Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Exodus 3:7-10 Tag...You're It

"The Lord said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt.
I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers
and I am concerned about their suffering.

So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians
and to bring them bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land,
a land flowing with milk and honey --
the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.

And now the cry of the Israelites has reached me, 
and I have seen the way the Egyptians are oppressing them.

So now, go.
I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.' "

Exodus 3:7-10 (NIV)
________________________

One of the first things which impressed me when I read this passage was that God was intimately connected with His people.  He heard their cries of pain and their cries for help, and was concerned about their suffering.  Sometimes in the midst of a difficult situation, we may wonder if God hears or cares.  This passage assures us that He does.

Another thing which I noticed is that the Lord's response is both to rescue the Israelites from their oppressors and to bring them into the land which He had long ago promised to Abraham.  God is not only going to bring them out of Egypt, but He also has a destination for them.

God acknowledges that this land which He will bring them to is already the home of other people groups:  Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites are living in Canaan.  Wondering if this was fair to those inhabitants?  Of course, God, who created the earth, obviously has the right to distribute living space as He sees fit.  However, God has been extremely fair and patient with these inhabitants of Canaan.

Over 400 years ago (from the time of those Israelites living in Egypt) God had already known what would happen in the future.  He had told Abraham (who was at that point still called Abram):

"Know for certain
that your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own,
and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years.

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,
and afterward they will come out with great possessions.

You, however, will go to your fathers in peace
and be buried at a good old age.

In the fourth generation
your descendants will come back here,
for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure."

Genesis 15:13-16 (NIV)

The last line of that passage is the main one which we are considering here.  One reason why the Israelites were going to go down to Egypt (aside from escaping the famine and growing into a nation) was that the sins ('iniquities') of the Amorites (which name seems to be a shorthand for all the peoples of Canaan) had not yet reached critical mass.  God had been giving them time to repent. 

God had actually given the people groups of Canaan over 400 years to repent from their wickedness.  His desire was for all people to come to know and worship Him.  Apparently they had continued in their wickedness, for now God is preparing to bring the Israelites into Canaan to bring His judgement upon them.

Moses would probably have been glad to hear that the Lord was about to rescue his fellow Israelites from slavery in Egypt.  Since he apparently knew about Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he probably also knew about God's promise to bring the Israelites back to Canaan after about 400 years in Egypt.  The time was right, and Moses probably rejoiced to think that their release from Egypt was at hand.

However, I think it was a bit of a shock for Moses to hear God's final message:
                                 
       You are the one I have picked to lead my people out of Egypt.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Exodus 3:4-6 This Is God Speaking

"When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look,
God called to him from within the bush, 'Moses!  Moses!'

And Moses said, 'Here I am.'

'Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.'
Then he said, 'I am the God of your father,
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.'

  At this, Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God."

Exodus 3:4-6 (NIV)
__________________________________________

Moses had gone to check out a curious sight which he had seen:  a bush which was engulfed in fire, yet which was not being consumed.  As he approaches, God warns him to take off his sandals, for the place was hallowed by the presence of God Himself.

Moses not only takes off his sandals, but hides his face.  Perhaps he had been told that no one was able to look upon God and live.  Or, perhaps he was just overwhelmed by the presence of this holy God.  [When we compare ourselves with others, we may think that we look pretty good, pretty holy.  However, when we compare ourselves with God's utter holiness, it's like comparing something which we think is white to the utter brilliance of new-fallen snow:  in comparison, the item we have looks somewhat yellow and dingy.  I imagine that in the presence of a perfectly holy God, we would look very, very dingy indeed.  In fact, we don't even come close to His sinlessness:  Isaiah 64:6 says that "...all our righteous acts are like filthy rags..."  Even our acts of righteousness are often tainted by bad motives (like obtaining others' attention or commendation) or the desire for some type of gain for ourselves.

I think it is interesting that God identifies Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  This tells me that Moses knew something of the history of these individuals, either from his parents' instruction during the limited time he had with them, or because of his own studies.  Perhaps before he made his decision to identify with the people of God rather than continue to enjoy the privileges of the Pharaoh's household (Hebrews 11:24-25), he had examined the beliefs of the Hebrews who were all around him, and to whom he knew he was related.  At any rate, he must have been familiar to some extent with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, or else God probably would not have identified Himself to Moses in this way.

Can you imagine what Moses was thinking at this point?  What did this holy God want with him?

