The Making Of A Great Leader

God spared Joseph’s life and miraculously made him the governor of Egypt. He was a hero in every sense of the word. He literally saved Egypt from starvation. Pharaoh was grateful for his wisdom and talents, and blessed Joseph with many blessings and privileges.

Once they were settled into Goshen, the twelve sons began to multiply into thousands in years to come. When Joseph died and this good Pharaoh died, the blessings and special privileges also died for Israel.

Approximately a hundred years later another man became Pharaoh of Egypt. It is believed that he gained this position through power, and when he saw that the children of Israel were blessed by God with child birth, he concluded they may join hands with their enemies and outnumber the Egyptians and overthrow him from his lofty position.

He decided to do something about it before this could happen to him. WHAT DID HE DO? He set out to make sure this did not happen to the Egyptians by having all the Hebrew boy babies thrown into the Nile River.

In Exodus 2, we see God preserving the life of Moses who becomes Israel’s deliverer from Egypt. We want to look at three things in the life of Moses in Exodus 2.

We see . . .

I. HIS BIRTH

We must not forget that Moses is the writer of the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible.

In Exodus 2, he is telling us of HIS BIRTH. But notice, Moses does not even give us the names of his parents. We have to turn to other scriptures to find out some of the details of his parents. It could be the reason was because his parents were slaves and so there is not much to boast and brag about. He was raised up in the palace of Pharaoh which was a source of pride.

In verses 1-10, we see what he has to say about his birth. We read, “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. 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. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 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. 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. 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? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. 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. 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.”

Often, when Sunday school teachers and some preachers preach from this passage in verses 1-10, they make it sound like a bed time story you tell your children before they go to sleep. It should be preached as Ancient Bible History. What we read here in the scriptures happened just the way God’s Word tells us it happened.

Many times we connect bravery with manhood, but history and the Bible reveals the bravery of many women also. Moses’ mother was a very courageous woman. Because of her bravery and love, many pastors choose to use her as an example to preach on Mother’s day.

HOW WAS SHE COURAGEOUS? Remember that Pharaoh had decreed that all boy children were to be killed, but this brave mother was not going to allow her baby to be killed. Exodus 2:1-10, tells us how this mother saved Moses from being killed by Pharaoh, and how she trusted God to take care of her baby boy.

WHO IS THIS BRAVE MOTHER?

• Her name was Jochebed. She was the wife of Amram. No details are given concerning her life. According to Jewish legend, Jochebed is buried in the tomb of the matriarchs, in Tiberius.