Moses, a Rejected Savior

¹⁷ “As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt^{(A) 18} until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.^{[a] 19} He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn’t survive.^{(B) 20} At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home for three months. ²¹ When he was put outside, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted and raised him as her own son.^{(C) 22} So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions.^(D)

²³ “When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. ²⁴ When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. ²⁵ He assumed his people would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. ²⁶ The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ ^(E)

²⁷ “But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?^[b](F)

²⁹ “When he heard this, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.^{(G) 30} After forty years had passed, an angel^[c] appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: ³² I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.^[d](H) Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look.

³³ “The Lord said to him: Take off the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. And now, come, I will send you to Egypt.^[e](I)

³⁵ “This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?^[f]—this one God sent as a ruler and a deliverer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.^{(J) 36} This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt,^(K) at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.^(L)

Israel’s Rebellion against God

³⁷ “This is the Moses who said to the Israelites: God^[g] will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.^{[h](M) 38} He is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors.^(N) He received living oracles to give to us.^(O)