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Exodus 3:1-3 Moses' Curiosity

"Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law,the priest of Midian,
and he led the flock to the far side of the desert
and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.
There the angel of the Lord
appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush.
Moses saw that though the bush was on fire 
it did not burn up.
So Moses thought, 'I will go over and see this strange sight --
why the bush does not burn up.' "

Exodus 3:1-3 (NIV)
_____________________________

Several items come to mind when we read this passage:
  1. Moses' father-in-law is called Jethro here; previously he was called Reuel.  Why?  The NIV Study Bible note on Exodus 2:16 (pg. 91)  says that Reuel's "other name, Jethro, may be a title meaning 'his excellency.' "  That may be, since Reuel/Jethro is a priest.  I also wondered if perhaps Reuel, which means 'friend of God', according to that same citation, was a name the man later chose, or which the Israelites gave him.  In Exodus 18, Jethro rejoices in how the Lord rescued the Israelites from Egypt, and acknowledges the Lord as 'greater than all other gods' (v.10-11)  Is he just rejoicing in what God has done, or is this a conversion to the true God?  (The Scriptures do not reveal what kind of priest Jethro/Reuel was previously.)
  2. Horeb is called 'the mountain of God'.  The name means 'desert' or 'desolation' and may be either another name for Mt. Sinai or another mountain in the same vicinity as Mt. Sinai.
OK, now let's get to the main event in this passage, which is Moses' sighting of a burning bush in the distance.  At first, Moses is merely interested in the fact that although the bush is burning, it is not being consumed by the flames.  He is curious, as any one of us might be at this strange event.  As a very curious person myself, I understand exactly why he had to go check it out. 

Moses does not yet realize that, as these verses maintain, the angel of the Lord is present in the midst of the burning bush.  However, all Israel (even today) should be glad that God made Moses to be a very curious man, and that he did not just say, "so what...got to get these sheep back home now..." -- for the deliverance which God had plannned for Israel, and which had taken years of preparation on God's part in the formation of Moses' character, learning and experience was about to unfold.

It was time for the shepherd to rescue God's flock from slavery in Egypt.  The time had finally come for the nation of Israel to go to the land which God had promised them.

I just thought about the fact that probably none of these Israelites had been to Canaan before.  Just as it had taken a step of faith for Jacob to take his extended family from Canaan and go down to Egypt, now this same (though vastly more numerous) family would be taking a step of faith to go back home to the land which God had chosen for them.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Exodus 2:23-25 Waiting and Watching

"During that long period, the king of Egypt died.
The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out,
and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God.

God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant
with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob.
So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them."

Exodus 2:23-25 (NIV)
______________________________________
The Pharaoh whose daughter had adopted Moses was possibly Thutmose III.
[More post(s) will follow soon regarding why he is a good candidate.]
Previously (years before), Ahmose, the founder of the 18th dynasty in Egypt, had expelled the Hyksos (Semitic and thus, foreign, rulers of Egypt).  That may explain both 
  1. why the present Pharaoh (Thutmose?) did not really know about the history of Joseph's influence in Egypt (Exodus 1:8), and
  2. why Thutmose seems both quite nationalistic (note the 'we' and 'us' vs.the 'them' of Exodus 1:10) and almost single-mindedly concerned with ridding the land of Semitic peoples who (he feared) might try to fight against Egypt and/or leave the country.

It also helps explain how the Israelites had previously enjoyed years of peaceful growth in Goshen.  Of course, God was ultimately behind this peace, but God may have also arranged for them to be living there during the reign of  Semitic Pharaohs. [This is just another example of how God is able to integrate all the details of a situation for His own plans and purposes.]

I suppose that it doesn't really matter which Pharaoh(s) ruled during the oppression and the exodus.  The main thing is that God proves to be far greater and stronger, and the only true God.  However, I find it fascinating that perhaps some of these details are left for us to be able to piece these events together and realize just how intimately God was involved in all of the details behind the scene.  That, too, I believe, brings glory to God, which is why I am pursuing these side issues.  [Besides, I like details.  I can have faith without them, but I can also use them to share with others so that they can get a better picture of how God works and come to have faith in Him, too.]

We see that God has been hearing the Israelites' groans and prayers for His help.  He 'remembers' His covenant with them (not that He has forgotten it previously) and is concerned with their plight.  And, as we have seen in the past, God will always keep His promises to His people.  It may take time, but He will fulfill everything which He has promised, and will punish those who seek to work against His people and His plans.

