~~~~~Lesson: Exodus: Chapter 2:11-25 (reading after lesson)

It doesn't say in the bible at which point during his upbringing that Moses became aware that he was Hebrew. We can make guesses, but they are that, only guesses. I personally think it was after he was grown- he must have seen Egyptian's striking Hebrews hundreds, if not thousands, of times, but it didn't bother him until now.
Just as a fun guess, when do you think Moses found out he was a Hebrew and not an Egyptian?

Moses kills someone. It is easy to gloss over the verse, and almost dismiss it. One of the greatest men in the bible started out as a murderer. Take a moment to think about that. Often we feel as if there couldn't possibly be an important task for us to complete- that we are not "important" enough to be special.
Can you name another important person in the bible who committed a "big" sin before they started on God's work?

This chapter ends in a completely odd way (some versions have something written here- it depends on the version of the Bible you use). We have four sentences and it ends with "..."
"God saw the Israelites and knew..." What do you think God knew?

Can you think of a reason he would wait so long before helping to deliver them?
One king changes to another and still they suffer in slavery....do current changes in leaders- in our country, other countries, out cities- really mean change?
Do you think the king of Egypt was concerned with the Israelites or do you think he thought they "deserved" slavery?

~Reading: Exodus 2:11-25

On one occasion, after Moses had grown up, when he visited his kinsmen and witnessed their forces labor, he saw an Egyptian striking a Hebrew, one of his own kinsmen. Looking about and seeing no one, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting! So he asked the culprit, "Why are you striking your fellow Hebrew?"

But he replied, "Who has appointed you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?"

Then Moses became afraid and thought, "The affair most certainly be known." Pharaoh, too, heard of the affair and sought to put him to death. But Moses fled from him and stayed in the land of Midian. As he was seated there by a well, seven daughters of a priest of Midian came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock. But some shepherds came and drove them away.

Then Moses got up and defended them and watered their flock. When they returned to their father Reuel, he said to them, "How is it you have returned so soon today?"

They answered, "An Egyptian saved us from the interference of the shepherds. He even drew water for us and watered the flock!"

"Where is the man?" he asked his daughters. "Why did you leave him there? Invite him to have something to eat." Moses agreed to live with him, and the man gave him his daughter Zipporah in marriage. She bore him a son, whom he named Gershom; for he said, "I am a stranger in a foreign land."

A long time passed, during which the king of Egypt died. Still the Israelites groaned and cried out because of their slavery. As their cry for release went up to God, he heard their groaning and was mindful of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He saw the Israelites and knew...