The Birth of Moses

October 2, 2022 Background Scripture: Exodus 1:15 -2:10 Lesson Passage: Exodus 2:1 - 10 Today's lesson has many examples of God frustrating the plans of man. But those examples stand opposite God's blessings for those who reverence Him. Wicked people develop wicked schemes, but good people have the option of whether to participate in them or not. This lesson shows how God interrupts the plans of the wicked and bless the decent people who refuse to comply with them. It is never a good thing when insecure people ascend into positions of leadership. An insecure Pharoah was frightened by the increasing population of Hebrews in Egypt. He gave directions to the midwives who aided in childbirth for the Hebrew women to kill all male Hebrew babies. The midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, refused to obey the order because of their fear, or reverence, of God. It is likely that most people in Egypt at that time, Egyptians and Hebrews, knew the Pharoah's name but few, besides the Hebrew women, would have known the names of the midwives. (It is worth noting that God preserved the names of the midwives in the holy writings but not the name of the Pharoah who issued the order.) When it became apparent to Pharoah that his order was not being followed, he ordered all Egyptians to kill the Hebrew male babies by drowning them in the river. Genocide has long been a weapon of the enemy of God's people. Hebrew mothers refused to comply by keeping the births of their boys a secret. The mother of Moses was one of them. After Moses' birth, she kept him hidden for three months. When hiding him was no longer viable, she placed him at the mercy of God. She made a water-proof basket and placed him in it. Then she placed the basket in the river that Pharoah intended for him to have drowned in. Moses' sister stood afar off and watched the basket. Pharoah's daughter, along with her attending maidens, came to the river. She saw the basket and sent one her maidens to retrieve it. The baby Moses was inside crying. Pharoah's daughter became emotionally connected with the baby and decided to keep him for herself. Moses' sister approached her and asked if she needed a Hebrew woman to care for the baby for her. She accepted the advice and sent the girl to get a Hebrew woman to do just that. She went to her mother and brought her to the daughter of Pharoah. Moses' mother was ordered to take care of the baby for Pharoah's daughter, and she was given wages to compensate her for doing it. The Hebrew people were enslaved by the Egyptians at that time. No Hebrew should have received wages for working on behalf of the Egyptians! But God! As a result of God's intervention, Moses' mother was able to nurse him openly and was paid to do so. After he was weaned, Moses was taken to Pharoah's daughter, and she raised him as the grandson of Pharoah. Moses was condemned to death at birth. However, the one who condemned him was made to compensate Moses' mother for nursing him, and then Pharoah had to accept Moses as his own grandson. Egypt was one of the most advanced societies at that time. Because he was considered part of the royal family, Moses was "learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds". Pharoah feared that the exploding Hebrew population could become a problem for the Egyptians. His wicked scheme to afflict the Hebrews led to him inadvertently raising, and equipping, the Hebrew boy who would become the deliverer to lead all the Hebrews out of Egypt and drown the Pharoah and his army on their way out. Many babies have been born over the years. Few of those births have had the impact such as the birth of Moses. Robert C. Hudson September 17, 2022