Exo 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
The Levites were the priests and caretakers of God's temple.
Exo 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
It was unlawful to allow a male Hebrew baby to live, but God was directing her, for this was the baby Moses who would deliver his people from bondage. As in the time of the birth of Christ, the infants were being killed by a jealous and fearful king. Remember when you are being persecuted, it is of the devil but you have God with you to guide you and to overcome.
Exo 2:3 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.
We have yellow flag iris flowers, in our water canals where we live. An ark is an allusion to the ark that delivered Noah. Bulrushes were reeds, papyrus, hollow marsh plants that were made water proof using slime as used in the bricks. It was pitch, asphalt or tar. Pitch was used in making Noah's ark. It was petroleum tar.
Exo 2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
His sister was Miriam.
Exo 2:5 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.
The daughter of Pharaoh may have been a daughter from one of his concubines. Her name is not mentioned.
Exo 2:6 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.
Exo 2:7 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?
Exo 2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother.
The nurse or "Nanny", was Moses' own birth mother. She would stay with him and care for him until he was weened; when he was from three to five years old. During this time Moses may have been taught about the God of Israel and his chosen people.
Exo 2:9 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.
Exo 2:10 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.
Moses means "drawn", he was drawn out of the water.
Exo 2:11 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.
Exo 2:12 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.
After seeing the movie, "The 10 commandments," we see that they added a lot to the story of Moses. The narrative in Exodus jumps from his being a baby to his killing an Egyptian that was being cruel to a Hebrew slave. This shows the early training of his mother, that he sided with the Hebrews. The book of Hebrews speaks of this Moses and "by faith".
Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter;
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.
Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Exo 2:13 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?
Exo 2:14 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.
Exo 2:15 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.
The Midianites were descendants of Abraham through his second wife, Keturah.
Exo 2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
Exo 2:17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.
Exo 2:18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day?
Another name for Reuel, "friend of God", was Jethro, "his abundance."
Exo 2:19 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.
Exo 2:20 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.
Exo 2:21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.
Moses takes a wife from this distant kindred people and Jethro becomes his father-in-law.
Exo 2:22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land.
Gershom means "foreigner," from a Hebrew root word meaning "driven, or cast out." Later on, the firstborn son of Levi would also be named Gershom; perhaps because he had no land of his own?
Exo 2:23 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.
Replacing a king or ruler does not mean that things will be better. It depends on the heart and character of the king.
Exo 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Exo 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.
When the king died, things got worse for the Hebrew slaves. They sighed, they cried, and God heard them as they were in bondage. He heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with them.
We are a covenant people of God through Jesus Christ.
Rom 8:26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Rom 8:27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.
God looked upon his children, and had respect unto them. God loves his children. Israel as a nation was called his firstborn son.
Exo 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:
Jesus is the only begotten Son of God. We who are in Christ Jesus are his adopted sons. He cares for us.
1Pe 5:6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
1Pe 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Moses would prove to be the most humble of men and he would be given a great mission to fulfill.
Exodus 3
Exodus 1, Table of Contents
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