Samting wea Winim Riches Bilong Egypt

MOSES hem wanfala long olketa man bilong history wea garem bignem distaem. Fofala buk bilong Bible—from Exodus go kasem Deuteronomy—storyim wei wea God deal witim Israel anda long lead bilong Moses. Hem leadim gogo bilong olketa aot from Egypt go long border bilong Promis Land, and hem mediator bilong datfala Law covenant. Moses hem growap insaed famili bilong Pharaoh, bat hem kamap wan wea God appointim for leader, profet, judge, and man wea God muvim for raet. Nomata olsem, hem “barava hambol winim evri nara man.”—Numbers 12:3.

Big haf bilong story bilong Bible abaotem Moses hem abaotem lastfala 40 year bilong laef bilong hem. Diswan hem from taem Israel kamap free from wei for slave go kasem taem Moses hem 120 year and dae. From taem hem 40 go kasem 80 year, hem wanfala shepherd long Midian. Bat, wanfala buk hem sei, “maet barava interesting part long laef bilong hem, and hem wan wea no mas klia,” hem firstfala 40 year long laef bilong hem, from taem hem born kasem taem hem ranawe from Egypt. Wanem nao iumi fit for sei hem happen insaed disfala sekson bilong taem? Hao nao living bilong Moses taem hem growap hem maet affectim fasin bilong hem? Wanem nao olketa samting wea maet affectim hem? Wanem challenge nao hem feisim? And wanem nao evri samting hia savve teachim iumi?

Wei for Slave Long Egypt

Buk bilong Exodus storyim hao Pharaoh start for fraetem olketa Israelite long Egypt bikos olketa kamap staka kwiktaem. Hem tingse hem duim samting long “kleva” wei taem hem trae and daonem namba bilong olketa thru long wei for forcem olketa for waka—karem moa hevi, mekem clay mortar, and wakem order bilong brik evri day.—Exodus 1:8-14; 5:6-18.

Disfala living long Egypt long taem wea Moses hem born hem agree witim history. Olketa old papyrus raeting and painting long wanfala grev storyim wei wea olketa slave long mek-tu millennium B.C.E., or bifor diswan, olketa wakem olketa mud brik. Olketa bigman wea lukaftarem waka for mekem brik organizem staka handred slave long olketa grup bilong 6 go kasem 18-fala slave, wea waka anda long wanfala grup leader. Olketa mas digim brik clay and karem grass go long ples for wakem brik. Olketa wakman from difren kantri karem wata, and iusim hou for mixim witim clay and grass. Olketa wakem staka brik. Olketa wakman karem olketa basket brik go long ples wea building waka go ahed, wea for kasem hem samfala taem minim man mas klaemem steep ples. Olketa man bilong Egypt wea boss, wea holem stik, olketa sidaon or wakabaot raon for lukluk long waka olketa duim.

Wanfala old pepa garem raeting wea sei 602 wakman mekem 39,118 brik, wea minim wanfala man hem wakem 65 brik insaed wanfala day. And nara pepa from mek-13 century B.C.E. hem sei: “Olketa man go ahed for wakem . . . order bilong brik wea olketa mas wakem insaed wan day.” Evriting hia barava semsem witim wanem buk bilong Exodus talem abaotem wanem olketa Israelite duim.

Bigfala hevi hia fail for daonem namba bilong olketa Hebrew. “Taem [olketa bilong Egypt] putim moa hevi long olketa, olketa kamap staka go moa . . . , wea gogo hem mekem olketa feel fraet tumas long olketa son bilong Israel.” (Exodus 1:10, 12) From diswan, Pharaoh givim order for killim dae evri baby boy bilong olketa Israelite, firstaem hem givim order hia long olketa Hebrew woman wea help for bornim pikinini, then long pipol bilong hem. Long disfala nogud taem nao Jochebed and Amram garem wanfala baby boy, Moses, wea luk naes.—Exodus 1:15-22; 6:20; Acts 7:20.

Haedem, Faendem, and Adoptim

Dadi and mami bilong Moses go againstim komand bilong Pharaoh and haedem smol son bilong tufala. Waswe, olketa duim diswan nomata olketa spae and olketa narawan go long evri haos for lukaotem olketa baby boy? Iumi hard for sure. Nomata wanem, bihaen thrifala month dadi and mami bilong Moses hard for haedem hem. So mami bilong hem wea wari tumas wakem wanfala basket from papyrus grass, kavarem witim tar mekem wata no go insaed, and leim baby bilong hem insaed. Jochebed lelebet obeyim order bilong Pharaoh for torowem evri niuborn baby boy insaed long Nile river. Then Miriam, big sista bilong Moses, hem standap klosap for lukluk long hem.—Exodus 1:22–2:4.

