During that long period, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.

Read through Exodus 2:11–14. Imagine being Moses, a Hebrew man, raised within an Egyptian family, and witnessing every day the hardship his own people endured. Notice how he looked around before he killed the Egyptian. And also notice that the very next day he tried to correct two other men who were hurting each other. What do you think: Did Moses believe that killing the Egyptian was the right thing to do?

On the one hand, Moses fought against the bullies in these stories: against the Egyptian beating the slave and against the shepherds pushing the women away. But on the other hand, Moses was in a position of power and acted as a bully when he took the life of a man. Take a look at how you behave toward those who are bullies and toward those who are weaker than you. Think about how you act toward younger siblings, younger students at your school or on your teams, or to kids in your area who might not have as much as you do. Do you ever act as a bully? Do you ever think you should get something before others simply because they are weaker or less powerful than you? Do you ever cut in lines or take things from others because it’s easy to do? What about the way that you use your words: Do you ever call people names or make fun of others, either within their hearing or behind their backs? Evaluate your potential bullying attitudes, and ask God to help you treat others with respect.