The fact that He has allowed them to be oppressed is not because He does not care about the Israelites, but (at least partly) because, like Moses, they are being prepared for their journey to the promised land.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Exodus 2:16-22 Deliverer

After Moses fled from Egypt, he went to Midian, where he sat by a well.  I  think that this would be a place where he figured he could encounter some of the people and begin to establish himself.  Or, maybe he was just thirsty, and was waiting for someone to come along who could allow him to borrow their vessel so that he could get a drink.

At any rate, it was not long before someone came along.  Seven 'someones', to be exact, along with their father's flock of sheep:

"Now a priest of Midian had seven daughters,
and they came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father's flock.
Some shepherds came along and drove them away,
but Moses got up and came to their rescue and watered their flock.

When the girls returned to Reuel their father,
he asked them, 'Why have you returned so early today?'
They answered, 'An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds.
He even drew water for us and watered the flock.'

'And where is he?' he asked his daughters.
'Why did you leave him?  Invite him to have something to eat.'
Moses agreed to stay with the man,
who gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage.

Zipporah gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershom,
saying, 'I have become an alien in a foreign land."

Exodus 2:16-22 (NIV)
________________________________________

Moses rescues Reuel's daughters from the shepherds.  Apparently some other shepherds had become accustomed to waiting until the women had done all the hard work of filling the troughs for their flock, before moving in to take all of the water for themselves.  Reuel's surprise at his daughters' early arrival home that day shows us that this injustice probably took place fairly regularly.

Reuel may have been unable to put an end to this practice, but Moses was not going to put up with the bullying shepherds for one second.  He rescued the women from the shepherds and even watered the flock himself.

When the girls related the reason for their early arrival to their father, he insisted on having them ask Moses to join them in a meal.  Aside from it being the hospitable thing to do, Reuel had seven daughters.  It would be a wonderful thing to have a man of fine character such as Moses for a son-in-law.  Reuel could be sure that his daughter would be treated well, for Moses had even stepped in to rescue the women when they were strangers to each other.  It would also be good to have another man around to help look after his interests.

Of course, these verses condense all of the events which led to Moses marrying Zipporah.  Probably Moses served as a shepherd for Reuel's flock for a while before he was given Zipporah as a wife.  Also, the woman marries Moses in verse 21 and gives birth to his son Gershom in verse 22, so we realize that there are at least nine months or so between these two events.

All in all, we are left with the impression that Moses is facing a new life in Midian.  He has become a shepherd in a desert land, which must have been a rather shocking contrast to the life of royal privilege he had led for most of his life, surrounded by the beauty of the Nile region in Egypt. 

Gershom's name sound like the Hebrew for 'an alien there'.  Moses probably meant this to reflect the fact of his new life in Midian.  No longer was Moses even a possible candidate for future Pharaoh-hood.  Instead, he was a stranger in a strange land.  Perhaps Moses was also troubled by the knowledge that God had promised to eventually bring His people out of Egypt and back to the land of Canaan, the promised land.  Despite Moses having identified himself with the people of God, he probably felt somewhat out of the loop as the years rolled by and he remained in Midian.

However, as many writers have observed, being a shepherd was wonderful training for leading people.  Sheep are known for being wayward and obstinate and fearful and seemingly inclined to seek out their own destruction.  Sadly, people who are led by their own sinful natures are not much different.  Being a shepherd was the perfect training for leading the people of God.  In fact, I believe that in the future, Moses would lead the Israelites through some of the same areas where he once led Reuel's flock of sheep.

Of course, Moses had no idea of God's preparations at the time that he was going through them.

How wonderfully God was preparing Moses for His own use.  Dare we think the same when we find ourselves in a similarly 'desert' place in our lives, and there seems to be no reason behind our difficulties?  Is our concept of God big enough to really believe that He knows exactly what He is doing and that He will do what is best for our good and His glory?

Moses was about forty years old when he fled Egypt (Acts 7:23), and he remained in Midian for the next forty years.(Acts 7:30)  Think about all of the hard work involved in forty years of shepherding.  During that time, [as He had done throughout all of Moses' life] God was continuing to prepare Moses for the most important job of his life:  leading the people of God out of slavery in Egypt.

