Verses 1-4 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 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. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
The Levites were separated by God later after leaving Egypt and there job was to minister in the Tabernacle and eventually in the Temple when it was built by King Solomon. They were not to marry into the other tribes as they were called an chosen. Although this had not been instituted yet by God, the chosen leader of the future Hebrew nation was to be Moses. As such, he was called and chosen by God to minister to Him and to the people and therefore God made sure his bloodline was that of a Levite.
Verses 5-6 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. 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.
The daughter of Pharaoh was both royalty and also part of the governing system. It is doubtful that she would have a say in the daily governmental goings on, but she would be most likely married off to a politically advantageous individual of her father’s choosing and she would have know about the decree that her father had issued regarding the male babies delivered to the Hebrews. The scriptures do not reveal if she was engaged or married or if she ever married. But the LORD softened her heart and she took baby Moses into her care and raised him among the royals.
Verses 7-10 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? 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.
God had a plan for His people and it started with Moses. The above verses record Moses’ birth and how he ended up in Pharaoh’s house being raised by Pharaoh’s daughter. He went from obscurity to royalty in three months. Not only did God provide security and protection for baby Moses, He also provided security and protection for Moses’ mother and family. His mother was able to raise her baby and get paid at the same time.
Application: Try to imagine how Moses’ mother must have felt knowing that at any time her son could be killed by an Egyptian. Her level of anxiety must have been one that few of us have had to endure. Yet she had a plan and, with God’s help, she implemented her plan and everything worked out in the end. Believers, when life seems unbearable and anxieties are extreme, need to trust in the Lord and in His love and power. He will deliver his people out of trouble just as he did Moses and his family.
Verse 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 an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
It is not clear from the Bible narrative how or when Moses became aware that he was a Hebrew and not an Egyptian. Perhaps Pharaoh’s daughter told him he was adopted. Perhaps his physical features were not those of the Egyptians. Regardless, from this verse it is clear that Moses has an affinity to the people of his race and culture.
Verse 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.
Moses. who had lived with the Egyptians and more than likely had his future planned out as an adopted son of the daughter of Pharaoh, was facing ruin at best and death at worst for killing an Egyptian without a cause. The Hebrew people were just slaves and therefore had no rights or legal protection. They were property and could be disposed of at will.
Moses clearly knew that trouble would follow if he hurt an Egyptian or else he would not have looked around before he killed him. Perhaps being the adopted son of a member of the royal family did not insulate him from the consequences of his actions. What we do not know is if he tried to intervene without violence first and if he had no choice but to slay the attacker, or if his deep compassion regarding the plight of his people led him to be so angry at the injustice being committed right before his eyes by the Egyptian that he lost control. This one act of trying to defend the defenseless cost him his position, his wealth, and his power in the only nation he had known as his homeland.
Verse 13-14 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.
Verse 12 clearly states that Moses saw no man watching the conflict he had become involved with, so one can only suppose that the Hebrew victim told his friends and family about the rescue he had experienced from Moses. Like all gossip, news travels quickly, especially sensational news about the rich and famous. The Hebrew’s question in verse 14 indicates that the Hebrew people knew Moses was also Hebrew and that possibly some of them resented his elevated status.
Application: Envy and jealousy is alive and well in all generations, and the Hebrew people were not immune to this spiritual problem. Instead of looking at Moses and his life and being glad that at least one of their people was out of slavery and experiencing success in life, they appear to have resented him and were not afraid to speak to him in a manner that was rude and accusatory and most likely not the way they would address other Egyptians or members of the royal family. They did not have respect. They did not look at the goodness of Moses in his defending one of their own. They did not thank him. They wanted to hurt him like they were being hurt. As a result of their envy and jealousy, they did not see that standing before them was a man that God was raising up and would use to assist them in their plight. They dismissed him as just one of the elite. Are we guilty of judging others that are viewed as having a better station in life than ourselves because of envy and jealousy of their successes so that we fail to see how God is working today in their lives, our lives and in the lives of people everywhere?
Verses 15-17 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. 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.
Pharaoh was not interested in apprehending Moses and putting him on trial and hearing his side of the situation. He was the leader of Egypt and his orders were to be obeyed and he wanted Moses dead. One has to wonder if he had objected to his daughter’s decision to adopt Moses all along and was perhaps pleased that this incident had occurred so that he could be rid of Moses forever. But Moses fled Egypt to Midian and there he is defending some women from the local shepherds. Moses’ character is beginning to be revealed in his actions to defend both the beaten Hebrew and the women. Both were unable to defend themselves, and Moses stood up for them at great personal loss.
Application: Moses is a type of Jesus Christ. His character and his actions represent what the coming Messiah would be like. Just as Moses took on the problems of the Hebrew man and the Midian shepherdesses, Jesus took on our problem of sin, stood up for us and suffered great personal loss. Think about it.
Verses 18-22 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? 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. 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 bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
Reuel is described as a priest, but we do not know what religion he subscribed to. It could very well be that he knew the God of the Hebrews. Regardless, he showed kindness to Moses, took him into his family and gave him one of his daughters to wife and to have a family of his own. Just as Moses had been adopted by the Egyptian daughter of Pharaoh, once again he was adopted by people that were not his biological family and who were of a pagan nation. One must wonder what God was doing, yet He had a plan, and His plans are always perfect.
Verses 23-25 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. 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
Application: Often the believer prays and prays for intervention by the LORD and time goes by and nothing seems to change or to happen. The above verses show that the LORD does not forget His agreements with His people and that He always hears heartfelt, sincere cries in prayer from each and every believer. And, when the time is right, He will act and the prayers of the saints will be answered. God has respect for His people just as He had for the Hebrews of long ago. He has promised to never leave or forsake His people. Take comfort in that fact and do not stop praying.