Early Life And Flight

by R. Darke, Victoria, B.C. | Category: Moses A Man Of God | Jan 1975

His birth was kept a secret, but his death was proclaimed publicly by God. He was born in captivity, but lived to be the world's greatest emancipator. He made no claim to oratory, but his words have left an indelible mark on his own nation and the nations at large. He is defamed by critics for the wrongs he did, but few will deny him the honour of being one of the greatest of the men of destiny. Who is this person, to whom the Almighty spake audibly, and described with affection as "My servant"? He is none other than Moses, who was born in Egypt 3,500 years ago during a reign of terror; of an obscure family, yet from his birth he was ordained of God to be a mighty leader.

The greatness of this man was due to a quirk of fate, cry the sceptics! Not so, answers the Christian. It was due to the hand of God working in conjunction with the implicit faith of his parents. And the word of God throws its full weight behind the latter statement (Heb. 11:23). The birth of Moses took place during a time of much fear and adversity. The children of Israel were slaves in Egypt, and for years they toiled, and suffered, and groaned under the malicious tyranny of Pharaoh and his ruthless officers (Ex. 1:8-20). Although the days were dark, and seemed to be growing darker for the people of God, out of some of the humble dwellings there radiated a light of faith and hope which heaven alone witnessed. One such home belonged to Amram and Jochebed, the father and mother of Moses (2:1). They might have been unaware of the divine interest shown in their marriage, their home, and their family; but the eye of God was certainly upon their house, and His hand was moving in it to begin a great work for Israel which was to involve their son Moses. We should pause here to comment on the importance the Lord attaches to Christian families. This is one avenue through which He works, and because of this the enemy is consistently busy trying to frustrate the divine plan. The Fellowship today is made up of individuals and families, and we must never lose sight of the importance of the home to God and His work. Luke reveals the great value of the family unit in the building up of the early churches of God. Lydia and the Philippian jailer are good examples of this (Acts 16); while Priscilla and Aquila lend added support by their work in the home with its remarkable results (Acts 18:1-3; 24-28). Further evidence can be found with Chloe and Stephanas (1 Cor. 1:11,16), Philemon (vv.1,2), and the selected names on the honour roll of Romans 16. In churches of God today there are children of saints who are the fruit of much prayer and faithful testimony. They, in turn, will raise their children accordingly, and so perpetuate the divine testimony.

At a time when Egypt's king had decreed that every male child born to Israelites was to be murdered at birth (Ex. 1:16,22), to Amram and Jochebed, a faithful, fearless couple of the tribe of Levi, a son was born. They had learned the secret of not doubting in the darkness what God had revealed to them in the light. Hundreds of years later this striking tribute is paid to them by the writer of the Hebrews epistle: "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents... and they were not afraid of the king's commandment" (11:23). Stephen says that the baby Moses was "exceeding fair" (fair unto God); and he was nourished three months in his father's house (Acts 7.20). These were three anxious months, no doubt, as the parents sought to protect in the home the secret of the birth of this "goodly child" (Heb. 11:23), yet the faith of Amram and Jochebed never wavered. But a crisis was building up, quite possibly due to house-to-house searches on the part of Pharaoh's soldiers for Israeli baby boys, and Jochebed was forced to provide a place of refuge for her unnamed son. Diligent, skilful fingers moved rapidly as she wove tightly the papyrus rushes into an ark; a place of protection for Israel's future leader, who was to live a full and significant life span of 120 years. This, to all intents and purposes, appeared to be divided into three equal parts. Forty years were spent by Moses in Egypt learning to be something; forty years in the desert learning he was nothing; and forty years with the children of Israel learning that God is everything.

The completion of the sleeping basket, with its insulating barriers of slime and pitch (Ex. 2:3), set in motion a dramatic sequence of events. There would be great excitement in the home as the baby was swaddled in suitable clothing, and placed in the basket; and no doubt, moments of solemnity would follow as the family secret would be commended to Jehovah with the prayer of faith and love. Then father or mother would steal quietly away, perhaps in the darkness, to the pre-chosen spot on the banks of the Nile where seclusion could be found amidst the thickly growing reeds. "The night has a thousand eyes", a poet has said, but above all others would be the eye of God, observing from the light of heaven, every movement in this human drama. The family guardian of the babe in the bulrushes was his sister Miriam, the very one who would later lead the happy women of Israel to respond with song and timbrel to the triumphant words of Moses' song of deliverance after the nation came dry-shod through the Red Sea (Ex. 15:20,21). "She stood afar off" (2:4), but with a roving, protective eye, she would be alert to any dangers involving her young brother. We are not told how long Miriam kept vigil, but it ended when, as she bathed in the river, Pharaoh's daughter saw the ark among the reeds. When the basket was opened a weeping babe was found within. In the event which followed we see again the wonderful hand of God at work, guiding through all the complications and circumstances with unerring care and wisdom. What a lesson is to be learned by us from this! How anxious, fearful, and even panic-stricken we might have been in such a situation, even to hindering God's purpose! How prevailing faith can be when we quietly trust and are not afraid (Psa. 56:3)! In view of the enmity and fear prevalent in Egypt towards the Israelite, one would have expected the princess to show anger when she cried, "This is one of the Hebrews' children" (v.6); but instead she showed compassion. This, coupled with the bravery of Miriam, who boldly suggested that she call a Hebrew nurse, resulted in Jochebed arriving on the scene to be given the task of nursing her own child, and being paid for it! It would be a day of great rejoicing in the Levitical home when the youngest was returned to the bosom of the family so unexpectedly. Our hearts should rejoice, too, as we see the quiet, yet positive way, that God forges link after link in the lives of individuals, to produce a chain of testimony to His unlimited care, protection, and interest. The midwife, the mother, and the sister, all played their part under God, without being aware of the divine plan which was centred in the boy. Years later, perhaps, they would have an opportunity to view it all in retrospect, and be encouraged at being chosen as God's co-workers. The Lord is, indeed, "over all, blessed for ever. Amen" (Rom. 9:5).

