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In Exodus 2 after Moses kills the Egyptian, the Bible says, "Moses feared and fled from the face of Pharaoh" (Exodus 2:14-15). However, the Orthodox Study Bible says about Exodus 2:12 that "Moses was forty years old at this time, and knew he was Israel's deliverer. Thus, he defended an Israelite and killed the Egyptian. He supposed the Israelites would understand his calling from God, but they did not" (Acts 7:23-28). I do not understand this interpretation. If this interpretation is correct, why would he be afraid and flee from Pharaoh? How would this action show that he is of God? Also, if Moses knew that God would use him as the deliverer of Egypt, why would he hesitate and make excuses when God spoke to him through the burning bush?

I do not understand the passage from the book of Acts (Acts 7:23-28), which indicates that Moses had knowledge that God would use him as the deliverer of His people. How did Moses know? Also, how would his killing the Egyptian help the Israelites understand that God will deliver them through Moses? The explanation in the Orthodox Study Bible simply cites this passage, but does not explain it. How does a servant, who has foreknowledge of the deliverance of the Israelites, flee to Midian? Was this his way of hiding until God calls him, or can this be explained by human weakness?

From his being an Hebrew in such high life; from his wonderful birth, and miraculous preservation in his infancy, and education in Pharaoh's court; and from the promise of God that he would visit them and save them; wherefore he was the more emboldened to kill the Egyptian, believing that his brethren would make no advantage of it against him; but look upon it as a beginning and pledge of their deliverance by him but they did not understand that he was to be their deliverer, or that this action of his was a token of it.

See http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/acts-7-25.html.

Moses the great prophet was distressed by the persistent injustice toward the Israelites, while on the other hand, he enjoyed a life of luxury. He did not flee for fear for his own life, but for concern over the Israelites. Because of his actions, the Israelites may have suffered even more maltreatment after he attacked the Egyptian. Moses needed to retreat to the desert to search for answers from God. He had already reacted impulsively, but needed to capture direction from God on how to proceed from there.

Moses' greatest virtue, which was also his greatest strength, was his humility. "Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth" (Numbers 12:3). This is perhaps the reason why God purposely chose him. When God spoke to him in the burning bush (Exodus 3), Moses did not refuse God, but humbly recognized what he felt about his own inadequacy (Exodus 4). Then Moses said to the Lord, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither before nor since You have spoken to Your servant; but I am slow of speech and slow of tongue" (Exodus 4:10).

Moses is referred to as "God's servant" or a "servant of God" more than any other individual in the Holy Scripture. When Moses' brother Aaron (the priest) and his sister Miriam (the prophetess) dared to speak disrespectfully about Moses, God became angry at both of them and defended him and praised him and punished Miriam for her dissension upon her brother Moses. Yet, when Moses humbly prayed for his sister, God healed her. "So Moses cried out to the Lord, saying, 'Please heal her, O God, I pray.'" (Numbers 12:13).

"Hear now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I, the Lord, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak with him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the Lord. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?" (Numbers 12:6-8).

To the point of his humble willingness to suffer for his people's sins, Moses made a plea to the Lord to also blot him out for the sake of the people's sins. "Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, 'Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold! Yet now, if You will forgive their sin but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.'

And the Lord said to Moses, 'Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book. Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin'" (Exodus 32:31-34).

Thus, the Lord loved Moses greatly and Moses' strength was always evinced as a faithful, loving, loyal, and exceedingly humble servant to God.