Exodus 2 "Moses"

Exodus 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 out.

Moses was of the house of Levi. He had a brother Aaron and a sister Miriam who was the oldest.

He was the great leader and lawgiver of the children of Israel.
Moses life falls into three forty year periods. (See Acts 7:23,30,36) 1) His life in Pharaoh's house 2) Tending flocks in Midian 3) Delivering Israel from bondage.

Deuteronomy 34:10 "And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face."

We begin with the birth of Moses in a time when Pharaoh has ordered the death of all male children born to the children of Israel. His mother hid him for three months and then made the famous ark of bulrushes for him and placed him in the river near its brink.

Next, she had Miriam to watch him to see what would happen to him. Little did they know that in that ark was their deliverance as God had promised.

I find it so wonderful that during this time of death, that God would arrange it so that Pharaoh's daughter would love the child and get his own mother to nurse him until he was older. Then, when Pharaoh was so afraid that he would loose the free labor of the Israelites, God placed their very deliverer in the house of Pharaoh to grow up. Where else would he have been more safe?

The chapter moves quickly to the time when Moses is 40 years old and has grown up in a position to learn all the workings of Pharaoh and his rule. I expect, as in the movie, he became friends with many of them. His heart was with his people though and when he saw one being hit by an Egyptian, he killed the Egyptian and buried his body. The second day he went out and saw two of his brethern striving together and he reprimanded the guilty party. He also found out that his killing of the Egyptian was known. Indeed, Pharaoh sought to slay him so he fled to Midian.

Exodus 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."

Midian was a son of Abraham by Keturah. The Midianites lived in the area from the Sinaitic penisula to the banks of the Euphrates. They were traders with Egypt.

We find Moses sitting beside a well which seems to be a good place for the men of the Israelites. If you remember, it was by a well that the servant met Rebekah, Isaac's wife and where Jacob met Rachel. These shepherds seem to have a mean streak in them for when the daughters of the priest of Midian came to water their father's flocks, the shepherds drove them away until Moses intervened.

Exodus 2:17 "And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock."

The priest was pleased with Moses and gave him Zipporah to wed. After this, Moses is content and tended his father-in-law's sheep. The king of Egypt died. We now go to the point I mentioned in Exodus 1. When the trouble mounts up on Israel, they turn to God with their crys and prayers and God heard them.

Exodus 2:24-25 "And 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 had respect unto them."

We have, very quickly, covered the first 80 years of the life of Moses. These 80 years have been in preparation for the last 40 years of his life and his purpose in life which was to deliver the children of Israel from slavery and guide them on their journey to becoming a nation and a fighting force to be reckoned with so they were able to claim the promise land Canaan.

Psalm 3:1-2 "Lord, how are they increased that trouble me! many are they that rise up against me. Many there be which say of my soul, There is no help for him in God. Selah."