   

Monday, August 8, 2011

Exodus 2:11-15 Pharaoh to Fugitive: Moses Flees to Midian

"One day, after Moses had grown up,
he went out to where his own people were
and watched them at their hard labor.
He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
Glancing this way and that and seeing no one,
he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
The next day he went out and saw two Hebrews fighting.
He asked the one in the wrong, 'Why are you hitting your fellow Hebrew?'

The man said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us?
Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?'
Then Moses was afraid and thought,
'What I did must have become known.'
When Pharaoh heard of this, he tried to kill Moses,
but Moses fled from Pharaoh
and went to live in Midian,
where he sat down by a well."

Exodus 2:11-15 (NIV)
________________________________

After being discovered in his basket in the Nile by the daughter of the Pharaoh, Moses had been brought up by his real mother and father until he was weaned, and possibly somewhat longer.  When he grew older, he had been brought to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. (Exodus 2:10)  Needless to say, I am sure that this was a wrenching experience for his parents, who seemed to be losing their son all over again.  However, God was continuing to work out His plan for Moses and for the nation of Israel.

I will write more about the possible identities of the Pharaoh and his daughter during these events at a later time.  For now, let me say that Moses had become quite a part of Pharaoh's family.  Acts 7:22 (NIV) sums up these years in the following way:
                
     "Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action."

Other writers also attest to Moses deeds.  Philo of Alexandria (a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher) and Josephus (a Jewish historian with a priestly and royal background) both speak about Moses in their writings.  Their accounts of Moses' life and actions are quite interesting, and though they do not have the authority of Scripture, they may still provide some interesting insights and details.

Philo provides details about how Moses came to be accepted in Pharaoh's household.  [On the Life of Moses, Part 1, Sections IV and V]  He speaks of how Pharaoh's daughter pretended to be pregnant and managed to claim Moses as her own child.  At first I thought that it was unlikely that she would be able to pull off such a maneuver, but then I considered her position and the fact that as the Pharaoh's beloved daughter, she would not be too closely questioned.  It's just in the category of speculation at this point in my mind, but it would make more sense than that Pharaoh would allow her to adopt one of the very Hebrews he was trying to eliminate. Or, perhaps he just allowed his beloved daughter to adopt the child because she wanted it so much.  Philo also mentions that the reigning Pharaoh had no sons to continue his dynasty, and that Moses may eventually have been considered an acceptable alternative.  At any rate, God allowed Moses to grow up in the household of the Pharaoh and to be educated in all of the learning of the Egyptians. (Acts 7:22) 

Josephus goes into some detail about Moses' life as well.  In his account, Pharaoh's daughter, who is named as Thermuthis, admits to her father that she received the child from the river.  Shortly before that time, Egyptian scribes had warned the king that a child would arise from the Hebrew nation who would be famous and would lead to the downfall of the Egyptian nation, so they immediately urged that Moses should be destroyed.  However, Thermuthis would have none of that, and snatched him from their hands.  Largely because there were no other likely prospects for the throne, Moses is allowed to live, although he is viewed with suspicion by the Egyptians.  Years later, when Egypt runs into trouble with the Ethiopians, Pharaoh orders Moses to act as one of his generals (Pharaoh having assured his daughter that the Egyptians would not harm him).  Moses is successful in many engagements, so much so that when he is attacking Saba (a city protected on all sides by rivers and fortifications) an Ethiopian princess (Tharbis) arranges to deliver the city into Moses' hands if he will agree to take her as a wife.  Moses agrees and the city is overthrown.

Even at that point, the Egyptians remained suspicious about Moses' intentions, thinking that he will make use of his success to gain power for himself.  The Pharaoh himself is jealous of Moses' success and nervous about his own status.  [The Writings of Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book 2, chapters 9-11]   So, at the time of the killing of the Egyptian overseer in the Biblical account above, it is not surprising that the Pharaoh or the Egyptian court would have been seeking any opportunity possible to discredit Moses.

However, even if the accounts of Philo or Josephus turn out to be inaccurate, one could imagine that the Pharaoh would still be seeking Moses' death for his action of killing an Egyptian.  Even if Moses had been in line for the throne, such an action against an Egyptian would have seemed to have been directly opposed to the interests of the Pharaoh's household.  I am sure that the Pharaoh would have expected that those he considered his own enemies (the Hebrews) should not be defended by his possible heir! 

