Moses Flees to Midian
A Prince Becomes a Shepherd
Exodus 2:11–25Moses has grown up inside the most powerful palace in the world. He wears fine Egyptian clothes, eats rich food, and lives like a prince. But Moses knows a secret — he is not really Egyptian. He belongs to the people of Israel, the slaves who groan and sweat under Pharaoh's heavy hand.
One day, Moses goes out to watch his people working. He sees an Egyptian man beating a Hebrew slave. Something rises up inside Moses. He looks around, sees no one watching, and strikes the Egyptian down. He buries the man in the sand and walks away.
The next day, Moses goes out again. This time he sees two Hebrew men fighting each other. When Moses tries to stop them, one of the men sneers at him. 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian?'
Moses is terrified. His secret is out. Soon Pharaoh hears what Moses has done and wants to kill him. So Moses runs. He runs far away from the palaces and the pyramids, far away from Egypt, until he reaches a land called Midian.
Moses is exhausted when he sits down beside a well. Soon the daughters of a priest named Reuel come to draw water for their flocks. Some rough shepherds push the women away, but Moses stands up and helps them. He draws the water himself and makes sure their flocks drink.
Reuel hears about the stranger's kindness and invites Moses to stay. In time, Moses marries one of Reuel's daughters, Zipporah, and she has a son. Moses names the boy Gershom, which means 'I have been a stranger in a foreign land.' Moses knows exactly how that feels.
Years pass. Moses is no longer a prince. He is a shepherd, walking quietly through the wilderness, caring for sheep. It seems like the story is over.
But far away in Egypt, the Israelites are still suffering. Their cries rise up to heaven like smoke. And God hears them. The Bible tells us that God remembers His **covenant** — the solemn promise He made long ago to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God has not forgotten His people. He has a plan that is bigger than any palace or any Pharaoh.
This is the very beginning of the great **exodus** — the rescue that is coming. Moses does not know it yet, but God is preparing him. A prince who becomes a shepherd is being shaped for something only God could plan.
Christ in This Story
Moses leaves a place of power and privilege to be with his suffering people, just as Jesus left the glory of heaven to come and be with us in our suffering. Moses spends years as a humble shepherd before God sends him to rescue Israel — and Jesus, the Good Shepherd, came to seek and save the lost. Just as God remembered His covenant with Israel and acted to deliver them, God the Father sent His own Son to fulfill the new covenant and accomplish a greater exodus, rescuing His people from slavery to sin and death.
Historical Context
Midian was a region located in the northwest Arabian Peninsula, east of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Midianites were semi-nomadic people who herded flocks across the desert highlands, and they had trade connections across the ancient Near East. Moses' father-in-law is called Reuel in Exodus 2 and Jethro in Exodus 3 — ancient Near Eastern people commonly held more than one name or title, so this is not a contradiction but a normal cultural practice. The well where Moses meets Zipporah was a central social gathering point in ancient pastoral societies; access to water was so vital that disputes over wells appear throughout the patriarchal narratives as well.
Archaeologists and historians note that Egypt's use of forced labor on massive building projects is well-attested in ancient records, including the Leiden Papyrus, which describes the distribution of grain to 'Apiru laborers — a class of people who may correspond broadly to the Hebrew slaves of Exodus. The social world Moses inhabits — moving between the elite world of a royal court and the marginalized world of a shepherd — mirrors real social stratification in ancient Egypt, where shepherds were considered lowly (Genesis 46:34) and foreign workers were among the least powerful people in society.
✦ This story also appears in the Quran
For parents: This biblical account has a parallel in the Quran (Islam's holy book), but the two versions differ in important ways. The Quran retells many Old and New Testament stories — sometimes similarly, sometimes with significant changes in detail, meaning, or theology.
This is a great opportunity to help your children know the biblical account well, so they can recognize differences if they ever encounter them. The Bible is our authoritative source; where the Quran diverges, we hold to what God's Word says.
Let's Pray
Heavenly Father, thank You that You always remember Your promises, even when things look dark and hopeless. Thank You for sending Jesus as our Good Shepherd to rescue us, just like You rescued Israel. Help us to trust that You are always working, even when we cannot see it. Amen.