Iumi no savve sapos Jochebed hem min for dota bilong Pharaoh faendem Moses taem hem go for swim, bat hem nao samting wea happen. Datfala dota bilong king luksavve diswan hem wanfala Hebrew baby. Wanem nao bae hem duim? Waswe, bae hem obeyim dadi bilong hem and givim order for killim dae datfala baby? Nomoa, hem followim wei bilong olketa woman. Hem showaot feeling.

Miriam kwiktaem go long hem and ask: ‘Waswe, iu laekem mi for kolem kam wanfala Hebrew woman for susum disfala pikinini for iu?’ Sista bilong Moses duim samting wea difren from Pharaoh, wea formimap plan witim olketa bigman bilong hem for deal long “kleva” wei witim olketa Hebrew. Bat, Moses hem sef taem dota bilong Pharaoh agree long plan bilong Miriam. “Go!” dota bilong Pharaoh hem talem, and stretawe Miriam go kolem kam mami bilong hem. Bihaen olketa mekem spesol agreement, Jochebed kamap wan for bringimap own pikinini bilong hem and kasem royal protection.—Exodus 2:5-9.

Feeling wea dota bilong Pharaoh showimaot hem barava difren from barava raf fasin bilong dadi bilong hem. Hem no woman wea no garem savve and olketa no giamanim hem tu saed long datfala pikinini. Bigfala feeling for kea muvim hem for adoptim Moses, and wei wea hem agree long idea for wanfala Hebrew woman lukaftarem baby showaot hem no garem wei bilong dadi bilong hem for lukdaonem olketa Hebrew.

Growap Kam and Education

Jochebed “tekem pikinini hia and lukaftarem hem. And datfala pikinini growap. Then hem bringim hem long dota bilong Pharaoh, and hem kamap wanfala son bilong hem.” (Exodus 2:9, 10) Bible no storyim haomas year nao Moses stap witim really dadi and mami bilong hem. Samfala ting diswan maet go kasem taem hem lusim susu—taem hem tu or thri year—bat maet hem winim diswan. Exodus talem nomoa hao hem “growap” witim dadi and mami bilong hem, wea savve minim eni age. Nomata wanem, iumi sure Amram and Jochebed iusim datfala taem for mekem son bilong tufala savve hem wanfala Hebrew and for teachim hem abaotem Jehovah. Wei wea tufala win for putim faith and love for raeteous fasin insaed heart bilong Moses bae showaot bihaen.

Taem olketa tekem hem go bak long dota bilong Pharaoh, Moses hem skulim “evri wisdom bilong olketa bilong Egypt.” (Acts 7:22) Diswan minim training wea bae mekem Moses fit for duim big waka long gavman. Egypt garem bigfala savve saed long maths, geometry, architecture, and olketa nara science and subject. Luk olsem famili bilong king laekem hem for lanem religion bilong Egypt.

Moses maet kasem hae education witim olketa nara pikinini bilong olketa bigman. Insaed olketa wea kasem diskaen hae education hem “olketa pikinini bilong olketa ruler from difren kantri wea olketa sendem go or wea olketa tekem go olsem prisoner long Egypt for ‘kasem savve’ and then go bak long ples bilong olketa and rul anda long Pharaoh.” (The Reign of Thutmose IV, by Betsy M. Bryan) Olketa ples for lukaftarem and trainim pikinini wea part long haos bilong king hem for redyim olketa young wan for serve olsem olketa bigman bilong haos bilong king.a Olketa raeting from taem bifor showaot samfala wakman bilong Pharaoh and olketa bigman long gavman keepim title wea garem honor, “Pikinini Bilong Skul,” nomata taem olketa kamap full-grown.

Laef insaed haos bilong king bae testim Moses. Hem offerim riches, isi living, and paoa. Hem savve spoelem fasin bilong hem tu. Wanem nao Moses bae duim? Hem bae loyal long hu? Waswe, hem wanfala wea really worshipim Jehovah, wanfala brata bilong olketa Hebrew wea kasem hard living, or hem laekem evri heathen samting Egypt offerim?

