Jumping The Gun

questions and answers
(Exodus chapters 2-4)
“Who made you a Prince and Judge 
over us? 
Do you want to kill me like you killed 
the Egyptian?”
Two questions that jolted me 40 years ago. 
Jonadab asked me the question when 
I wanted to settle a quarrel between him 
and Asahel in a hotel lobby in Alexandria…
I had been brought up as an Egyptian Prince 
in the Palace of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt. 
His daughter was my foster mother; 
my real mother was my nanny. 
It was a funny arrangement by 
God- my mother brought me up as a nanny 
for the daughter of the King in the Palace! 
Who could have worked out such an 
arrangement but God?
I grew up with a Hebrew mind in an 
Egyptian body.
I dressed Egyptian.
I spoke Egyptian.
I looked Egyptian.
I was 100% Egyptian externally.
But I was 100% Hebrew internally.
There are many people who are in 
similar situations, growing up in 
cultures that are different from theirs: 
Africans growing up in Europe, Arabs 
growing up in America, Latinos 
growing up in Asia… 
it was not peculiar to me. 
The only difference is; the people I am 
being brought up under were oppressing 
my real people! My real people the 
Hebrews were SLAVES to the Egyptians 
my adopted people.
It was a very uncomfortable position 
for me. I hated it with passion. 
I was trapped in the wrong body. 
I felt for my people, the Hebrews. 
I wanted to help them get out of slavery, 
but I had no idea how to. 
When I drove round the city or when I 
go round the country, I would see the 
oppression first hand:
The Egyptians owned shops, the 
Hebrews were the shop attendants.
 The Egyptians owned gas stations, 
the Hebrews were the petrol attendants.
The Egyptians owned hotels, the 
Hebrews were the janitors, porters 
and cleaners.
The Egyptians owned restaurants, the 
Hebrews were the waiters and waitresses.
The Egyptians owned homes, the 
Hebrews were the maids.
That was how my mother became my 
nanny in the first place: there was a 
government decree that Hebrew male 
children should be killed at birth, 
my mother hid me for a few months, 
dropped me off in a basket in the river, 
the King’s daughter found me and 
adopted me. 
And hired my mother as nanny.
My Hebrew people have been in this 
oppressive situation for almost 400 years 
and I got tired of it. I had to do something! 
So I was in this restaurant in Cairo when 
the waiter accidentally spilled my soup. 
The owner got very angry and flogged 
the waiter mercilessly. 
He was trying to impress me, seeing 
I was an Egyptian prince. Or so he thought. 
I was in a private room and nobody else 
was there, so I intervened. 
I was very skilled in martial arts 
(I was so trained as an Egyptian Prince), 
so I helped the waiter out: 
I stunned his boss with a fatal kick. 
I quickly exited the restaurant from 
the back door…
The next day, I flew to Alexandria for 
an important meeting. 
As I was about to check into a hotel, 
I saw 2 porters quarreling in the concierge. 
From their name tags, 
I knew they were Hebrews. I intervened. 
“Hey! Why are you guys quarreling? 
You’re both Hebrews, this is not necessary…”
That was when one of them, Jonadab 
asked me those questions.
Wow!
So what I did in a Cairo restaurant is 
already public knowledge in Alexandria! 
I did not check into the hotel again: I fled!
The Secret Police came after me, 
I relocated to another country as a fugitive 
and started a new life. 
I went into business with one of their 
citizens, married his daughter and became 
the MD of the organization, a position 
I held for a long time. 
Until I had an encounter with God one day 
and I had to return to Egypt. 
I discussed with my Father in-law 
(the company Chairman) and he released me.
40 years after I left as a fugitive, 
I flew back to Cairo. I got across to the 
Hebrew community and asked for a 
meeting. 
To my surprise, the President of the 
Hebrew Community Association was 
Jonadab! 
I recognized him immediately, but he did 
not remember me. 
The question he asked me had been 
ringing in my head for 40 years. 
That day, I had an answer for him. 
I showed them the signs God had showed 
me as proof He sent me and they believed 
me.
In that moment, Jonadab remembered! 
He asked, “Moses? Are you the same Moses, 
the grandson of the late King?”
“Yes, I am! and I remember I met you 40 years 
ago in a hotel in Alexandria. You asked me who 
made me a Prince and a Judge over you? 
Was I planning to kill you as I did the Egyptian?”
“Ah!” Jonadab responded; “I remember. 
You know in those days we were…”
I cut him short. 
“There is no need for any explanation, Jonadab. 
But I can respond to those questions now- 
it took me 40 years to get the answers: 
I am not going to kill you like I did the 
Egyptian. 
And I was sent by God to be Prince and 
Judge over you. 
I just didn’t recognize it 40 years ago…”