Moses must have gotten word of the Pharaoh's intent, for he flees to Midian.  This makes sense, for Moses was from the line of Abraham.  Abraham had taken another wife after Sarah died, a woman named Keturah.  (Genesis 25:1-2)  Keturah had several sons, one of whom was named Midian.  Therefore, the city of Midian would be a good place to expect some help.

So, in one moment, because of a single incident, Moses goes from being a likely heir to the throne, a future Pharaoh, to a wanted fugitive.  However, it is not as though this was a snap decision on his part.  Hebrews 11:23-26 (NIV) indicates that this was a matter to which Moses had given previous thought:

"By faith Moses, when he had grown up,
refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.
He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God
rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ
as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt,
because he was looking ahead to his reward."
__________________________________________________
Note that Moses fully knew that he stood in line for the throne (v.24) and the treasures of Egypt.  The NIV Study Bible notes on these verses indicate that "the priceless treasures of King Tutankhamun's tomb alone included several thousand pounds of pure gold."

Also, I wanted to note that although Moses' understanding of the Christ would necessarily have been limited, for Moses lived before Jesus Christ came to earth in bodily form, Moses was consciously aligning himself with the Israelites, his people, to whom had been promised an anointed one ("Christ"), a messiah, the 'seed' of Adam and Eve who was promised in Genesis 3:15 and who would crush Satan's head.

One more indication that Moses had made a conscious decision to align himself with his fellow Israelites is found in an account of this same incident in Acts 7:23-29.  Verse 25 (NIV) of this account says: 

"Moses thought that his own people would realize
that God was using him to rescue them,
but they did not." 

This tells us that even before Moses fled Egypt and had his encounter with God in the burning bush, in his mind he had aligned himself with the Israelites rather than the Egyptians and wanted to deliver them from their slavery in Egypt.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Exodus 2:10 Moses' Name

In the last post, I did not discuss verse 10 regarding the naming of Moses.  There is no shortage of ideas about what the name means and whether it is of Egyptian or Hebrew origin.  In Hebrew, it means "draw out", and people seem to argue as to whether it is meant in a passive sense, as in "Moses was 'drawn out' of the Nile" or an active sense, as in "Moses was the one who would 'draw out' the people of Israel from Egypt (during the Exodus)".  No doubt both parts are present, in the kind of wordplay that is present throughout the Scriptures.

There is also the fact that in Egyptian names, the name can mean 'child' or 'is born' and is often a part of names which honor a certain 'god', like (Rameses, Thutmose, Ahmose, etc.) and imply that the person is

a child of,
            or incarnation of,
                                or protected by,
                                                           that 'god'.

Some even see the naming of Moses as an official adoption into a Pharaoh's dynasty or household.  They see verse 10 as having two parts:   "She named him Moses and she said 'I drew him out of the water.'  In this case, they see the first part ("She named him Moses...") as meaning she gave him the family name (Ahmose) and he was thus officially adopted into the Pharaoh's family and the second part ("I drew him out of the water") as a nod to the Hebrew meaning "draw out" and the circumstances of his rescue from the Nile.

I suppose there could be elements of all of these interpretations in the name.  To me, this points even further to the providence of God, for, even if the Egyptians named Moses in honor of one of their 'gods' or tried to incorporate Moses into one of the Pharaoh's dynasties, elements of his name pointed to Moses' main purpose in life, which was to be a deliverer of the Israelite people and draw them out of slavery in Egypt.  

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Exodus 2:5-10 Safe Passage

"Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe,
and her attendants were walking along the river bank.
She saw the basket among the reeds
and sent her slave girl to get it.
She opened it and saw the baby.
He was crying, and she felt sorry for him.
'This is one of the Hebrew babies,' she said.

Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter,
'Shall I get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?'

'Yes, go,' she answered.  And the girl went and got the baby's mother.
Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me,
and I will pay you.'  So the woman took the baby and nursed him.
When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter
and he became her son.
She named him Moses, saying, 'I drew him out of the water.' "

