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By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. – Hebrews 11:23

Amram and Jochebed, both from the tribe of Levi, were married and expecting their third child. There was at the time a ruling by Pharaoh to suppress the Israelites. Pharaoh (this one did not know Joseph) began to fear that the Israelites were becoming too strong as a people and that they would begin to influence and then overtake Egypt. He put them in bondage, tortured them, and gave diabolical instructions to the midwives who had been assisting the Israelite women when they gave birth. The command was that if a boy was born he should be immediately killed, but girls would be allowed to live.

The midwives ran into trouble though as they found that God could get around any decree from Pharaoh – a trend throughout the Book of Exodus. The Hebrew women gave birth quickly, before the midwives could get there. The result was that male children were being born, and after their birth the midwives did all that they could to protect and save those baby boys.

Pharaoh was livid and decreed then that any male child who survived birth was to be thrown in the river. Amazing isn’t it the correlation between Pharaoh and Herod? After Jesus was born Herod had all the male children two years and under killed in Bethlehem. Murdering babies never accomplishes what people hope to accomplish. Beside, God’s will cannot be prevented by mere men, no matter how despotic or ruthless.

Once Jochebed gave birth she hid her baby boy for 3 months. The Bible says he was “beautiful” and the term means literally that he found “favor”, a term translated other places as having found “grace.” Moses found grace indeed as God had a plan for him and His people.

The result of this grace was that Moses’ parents did not fear Pharaoh, nor obey him. They loved their son and preserved his life. They hid him as long as they could, but soon it became obvious that something had to be done to prevent the discovery of his birth. Their faith was on display here. They trusted God and did what they had to do to save their baby’s life.

The plan was to build an ark. It was a small waterproof basket that could hold baby Moses and float in the reeds on the edge of the river. Of course there were dangers. Animals like crocodiles and other predators would look for a quick meal in or around the river banks and were a constant threat. This faith from his parents was a faith that God was able to protect him from both Pharaoh and the dangers along the river bank. The basket was placed among the reeds and his sister, Miriam, watched from a distance to be sure the basket was safe.

While the ark was floating there, Pharaoh’s daughter came to the river to bathe. She saw the ark, sent a maid to fetch it, opened it, and found the baby crying. She knew it was a Hebrew baby but had compassion. She adopted the baby, naming him Moses which means “drawn from the water.” Miriam saw this discovery and volunteered to find a Hebrew woman to nurse this baby and Pharaoh’s daughter agreed.

Imagine the encouragement it was to Jochebed and her faith as she was paid as a servant by Pharaoh’s daughter to nurse and care for her own son. When he was old enough he went to be Pharaoh’s daughter’s son. This baby Hebrew boy, saved at birth in defiance of Pharaoh’s decree, hidden among the reeds in a small basket, retrieved by the king’s daughter, nursed by his own mother – this baby became the Pharaoh’s grandson, raised in his courts with all the privileges of royalty.

Moses’ parents feared God more than men, had incredible faith in the midst of overwhelming odds, did what was right and honored God, preserved his life, and as the story unfolds, we see the amazing favor that was shown to Moses as God had chosen to use him to deliver the people from their bondage and take them to the Promised Land. There in that little floating basket, there in the reeds, their faith led to the Exodus, to the fulfillment of the promise made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that this people would serve in Egypt four generations and then be set free to claim their inheritance, the Promised Land.

Who knows what God may do as we trust Him with our life and the lives of our families? Trust Him with them, and expect great things, for we serve a great God.