Exodus 2:11-25

Study Questions for Exodus 2:11-25

Context: What has gone on so far in the book?

2:11—Did Moses have any doubt about his nationality?
What do we know about Moses at this point in his life? Acts 7:22; Heb. 11:24, 25
How old was Moses at this point? Acts 7:23
What did Moses find when he went out walking?
Who was fighting? Why were they fighting?

Vs. 12—What did Moses do before he acted?
How did he act?
The same Hebrew word is used in the first part of this verse “He slew the Egyptian” and in verse 11 “he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew” and 13 “Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?”
What did he do with the Egyptian’s body?
Why do you suppose he hid the body?

Vs. 13—What happened on another day?
Who were fighting this time?
How did Moses get involved in this fight?
Why do you suppose Moses thought it was his duty to become embroiled in another’s fight?

Vs. 14—How did the combatants respond to Moses attempt at peacemaking? Acts 7:25
How private was Moses’ first action of murdering the Egyptian?
What was Moses response to the accusation?
Why do you suppose Moses was fearful? Do you think he thought he was to be some sort of leader and savior of the Jews?

Vs. 15—Who heard about the murder next?
What did he seek to do to Moses for the murder?
What did Moses do when he heard that Pharaoh wanted to take his life? Same word in Hebrew as in 11, 12, 13.
How do you think Hebrews 11:27 fits with this passage? The word translated “flee” in Hebrew means he departed unobserved, rather than the word that means “ran away.”
Where did he run to? How far was Midian from Egypt?
What did he do when he got there? The word “sat down” means “to dwell.”
Why do you suppose the text doesn’t tell us anything about the journey?

What is this section about? Why do you suppose Moses included this section in the story?
Why didn’t God free the Israelites right then when Moses was the most strong in Egypt?

Vs. 16—Who were the Midianites? Gen17:20, Num. 22:4
What do we know about the family of the priest of Midian? Gen 14:18-20
How many daughters did he have?
Why do we care anything about the priest of Midian?
What were the daughters doing?
What is the significance of the well?
Why do we care about their water habits?

Vs. 17—What happened when the daughters came to water their flocks?
Who intervened? Why do you suppose Moses thinks he needs to get involved in everyone else’s problems?
How did Moses get involved this time? Did he kill anyone?

Vs. 18—What was the name of the priest of Midian? Ex. 3:1
What did Reuel (friend of God, or shepherd of God) ask the daughters when they came back?

Vs. 19—Why had the daughters come back so soon?
What nationality did they think Moses was?
Why do you think they thought Moses was an Egyptian?
Where was Moses at this time?

Vs. 20—What did Reuel tell the s?
Why do you suppose they left Moses at the well?
What did Reuel tell the s to do with Moses?

Vs. 21—How did Moses respond to the invitation to meal?
How long did Moses live with Reuel?
What was his reward for living there?
What was Moses’ wife’s name? Who was she?

Vs. 22—How did their marriage go?
What was their first child? What was his name?
Why did they name him Gershom? “banishment, expulsion”

Why did the author tell us some facts and not others?

Vs. 23— How much time has passed between this verse and the pervious verse?
What happened next?
What happened with regard to the Israelites because the King died?
Why were they crying?
What do you suppose they were saying?

Vs. 24—Who was listening to their cries?
What was God’s response to their groaning?
What is a covenant?
Why was the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob significant?
What does it mean that God remembered his covenant? Gen 8:1; 19:29; 30:22; 1 Sam. 1:19; Psa 78:29; 98:3; 106:49.
Remember not—Psa 25:7; Isa 43:25; Jer. 31:34; Heb. 10:17

Vs. 25—What did God do as a result of remembering the covenant?
What does it mean that he looked on them?
What does it mean that God had respect for them?

Conclusion:
What can we learn from Moses about how to live?
Did Moses walk with God? Was there faith in his life?
What did this passage teach us about God’s plain for history? How long have the people waited to be delivered? What did they think about Moses?
Can we wait on God even when we don’t see anything happing?
Are things happening, when we don’t see them?
Why does history go the way it goes?
Who is God?