Raised as a young prince of Egypt, Moses was educated as befitting his royal station. In addition to his other studies the young prince learned the art of war and, according to tradition, grew up to become a strong military leader whose deeds were known and respected by many.

But Moses never forgot that he had been born an Israelite. As he matured he became more concerned with the treatment his kinsman were receiving at the hands of the harsh Egyptian taskmasters. The Bible doesn't tell us if Moses checked to see how his fellow Israelites were getting along on a regular basis. We do know that once while he was out viewing their living conditions he saw an Egyptian beating up a Hebrew slave. Moses grew angry at the harsh treatment, and, when he thought no one was looking, he struck the Egyptian and killed him. Then Moses hid the body in the sand.

The next day Moses went back out to the workplace and found two Hebrew men fighting with each other. Feeling that it was wrong for the two kinsmen to be fighting he approached the man who was the aggressor and asked him, "Why are you hitting your brother?"

The man responded angrily, "Who made you our judge? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?"

When Moses realized that his secret was out he grew fearful for his own life. Sure enough, when Pharaoh heard that Moses had killed an Egyptian in defense of an Israelite slave he became angry and demanded his step-son be slain.

Moses fled for his life, heading into the mountainous land of Midian.

In the land there lived an important man, a priest of Midian, named Reuel who had seven daughters who tended their father's flock. As Moses sat by a well in the area, Reuel's daughters came to draw water for their father's flock. Moses watched as some mean shepherds approached and drove them away before the animals could drink.

Moses was a strong young man of forty who had been raised to fight and win battles for his Pharaoh, but he was also a man who hated injustice. He came to the women's defense and saved them from the shepherds. Then he helped them water their father's flocks.

When the girls returned to their father's house earlier than usual their father asked how it was that they had finished watering the flock so early.

"An Egyptian, who saved us from some wicked shepherds, also drew water enough for us and our flock," they told him.

"Well, where is he?" Reuel asked, "Why have you left the man? Call him, that he can eat with us."

Reuel was impressed with Moses, an extremely intelligent and educated young man who, for some reason, had fled Egypt. He offered the young man a job helping to tend the flocks. Moses was happy to accept, for he felt he would be safer and happier in the fields tending sheep than he would be wandering from place to place, or trying to return to Egypt.

Reuel's daughter Zipporah became the wife of Moses.

When they had a son Moses called his name Gershom, which means foreigner, for he said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land."

Time passed. Back in Egypt, the king had died. But the new ruler who had taken his place hated the Israelites just as much as had his predecessor, and the children of Israel continued to suffer. God saw the harsh treatment and heard the cries of the people. God was soon to send them a savior.

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