Mothers - A Gift From God

INTRO: A small boy invaded the lingerie section of a large department store and shyly presented his problem to a woman clerk in the lingerie department. “I want to buy a slip as a present for my mom, but I don’t know what size she wears.” “Is she tall or short, lit or skinny?” asked the clerk. “She is just perfect beamed the boy.” So the clerk wrapped up a size 34. Two days later mom came to the store by herself and changed the slip to size 52.

TITLE: Mothers - A Gift From God

TEXT: Exodus 1:22 - 2:10

TS: Today we are going to look at a mother who was very courageous.

I. The situation (1:22 - 2:2) READ

A. Background: Joseph has died.

1. Friends no longer - time past where the Hebrews were considered friends and worked with the Egyptians.

(1:8) New king has come in and didn’t know anything about Joseph.

2. Wicked plot - destroy the male children (today it’s usually the female babies that are being destroyed, India and China).

a. Pharaoh was trying to weaken the Hebrews as a threat, trying to eliminate the vast number of soldiers (men).

b. Slaves - they’re no longer living as fellow citizens as in the time of Joseph.

-Pharaoh was afraid (thinking that if we’re attacked by foreign enemy the Hebrews would turn and side with enemy).

B. Parents - who are they.

1. No names - we are just told “man married a Levite woman and they had a son.”

a. Like moms - not to be in the lime light, they just sit back and enjoy their sons and daughters. ex Sports banquets (honor mom or dad), moms sitting back rejoicing with children.

b. Fine child - two different meanings.

1. Physical appearance - all mothers think every baby is beautiful - something about their innocence.

2. Acts 7:20 - “No ordinary child” GK (fair in the sight of God).

-Dealing with qualities of his heart.

1

a. She saw - Moses’ mother saw, possibly some spiritual insight to what Moses was something special.

Like mothers today who seem to have some special insight or dream for their child.

*Every mother is like Moses. She does not enter the promised land. She prepares a world she will not see.

C. Courage of Moses’ Mother

1. Hid son from certain doom - interesting that the scriptures didn’t say they - referring to both of them. It emphasizes she (mother).

- She hid him for 3 months!

a. Courage is instinctive, a boldness that comes from God.

ex Grizzly bear and her cub (male try eat) mother protects (smaller).

1. Courage to extend (life) - Years ago, a young mother was making her way across the hills of south Wales, carrying her tiny baby in her arms, when she was overtaken by a blinding blizzard. She never reached her destination. When the blizzard had subsided her body was found by searchers beneath a mound of snow. But they discovered that before her death, she had taken off all her outer clothing and wrapped it about her baby. When they unwrapped the child, to their great surprise and joy, they found he was alive and well. She had mounded her body over his and given her life for her child’s, proving the depths of her motherly love. Years later that child, David Lloyd George, grown into manhood, became Prime Minister of Great Britain.

b. Moses’ Mom hid son - scholars tell us that if you disobeyed the king’s edict, you would be tortured and put to death.

-She risked her own life and well-being.

TS - Moses kept growing and growing, demanding more time, food, energy. It would have been impossible to keep him hidden.

II. The Plan 3-7 (READ)

A. Blueprint: Mother knew she could not keep him hidden so she devised a plan.

1. Make a basket, able to float, size of Moses, place him among reeds where Pharaoh’s daughter comes.

-I believe this took a lot of planning and preparation.

2. Lost courage - some might think this because she is giving her baby up.

-No, it’s wisdom because if everybody is caught they probably would all die. Rather, it takes more courage to entrust child to God.

a. Hebrews - talks about the faith of Moses’ parents, took tremendous faith to leave baby in river. (Starvation, eaten by reptiles, drown.)

1. James 2:22 - “Faith and deeds” Faith has to have action (Mom believed God and acted).

* We all need this same type of faith when we come to troubling situations.

B. Motherly characteristics - talked about courage.

1. Thinking - what a plan, what risk, I’ll bet she had this plan down to a “t” (baby cry at right time, best clothes, comb hair, daughter to go and watch).