Notes on
Exodus 2
Exo 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a
daughter of Levi.
Exo 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bore a son: and when she saw him that he
was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
Naturally any good mother was not going to kill her child. In a way this is a
test to see if someone would risk their lives to save their children by
disobeying the king's commandment or would they succumb to the fear of man and
go ahead and kill the baby to escape judgment. Lots of people have abortions
because they do not want the responsibility of raising a child. Moses' mother
would have gladly accepted the responsibility of this child.
Here is what Hebrews says about this child:
Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his
parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the
king's commandment.
Exo 2:3 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.
Moses' mother placed the baby in the river but in a waterproof basket. Perhaps
the Spirit of God led her to do things this way. All these events could not have
been by accident.
Exo 2:4 And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
Miriam kept watch to see what would happen to the baby. This makes is seem even
more that this action was no accident.
Exo 2:5 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.
Perhaps the mother of Moses knew that Pharaoh's daughter often came to this same
spot. Another thought is that God led her to bring the baby to this place even
though she may not have known what would become of it.
Exo 2:6 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.
Pharaoh's daughter knew this was one of the Hebrew's children and her heart was
taken with the child anyway. God was preparing a deliverer for the children of
Israel.
This is similar to the story later of Jesus. Herod tried to kill all male
children under the age of two. The real Messiah escaped death and grew up to do
what He was called to do. We see the same thing happen to Moses.
Exo 2:7 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?
Miriam saw an opportunity right away and arranged for her mother to become a
paid nurse for her own child. We see surely that this is an act of God's
intervention in the plans of man.
Exo 2:8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called
the child's mother.
Exo 2:9 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.
Exo 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' mother knew the day would come that she would have to give up her son but
I'm sure that she rejoiced that his life was spared.
Exo 2:11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he
went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an
Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.
Exo 2:12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no
man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
The movie about the ten commandments made it seem as if Moses did not know who
his mother was but from these passages of scripture we see that Moses knew who
he was and from what people he came from. Pharaoh's daughter did not hide his
past from him. He just had enough influence with Pharaoh that he would break his
rule to make her happy and let one baby live. He probably thought, just having
one would not do any harm.
Exo 2:13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews
strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou
thy fellow?
Exo 2:14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou
to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely
this thing is known.
Exo 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.
Notice that Moses tried to correct the two Israelites but killed the Egyptian
who was oppressing one of his brethren.
Now he had to flee Egypt. God was going to prepare this one to deliver His
people.
The book of Hebrews tells us a little about Moses here:
Heb 11:25 Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God,
than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;
Heb 11:26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in
Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward.
Heb 11:27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he
endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Exo 2:16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew
water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.
Exo 2:17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and
helped them, and watered their flock.
This reminds me of the story of Jacob when he went to seek a wife. He also
helped water the flock of Laban just as Moses is helping these women.
Exo 2:18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye
are come so soon today?
Exo 2:19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the
shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock.
Moses must have been wearing Egyptian clothing so that these women identified
him as being Egyptian.
Exo 2:20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye
have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread.
Exo 2:21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah
his daughter.
Exo 2:22 And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I
have been a stranger in a strange land.
They seem to name babies after certain events transpiring in their lives. Some
names were even prophetic. A name was given and that person turned out to
fulfill the meaning of their name.
Exo 2:23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died:
and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and
their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
The scripture does not tell us that they called upon the Lord previously.
Perhaps the new Pharaoh was tougher than the ones before him.
Exo 2:24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with
Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
God will always honor that covenant.
Gen 12:1 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country,
and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show
thee:
Gen 12:2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make
thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
Gen 12:3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Not only will God bless Israel but God will use Israel to bring forth the
Messiah that is to save the world from sin. Unfortunately when He came Israel as
a nation did not know who He was. They were expecting a deliverer like Moses
that would free them from Roman bondage. They didn't realize that their Messiah
came first to die for sins and usher in the way of salvation with His death,
burial and resurrection.
Before they could have the deliverance from their enemies the sin question had
to be taken care of. We cannot enter the kingdom of Heaven unless our sins are
washed away. If we fail to see this, we will die in our sins and be lost.
We are not to come to God to get rich in this life and excel in this world.
We have to come to God to have our sins washed away and become born again by His
spirit. People of the flesh care only for the world and what it has to
offer. People of the spirit seek God and things that are everlasting.
For this world and its money, battles, and cares will pass away. Only what
is in Jesus Christ will last forever.
Exo 2:25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto
them.
These are His chosen people called to be bearers of the gospel which will save
the lost and even bring the Gentiles into the light of the gospel.