Scripture Reference: Exodus 2:11–22
Key Verse: “He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” (Exodus 2:12, NRSVUE)
Reflection:
Long before the burning bush, Moses tried to set someone free. He had grown up in Pharaoh’s household, yet he knew the Hebrews were his people. One day he went out to watch them at their labor and saw an Egyptian beating one of them. Something in him snapped. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then killed the Egyptian and buried the body in the sand. The next day he learned that people had seen, and he ran for his life into the land of Midian.
The Bible tells this troubling story without excusing it. Moses recognized a terrible injustice, and his anger is understandable. But recognizing injustice and knowing how to respond to it are not the same. Moses acted alone and in secret. Whatever he hoped to accomplish, his violence did nothing to dismantle Pharaoh’s system. Instead, Moses became a fugitive.
Most of our failures look nothing like Moses’ violent response. Yet his story raises a question many of us recognize: What happens when our desire to make things right outpaces our ability to do so wisely? Many good-hearted people have a Midian in their past. Perhaps you once threw yourself into a cause, a ministry, or a fight on behalf of someone you loved. You gave it everything you had, mostly on your own, and it fell apart or wore you out. Afterward, you stepped away, wondering whether you would ever find the courage to try again. You never exactly decided to stop caring. You just learned that caring hurt, and you kept your distance.
The good news is that God goes looking for Moses in Midian. Years after his failure, God meets him in the wilderness and calls him to confront the same injustice, but in a very different way. This time, Moses will discover that liberation is not something he can accomplish alone. God calls him to a work that will require courage, trust, and the participation of others. He will have God’s presence, his brother Aaron at his side, and eventually a whole people walking with him. The passion that once led Moses toward violence can now become part of something life-giving. With God’s guidance and the support of others, Moses begins to learn a different way. If you have a burned-out place in your own story, God may be looking for you there too.
Writing Prompt:
When have you tried to fix something on your own and come away discouraged? What might be different if you returned to it with God and others alongside you?
Application:
Reach out to someone who shares a concern you once gave up on. Invite them for coffee or a walk, and discuss one small step you could take together.
Prayer:
Patient God, you found Moses in the wilderness after his worst day and called him again. Find me in the places where I have given up. Heal what burned out in me, and teach me to work for justice with you and others, never alone. Amen.