Êxodo 2

Êxodo 2

Phillips has an interesting suggestion on why they hid Moses in a basket - How does God save a person condemned to death? they asked themselves. Then they thought of Noah and his ark. "We will do that!" they said. "We will make a little ark. We'll put Moses in the river, as commanded by Pharaoh, but we'll put him in the ark first. We'll put the ark between him and the waters of death, and we'll trust God to do for Moses what He did for Noah." (Exploring Hebrews) Basket (08392)(tebah) is a box like structure which is used in only two settings in the OT - a "big box" referring to Noah's Ark (26 times) and a little basket (2 times). In both situations the occupants were in danger of dying (God's judgment in the flood and Pharaoh's decree to kill the male infants) and in both situations the occupants were rescued from the water. So in both "divine rescues" the result was not just salvation for Noah and Moses, but respectfully the salvation and perpetuation of the human race and the deliverance of the Chose People. (See Epic of Gilgamesh which is a secular writing that parallels the Biblical account of the flood). Ronald Youngblood adds that "Noah's ark as a symbol of salvation is compared to the ordinance of baptism in 1 Peter 3:20f+, and as a symbol of God's protection from external evil, it was frequently sketched by the early Christians on the walls of the catacombs under the streets of ancient Rome." (TWOT) Tebah - ark(26), basket(2). - Gen. 6:14; Gen. 6:15; Gen. 6:16; Gen. 6:18; Gen. 6:19; Gen. 7:1; Gen. 7:7; Gen. 7:9; Gen. 7:13; Gen. 7:15; Gen. 7:17; Gen. 7:18; Gen. 7:23; Gen. 8:1; Gen. 8:4; Gen. 8:6; Gen. 8:9; Gen. 8:10; Gen. 8:13; Gen. 8:16; Gen. 8:19; Gen. 9:10; Gen. 9:18; Exod. 2:3; Exod. 2:5 Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile - Bush writes that Jochebed's attention to detail is a "beautiful illustration of the connection which should always exist between the diligent use of means and a pious trust in providence. Instead of sitting down in sullen despair, or passive dependence on divine interposition to do all the work, everything is done which can be done by human agency" (Bush, Exodus 1:25). Expositor's Bible Commentary, The - The Expositor's Bible Commentary – Volume 2: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers. Jack Arnold rightly observes that "This is a beautiful picture of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility working side by side. Jochebed was expecting a supernatural intervention but she sent Miriam, Moses’ sister, to see how it would all turn out and perhaps do something about the situation." (Sermon) Exodus 2:4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. Ex 15:20 Nu 12:1-15 20:1 26:59 Mic 6:4 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him - Moses' sister Miriam (Ex 15:20) was watching. Undoubtedly the mother had planned this detail also. Wiersbe "The phrase "as weak as a baby" doesn't apply in the kingdom of God; for when the Lord wants to accomplish a mighty work, He often starts by sending a baby. This was true when He sent Isaac, Joseph, Samuel, John the Baptist, and especially Jesus. God can use the weakest things to defeat the mightiest enemies [1Co 1:25, 26, 27, 28, 29]. A baby's tears were God's first weapons in His war against Egypt. Rod Mattoon - Miriam watched what would happen to the ark, standing at a distance so she would not be noticed or create suspicion. The Nile was regarded as sacred, and its water as health-giving and fructifying. The daughter of the king himself came to bathe at the river and the little ark was noticed by the princess. It is possible that the bathing habits of the princess were known, but even if this is true, God was still working behind the scenes on their behalf. He does this for you too! Jeremiah 10:23KJV -O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps. We are not able to completely plan our own course. Life is full of surprises and unexpected events that leave us out of control. Romans 8:28KJV -And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. The princess was in the right place at the right time and responded the right way toward baby Moses. The tears of Moses melted her heart and she had compassion upon him. The blessing of God was upon this little baby's life. The princess defied her father's edict to kill the Hebrew baby boy, and took the child for herself into the palace of the Pharaoh. God was getting the last laugh with this tyrant king. Exodus 2:5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. daughter of Pharaoh - Ac 7:21 and she saw - 1Ki 17:6 Ps 9:9 12:5 46:1 76:10 Pr 21:1 Jon 1:17 2:10 GOD'S PROVIDENTIAL MEETING WITH DAUGHTER OF PHARAOH The Greek word for providence (pronoia) is found only once in the Bible, a usage which refers to human providence (Acts 24:2+), and yet Divine Providence permeates the pages of Holy Writ from Genesis to Revelation! God’s gracious oversight of the universe. Indeed a healthy understanding of God's providence should produce praise from His people, for as John Piper rightly said "In all the setbacks of your life as a believer, God is plotting for your joy." This great truth ought to cause all of God's children to shout "Hallelujah! Our God Reigns!" Amen. Our God upholds all things. Our God governs all events. Our God directs everything to its appointed end. Our God does this all the time and in every circumstance. Our God does it always for His own glory. