Gods Sabbath

AN E DUCATION IN G OD ’ S W AYS

115

Moses’ Education

Moses, the divinely appointed leader of the people of Israel, had also been in desperate need of a most thorough education in order to lead God’s people successfully and become a good role model for them. This was possible only if he understood God’s ways and was cured of any disposition to take matters into his own hands. When we review the history of Moses, we find that this was exactly the education which the divine Teacher gave him. Through a miracle, the life of Moses had been preserved when he was a tiny infant and while still a boy he had been adopted into the royal family. (See Exodus 2:1–10 and Acts 7:20–22.) There he was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians which in cluded his education in the use of weaponry. “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.” Acts 7:22. But Moses’ training in the Egyptian court was not a schooling in divine procedure. It was an education in man’s way of doing things. So it is no wonder that Moses developed his own ideas for the exodus. He mistakenly saw in his military training a divine ly ordained preparation for the coming departure of Israel to the promised land. “He, supposing that they were to obtain their freedom by force of arms, expected to lead the Hebrew host against the armies of Egypt, and having this in view, he guarded his affections, lest in his attachment to his foster mother or to Pharaoh he would not be free to do the will of God.” Patriarchs and Prophets , 245.2. Even though Moses expected the problem to be solved by mil itary action, it is to his credit that he did not sit down and care fully work out a strategy. He waited patiently for the Lord to open the way. So, when he saw the Egyptian smiting one of his Hebrew brethren, he misinterpreted this to be the providence commanding him to initiate the campaign. Accordingly, he mur dered the oppressor, expecting that this incident would inspire his brethren, under God’s personal blessing and direction, to rise and break their bondage. But because God was not behind the plan, Moses’ expectations were disappointed. “He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian.