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But his faith, though deep and genuine, was as yet far from pure and spiritual. The
ancient Egyptianswere noted for the severity of their discipline, and their monuments
represent the "taskmasters"armed with heavy scourges, made of tough bending wood,
which they unmercifully used. The sight ofsuch sufferings, inflicted by menials upon
his brethren, would naturally rouse the utmost resentment ofthe son of the Princess
Royal. This, together with the long-cherished resolve to espouse the cause ofhis
brethren, and the nascent thought of becoming their deliverer, led him to slay an
Egyptian, whomhe saw thus maltreating "an Hebrew, one of his brethren." Still it was
not an access of sudden frenzy,for "he looked this way and that way," to see "that
there was no man" to observe his deed; ratherwas it an attempt to carry out spiritual
ends by carnal means, such as in the history of Moses'ancestors had so often led to sin
and suffering. He would become a deliverer before he was called toit of God; and he
would accomplish it by other means than those which God would appoint. One ofthe
fathers has rightly compared this deed to that of Peter in cutting off the ear of the
high-priest'sservant; at the same time also calling attention to the fact, that the heart
both of Moses and Peterresembled a field richly covered with weeds, but which by
their very luxuriance gave promise ofmuch good fruit, when the field should have
been broken up and sown with good seed.
In the gracious dispensation of God, that time had now come. Before being
transplanted, so tospeak, Moses had to be cut down. He had to strike root downwards,
before he could springupwards. As St. Stephen puts it, "his brethren understood not
how that God, by his hand, wouldgive them deliverance" - what his appearance and
conduct among them really meant; and when nexthe attempted to interfere in a quarrel
between two Hebrews, the wrong-doer in harsh termsdisowned his authority, and
reproached him with his crime. It was now evident that the matter wasgenerally
known. Presently it reached the ears of Pharaoh. From what we know of Egyptian
society,such an offense could not have remained unpunished, even in the son of a
princess, and on thesupposition that she who had originally saved Moses was still
alive, after the lapse of forty years, andthat the then reigning Pharaoh was her father.
But, besides, Moses had not only killed an official inthe discharge of his duty, he had
virtually taken the part of the Hebrews, and encouraged them torebellion. That Moses
commanded such position of influence that Pharaoh could not at once orderhis
execution, but "sought to slay him," only aggravated the matter, and made Moses the
moredangerous. Open resistance to Pharaoh was of course impossible. The sole hope
of safety nowseemed to lie in renouncing all further connection with his people. That
or flight were the onlyalternatives. On the other hand, flight might further provoke the
wrath of the king, and it was morethan doubtful whether any of the neighboring
countries could, under such circumstances, afford himsafe shelter. It was therefore,
indeed, once more an act of "faith" when Moses "forsook Egypt, notfearing the wrath
of the king, for he endured" (or remained steadfast, viz., to his choice and people),"as
(^)