Exodus 2: 16-22: “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.”
Moses ran away in a hurry without making any arrangements before he left. He fled in fear of his life because he was concerned that Pharaoh might take his life after the murder that he committed. Moses, at that time, was a possible pretender to the Egyptian throne and, surely, the reigning Pharaoh would have been happy to find a good reason to eliminate him and ensure the succession along the lines that he wanted. There was already some tension with Hatshepsut and her unwillingness to give the throne to her half brother who was the legitimate heir to the throne. However, God know the end from the beginning (Is 46: 10, “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:”) and He was prepared for this eventuality. Moses, alone and, no doubt, afraid, met some women who were shepherds who were prevented from watering their flocks by other shepherds. Moses, at that stage of his life he was fairly impetuous, defended them and helped them water their flock. They arrived home early and their father wanted to know why they had got home so early. They told their father that an Egyptian had helped them. Moses would have been mistaken for an Egyptian at that stage as he was dressed like an Egyptian and had grown up immersed in the Egyptian culture. The Lord knew that Moses would need some kind of support system during his years of exile and had prepared the ideal situation for Moses. In fact, Moses was able to live with that family and marry one of their daughters. Soon Moses had a son and he called the son Gershom because he was a stranger in a strange land.
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
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