Though Moses was raised as an Egyptian prince, he never forgot his Hebrew heritage. As an adult, Moses saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, and on impulse, he killed the Egyptian and buried his body. But someone witnessed his crime, so Moses went on the run.

He came to the land of Midian and sat down by a well. While he was there, seven shepherdesses, the daughters of Reuel, came to water their sheep. But shepherds came and drove them away. So Moses came to the girls’ rescue and helped them take care of their flock.

When the girls got home earlier than usual, their father asked what had happened. They told him about the Egyptian who delivered them from the shepherds.

Reuel asked them where the man was and why they’d left him without offering him hospitality. Reuel welcomed Moses to their home, inviting him to live with them, and then giving Moses his daughter Zipporah as a wife.

Though the Bible uses the word priest to describe Reuel, it can also mean a priest-king. He was likely a ruler of the Midianites, a people who came from Abraham and Keturah’s son Midian. He was a godly man or else Moses would have never married his daughter.

The scene shares similarities with Jacob meeting Rachel at a well, but Rachel hurried to share with her family about the man she’d met. These girls waited until their father asked before they said anything. Of course, this could be because they perceived Moses as an Egyptian rather than a man of God. Fortunately, Reuel showed kindness regardless.

May we always show kindness to those who cross our paths. We never know how God might use our acts of kindness to impact lives.

Daughters of Reuel in Scripture: Exodus 2:15-22

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