Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock. The shepherds came and drove them away, but Moses stood up and saved them, and watered their flock. When they came home to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come home so soon today?” They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.” He said to his daughters, “Then where is he? Why have you left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread.” And Moses was content to dwell with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah. She gave birth to a son, and he called his name Gershom, for he said, “I have been a sojourner in a foreign land.”
During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. God saw the people of Israel—and God knew.
Comment: Men can be beastly! Presumably the Priest of Midian had no sons and so his girls had to be the shepherds of his flocks. The watering was taking place when some guys drove the daughters’ flocks away to save themselves pulling water up from the well. They used the drawn water to save themselves the effort. Moses, used to wielding power, did the truly manly thing and sorted things out for the girls. They had presumably been used to being treated badly, and their early arrival home caused questions by the father. Having heard the story, Moses is called and not surprisingly Moses gets married to one of the many daughters! Gershom is born.
Meanwhile back in Egypt the Pharaoh dies and his the Hebrews suffer terribly. It seems as if at last the Hebrews came to their senses and cried out to the God of their forebears. God knew what was going on in both Egypt and Midian!
Prayer: We don’t understand Your timing, God, but thank You that You are in control.
As I read it! 