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?

Jacob Finds His Missing Son

By Mary Vee
Genesis 46: 1-29

Jacob groaned as he climbed out of bed.  It's not fun getting old. He opened the tent flap.  Sounds the boys are finished packing. 


"Good morning, Father!"  Benjamin snatched a piece of fruit and chomped into it.  "You slept in."

"Yes, I guess I did.  I need my strength for our journey to Egypt."

Benjamin laughed.  "It's not that far.  Think of it this way, you'll see Joseph in a few days."

Jacob nodded.  "Imagine that.  I thought I'd never see him again--and now I'm going to Egypt to meet with him"

"Here, have some fruit. I need to get back to work before Simeon gets after me. You'd think he'd let me get out of chores since I saved his life--but noooooooo."

Benjamin tossed the core and walked to the carts.  Moments later Reuben, Levi, Simeon, and Judah stopped by.  "Everything is packed.  We're ready to go as soon as you are, Father."

"Good, good.  As soon as someone takes down my tent we'll leave."  Jacob turned towards the fields and squinted.  His eyes didn't let him see much any more.  Still, he could smell the earth and picture the fields.  "I wonder if I'll be coming back."

Jacob's sons took turns carrying him on a liter.  After traveling twenty-five miles, they came to Beersheba.  Jacob ordered everyone to stop for a rest.  "I need to offer thanksgiving sacrifices to God."

As his sons prepared the sacrifices Jacob remembered the stories told by his father Isaac.  He told his sons and their families that this was the place where his grandfather, Abraham made a covenant with King Abimelech and called on the Lord, and where God tested Abraham's obedience.  It was also the place where his father Isaac was told three times by God that He was with him. Jacob remember the night he ran away from Esau and slept in Beersheba.

Jacob offered the sacrifices and thanked God for His blessings.

God spoke to him that night. "Jacob, Jacob."

"Here I am."

He said, "I am God, the God of your father; don't be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make of you a great nation there. I will go down with you in Egypt, and I will also bring you back again."

Jacob's eyes popped open.  "It's morning!  What a great morning."

Reuben tipped one eyebrow up.  "You OK?"

Jacob stretched and hurried to the liter.  "I'm ready to go to Egypt.  God is with us, what more could I ask?"

Jacob wasn't afraid of going to Egypt anymore.  In fact he felt adventurous.

Right before Egypt is a town called Goshen.  Jacob and his family stopped for a rest.  As they sat down for their evening meal, Benjamin called out, "I see someone's coming.  He's dressed like an Egyptian."

The brothers all watched the Egyptian as he rode closer.  They heard the Egyptian shouting something, but they couldn't understand.  Judah squinted.  "I think--you know-- that just might be---"

Jacob's heart pounded in his chest.  "Is it Joseph?"

Levi hushed everyone to listen for visitor's voice.  Jacob's eyes popped wide. "Can you hear?  It's Joseph!" Jacob stood and held his arms wide.  "Joseph, at last."

The Egyptian leaped off the chariot and ran to Jacob.  "Father, Father!"

Why was Joseph dressed like an Egyptian?  What was special about Beersheba?  How did Jacob know he would be safe in Egypt?

A Slave's Journey to Egypt

By Mary Vee
Genesis 39:1

The sun baked Joseph's skin. Since his brothers stole his coat of many colors he only had a thin tunic to wear. Sweat dripped down his forehead and into his eyes. He tried to blink it away. Instead his vision blurred. He tugged at the ropes holding him prisoner at the back of an Ishmaelite caravan. "If only I could wipe the sweat off my face."

"You best be quiet." Another slave whispered to him. "They catch you talking and they'll rope your neck, or beat you."

Joseph looked up and saw an Ishmaelite glaring back at him. His foot smacked into a rock causing him to stumble. He bit his tongue to keep from crying out.

Joseph thoughts swirled from memories of being thrown into a deep pit by his brothers to eating juicy figs with his father and mother to freezing the night before while trying sleep without a blanket on the cold desert sand. How did he get here? Where was he going? What would happen to him?

His stomach growled. The Ishmaelites gave him only a small piece of bread and a cup of water for supper. Breakfast wasn't any better. He closed his eyes and pictured the roasted lamb served a few nights ago. Mother made her special broth and fresh bread to go along with the meat. Joseph signed. I thought I was too full to ever eat again.

The caravan came to a stop. Joesph raised his elbow to wipe sweat on his upper arm then blinked the bright sun from his eyes. He for forced his tongues to find moisture to lick his lips. "So thirsty."

One of the Ishmaelites pressed his way toward Joseph. He raised his whip. "Did I hear one of you slaves speak?" Joseph's eyes went wide and he shook his head. The man lowered his whip. "I suppose you're thirsty?" Joseph and the other slaves lowered their heads. The man laughed. "Well, we can't have you dieing of thirst, now can we. Can't hardly sell you for a good price that way?" He guffawed and reached for his water skin. "Take a drink. Not much, mind you." He poured some water in Joseph's mouth. "By tomorrow, you'll fetch me a good price, no doubt."

Joseph held the the water in his mouth to wash the mucky film away. He swallowed the water and looked toward the sky. Thank you God for the drink.

The next day the caravan entered Egypt. Joseph passed noisy marketplaces filled with merchants selling food, blankets, and jewelry. Musicians played strange music and the people wore strange cloths. Joseph was so busy looking around he hadn't noticed that the caravan stopped. He walked right into the back of a camel.

An Ishmaelite untied his ropes and grabbed the end. He tied the slave's ropes together and held his whip high. "Try to escape and you'll regret it." He led Joseph and the other slaves to a platform. "Stand in a straight line."

A second Ishmaelite raised his hands before the crowd. "We have collected the finest slaves to serve you. We've searched far and wide to bring you the best. Look here at their muscles." Someone pushed Joseph forward. "Now here is fine slave. Strong, healthy. What is your bid?"

A well dressed man pushed his way to the front. "There will be no bidding. I will buy him for Potifer." He handed the slave trader a bag of coins and signaled for Joseph's release.

The Ishmaelite opened the pouch and nodded. "Release the slave to him."

Joseph kept his eyes toward the ground and stumbled forward. The well dressed man grabbed the rope and led Joseph through the marketplace toward the edge of the city. At the end of the street was a home large enough to be a palace. The man led Joseph through the gate to a small building. "Akhom." An older man opened the door. "Take this slave and clean him up. Prepare him to work in Potifer's house."

Joseph's trip to Egypt would not be the kind most people would want to take for a vacation. He was tired, thirsty, hungry, cold, and hot. His feet and arms hurt. He learned quickly to not speak. Yet in the whole trip, the Bible never tells us that he grumbled against his brothers.

Why didn't Joseph grumble? In our story what did he thank God for? How was he able to thank God when everything seemed to be bad? What can we learn from this story?