My shoes are laced and I am ready to continue on this journey with our friend, Moses. We recently gained a perspective on the times surrounding the birth of this great Biblical hero in the post, "Moses: The Beginning". Needless to say, things were rather desperate as the great Pharaoh had levied a death sentence on each Israelite boy in his overwhelming fear of losing control over this group of people. Instead, by doing so, he sealed his own fate as well as that of his nation. So, often what we do in fear will cause us much greater heartache in the long run.
Let us pick up where we left off in Exodus chapter 2. "About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, 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. The baby’s sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him." (Exodus 2:1-4 NLT)
Fear is contagious. The fear that swelled greater than the Nile River within the Pharaoh was passed on to the Israelite people with the passing of his decree to throw every male child into the river. I can't imagine the stronghold of fear that passed through the nation! I wonder how many expectant mothers secretly prayed for a daughter? I wonder how many mothers tried to hide their pregnancies all the while trying to figure out a way to save the child in their womb. Fear. Paralyzing fear. How many of us have faced fear in such desperate intensity? The enemy knows that if he can make us fearful, then we will be desperate enough to react in our own human nature rather than wait on our precious God to deliver us. Resting in His peace- despite fearful circumstances- will allow us to grow in our faith more than we have ever known.
Can you imagine the cries of mothers helpless to stop the death of their precious babes? Our Father knows those cries and they all resound deep within Him. He never forgets our pain and suffering because He knows the great loss of a child. Remember, He lost a son as well. Those countless tears were not lost to the Father then and are not lost to Him now. My friend, I have never lost a child, but I have no doubt that our precious Savior has heard every cry- spoken and unspoken- of parents struggling through such loss. His love is deep enough and strong enough to carry you through. His love is wide enough to bridge any canyon carved out of doubt, disillusion, and pain. Allow Him to heal your brokenness.
In desperation, this precious mother hid him until it was no longer possible and then she made a basket for her precious babe. These papyrus reeds were often used to make riverboats at that time and she knew it would float well. Plus, since these reeds were found all along the riverbank, the basket would be well hidden among them. While it may seem that our Father is missing in this portion of Moses' life, never think for one moment that He wasn't the unseen weaver of the basket that held this precious child. His hands held and carried that basket right to the feet of an Egyptian princess.
"Soon Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. 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 the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. “Yes, 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. Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:5-10 NLT)
Oh, the irony here! The Pharaoh ordered all the Israelite males babes to be murdered, but his daughter decides to save this one and raise it as her own. In a sense, by drawing him out of the river, the princess adopts an enemy of the Egyptian nation. By God's grace, Moses' mother is allowed to continue to care for her babe and even gain pay for her assistance. She would eventually lose her son to the Pharaoh's household, but at least he would live! Indeed, he who was drawn from a river would live to walk a nation through a mighty sea into freedom.
I don't know what circumstances you are facing today, but I know that our God, our Savior in Jesus Christ and our gift of the Holy Spirit are sufficient to carry you through this day and every day after. Trust them. Praise them. Seek them and they will not fail you! If our God can use a babe given a death sentence before birth to deliver a nation into freedom, then just imagine what He can do with you!
Are you hooked, yet? I am! See you tomorrow! Blessings!
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