The second half of Exodus 2 (vv. 11–25) begins with Moses walking among the Hebrew laborers. Three times in these verses he intercedes on behalf of weak persons who had been wronged, thereby showing himself to be God’s friend. Nevertheless, in addition to demonstrating the gifts God had given him, these three short scenes also reveal what was lacking in Moses’ character and education. Each encounter shows who he was and also changed him in significant ways. In striking down the Egyptian Moses encountered the violent culture of his upbringing, and through this incident he learned that violence would not be the way into the future. When he confronted his “brothers” who were fighting he found that he had no credibility with them, no influence over them, nor any call from a higher authority to…