Exodus 2:5-10 (NIV)
______________________________

Talk about an answer to prayer!  God's providence is evident in this situation, for so many factors had to come together in perfect timing:
  • Anyone could have found the baby, including a hungry crocodile.
  • If someone hostile to the Hebrews had found the baby, Moses would have been put to death.
  • Also, even if Moses had been found by another sympathetic person -- Hebrew or Egyptian -- only Pharaoh's daughter would have had the slightest chance of being able to keep the child and go against the pharaoh's decree with impunity.  Even that was probably a bit uncertain, depending upon the Pharaoh's mood at the moment.
  • I'm still exploring this, but the pharaoh's daughter may have been his only child.  With no heir waiting in the wings, Pharaoh may have been more open to adopting a child as a possible future successor.  However, I  doubt he would have thought this way at the time, for the baby was obviously a Hebrew child and this would not have been an acceptable alternative for a Pharaoh who sought to reduce the power of that nation.  I think he just allowed his beloved daughter to have her way in this instance, and, if she is who I think she is, an event such as this would have fit her personality exactly.  More on this theory will follow.
It is also evident that God has a sense of humor.  Not only does Moses' mother get to raise her son for a while longer, but she is now being paid for doing a job for which she and her husband had been willing to risk everything.  Ironically, the funds probably come from the Pharaoh who seems bent on destroying the Hebrew nation.  Therefore, this Pharaoh who is acting against the Hebrews ends up supporting and educating the very one who will lead the Hebrews to freedom.  There it is again -- that fulfillment of God's promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:3 (NIV):  "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse...".  There is, though, no humor in the fact that his opposition to the Hebrews likely brought about the end of this Pharaoh's dynasty -- only a solemn reminder that God always keeps His promises. 

    Tuesday, August 2, 2011

    Exodus 2:1-4 Moses' Birth and Nile Cruise

    "Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,
    and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.
    When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
    But when she could hide him no longer,
    she got a papyrus basket for him
    and coated it with tar and pitch.
    Then she placed the child in it
    and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.
    His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him."

    Exodus 2:1-4 (NIV)
    ______________________________

    MOSES'_PARENTS

    Although Moses' parents are not named here in chapter 2, later (in Exodus 6:20) they are said to be named Amram and Jochebed.  Further discussion of this point will be given when we get to Exodus 6.

    MOSES'_SIBLINGS 

    At Exodus 6:20 we are also informed of Moses' older brother, Aaron.  The verses above us (Exodus 2:4) indicate that Moses also had an older sister.  Her name is revealed as Miriam in Exodus 15:20.  In that verse, she is also called a prophetess.

    MOSES'_PARENTS'_FAITH

    Moses' parents hid him for three months.  That is a long time, considering that all of the Egyptian people were given the task of making sure that any newborn Hebrew boys were thrown into the Nile. (Exodus 1:22)  When they could no longer continue to do so, Moses' mother made him a papyrus basket and covered it with tar and pitch so that it would be watertight.

    In some movies, it shows baby Moses in the basket going on a wild ride down the currents of the Nile before ending up in the arms of the Egyptian princess.  Obviously such movies were not made by a mom, who would never do that to her child!  Instead, Exodus 2:3 shows that Moses' mother carefully placed his basket-boat among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.  Such reeds might help to keep the basket in place.

    I wonder if  Jochebed also placed the basket where she was fairly certain that it might be found by the princess.  Of course she had no way of being sure who might find the child, but she was probably hoping that someone --anyone-- might take pity upon such a beautiful baby boy.  Leaving Miriam to watch over the basket from a distance, Jochebed no doubt had to continue her labors for the Pharaoh along with the rest of the Israelites.  I imagine her praying fervently as she worked.

    Both of Moses' parents are commended in the book of Hebrews for their faith, which was evidenced by their refusal to obey the pharaoh's command.  Hebrews 11:23 (NIV) says:

    "By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born,
    because they saw that he was no ordinary child,
    and they were not afraid of the king's edict."

    Aside from their obedience to God rather than the Pharaoh, Matthew Henry's commentary on these verses says that they must have had faith in the fact that God had promised to bless and increase the Israelites and eventually bring them back to Canaan.  Although Pharaoh was doing everything that he could to eliminate the Israelites, these parents had faith that God would keep His promises to the nation.  Although they could see that Moses was no ordinary child, they probably never dreamed that God would use him to deliver the nation. 

    Exodus 1:15-22 Pharaoh's Attempt to Diminish the Israelites

    "The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives,
    whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,
    'When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth
    and observe them on the delivery stool,
    if it is a boy, kill him;
    but if it is a girl, let her live.'

    The midwives, however, feared God
    and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do;
    they let the  boys live.

    Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, 
    'Why have you done this?  Why have you let the boys live?'