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile - Some have argued this would have been unlikely since their were crocodiles in the Nile. However it is known that not all areas of the Nile are infested with crocodiles, so it is clearly what transpired. And she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her - Arnold - Humanly speaking, Pharaoh’s daughter should have thrown Moses in the Nile because the king had commanded this, but God has control even over the hearts of royalty and can change their thinking. “The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes”(Pr 21:1). God alone can soften an unbeliever’s heart. Related Resource: The Providence of God Exodus 2:6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying. And she had pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." she had pity - 1Ki 8:50 Ne 1:11 Ps 106:46 Pr 21:1 Ac 7:21 1Pe 3:8 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying - This is interesting that she saw before she heard. And she had pity on him - Where did this pity originate. Recall that God is behind the scenes raising up His deliverer to fulfill the promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children." - With this acknowledgement, she should have thrown the infant in the Nile, but once again God was overruling human wisdom and preserving His deliverer! Exodus 2:7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" Ex 2:4 15:20 Nu 12:1 26:59 Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?" - While Moses' mother may have "set this up," clearly it is still example of the providence of God. Exodus 2:8 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go ahead." So the girl went and called the child's mother. Go ahead - Ps 27:10 Isa 46:3,4 Eze 16:8 child's mother - Ex 6:20 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go ahead." - The Lord continues to work behind the scenes as the Princess consents to Miriam's suggestion. This reminds me of the truth that "The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He wishes." (Pr 21:1) So we should not be surprised that the princess' heart is also in God's hand. So the girl went and called the child's mother. - This is Moses' sister Miriam who brings her mother Jochebed to Pharaoh's daughter. We see God honoring her desire to preserve her child's life by giving her favor with the ruling authorities, the very ones who had instructed her to kill her son. Exodus 2:9 Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. Take - Jdg 13:8 THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD Then Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. - God kept Moses alive and provided for Moses family. "God again has another laugh as the mother of Moses is paid for caring for her child. The king's daughter will pay money from the king's treasury to defy his own commandment! The Lord has a great sense of humor." (Mattoon) Job 5:13 He captures the wise by their own shrewdness, And the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted. Exodus 2:10 The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water." and he - Ge 48:5 Ac 7:21,22 Ga 4:5 Heb 11:24 1Jn 3:1 Because - Ge 4:25 16:11 1Sa 1:20 Mt 1:21 MOSES NAMED BY EGYPTIAN PRINCESS The child grew - While the Scripture does not tell us specifically how Moses learned about God (for he certainly did not do so once in Pharaoh’s court!), by default, it had to have been when his parents raised him for the Pharaoh’s daughter. Note the phrase the child grew which is the Hebrew verb gadal meaning to grow up or to become great. The Septuagint translates grew with the verb adruno (not found in the NT - 3 other OT uses - Jdg 11:2+ Jdg 13:24+ = Samson, 2 Sa 12:3) and it means to “grow ripe” as of corn, etc, and of humans speaks of to come to maturity. It therefore seems clear that was Moses was “fed” not just his mother’s milk but the pure milk of the Word ("Old Testament style" possibly only verbal since Moses would later write the Pentateuch) and by the nourishing word Moses grew in respect to salvation (and faith – Ro 10:17+) as Peter describes (1 Peter 2:2+). Mattoon - The princess named the baby "Moses" which means "to draw forth or pull out." His name was a forecast of his own life. God would pull him out of Egypt. He would be used to pull his people out of Egypt and out of the Red Sea. God's hand was working in Moses' life. These were difficult times, dangerous, discouraging, distressing, and depressing circumstances. Yet, God was still working behind the scenes. He used a daughter of Egypt, of Levi, of Jochabed, and of Pharaoh to deliver Moses. THOUGHT - You may be going through the ringer right now. Realize this that the Lord is working behind the scenes. If you will just look for His hand of blessing, you will see it. Don't let your problems cloud your vision. God is working to help you to grow in your faith and