greater.
Moses Defends a Hebrew
As a young man, Moses went out to see how his people were doing. What he saw broke his heart. An Egyptian man was beating a Hebrew slave. Filled with anger, Moses acted quickly — he killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand.
Moses thought he had helped. But taking matters into his own hands was not part of God’s plan.
Moses’ Plan Falls Apart
The next day, Moses saw two Hebrew men fighting each other. Trying to stop them, he asked why they were hurting one another.
One man fired back, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you going to kill me like you killed the Egyptian?”
Moses realized his secret was out. Word reached Pharaoh, who now wanted Moses dead. Moses had no choice but to run for his life. He fled Egypt and headed toward a place called Midian — far from everything he knew.
Moses Finds a New Life in Midian
In Midian, Moses sat down by a well. There he saw a group of young women — daughters of a man named Reuel (also called Jethro) — being bullied by some shepherds. Moses jumped in to help them and made sure they and their flocks got water.
When the women told their father what happened, Reuel invited Moses to stay with them. In time, Moses married Zipporah, one of Reuel’s daughters. He settled into a quiet life, working as a shepherd.
Moses and Zipporah had a son, and Moses named him Gershom, saying, “I have become a stranger in a foreign land.” Moses’ life had completely changed — from prince to wanderer.
God Hears Israel’s Cry
Back in Egypt, the Israelites were still suffering under harsh slavery. They cried out in their pain. And even though it may have seemed like God was silent, He heard them.
God remembered the promises He had made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He saw their suffering. He cared deeply. And He was getting ready to act — through Moses, even though Moses didn’t know it yet.
Key Lessons
There are some powerful lessons we can learn from this part of Moses’ journey:
- God Can Use Our Mistakes: Moses made a big mistake when he killed the Egyptian. But God didn’t give up on him. He used even Moses’ failure to prepare him for the future.
- God Sees and Cares: Sometimes it feels like nothing is happening when we cry out to God. But He hears every prayer and is always at work.
- Preparation Takes Time: Moses spent many years in Midian. It probably felt like a detour, but it was actually training ground for the big job ahead.
Final Thoughts
Moses’ time in the wilderness was not wasted. It was part of God’s plan to shape him into the leader he needed to be.
Think about this: Is there a hard or confusing season in your life that God might be using to prepare you for something greater?
Trust that even when the path feels unclear, God is leading you. He has not forgotten you. He’s preparing you for your own calling, just like He did with Moses.
Exodus 2:11-25 (WEB)
2:11 In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his brothers. 12 He looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no one, he killed the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.13 He went out the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were fighting with each other. He said to him who did the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow?”14 He said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you plan to kill me, as you killed the Egyptian?”Moses was afraid, and said, “Surely this thing is known.” 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and lived in the land of Midian, and he sat down by a well.16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. 17 The shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 18 When they came to Reuel, their father, he said, “How is it that you have returned so early today?”19 They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and moreover he drew water for us, and watered the flock.”20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why is it that you have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.”21 Moses was content to dwell with the man. He gave Moses Zipporah, his daughter. 22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom, for he said, “I have lived as a foreigner in a foreign land.”23 In the course of those many days, the king of Egypt died, and the children of Israel sighed because of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 God saw the children of Israel, and God understood.