Moses must have had a confusing childhood. He was almost murdered, adopted by Pharoah’s daughter, but then weaned by his own mother (could he call her mom? Did he know? He knew a little, because he considered himself Hebrew), raised in Pharoah’s house, but a Hebrew boy who was supposed to have been murdered by his own grandfather. That must have been a confusing childhood!
What we do know is that Moses had a keen sense of justice – he did not like that the Egyptian was beating the Hebrew slave. We also see that Moses had anger and violence problems – instead of going to Pharoah, or talking, or using his power – he kills the man. Moses is going to learn how God works, and God’s power, and God’s justice. In this second story we hear about Moses we see the lowest part of his character, the darkest part of his soul – he murders, hides it, then runs.
God knows the darkest parts of my soul – He died to forgive me for every intention, thought, emotion, and desire that is wrong. I don’t need to deny that these things live in me (the mantra of our age is, “I am a good person”). I can accept that I do wrong things, and that evil lives in me; I can allow God to work on me – knowing there is nothing I can find inside me, as I do my soul searching with Him, that He has not already forgiven. In this I have been able to grow – I can admit when I have done wrong, and find healing in myself, and in those I have hurt.