The Spring of Nile

Exodus 2:1-10

Moses is Born

Genesis Chapter 46 tells us that Jacob and his sons brought their families from Canaan to Egypt in order to escape from the famine. They joined with Joseph who was in Egypt and had become very powerful there, and they all settled down in Egypt. In all, Jacob had seventy descendants in Egypt.

God kept His covenant promise to Abraham by blessing him with many descendants. By this time, from the start of the book Exodus, God multiplied the Israelites greatly, making them extremely powerful and filling the land of Egypt (Exodus 1:6).

The long sojourn of Israelites in Egypt actually proved true the prophetic word given to Abraham by God about Israel’s future, in Genesis 15:13—16, “Know for certain that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. Until the sin of the Canaanites had come to its full fruition then only the Israelites would enter Canaan.”

Many years and generations had passed long after Joseph died, and eventually, a new Egyptian king, Pharaoh had come to power who knew nothing about Joseph or what he had done. 

He was intimidated by the Israelites' numbers and power. He said to his people, “Look, the people of Israel now outnumber us and are stronger than we are.  We must make a plan to keep them from growing even more. If we don’t, and if war breaks out, they will join our enemies and fight against us. Then they will escape from the country.” (1:9-10)

So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labour, and they built store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread.

Then Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Phuah, “When you help the Hebrew women in child birth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” (1: 15-16)

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then Pharaoh summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”

Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (1:22)

About this time, there was a couple Amram and Jochebed from the tribe of Levi. They already had two children: Miriam and Aaron. Jochebed became pregnant again and gave birth to a son.

She saw that he was “good” and kept him hidden for three months until she could no longer hide him anymore. She really did not know what to do next to keep the baby safe!

So, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River – ironically, just as Pharaoh had decreed (1:22).

This was a risky thing to do, to let the basket flow into the sea, either the Egyptians could find the baby inside the box, or the waters could have drowned the baby. However, the mother had done her part, now she had to ‘let go the child’, trusting the providence of God.

Wonderfully her son was ‘let go’ into the hands of God. God used her courageous act to place her son in the house of Pharaoh!

Moses’ mother, Jochebed first put the baby into a “basket” then only cast it into the Nile.

‘Basket’ has the same root word with Noah’s ‘ark’. This recalls the story of God’s salvation of Noah in the days of the Flood. God put Noah’s family in the ark to protect them from the flood and then a re-creation began.

Moses too, in the ‘basket’ rafting in Nile was not overcome by evil forces of anti-creation; and eventually a holy nation would be created!

Miriam stood at a distance, waiting to see what would happen to baby Moses.  Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it for her. 

When the princess opened it, she saw the baby. The little boy was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This must be one of the Hebrew children,” she said.

Then Miriam approached the princess and said, “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked.  “Yes, please do!” the princess replied.

So, the girl went and called the baby’s mother. “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So, the woman took her baby home and nursed him.

God used the baby’s tears to control the heart of a powerful princess, and used Miriam’s words to arrange for the baby’s mother to raise the boy and got paid for it! The princess could be pretending to be ignorant because her maternal instincts compelled her to rescue the child and care for him.

Moses’ mother’s faith, Miriam’s courage and wits to act when opportunity arose, the princess’s compassionate heart; all came together to bring about ‘civil disobedience’ against Pharaoh’s decree, to resist evil and save life.

Later when the boy became older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”

The young Moses received nurturing from the babysitter who was also his biological mother. This bond had impacted him very much that he would grow up to identify with his fellow Israelites plight.

Moses also acquired superior education, military operations and administration in the royal court. Such learning had equipped Moses to be a leader in judging and leading Israelites in the future.

For Moses, the glory and wealth of the palace was also a temptation. He could rightfully claim the status of Prince of Egypt and be complacent of it. However, he overcame the temptation. At the age of forty he gave up the royal status to join his fellow Israelites as their deliverer.

God Works Wonder to Overcome the Devil’s Snare

The infant narrative of Moses is filled with ironies and contrasts: Moses' mother finally obeyed Pharaoh’s decree and placed Moses in the waters of Nile, but the Nile water instead had secured the baby’s life.

Pharaoh ordered the killing of males but God used females to revolt against Pharaoh and saved a vulnerable baby boy. This baby boy would one day deliver the Israelites out of the Egyptian tyranny.

It was Pharaoh's own daughter who adopted Moses as her own son. She nurtured and equipped him in the palace and in the civil service. The princess listened to the words of Israelite women, to let them babysit the child with wages paid.

These ironies tell us the author’s clear enough emphasis: God was at work in these events to bring about His plan to bless the seed of Abraham, and no one, not even the great power of the gentile nations, can stand in His way.

Our God is awesome, wonderful and faithful; He is in control regardless of how vulnerable and risky the situation may be.

God Takes Risk in Using the Vulnerable People

God used three vulnerable women to launch a civil disobedience against Pharaoh, to save another vulnerable baby. Pharaoh’s daughter was one of these three women. This vulnerable baby grew up one day to participate in God’s plan of delivering His people out of Egypt.

God often uses the weakest things to defeat the mightiest enemies.

Jeremiah 9:23, “Thus says the LORD: ‘Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches,’”

1Corinthians 1: 25-29, “For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly stands, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth, but God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God.”

These three women and the baby’s tears were God’s first weapons in His war against Egypt.

Moses was a ‘type’ for Jesus Christ. Jesus was born in a godly family, suffered a death threat from King Herod, and was miraculously saved. He was the Son of God in heaven, humbled Himself to be born as son of man, and died on the cross to redeem sinners from the devil’s oppression, to be born again as God’s people.

Application

When evil dominates and crisis escalates, and there seems to be no way out; we still have our hope in God. To God nothing is impossible. God’s works are elusive and risky in nature. He can fire the shots alone, but many a time, he calls us to partner with Him to bring about changes.

Look for ways to act against evil. Be alert for the opportunities God gives you, and take full advantage of them. We may be vulnerable and frustrated by how little we can do when faced with evil or human predicament.

Have faith in God! God can use your effort; however small it seems to bring about great deliverance.

Oftentimes we are overwhelmed by lavish thoughts and huge comprehensive plans, so much so that God is pushed to the margin. To break free from dilemmas of life, we must ‘let go and let God’, to trust that He will take care of the rest. He will not fail us!

Even as darkness pervades the atmosphere, by faith we recognise that God is in control. History is held in His hands. History is His Story!

We will be surprised that God’s salvation starts from a vulnerable baby; a vulnerable beginning! Now where do you want to start from?

Let’s arise to make changes now even though the situation seems risky, vulnerable and uncertain.

We are to make changes in career, family, church ministry and the community; so that new order is made, gospel works be multiplied, new leaders be borne; tears be turned into joy, life be breaking through hurdles, church be undergoing transformation, corrupted practises be condemned and halted…...