The Home That Gave Moses To Us Series

Moses 1 THE HOME THAT GAVE US MOSES

Exodus 1:1- 2:10

“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.” (Heb. 11:23. See also Acts 7:20)

Part 1: From Egypt to Sinai

A. The Slavery (Ex. 1)

B. The Savior (Ex. 2:1-25)

1. His Birth and Rescue (2:1-10 / Heb.11:23)

Years ago in a hospital room I rejoiced with a new mom and dad from our church over the birth of their first child. A friend of theirs carelessly and thoughtlessly said, “My husband and I have decided not to have children. We don’t feel it’s right to bring a child into this kind of world.” Well, I know the best way to save face is to keep the lower half shut, but I couldn’t leave that remark alone. I said to those parents (and mostly to her), “I’m glad Moses’ mother didn’t feel like that. The baby she had saved Israel from a far worse world than ours.”

If ever there was a time NOT to have a baby it was when Moses was born. The people of Israel were being crushed beneath the lash of slavery by the Egyptians. Why? First, because of profit - Israelite slaves built their storage cities (Ex. 1:11). And also because of prejudice. Goshen, where Israel lived, was a ghetto, away from the Egyptian people. Joseph said, “. . . you will be allowed to settle in the region of Goshen, for all shepherds and detestable to the Egyptians.” (Gen. 46:34). Prejudice always breeds the worst kind of cruelty. When Moses was born, the Egyptians, to stop the rapid growth of the Jews, took their boy babies, at birth, and threw them into the Nile River. People like Hitler and the three men recently who drug an old black man to his death have always been around.

In this kind of world Moses was born. The Bible, in Hebrews 11, God’s HALL OF FAME chapter, says, “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Heb. 11:23). Strong young Stephen, ready to about be killed for preaching the gospel, I believe, was inspired by this ancient account of bravery. He mentioned this in his sermon that got him stoned. He said, “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house” (Acts 7:20).

They stoned Stephen and left his mutilated body lying in the dirt, but he went up to glory and I see Moses and his mom and dad, Amram and Jocebed, filled with pride, taking him by the hand and saying, “Good job, young man. You did well! Your sacrifice will not be in vain. Let’s go over here and watch over the rail of heaven and see what God is going to do through you!” And they watched and saw a young Pharisee in the mob that killed him. His name was Saul but God turned him into Paul, the great missionary. Not have babies? Ridiculous! Have faith in God. Maybe God will use the little one he sends to make things right. Hope in hard times! That is the message of Israel’s long years in slavery. The whole story can be outlined:

The Slavery

A. The Prosperity God Sent (1:1-7)

B. The Perversion God Saw (Josh. 24:14)

C. The Pain God Allowed (1:8-22)

D. The Prayers God Heard (2:23-35)

The Savior

E. The People God Used (2:1-4)

F. The Purposes God Accomplished (Ex. 15-40)

I. THE PROSPERITY GOD SENT

(Ex. 1:1-7; Gen. 47:5; Ex. 12:37)

1. God Blessed Materially (Gen. 47:5). The Book of Exodus begins where Genesis stops, telling how Joseph’s family, seventy people, came to Egypt around 1876 B.C. The Pharaoh who elevated Joseph let them settle in Goshen, Egypt’s delta. It was a WONDERFUL PLACE, with rich pastures for sheep, called “the best part of the land” (Gen. 47:5).

2. God Blessed Numerically (1:7; 12:37). The Bible says, “. . .the Israelites were fruitful and multiplied greatly and became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them” (1:7). When Israel left Egypt under Moses, it had 600,000 men (12:37), so when you add women and children, the number is around TWO MILLION. This increase was a miracle from God. He needed a nation big enough to capture and fill Canaan. And only a place like Goshen could sustain so large a number. God built His nation in the devil’s back yard. God blessed Israel!

II. THE PERVERSIONS GOD SAW

(Gen. 50:24-25; Josh. 24:14; Ex. 32)

These Israelites came from a godly foundation. Abraham was the friend of God. Joseph has been called the most Christ like man in the Old Testament. He knew God’s promise to Abraham that after 400 years He would bring Israel out of Egypt (Gen. 15:16). When he died he made his family promise that when God did it they would carry his coffin back to Canaan (Gen. 50:24).