Escape from Egypt

By Mary Vee
Exodus 2:15-

“Moses.  Moses where are you?  You can't hide forever.  There isn't a place in all of Egypt to hide. We're going to find you.”

Another guard.  I ducked behind a pile of garbage.  How am I going to get out of this mess?  I can’t hide in the shadows for long.  Those guards will kill me.  If only I hadn’t killed that taskmaster.

Two women walked by me with fresh meat from the marketplace.  That’s right.  I haven’t eaten since breakfast yesterday.  I looked around the garbage and found a piece of bread to choke down. 

One woman put her hand close to her face. “Did you hear Moses killed a taskmaster?”

The other woman laughed.  “I’ll bet Pharaoh’s daughter is mad.  Can you imagine having a son who is a murderer?”

“I heard Pharaoh sent soldiers to find him—and kill him on site.”

The women walked further away where I couldn’t hear any more.  I scoured the garbage for food to stuff in my pouch and threw everything but my clothing away.  Underneath a pile of fish bones, I found a torn piece of cloth and wrapped it around my head.   The smell made my eyes tear.

A group of people walked away from a market booth up the road.  I ran to catch up to them hoping to blend in and escape.  One person turned and scowled at me, the others continued to chatting. They turned a few corners and fortunately headed toward the eastern gate of the city. 

As they turned down the last street, a group of foreigners walked toward the gate to leave the city.  I stepped close enough to make others think I belonged to the group and walked right out the city gate.

I had no clue where to go.  I followed the group until they turned to the north. 

I’d never been alone before. 

What will I eat?  I’m hungry.  I can't eat sand.

Where will I sleep?  I’m sleepy.  Bugs and snakes will crawl on me if I lay on the ground.

What will I do?  I’m lost. I have no plan. My whole life is in Egypt.

Who will be my friend?  I’m lonely. Everyone I know is back at the palace.

I walked for days toward the morning sun.  I found wild berries and figs.  Somehow I always found a well to get water.  Perhaps someone--somewhere is helping me.

*****

Since Moses had been raised in the palace with Pharaoh’s family, he probably didn’t know about the Hebrew God.  This part of Moses’ life shows how God takes cares of us even when we  don’t realize it.  How do you think Moses escape without being caught by Pharaoh’s trained soldiers?  Moses was a city kid, how did he know what to do to survive away from the city?  Why didn’t Moses get hurt while walking in the desert?