Moyab - Tradesman for the Pharaoh

Moyab — Tradesman for the Pharaoh

No College Education — He Did the Best He Could for His Family

Approx. 400 words | 2-minute read

Pharaoh's standing orders for his new palace project were not to be taken lightly. His construction schedule was impossible.

But it would be met.

No questions asked.

Moyab was the eldest Hebrew son of the Bernstein family. He had already spent thirty-five grueling years helping move thousands of 27-ton blocks of solid granite for Pharaoh's wife's new modern kitchen.

It was going to be much bigger than her old kitchen, she had informed her royal husband.

And so, it would be done.

This day was no different from any other. It was going to be another extremely hot one—124 degrees, no shade and no breaks.

Moyab's wife had been begging him to look for a better job in Dubai, but Moyab couldn't leave his aging mother. Besides, he had heard tent rentals in Dubai were outrageous, and the wages for common laborers wouldn't leave anything to save at the end of the month.

He simply couldn't afford the move.

No, Moyab was trapped in his lousy palace-building job.

His lack of a college education wasn't helping matters. He had construction skills, of course, but no degree. No special training. Nothing that would move him into management.

And the daily encouragement from his supervisor's cat-o'-nine-tails frequently made Moyab regret quitting school at sixteen.

There were days when he seriously considered turning in his two weeks' notice and telling Pharaoh exactly what he could do with his no-future job.

But Moyab knew better.

He wasn't going anywhere.

He would just keep on keeping on.

So, with calloused hands, a persistent backache, a balding sunburned head and no hope whatsoever of a family vacation, Moyab picked up his lunch of locusts and headed off to work.

His mother always told him:

“Son, try to find something you like about your work. Something that makes you happy. It will help you get through the day.”

Moyab thought his mother was very wise.

Outside the family tent, the same miserable desert greeted him—blazing sun, blowing sand and another long day ahead.

Life was hard for a Hebrew husband and father of eight back in the old days of Egypt. Moyab and thousands of workers like him simply made the best of a bad situation.

Still, lately there had been some unusual developments around Egypt.

Frogs everywhere.

Then fiery hailstones.

Strange things were happening.

Moyab and his fellow workers couldn't explain any of it.

But somehow, Moyab had the feeling that things in Egypt were about to change.

— Melton Carr