be a better servant of Christ. If you do not know the Lord, He is working to bring you to a point where you will trust Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. The camel is one of the ugliest, most stubborn and dangerous of all the so-called tame animals. It is also one of the most useful animals. It is used as food, a desert "freight car" and "passenger bus." Many people drink camel's milk. When the camel is too old and feeble to continue carrying loads and passengers, it is butchered. The meat is eaten, and the skin is tanned to make beautiful leather. The camel can kick sideways as well as forward and backward, and it has a very nasty bite. The camel can turn its head full around and stare its rider in the face. It can stretch its long, goosy neck around and bite at the flies that are nibbling its tail. It can drop its head between the two front legs and look backward with an upside-down face. Ugly, but very useful, is the camel. Like the camel, our problems tend to be ugly, but useful. They can strengthen our relationship with the Lord and our patience. What God wants us to realize is that no matter what we are facing, He is working behind the scenes. And she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, "Because I drew him out of the water." - Moses is adopted into aristocracy for the next 40 years. Notice in Scripture names are often filled with meaning, which is often explained in the text as in this case with Moses. Indeed water would play a significant role in his life -- Moses was delivered by pharaoh's daughter from water and Moses would deliver (through the power of God) Israel through water (Red Sea) from the Egyptians. THOUGHT - What an encouragement for those of us who are attempting to raise a godly family in today’s secular desert. The faith and actions based on faith by Moses’ parents are a great reminder to us not to complain about how bad our society has become and to start being creative on how to pour into our children – and many of you are already doing that by HOME SCHOOLING your children – THEY MAY NOT BE “MOSES” WHEN THEY GROW UP BUT THEY CAN STILL BE USED MIGHTILY BY THE LORD WHEREVER HE CHOOSES TO PLACE THEM! SO BE ENCOURAGED! PERSEVERE IN FAITH LIKE JOCHEBED AND AMRAM DID! So Don’t Fear the Pharaoh’s. Entrust your children into God’s care. New mom’s & dad’s, since your children are only yours “on loan”...Entrust God with your child & show your faith, by making a little ark, (so to speak) and floating your child in the reeds of God’s Nile when asked. Of course you can come up with many reasons why you can’t -- what if waves come, what if it’s not-waterproof, what if he’s found, taken, or drowned by the Egyptians, what if? Don’t Fear the worlds Pharaoh’s. As parents, we should live by faith and ask God to make our children “beautiful for Him.” At first, like Moses’ parents, we have to protect them from this evil world. We teach them His ways and pray for their salvation. Eventually, we have to launch them, trusting God to take care of them. Even after Pharaoh’s daughter rescued Moses from the river, his parents must have prayed for many years, “Lord, keep him from the many spiritual dangers in Pharaoh’s court and teach him to follow You!” Obey God by faith and entrust your children to His care. He may use them mightily for His kingdom! Rod Mattoon - The so-called wisdom of Pharaoh is turned into foolishness. The king's daughter delivers the child that he is trying to kill by his own command. The Egyptian treasury is paying the mother to care for her own baby. Pharaoh was compelled to give room and board, proper training and education to the person who is going to accomplish the exact thing that he was trying to prevent.... the freedom of the Hebrew slaves and the defeat of Egypt. The Lord is more or less saying, "In your face Pharaoh! You will see who is the boss around here and who is the real God!" God often works through those that the world considers to be foolish in order to bring to foolishness what the world considers wise. All throughout history this pattern is seen as the plan's of God's enemies backfire in their faces. In 1525, the Bishop of London purchased as many of Tyndale's New Testament translations that he could find for the purpose of keeping them out of the people's hands and destroying them. Tyndale used this money to correct his translation mistakes and print more New Testaments. Haman set out to destroy Mordecai and the Jews by Persian law. His plan backfired and he was hung on the gallows and Persian law enabled the Jews to legally destroy their enemies. The accusers of Daniel that set out to destroy him were killed by the same lions that did not harm Daniel in their den. Voltaire set out to exterminate the Bible, yet, after his death, the Geneva Bible Society purchased and used his home to print and warehouse Bibles. The radio station of Nazi Germany is now used by Trans-World Radio to preach the Gospel. 