We all know the story: Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. Epic, right? But what about the moments before all that? The near misses?
The Book of Jubilees, a fascinating text from around the 2nd century BCE, gives us a peek behind the curtain. It fills in gaps and offers a unique perspective on familiar biblical narratives. And it tells us about a very close call for Moses.
Jubilees 48 opens with Moses's return to Egypt. It states, matter-of-factly: "And thou didst return into Egypt in the second week in the second year in the fiftieth jubilee." This chronological marker situates the event within the larger framework of Jubilees' unique calendrical system. Okay, helpful for placing it in time… but what happened?
That's where it gets interesting. God reminds Moses of a dangerous encounter on his way back to Egypt, an encounter many of us may have missed completely. "And thou thyself knowest what He spake unto thee on Mount Sinai, and what prince Mastêmâ desired to do with thee when thou wast returning into Egypt on the way when thou didst meet him at the lodging-place."
Mastêmâ? Who's that?
Well, Mastêmâ is a figure often associated with the Satan, the accuser or adversary. In Jubilees, he's a powerful, rebellious angel who seeks to thwart God's plans. And here, he's aiming to take out Moses.
The text continues, "Did he not with all his power seek to slay thee and deliver the Egyptians out of thy hand when he saw that thou wast sent to execute judgment and vengeance on the Egyptians?"
Think about that for a moment. Mastêmâ, seeing Moses as a threat to his agenda, tried to kill him. He wanted to prevent the Exodus, to keep the Israelites enslaved in Egypt. The stakes were incredibly high! This wasn’t just a personal attack; it was an attempt to derail God's entire plan for liberation.
What was Mastêmâ’s motivation? According to Jubilees, he saw Moses’s mission as a direct threat to his influence. He wanted to protect the Egyptians from the plagues and ultimately, maintain the status quo. He wanted to prevent the judgement and vengeance that was about to be unleashed.
Thankfully, the story doesn't end there. God intervened. "And I delivered thee out of his hand, and thou didst perform the signs and wonders which thou wast sent to perform in Egypt against Pharaoh, and against all his house, and against his servants and his people."
God protected Moses, allowing him to fulfill his mission. This passage highlights the constant struggle between good and evil, between God's will and the forces that oppose it. It shows us that even the greatest leaders face immense challenges and that divine intervention is sometimes necessary to overcome them.
It makes you wonder, doesn't it? About the battles we don't see. About the forces working against us, and the unseen hand that guides us through. The story of Moses and Mastêmâ reminds us that even in moments of great purpose, we may be facing opposition we don't even realize is there. And that sometimes, just sometimes, we need a little help from above.