"The whole matter was quickly made known to the Egyptians, and, greatly exaggerated, soon reached the ears of Pharaoh. It was represented to the king that this act meant much; that Moses designed to lead his people against the Egyptians, to overthrow the government, and to seat himself upon the throne; and that there could be no security for the kingdom while he lived. It was at once determined by the monarch that he should die; but, becoming aware of his danger, he made his escape and fled toward Arabia. PP 247.1"
"Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well."
EGW elaborates on the brief account in Exodus 2:15, providing details about the Egyptians' reaction and Pharaoh's motives. While adding details not explicitly stated, it remains faithful to the core narrative.
"The Lord directed his course, and he found a home with Jethro, the priest and prince of Midian, who was also a worshiper of God. After a time Moses married one of the daughters of Jethro; and here, in the service of his father-in-law, as keeper of his flocks, he remained forty years. PP 247.2"
"And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter."
EGW expands on the information in Exodus 2:21, providing the name of Jethro and his role as a priest and prince. The core information aligns directly with the biblical text.
In slaying the Egyptian, Moses had fallen into the same error so often committed by his fathers, of taking into their own hands the work that God had promised to do. It was not God's will to deliver His people by warfare, as Moses thought, but by His own mighty power, that the glory might be ascribed to Him alone. Yet even this rash act was overruled by God to accomplish His purposes. Moses was not prepared for his great work. He had yet to learn the same lesson of faith that Abraham and Jacob had been taught—not to rely upon human strength or wisdom, but upon the power of God for the fulfillment of His promises. And there were other lessons that, amid the solitude of the mountains, Moses was to receive. In the school of self-denial and hardship he was to learn patience, to temper his passions. Before he could govern wisely, he must be trained to obey. His own heart must be fully in harmony with God before he could teach the knowledge of His will to Israel. By his own experience he mus…
"And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:"
While EGW refers to the event in Acts 7:24 (the slaying of the Egyptian), the core connection is thematic. EGW uses the event to illustrate Moses's reliance on his own strength rather than God's, a theme that resonates throughout the Old Testament.
"Man would have dispensed with that long period of toil and obscurity, deeming it a great loss of time. But Infinite Wisdom called him who was to become the leader of his people to spend forty years in the humble work of a shepherd. The habits of caretaking, of self-forgetfulness and tender solicitude for his flock, thus developed, would prepare him to become the compassionate, longsuffering shepherd of Israel. No advantage that human training or culture could bestow, could be a substitute for this experience. PP 247.4"
"He chose David also his servant, and took him from the sheepfolds: From following the ewes great with young he brought him to feed Jacob his people, and Israel his inheritance. So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands."
EGW draws a parallel between Moses's training as a shepherd and David's, as described in Psalm 78. Both were prepared for leadership through their experiences tending flocks. The connection is thematic, highlighting God's use of humble occupations to prepare leaders.