1 Corinthians 1:26-28 For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; 27but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, 28and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are Why does God do this? Notice, "so that no man may boast before God." (1 Cor 1:29). Exodus 2:11 Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. Moses - Ac 7:22-24 Heb 11:24-26 on their hard labors - Ex 1:11 3:7 5:9,14 Isa 58:6 Mt 11:28 Lu 4:18 MOSES' PERSONAL CONCERN FOR HIS PEOPLE Now it came about in those days, when Moses had grown up, that he went out to his brethren and looked on their hard labors; and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren - Those days refers to the days when the Hebrews were suffering as slaves to the Egyptians. Notice even though Moses was being raised in learning and culture of the Egyptians, he himself (Moses is writing these words) records that he still identified with his Hebrew brethren. Notice also we see Moses' compassion for his brethren. "This journey of Moses to see his people is an indication that he had become aware of his destiny to deliver them." (NET) Mattoon - The king who issued the death decree to have him destroyed is now financing his care, training, and education. God loves to prove who is in charge. He delights in revealing the foolishness of the "so called" wisdom and schemes of this world in order to show that His way is best. Blessings come from the backfired plans of Satan. The hand of the Lord is upon His future deliverer. The baby is a man who is about to enter into the second stage of his life... the pruning and training stage for God's service. We begin this section looking at a serious blunder of Moses. Regarding the phrase when Moses had grown up we are reminded of Hebrews 11:24-25+ "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin." That Moses went out to his brethren indicates he was experiencing (perhaps it was just beginning or had been in existence) a close kinship with his Hebrew relatives. As the Hebrews 11 passage states it is clear that "by faith" Moses deliberately sought to identify with the people of Israel rather than the palace of Pharaoh. This is no small matter, for he was giving up access to the richest treasures in the known world. His action (faith is always an "action verb") remind me of Jesus' words in Luke 14:33+ "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions" as well as Jesus' words in Luke 14:26+ because Moses was willing to leave the mother who had adopted him. (cf 1 Jn 2:15-17+). Brethren does not refer to literal blood brothers (Aaron was Moses only brother and he was 3 years older) but is a reference to Moses' fellow Hebrews, the people with whom Moses felt close ties of kinship despite being in the palace of Pharaoh for 40 years. Moses looked on their hard labors - This is the same verb used to describe God's looking upon the plight of Israel in Ex 2:25 - "God saw (raah) the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them." The Septuagint of Ex 2:25 translates saw with the verb epeidon which means to fix one's gaze on, to look at with concern and so to concern one's self with what is seen. A great picture of God's eye on Israel. NET Note on looked - The verb רָאָה (raah, “to see”) followed by the preposition bet (ב) can indicate looking on something as an overseer, or supervising, or investigating. Here the emphasis is on Moses’ observing their labor with sympathy or grief. It means more than that he simply saw the way his fellow Hebrews were being treated (cf. Ex 2:25). (ED: This Hebrew verb raah is used frequently in Exodus 2, 3 and 4 = Ex. 2:2; Ex 2:5; Ex 2:6; Ex 2:11; Ex 2:12; Ex 2:25; Ex 3:2; Ex 3:3; Ex 3:4; Ex 3:7; Ex 3:9; Ex 3:16; Ex 4:1; Ex 4:5; Ex 4:14; Ex 4:18; Ex 4:21; Ex 4:31) The Septuagint translates looked here in Ex 2:11 with the verb katanoeo (kata = down [kata can be used to intensify the meaning] + noéo = to perceive or think) means literally to put the mind down on something and so to observe or consider carefully and attentively. This is what Moses was doing, fixing his eyes and mind upon the situation and perceiving it clearly. Katanoeo means to look carefully, cautiously, observantly. The idea is to think about something very carefully or consider closely which denotes the action of one's mind apprehending certain facts about a thing so as to give one the proper and decisive thought about the thing considered. Luke elaborates on this event (and helps give us the timing in Moses' life) writing "Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds. “But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel. And when he saw one of them being treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian." (Acts 7:22-24+) NET Note on beating - The verb מַכֶּה (makkeh) is the Hiphil participle of the root נָכָה (nakha). It may be translated “strike, smite, beat, attack.” It can be used with the sense of killing (as in the next verse, which says Moses hid the body), but it does not necessarily indicate here that the Egyptian killed the Hebrew. (ED Note - The first use of this verb in OT is in Ge 4:15 is translated "slay" but generally means to beat, strike or wound and hear is translated withe Greek verb tupto/typto which means literally to smite, strike, beat or otherwise inflict a blow as when Paul was beaten in Acts (Acts 21:32+, Acts 23:2+).) As