March 2, 2025 - The Birth of Moses and God's Providence (Exodus 2:1-10)

The Birth of Moses and God's Providence (Exodus 2:1-10)

Rev. Myung-Sin Choi

1 And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2 So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. 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. 4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. 5 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. 6 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.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Introduction

In Britain, there is a famous art critic named John Russell and this person said that the history of humanity isn’t the history of the world but the history of families. In other words, the strength of a nation cannot rise higher than the strength of families. Also he said that a survival of a history depends on whether a family is able to endure. I think these are important words. The state of that nation is seen through the states of the families. The standard of a family is based on this. The spiritual standard of a family will determine the future of that family and the future of their nation. In your family, if you are able to pray and have worship together, then that family will live and their future will prosper. We can see this through the family of Moses. We know this very well but when Moses was born, he was born in a dire situation and circumstances. 

1. The Birth of Moses

1) Moses's birth environment

Verse 1 - This Scriptures means that a family of Levi was a family of curses. When Levi heard his sister, Dinah got raped by a man from the Shechem tribe, he deceived the men of Shechem saying that if they all got circumcised then he will I will help the person who raped his sister marry Dinah. The moment all of the men got circumcised, Levi and his brother killed all of the men of Shechem. Jacob was furious when this happened and when the tribe of Levi heard about how angry Jacob was, they didn’t see what was wrong. When God saw this, God poured down His wrath and curses upon the family line of the Levites. 

Genesis 49:7 “Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; And their wrath, for it is cruel! I will divide them in Jacob And scatter them in Israel.” - God’s wrath came upon them to the point where God cursed them twice. God said that their land will be gone and disappear. This was the tribe that Moses was born into. Another problem was that Moses’ people did not have a land where they belonged to. They didn’t have a nationality because they didn’t have their own land. They were born into captivity and as slaves. Even the Israelites saw the Levites as a cursed tribe and family line. If you know Moses’ sister was Miriam and Miriam means bitterness. They lived in so much suffering that they named their daughter bitterness. When their son was born, Aaron, it was named with the meaning of “woe to this pregnancy.” This basically means that if this child is born, this child will be born into curses. After Aaron was born, the law came out where all male Hebrew babies had to die. This was the circumstance that Moses was born into. Then that means that all male Hebrew babies had to die and you can see the amount of chaos and fear that would arise at that time. In this dire situation, Moses was born. 

2) Faith that saved the family

Verse 2 - But there was one woman that still held onto God’s covenant in this dire situation. When Moses was born, he was born as a beautiful child and Jochebed saw how beautiful Moses was so she couldn’t kill him. 

Hebrews 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.” - Jochebed decided not to kill Moses and did not fear the command of the Pharaoh. Jochebed made a decision of faith. Just like the midwife, Shiphrah  who did not kill the Hebrew male babies and did not fear Pharaoh. This means that Jochebed and the midwife realized and held onto God’s covenant. What covenant was that? 

Genesis 15:13-14 “Then He said to Abram: ‘Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. 14 And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.’ ” - They knew that an Israelite would lead the Israelites out of Egypt into the land of Canaan. From here, we can see that Moses was not born knowing that he will fulfill God’s covenant. Also, Jochebed and the midwife did not kill Moses because they knew that Moses would be the one leading them out. They held onto God’s covenant and held onto it with faith. They knew that God would lead them out of Egypt. This message is not a message that God gave to just Moses, we must hold onto this as our own covenant as well. If we can do this, then God will fulfill His covenant through you. God was determined that Moses will be born and to be born as a male baby. This is the same thing for us. It is God who determines what kind of baby you will bear and it was God who allowed you to bear a child. It was God who allowed all of this. 

Jeremiah 1:4-5 “Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: 5 ‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.’ ” - This was not the message given to Jeremiah but this is the message that God has given to you as well. Your children are born with this mission, you must hold onto this. When what kind of life must a parent must live? 

Absolutely hold onto Psalm 22:9-10 “But You are He who took Me out of the womb; You made Me trust while on My mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon You from birth. From My mother’s womb You have been My God.” - I think this is an important message. When you were breastfeeding, you were looking up to God. This means that when a mother is breastfeeding, she is looking up to God. You are not just having children but throughout the whole pregnancy and bearing of the child, the mother is constantly praying for her child. Secondly, when the child is born, the mother entrusts the child to God. When a child is born, a mother shouldn’t decide if this child will be born wealthy or well educated but you need to entrust that child to God. A child is born to give glory to God. This is the covenant that Jochebed held onto. When Moses was born, he was born as a slave but Moses did not remain as a slave but he ended up saving his entire family line, people, and nation. I believe that the same blessing will come upon you. I believe this same blessing will come upon all of us here and upon all of our future remnants. When you hold onto the covenant, then the covenant will be fulfilled. There is something that a parent must come to a resolution to. 

2. God's Providence

1) Parents' decision of faith

Verses 3-4 - This is important. When a child is born, after 3 months and how they cry, you can see if it is a male or female baby. When Moses was born, she would go from breastfeeding Moses and to working as a slave. She would do this back and forth. She would always do this in fear because if Moses cried, they would find Moses. Since Moses’ voice and cries were getting louder, she couldn’t hide Moses anymore. She didn’t just dump Moses into the river and hoped for the best but she had a detailed plan. Why was that? The scholars said that the Egyptians considered the Nile River as holy and worshiped it as god. The Egyptians believed that if they bathed in the Nile River, then it would help them live longer. Also the Egyptian women believed that the Nile River helped and blessed them with fertility. The Pharaoh had no sons but only a daughter but the daughter got married but she had no children. This means that this daughter’s wish was to have a child. In order for a Pharaoh’s daughter to bathe, she would bathe not in just any water but she would bathe in the Nile River. Jochebed knew that Pharaoh’s daughter would bathe in the Nile River so she entrusted all things to God and placed Moses in the Nile River. 