    The midwives answered Pharaoh,
    'Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women;
    they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.'
    So God was kind to the midwives
    and the people increased and became even more numerous.
    And because the midwives feared God,
    he gave them families of their own.

    Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people:
    'Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, 
    but let every girl live.' "

    Exodus 1:15-22 (NIV)

    _________________________________________

    At first, the new Pharaoh seemed to be trying to be secretive in his attempt to thwart the rapid increase of the Israelites.  This is not surprising; he is a new ruler and  it would probably serve his own need to take care of this perceived threat quietly.  He tried to enlist the help of the Hebrew midwives in killing any Hebrew boys who were being born.

    Pharaoh was used to unquestioning obedience from his subjects.  However, did he really expect the Hebrews to annihilate their own people?  Besides, they were subject to a higher authority.  Because the midwives feared God more than Pharaoh, they found a way to get around his decree by claiming that the Hebrew women would already have given birth before the midwives even arrived on the scene.  There may be some truth to this claim, for the hard labor to which Pharaoh had subjected all the Israelites may have made the women more physically fit and better able to give birth without complications.

    This reminds me of what Joseph had said to his own brothers years after they had sold him into slavery:  "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:20 NIV)  Pharaoh's plans were no match for the covenant blessings and promises of God.

    The Israelites became even more numerous.  In the future, God would have some dealings with another Pharaoh regarding the firstborn sons of his own household and the households of the rest of the Egyptian people.  Was that later Pharaoh related to this one who ordered the deaths of the newborn Hebrew baby boys?  If so, there is a kind of ironic justice to the upcoming end of this Pharaoh's family line.  Remember God's covenant promises to Abraham? -- "I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse..." (Genesis 12:3 NIV)  Since God always keeps His promises, I believe this Pharaoh is in for a lot of trouble.

    Monday, August 1, 2011

    More Than You Think: Biblical Information about the Pharaoh of the Exodus

    I'm doing a lot of reading lately about the Pharaohs of Egypt.  I'm also exploring what the Bible has to say about the identity of the Pharaoh during the Exodus.  I thought I should write down the places where the Bible is used to help give some definition to this issue.

    Now you might be wondering if this is kind of an odd way to pursue this issue, but as I've written before in many places on this blog, the Bible has an excellent track record for reliability.  Actually, it has a perfect track record.  It has never been proven to be wrong in any factual matter which it records.  That is absolutely amazing in its own right.  Imagine a baseball player with that type of statistics.  Home runs every time he gets up to the plate.

    So, let's see what the Bible has to say about who was the Pharaoh in Egypt during the time of the Exodus.  At the same time , I am continuing with the commentary on the book of Exodus, so each time I discover a Biblical reference to the Pharaoh, I will return to this post and update it.  Eventually, all the Biblical references will be here.

    I'll try to keep the Bible references in some type of logical progression.  I'm trying to pull together all of the things I'm reading about this issue into one place so that we can draw some conclusions.  Or, if the information is not conclusive, we can at least have some facts with which to measure the various possibilities.

    One of the things which I've been amazed about is that there are actually quite a few bits of information which we can gather from the Bible regarding this issue:

    • The Pharaoh arose after the time of Joseph and his brothers. (Exodus 1:6)
    • The new Pharaoh did not know about Joseph.  (Exodus 1:8) [I find this puzzling, because Joseph had saved the nation from starvation and his influence had been felt even in other lands, whose people came to Egypt to buy food during the seven years of famine.]
    • The new Pharaoh put slave masters over the Israelites and forced them to labor.  The Israelites built the cities of Pithom and Rameses during that period.  They also did agricultural labor. (Exodus 1:11-14)
    • When forced labor did not diminish the Israelites, this Pharaoh told the Hebrew midwives to secretly kill the male infants of the Israelites. (Exodus 1:15-17)
    • When the Hebrew midwives said that they were unable to do this because the Hebrew women gave birth even before they arrived, this Pharaoh gave up the attempt at secrecy and openly ordered all his people to throw every newborn boy (of the Hebrews only, I assume) into the Nile. (Exodus 1:17-22)
    • Moses was adopted by the daughter of the current Pharaoh, who hired his mother to feed and care for him until he was able to come live at the palace. (Exodus 2, especially v.5-10). 

    More to follow as we continue in the book of Exodus....

    • Moses was born during this time of the pharaoh's edict to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. (Exodus 2:1-4)