Mountain Movers

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. (Hebrews 11:23)

Moses was one of the most influential people in the Bible. He was the humblest man on the face of the earth during his days and he wrote the first five books of the Bible.

Moses had frequent fellowship with God. His story really begins with his parents. He would not have been able to accomplish what he did if it were not for their acts of faith in Moses' early years. In Exodus 2, we see that Moses' parents were Levites, the priestly tribe. Exodus 6:20 gives their names: Amram and Jochebed. His mother gave birth to Moses during the commandment by the Pharaoh that every Hebrew boy that was born must be thrown into the Nile, although the Hebrew girl children were allowed to live. The Egyptians were determined to end the Hebrew race and Pharaoh's threat was to be taken seriously. Any person who has no qualms with slaughtering children is not one to reason with.

Jochebed gave birth to a boy and she had three options available to her: She could obey the king's edict and throw the boy into the Nile; she could attempt to raise Moses in as if the decree didn't exist; or she could hide her baby. If she and her husband chose one of the first two options, either they or Moses would be put to death. However, by faith they decided to hide Moses. God revealed to them that he was no ordinary child. In Exodus 2:2, it says that Moses was a 'fine'child. The Word doesn't explain exactly what made Moses fine or extraordinary during his childhood days. After all, what makes one three-month-old baby stand out from other three-month-old babies? Yet Moses'parents were motivated to save their son no matter what the cost. He offered them hope and they had vision for him.

There came a time that Jochebed could hide Moses no longer. She placed him in a floating basket along the riverbank of the Nile. As she set him out, his sister Miriam stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. For Jochebed, it must have been a heart-wrenching time of grief. Yet, knowing that God was the creator of the universe and in control of everything, she took comfort knowing that God had the best in store for Moses.

Little infant Moses floated there in a profound human vulnerability. He was exposed to the natural elements. A storm could have struck and taken his life away. He could have been attacked by the nearby animals. He could have been discovered by some of Pharaoh's men, or other Hebrew parents who were obedient to Pharaoh's demands, and drowned. Conversely, Baby Moses could not have been more secure. The God of the Universe watched over him personally and had great plans for for him, his people, and his descendants.

Certainly, God was protecting Moses every moment that he lay inside the papyrus basket. Since it was God's will that Moses was to survive, it was also God's will to put Moses in the arms of faithful parents. Moses' parents knew the risk they were taking by keeping him alive for three months, yet they were full of courage fed by God when he showed them that Moses was special. The sacrifice Jochebed made by surrendering Moses at the riverbank resulted in a multifarious blessings.

Pharaoh's daughter found the baby with Miriam nearby. Miriam asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to suckle the baby. Not only did Pharaoh's daughter consent to the suggestion, but she offered to pay the wet nurse. What joy in this little family when Miriam brought forth her mother, the mother of Moses, to be the care-provider to their own precious baby!

When Moses grew older, Pharaoh's daughter decided to adopt him and even gave him a Hebrew name. The connection with his birth family was sustained and strengthened because of his mother's continuing care. Moses' father lived until he was 137 years, and was most likely still alive when the ten plagues hit Egypt. Moses' older brother and sister were with him during the time of the exodus. Miriam, the solicitous older sister, and his brother Aaron, offered him emotional and physical support and encouragement as he led God's people.

Because Amram and Jochebed had a strong faith in God that they were not afraid of disobeying the pharaoh. What would have happened if they had given into faithlessness and thrown their son into the Nile to preserve their own lives? Surely, they could have rationalized such an act in the challenging, dark times in which they lived. Imagine the consequences: no Moses. Fortunately,that appears not to have been even a consideration. These faithful parents actively participated in the Master plan for Moses-- was it just a coincidence that Miriam was able to choose her mother to nurse Moses? Was it some strange fluke that Moses was raised within the bosom of his own family under the care of Pharaoh's household when, according to Pharaoh's authorization, he should have been killed along with the masses of other Hebrew infants?

Moses' parents realized how extraordinary their son was and, under God's direction, gave him a hope and a future-- they were instrumental in raising up the man who would lead millions of God's people out of Egyptian oppression. In the next chapter, we will look at how Moses, because of his faith, gave up his princely luxuries of and chose mistreatment along with God's people. God used these experiences to refine his character so that he would be able to show the world His Wonders.