SCRIPTURE: EXODUS 2
BIBLE VERSES:
“One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to where his own people were and watched them at their hard labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people. Looking this way and that and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. He asked the one in the wrong, “Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?” The man said, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must have become known.” (Exodus 2:11-14)
THE BIRTH OF MOSES (vs. 1-10)
A Levite woman gave birth to a son and hid him for 3 months. But when she could no longer hid him, she got a papyrus basket coated it with tar and pitch and placed the child in it. Then the child was put along the bank of Nile River while his sister Miriam stood at a distance to watch.
When Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at Nile River, she saw the basket and the baby. She had pity on him because it was one of the Hebrew’s babies. The sister approached Pharaoh’s daughter and asked if she needed a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby. She consented, so the sister went to get the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to the baby’s mother: “Take this baby and nurse him for me and I will pay you” (v. 9). So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter to become her son. She named him Moses meaning “I drew him out of the water”.
MOSES FLEES TO MIDIAN (vs. 11-24)
One day, Moses went out to watch their people doing hard labor. When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. The next day, he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting. When he reprimanded them, one who is wrong said: “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” (v. 14) When Moses heard it, he was frightened. So, he fled and went to Midian. While he was sitting at the well, 7 daughters of a Midian priest went to draw water in a well to water their father’s flock. Some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their rescue and water their flock.
When the girls returned, their father Jethro was wondering why they were able to return so early. Their daughters told him that an Egyptian rescued them from the shepherds and drew water for them and watered their flocks. So he asked his daughter to invite him to their house. Moses agreed to stay with him and married his daughter Zipporah. They gave birth to a son name Gershom meaning “I have become an alien in a foreign land” (v. 22)
After a long period of time, the king of Egypt died. The Israelites cried out to the Lord for their slavery and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
THOUGHTS:
Moses was born by godly parents Amram and Jochebed. It took real faith for the mother to put the child in the river, the very place where the babies were being destroyed. But God used a child’s tears to touch the princess and arranged the child’s own mother to raise him.
Moses loved his people and had the courage to defend his people. But he ran ahead of the Lord. He buried the Egyptian body presuming that no one had seen. Since he was a criminal, his only recourse was to flee from the land. Because Moses was too hasty in his action, God had to set him aside for further training. Sometimes, we mistakenly think that we can get away with doing wrong if no one sees or catches us. However, doing wrong will surely catch us up. Even if we are not caught in this life, we still have to face God in the future.
Miriam was not afraid to approach the Egyptian princess. Her act of courage reunited the family. Don’t let fear miss the special opportunities that may come your way unexpectedly. Be alert for the opportunities that God gives you and take full advantage of them.
God promised to bring the Jews out of slavery from Egypt. But the people had to wait for a long time. God knows when is the best time to act. So, if you feel that God had forgotten you in your troubles, remember that God has a time schedule we cannot see.