She made a basket in a detailed form in verse 3 and placed Moses in it. The basket was made with the same materials used to make Noah’s ark as seen in Genesis 6:14 “Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch.” - Jochebed made this basket with the covenant of Noah’s ark. She prayed with this covenant and entrusted all things to God. She didn’t just send Moses into this basket into the Nile River but she thought this through very well. She studied and researched when and where the Pharaoh’s daughter would bathe. Miriam watched very carefully as Moses floated down the Nile River. Jochebed told Miriam to watch Moses as he floated down the Nile River and to make sure he floated right into the Pharaoh’s daughter. They prayed to God and entrusted all things to God. Since they did this, we can see that God worked. 

2) God's answer

Verses 5-10 - The Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe in the Nile River because she wanted to bear a child. All of the guards and maidens of the princess were there too to make sure that nothing was happening to her but they found a basket at a perfect time. When she found the basket and asked her maidens to bring this basket to her.

Verse 6 - When the princess opened the basket, she saw a Hebrew male baby and saw Moses crying. She knew very well that her father, the Pharaoh, commanded for all male Hebrew babies to be killed. She knew that a Hebrew mother had abandoned this Hebrew baby but the moment the princess saw this baby, she had compassion on this child. This means that God opened the heart of the princess. The moment she opened the basket, she saw how loving, beautiful, and pitiful this baby, Moses, was. When a mother sees her child the moment her child is born, a mother falls in love, this was the same heart that the princess had when she saw Moses. It is not recorded in the Bible but I am sure the maidens tried to persuade the princess not to keep Moses. 

Verse 7 - This is very important. Miriam goes to the princess and asks the princess if she can bring a wet nurse for the princess. This means that the princess already had decided that she will keep Moses. This means that Miriam was referring to Moses as the princess’s child. At this time, Miriam was probably only 10 years old but she was a very wise child. How can a child see this and determine this? Then at that time the princess commanded Miriam to go bring a Hebrew woman to nurse Moses. This means that this was the moment that Jochebed’s prayer was answered when the princess said, “Go.” So at that time Jochebed was called. 

Verse 9 - The princess told Jochebed to nurse this child for her sake. For her sake means for her child, Moses. She was requesting Jochebed to take care of Moses as the princess’ son. The princess realized that she prayed for a child in the Nile River and she was so thankful that the god of the Nile River gave her a son as an answer. Until the age of five, Moses was raised under Jochebed. A researcher said that a child will learn their lifetime within their first five years. This means that the first five years of a child is very important. How did Jochebed raise Moses? The princess said that she will pay for the wages to raise Moses, which means that Jochebed did not have to work as a slave during that time and she could use the entire time to raise Moses alone during those five years. We can see that God gave Jochebed an absolute answer. What would have happened if Moses was born under the princess and only learned about idolatry of Egypt? But instead, God allowed Moses to be raised under Jochebed with the word of God. 

Verse 10 - We can see that Jochebed tried her best to root Moses inside the gospel within the first five years. The princess gave Moses his name and what is the meaning? That the god of the Nile River gave her a gift. This was what the princess believed. The princess believed that Moses was born as a gift of a god and not as a Hebrew slave. That is why the princess and the palace raised Moses as a precious gift of god. 

3. When In A Dilemma

1) It is when God's Covenant will be fulfilled

There are situations where you can be caught in circumstances where you feel like you can’t do anything. At that time, you need to hold onto God’s covenant. Nonbelievers during this time, they give up or commit suicide. But for us, God has given us an absolute answer. God’s covenant will absolutely be fulfilled. Do you have a problem? Hold onto God’s covenant. Look at Jochebed, her problems were solved after she held onto God’s covenant. You can’t just see this as Jochebed’s situation but if you find God’s covenant for you, then you will find answers within your life. 

Genesis 15:14 “And also the nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions.” - This was why God raised up Moses and allowed Jesus to die on the cross. If you hold onto God’s covenant then you will be part of the journey of the fulfillment of God’s covenant.    

2) Experience God's power

Exodus 7:5 “And the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them.” - Just like Jochebed, may you experience God’s covenant being fulfilled in your life. Through this, may you experience God’s power. 

3) Find assurance for the future

Exodus 14:14 “The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” - Are you holding onto the covenant? Don’t worry about anything or your future. The Lord God will fight for you and you just need to remain still. Just entrust all things to God and enter into prayer. Don’t worry about anything.   

Conclusion  

Acts 1:4 “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, ‘which,’ He said, ‘you have heard from Me.’ ” - What did God promise us? God tells us to hold onto His covenant. What we must hold onto is that their covenant was to go to the land of Canaan but the covenant that God has given to you right now is world evangelism. What is the covenant that you have been given? What kind of prayer topic must you have? You need to pray for Bible studies to open through you. This is your covenant. Pray for the works of Biblical evangelism to take place through you. May God fulfill this covenant through you. When you pray this, then God will be pleased and He will move His heavenly armies for you.