Birth of Moses

Moses’ mother knew how wrong it would be to destroy her child. But there was little she could do to change Pharaoh’s new law. Her only alternative was to hide the child and later place him in a tiny papyrus basket on the river. God used her courageous act to place her son, the Hebrew of his choice in the house of Pharaoh. Do you sometimes feel surrounded by evil and frustrated by how little you can do about it? When faced with evil, look for ways to act against it. Then Trust God to use your effort, however small it seems, in his war against evil.

In another verse we see that Moses’ mother was reunited with her baby. God used her courageous act of saving and hiding her baby to begin his plan to rescue his people from Egypt. God doesn’t need much from us to accomplish his plan for our lives. Focusing on our human predicament may paralyze us because the situation may appear humanely impossible. But concentrating on God and his power will help us see the way out.

The verses that have touched our hearts while reading the chapter are as follows:
2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.
3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.
8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. 10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom; for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.” God calls Moses
23 After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God.
25 God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.

Let’s Pray: O my precious and loving God, right now we may feel unable to see through our troubles. Lead and guide us to focus on You and trust You for the way out. In this passage today, we read that Moses had killed an Egyptian thinking that no one saw him. But as it turned out, someone did see and Moses had to flee the country. Lord, sometimes we mistakenly think that we can get away with doing wrong if no one see or catches us. We do realize Lord, that even if we don’t get caught up in this life, we will still have to face You and Your evaluations of our actions. Lord, we pray to always abide in Your love and mercy. Amen

Chapter 2: Birth of Moses

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a Levite woman.
2 The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a fine baby, she hid him three months.
3 When she could hide him no longer she got a papyrus basket for him, and plastered it with bitumen and pitch; she put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the bank of the river.
4 His sister stood at a distance, to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.
6 When she opened it, she saw the child. He was crying, and she took pity on him. “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,” she said.
7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?”
8 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.
9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed it.
10 When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and she took him as her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
11 One day, after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his kinsfolk.
12 He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 When he went out the next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting; and he said to the one who was in the wrong, “Why do you strike your fellow Hebrew?”
14 He answered, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us? Do you mean to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Then Moses was afraid and thought, “Surely the thing is known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.
But Moses fled from Pharaoh. He settled in the land of Midian, and sat down by a well.
16 The priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water, and filled the troughs to water their father’s flock.
17 But some shepherds came and drove them away. Moses got up and came to their defense and watered their flock.
18 When they returned to their father Reuel, he said, “How is it that you have come back so soon today?”
19 They said, “An Egyptian helped us against the shepherds; he even drew water for us and watered the flock.”
20 He said to his daughters, “Where is he? Why did you leave the man? Invite him to break bread.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.
22 She bore a son, and he named him Gershom; for he said, “I have been an alien residing in a foreign land.” God calls Moses
23 After a long time the king of Egypt died. The Israelites groaned under their slavery, and cried out. Out of the slavery their cry for help rose up to God.
24 God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
25 God looked upon the Israelites, and God took notice of them.