Exodus Chapter 2

• Exodus 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 
  2 And the woman conceived, and bore a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

Naturally any good mother was not going to kill her child. In a way this is a test to see if someone would risk their lives to save their children by disobeying the king's commandment or would they succumb to the fear of man and go ahead and kill the baby to escape judgment. Lots of people have abortions because they do not want the responsibility of raising a child. Moses' mother would have gladly accepted the responsibility of this child.

Here is what Hebrews says about this child:

• Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. 

There was a story in the news a while back about a woman who drowned by holding her baby up out of the water to save it's life so a rescuer could reach the baby before it was too late. They were able to save the baby but she perished in the process. She was a real mother.

• Exodus 2:3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. 

Moses' mother placed the baby in the river but in a waterproof basket. Perhaps the Spirit of God led her to do things this way. All these events could not have been by accident. 

• Exodus 2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 

Miriam kept watch to see what would happen to the baby. This makes is seem even more that this action was no accident. God was using this to rescue His people out of Egypt. 

• Exodus 2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 

Perhaps the mother of Moses knew that Pharaoh's daughter often came to this same spot. Another thought is that God led her to bring the baby to this place even though she may not have known what would become of him.

• Exodus 2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. 

Pharaoh's daughter knew this was one of the Hebrew's children and her heart was taken with the child anyway. God was preparing a deliverer for the children of Israel. 

This is similar to the story later of Jesus. Herod tried to kill all male children under the age of two. The real Messiah escaped death and grew up to do what He was called to do. We see the same thing happen to Moses. The enemy or Satan tries to mess up God's plans continually. To keep the Messiah from coming to save lost mankind and reconcile them back to God, there were many times before and after Christ's first coming that he tried hard to wipe out that whole nation; first to stop the Messiah's first coming and second to stop prophecy concerning the end times and Christ's second coming to be fulfilled. Our part is to try hard never to be Satan's mouthpiece or tool to help oppose God's will or we will be judged accordingly. 

• Exodus 2:7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? 

Miriam saw an opportunity right away and arranged for her mother to become a paid nurse for her own child. We see surely that this is an act of God's intervention in the plans of man. It could be that Pharaoh's daughter knew that this was the sister of the child but there is no mention of it in the text.  

• Exodus 2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. 
• 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. 
• 10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. 

Moses' mother knew the day would come that she would have to give up her son but I'm sure that she rejoiced that his life was spared. That is a true mother in every sense of the word. 

• Exodus 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 
• 12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. 

The movie about the ten commandments made it seem as if Moses did not know who his mother or who his relatives were but from these passages of scripture we see that Moses knew who he was and from what people he came from. Pharaoh's daughter did not hide his past from him. She just had enough influence with Pharaoh that he would break his rule to make her happy and let one baby live. He probably thought, just having one would not do any harm. What he didn't know was the very one he allowed was the one that God used to free the slaves. Egypt could have been the greatest nation on earth if they would have been good to the children of Israel.  

• Exodus 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? 
• 14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. 
• 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. 

Notice that Moses tried to correct the two Israelites but killed the Egyptian who was oppressing one of his brethren. He was trying to make peace between brethren. This is a preview of the type of person Moses was. A lawgiver and one that would enforce the law. Yet, now Moses knew that it was no secret that he had killed an Egyptian. Now he had to flee Egypt. God was going to prepare this one to deliver His people.

The book of Hebrews tells us a little about Moses here:

• Hebrews 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
• 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward. 
• 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.

Moses could have been a great ruler in Egypt like Joseph had he not chosen to identify with his own people and suffer affliction. We too have to make a choice to serve Christ even though the day may come when that will be unpopular and may cause persecution. It is interesting that verse 26 mentions the reproach of Christ when the days of Moses were before Christ. I'm thinking that they knew about the coming deliverer God promised and waited for that day just like we wait for His second coming. Moses was a type of Christ but not the Christ. 

• Exodus 2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. 
• 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. 

This reminds me of the story of Jacob when he went to seek a wife. He also helped water the flock of Laban just as Moses is helping these women. This also shows us the selfishness that was in the shepherds that they didn't want to do their own work but drive away the women so they could water their sheep from the water the women drew out. This caused Moses to again decide to intervene. God is preparing the way before him to become a great leader.  

• Exodus 2:18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon today? 
• 19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. 

Moses must have been wearing Egyptian clothing so that these women identified him as being Egyptian. 

• Exodus 2:20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. 
• 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. 
• 22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. 

They seem to name babies after certain events transpiring in their lives. Some names were even prophetic. A name was given and that person turned out to fulfill the meaning of their name. 

• Exodus 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. 

The scripture does not tell us that they called upon the Lord previously. Perhaps the new Pharaoh was tougher than the ones before him. Notice when we call...God answers. He may not respond as quickly as we think He should but He answers at once or begins the process. He was already preparing Moses to deliver His people but He waited until they called upon Him and cried out. As long as they were comfortable in Egypt, they were content to stay there even though it was a heathen land that worshipped false gods. Time to come out and be a separate people holy unto God.  

• Exodus 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 

God will always honor that covenant.  Here is that covenant: 

• Genesis 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee: 
• 2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: 
• 3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. 

Not only will God bless Israel but God will use Israel to bring forth the Messiah that is to save the world from sin. Unfortunately when He came, Israel as a nation did not know who He was. They were expecting a deliverer like Moses that would free them from Roman bondage. They didn't realize that their Messiah came first to die for sins and usher in the way of salvation with His death, burial and resurrection. 

Before they could have the deliverance from their enemies the sin question had to be taken care of. We cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven unless our sins are washed away. If we fail to see this, we will die in our sins and be lost. We are not to come to God to get rich in this life and excel in this world. We have to come to God to have our sins washed away and become born again by His spirit. People of the flesh care only for the world and what it has to offer. People of the spirit seek God and things that are everlasting. For this world and its money, battles, and cares will pass away.  Only what is in Jesus Christ will last forever.  

• Exodus 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. 

These are His chosen people called to be bearers of the gospel which will save the lost and even bring the Gentiles into the light of the gospel. DC

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