Although it is not revealed how long Jochebed was allowed to nurse her son, we can be sure that he prospered in body, soul, and spirit under her nourishing care. But her emotions would be very mixed on the day she journeyed to the palace to hand over the child to the princess. Hidden grief and restrained tears would be needful as the daughter of Pharaoh acclaimed the child as her own. "...and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, and said, Because I drew him out of the water" (2:10), a Hebrew child with an Egyptian name, which was never changed, not even by God. The Lord changed the names of Abram and Jacob, but not of Moses. Perhaps He wanted the name to be a perpetual reminder to Moses that his deliverance and protection were symbolic of what was done for Israel.

Some might consider it a golden opportunity to grow up as a son in the palace of a mighty ruler, but these remarkable words are written about this period in Moses' life: "By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; choosing rather to be evil entreated with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; accounting the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he looked unto the recompense of reward" (Heb. 11:24-26). Moses would be exposed to all the opportunities of political knowledge, worldly education, military training, and entertainment, in Egypt; and there is no doubt that he was well versed in mathematics, astronomy, hieroglyphics, magical arts, and the philosophies. He "was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians; and he was mighty in his words and works", Stephen tells us (Acts 7:22). He was a worthy successor to Joseph, who was Egypt's saviour in a former generation, but Moses sacrificed the fame and treasures of Egypt when he decided to identify himself with his own people. "Choosing rather to be evil entreated" indicates that he was well aware of the consequences and the reactions of the Egyptians, when he paid that first memorable visit to the downtrodden Israelites. He wanted to share the burden of his brethren, and to help them in their sorrow. He was in the prime of life, almost forty years old, when "it came into his heart to visit his brethren" (Acts 7:23). What he found was not pleasant as he looked on their distress and bitterness. When he saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew "he looked this way and that way", before killing the Egyptian and burying him in the sand (Ex. 2:11,12). Moses was yet to learn that "looking up" should precede drastic actions and deeds of importance; that his instructions must come from the Eternal God whose dwelling place he found to be a refuge (Psa. 90:1). Moses had good intentions, but he could not help Israel on his own. He had to be prepared by God and sent by Him. The same hand which smote the Egyptian in anger, would also smite the rock in error, and Moses would be denied the privilege of leading Israel into the land. "The flesh profiteth nothing", said the Christ (John 6:63), whose reproach Moses would count of greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. The Lord Jesus came from the "ivory palaces, into a world of woe" to accomplish a work far greater than that of Moses. He also identified Himself with His brethren; He saw their burdens and sorrows and became acquainted with their grief (Isa.53); He had compassion on them (Mark 6:34), and gave His life as a sacrifice in order to bring salvation and deliverance to Israel and the whole world.

Addressing the Jews of his day Stephen presents the point of view that Moses defended and avenged the Israelite attacked by the Egyptian; "And he supposed that his brethren understood how that God by his hand was giving them deliverance; but they understood not" (Acts 7:24-26). The following day Moses' problem was compounded when he visited his brethren a second time and tried to act as mediator between two of them engaged in strife. One of them thrust him away saying, "Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Wouldest thou kill me as thou killedst the Egyptian yesterday?" (vv.27,28). Fear gripped the heart of Moses, and Pharaoh, hearing of the incident, sought to kill him. Moses fled for his life from Egypt into the land of Midian where he remained forty years as a shepherd until the Lord appeared unto him at the burning bush, and prepared him for the task of returning to Egypt (Acts 7:29,30). Moses' moment of fear must not be misconstrued for the Spirit makes it clear that "By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible" (Heb. 11:27). It was the same faith which enabled him to return to Egypt, where he was welcomed by his people, and he proved his credentials by his words and works. In this we see him again as a type of Messiah who will return a second time to earth, and be welcomed as the rain (Hosea 6:3), and will rule among His people. Moses may have failed in his early attempts at deliverance and mediation, but God enabled him to return to Egypt with a shepherd's rod - something despised by the Egyptians (Gen. 46:34) - to emancipate a people later called holy by Him; and when they failed, God allowed him to mediate on their behalf, and he was successful with God. The pleadings of Moses on this grave occasion give us an insight into the true character of the man called by God, "My servant" (Ex. 32:30-35).

R. Darke, Victoria, B.C. | Jan 1975
Moses A Man Of God