Exodus 1:8-2:10
Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.” So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly. The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live.” 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 the king of Egypt 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.” So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own. Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.” Exodus 1:8-2:10 (NIV)
This scripture from Exodus is a great example of exposition, which is why finding what I wanted to say about it was so hard. I can’t relate to Baby Moses or the Pharaoh who cast the sons of Israel into the Nile. I also am not a mom yet, so I can’t relate to the mother who gave up her son so he would be safe. What I can relate to is being a sister, as I have two older brothers. I can think back to every moment I have watched them and thought about how proud of them I am, and just hoped and prayed that they are safe. My oldest brother has epilepsy, which means he gets seizures sometimes. I remember one day, he was driving to my grandparent’s house from college, and he had a seizure on the road. I waited and waited while my parents drove four hours to make sure he was alright. His car was completely totaled, driven into a gated fence. We didn’t know much, but after my mom got there we got a call. He was okay, more than okay with a crash like that. My brother only had a few scrapes and bruises, to the point he had a family member pick him up and take him to the hospital instead of going with the ambulance. Truly, God has a plan for us all, even if we have no idea what that plan is yet. From saving baby Moses to even saving my big brother, God is faithful and kind. So even in the biggest moments of worry about doubt, God has a purpose for everything that happens.
Questions for Reflection:
- How can we trust God to protect us, even when it seems like everything is falling apart?
- Take a moment to pray for the people you love, and think about how you can be there for them
- Who do you relate to most in this story?
Prayer:
Dear God,
Thank you for protecting us,
Thank you for leading us,
As we remember your promise,
To all your people.
Bless this day,
As we remember your faithfulness,
Amen
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