Review of Exodus 2

by Victor Fawole

Welcome to Exodus 2 as we continue our “No Bible, No Breakfast” spiritual exercise. This chapter reveals some details of the first 40 years of Moses’ life. We are about to study a man whose life was full of dramas, both the humanly performed and the divinely orchestrated ones. Without further ado, let us review…

1. THE DIVINE DESIGN

Exo. 2:3 But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.

Moses’ parents (Amram & Jochebed) had two sons (Aaron & Moses) and one daughter (Miriam). Aaron was possibly one of the sons that were supernaturally delivered as reported by the Hebrew midwives. At the end of chapter 1, Pharaoh had ordered that “Every son who is born you shall cast into the river…” (Exo. 1:22) Blessed by another son, Amram and Jochebed would not dare cast him as a meal to sea monsters. The writer of Hebrews applauded their faith (Heb. 11:23). Three quick lessons on faith here:

• A. Faith Recognizes:
  They saw a proper child. A beautiful son. People who have faith see what others do not.
• B. Faith Responds:
  They acted to save Moses’ life. Faith produces courage and confidence to swallow up our fears. They took an “ark” of bulrushes to save him from drowning life.
• C. Faith Risks:
  Keeping the child for three months was a huge risk. Pharaoh could have killed them if they got exposed. Keeping him in a waterproof basket was another risk. Anything could still have attacked him.

What beautiful models of faith! How then can we apply the lessons from this godly example of faith?

• We should not fear the Pharaohs of our day (Prov. 29:25, Matt. 10:28, Psa. 25:15).
• We should always entrust our children to God’s watch and care (Matt. 19:14).

2. THE DIVINE DELIVERANCE

Exo. 2:5-6 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”

Ordinarily, Pharaoh’s daughter should have thrown Moses into the Nile because that was her dad’s command. “But God…!” God controls the hearts of royalty and changes their thinking (Prov. 21:1). Only God can soften an unbeliever’s heart. He opened her eyes to see, and her ears to hear. God inspired compassion in her heart. God arranged everything, working with Jochebed’s arrangement too – for she placed Miriam nearby to watch whatever happens.

God’s providence was fully at work. He worked behind the scenes as the Princess consented to Miriam’s suggestion. Mother and child were reunited. God honoured Jochebed’s desire to preserve her child’s life. He gave her favour before the very ones who had instructed her to kill her son. Imagine getting paid for caring for your own child! Money would be taken from Pharaoh’s treasury to defy his own commandment! God indeed captures the wise by their own shrewdness… (Job 5:13)

3. THE DIVINE DEPARTURE

Exo. 2:14-15 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!” When Pharaoh heard of this matter, he sought to kill Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

Although Moses was raised in learning and culture of the Egyptians, he still identified with his Hebrew brethren. He refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter (Heb. 11:24). He had compassion for his brethren, always concerned about their burdens. In one of his visits to his brethren, he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew. Zeal consumed him. Untamed zeal, I’d say. He became vengeful and killed the Egyptian. His noble intention became tainted by his uncontrolled and misguided zeal.

His troubled conscience made him look this way and that to be sure that nobody saw him as he killed the Egyptian. If we have to look this way and that before we do something, it is best we don’t do it! He went on to bury his own sin by himself. Hmmmmmn… But his sin soon found him out! In not more than 24 hours…! Wow.

The next day, Moses the murderer tried to become a meddler. This time around, he saw two Hebrews fighting each other. His good intention to reconcile them was badly received by the Hebrews. It became clear to him that the news of his killing of the Egyptian had spread far and wide.

Here, we see parallels between Jesus and Moses.

• Just like Moses, Jesus was a proper beautiful child at birth.
• Just like Moses, Jesus was miraculously preserved from a wicked king.
• Just like Moses, Jesus was mighty in words and deeds.
• Just like Moses, Jesus offered deliverance to Israel.
• Just like Moses, Jesus had to leave His royalty in order to offer deliverance to Israel.
• Just like Moses, Jesus was spitefully rejected at His first coming.

When Pharaoh heard about Moses’s actions, he declared him the “Most Wanted” guy. He charged Moses for treason. Moses had to flee to Midian. His departure from Egypt was divinely orchestrated. God used his mistakes, the rejection from the Hebrews, and even the threats of Pharaoh for a greater good. Just like Pastor Dammy loves to say: “Your job might be an event planner, but God is actually the real event planner of life.”

Moses’ life is a good example of knowing how to “abound” and how to “abase”. I love the striking contrasts in his life.

• Moses was the child of a slave, yet an adopted son of a princess.
• He was born in a poor home, yet lived in a palace.
• He inherited poverty, yet enjoyed great royal wealth.
• He was the leader of armies, yet a keeper of flocks.
• He was the mightiest of warriors, yet the meekest of men.
• He was educated in the king’s court, yet dwelt in the desert.
• He had the wisdom of Egypt, yet had faith in God.
• He was groomed for the city, yet wandered in the wilderness.
• He was tempted with the pleasures of sin, yet endured the hardships of virtue.
• He was slow in speech, yet talked with God.
• He was a fugitive from Pharaoh, yet a prophet of God.
• He was the “giver” of the law, yet a foreshadow of Christ.

4. THE DIVINE DESIGNATION

Exo. 2:24-25 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God acknowledged them.

The king who had declared a death sentence for Moses died at a time when the sufferings of the Jews was at an all-time high. The Jews sighed and groaned, under oppression and in despair. They cried out – in anguish – for help. God remembered them, not because they were good, but because God was good and faithful to His promises to Abraham and Jacob. God’s intervention was on the basis of the Abrahamic Covenant. In the same vein, God deals well with us on the basis of the New Covenant through Jesus.

God’s response to Israel’s cry is given in four descriptions: God heard, God remembered, God looked upon, and God acknowledged. Whenever the Bible says that God “remembers” someone or His covenant with someone, it indicates that He is about to take action for that person’s welfare (Gen. 8:1; Gen. 19:29; Gen. 30:22; Psa. 25:6-7; Psa. 74:2). We are in the New Covenant today and we can rest assured that God still remembers His covenant. So whenever we are in any kind of affliction, let us cry out to Him. He is our Deliverer.

Dear Gogolights, there are five important lessons for us in this chapter:

• God uses people who have faith in Him. Jochebed trusted God that He would save her son by placing him in an “ark”. God used her to save the boy from drowning (Heb. 11:6).
• God can use you no matter who you are or where you come from. God used Moses, a boy from a despised nation of slaves, from the shameful tribe of Levi, and who carried a death sentence on his head even before birth. God also used five women (Shiphrah, Puah, Jochebed, Miriam, and Pharaoh’s daughter), the weakest members of that society, to disrupt Pharaoh’s plans.
• God uses believers who walk by the spirit, not the flesh. When Moses killed an Egyptian, he was walking in the flesh, even though his intention was noble. It was until he walked in the spirit by faith that he was able to choose properly and act properly (Heb. 11:24-26).
• God can use a believer no matter how serious his past sins were. God’s mercy and grace selected Moses the murderer to be His lawgiver. He used Paul the violent attacker and blasphemer as the Apostle of Grace unto the Gentiles.
• God uses believers who leave worldly things behind. Like Moses, every believer must let go of their worldly life, self-righteousness and personal achievements to enjoy a spirit-guided life (Matt. 10:39, Phil. 3:7)

Till tomorrow when we continue this journey, I say…

Grace to you, Church!