Wanfala Important Disison

Taem hem 40 year, wea fitim nao for Moses kamap barava man bilong Egypt, hem ‘go for lukim hevi wea olketa brata bilong hem go ahed for kasem.’ Samting hem duim showimaot hem no just laek faendaot nomoa; hem barava laek for help. Taem hem lukim wanfala man bilong Egypt go ahed for killim wanfala Hebrew, hem duim samting taem hem killim dae datfala man. Diswan showimaot heart bilong Moses hem saed witim olketa brata bilong hem. Man wea dae maet hem wanfala bigman, wea dae taem hem duim waka bilong hem. Long olketa bilong Egypt, Moses shud loyal long Pharaoh. Nomata olsem, samting wea muvim Moses nao hem wei wea hem lovem justice, wanfala fasin wea showaot moa long day bihaen taem hem tok strong long wanfala Hebrew wea no followim justice and killim nara Hebrew. Moses laek for mekem olketa Hebrew kamap free from nogud wei for slave, bat taem Pharaoh laek killim dae Moses from hem herem hao Moses saedem olketa Hebrew, Moses ranawe go long Midian.—Exodus 2:11-15; Acts 7:23-29.b

Nomata Moses laek for mekem pipol bilong God kamap free long datfala taem, hem no taem wea Jehovah markem for duim datwan yet. Nomata olsem, samting hem duim showimaot faith. Hebrews 11:24-26 hem sei: “Long faith Moses, taem hem growap, hem nating willing for olketa kolem hem son bilong dota bilong Pharaoh, bat hem chus for safa witim pipol bilong God winim wei for kasem hapi from sin wea stap for shortfala taem.” Why? “Bikos hem tinghae long wei for shame for Christ olsem hae price winim olketa richfala samting bilong Egypt; from hem lukluk strong long reward wea hem bae kasem.” Disfala wei for iusim word “Christ,” wea minim “anointed wan,” hem fitim Moses long wei wea hem kasem wanfala spesol assignment stret from Jehovah.

Tingim datwan! Moses kasem education wea man bilong hae class famili bilong Egypt nomoa kasem. Position bilong hem mekem hem fit for kasem nambawan waka and evrikaen gud living, bat hem rejectim evriting hia. Long tingting bilong Moses, hem hard for mekem living insaed haos bilong Pharaoh for wan mind witim wei wea hem lovem Jehovah and justice. Wei wea hem savve and ting strong raonem olketa promis bilong God for olketa laen dadi bilong hem Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob mekem Moses for chus for saed witim God. From diswan, Jehovah fit for iusim Moses long barava spesol waka for fulfillim olketa purpose bilong Hem.

Iumi evriwan mas disaedem olketa wanem samting nao moa important. Olsem Moses, maet iu tu feisim wanfala hard disison. Waswe, iu shud givim ap samfala kastom or riches, nomata wanem sakrifaes iu need for duim? Sapos datwan nao samting iu need for disaedem, remember hao Moses hem ting long wei for fren witim Jehovah olsem hem moabeta winim evri riches bilong Egypt, and hem nating sorre bihaen.

[Olketa Footnote]

[Box long page 11]

Olketa Kontrak for Susum Pikinini

Evritaem mami bilong baby nao bae susum baby. Bat, olsem savveman Brevard Childs hem talem insaed Journal of Biblical Literature, “samfala taem, olketa hae class famili [long East] savve haerem wanfala woman for susum baby bilong olketa. Diswan hem happen tu taem mami bilong pikinini hard for susum baby bilong hem or taem pikinini no garem mami. Disfala woman garem responsibility for bringimap pikinini, and tu, for susum hem go kasem taem olketa markem.” Olketa difren kontrak wea olketa raetem long papyrus stap yet distaem. Olketa raeting hia givim pruv hao disfala wei hem big tumas midolwan Sumerian and Hellenistic taem long Egypt. Staka long olketa givim information abaotem olketa wea insaed kontrak, kontrak hem for hao long, olketa instruction abaotem hao for feedim pikinini, panis for brekem kontrak, wages, and hao for peim wages. Staka taem, “hem tekem tu or thrifala year for susum and lukaftarem pikinini,” Childs hem sei. “Datfala woman bringimap pikinini long haos bilong hem, bat samfala taem mas tekem go long wan wea ownim for hem chekim.”

[Piksa long page 9]

Wei for wakem brik long Egypt hem no mas change from taem bilong Moses, olsem wanfala old painting showaot

[Olketa Credit Line]

Antap: Pictorial Archive (Near Eastern History) Est.; daon: Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY