Exodus 2:
The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” (NIV)
Today’s Reading: Exodus 2:11-25 and Acts 7:23-29
I am anxious to get to the burning bush and all that Exodus has in store for us. But I don’t want to skip past a small parallel between Moses and Jesus. As we know, Moses is a type of savior or Christ to Israel. And I also think it’s important to remember that these are true events. We have enough evidence in Scripture to verify facts such as names of kings and certain dates of events.
We also have evidence that events are true when events are spoken about in other places of Scripture at a later date. This event in the life of Moses when he kills an Egyptian is referenced by Stephen as he is defending his actions to the Sanhedrin. Stephen speaks of Moses in historical context and even gives us a little insight into the story.
Acts Chapter 6 tells us that Stephen was “a man full of God’s grace and power.” We also know at this time that Stephen’s face was “like the face of an angel.” I’m gonna go out on a limb to say whatever Stephen says at this moment will be words from God. So Stephen begins to lecture the priests and drop some history on them.
When Stephen gets to Moses in his lesson, he says something interesting that isn’t found in Exodus. In retelling the event of Moses killing the Egyptian, he says in Acts 7:25, “Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not.” Sound familiar? Jesus said something very similar.
Luke is the author of the book of Acts. Luke also penned something similar in Chapter 13 of his gospel. Jesus was headed towards Jerusalem where he would be crucified a few days later. The Pharisees visit him and tell him to leave. Exasperated no doubt, Jesus says, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem … how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”
Although I think different from Moses, Jesus didn’t think that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but he did desire that for them. But I love the language of Jesus in that he longs to draw us close to him like a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. A mother hen doesn’t run around gathering her chicks and forcing them under her wing. A hen might have a dozen chicks at one time so there’s too many for her to gather herself. There’s danger out there. The mother hen sees it but the chicks often don’t see it. She calls the chicks to her and then she will open her wings and the chicks will run to her for safety. And the ones that don’t go to her might perish from the cold or a predator.
Jesus is so wise. He has the same desire for us as the mother hen. He wants us to run to him for protection. It’s such a great image of how we are to respond. And it’s such a great image of Jesus. His wings are open and inviting us to come to him. But he’s not going to make us. It’s up to us.
Christ in the Old Testament 
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