In the opening verses of Exodus 2, we find Moses’ family unwilling to kill their newborn son. Instead, they place him in a basket and float him among the reeds of the Nile River.
The Nile was regarded as sacred by the Egyptians. Pharaoh’s daughter came to the Nile, presumably to receive its health-giving benefits. One of her attendants found baby Moses in the reeds (verse 5).
The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid to bring it.
She saw the baby, “took pity on him. ‘This must be one of the Hebrews’ children,’ she said” (Exodus 2.6).
Moses’ older sister was watching over the baby. She said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” (verse 7).
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Yes.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.
Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child and nurse it for me, and I will give you your wages.”
So the woman took the child and nursed it (Exodus 2.8-9).
While Pharaoh had a heart of stone, his daughter showed compassion to the crying baby.
The Internet defines compassion as “a deep feeling of sympathy, empathy, and concern for the suffering or distress of others, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate or alleviate their pain.
“It involves recognizing the emotions and experiences of others, often accompanied by a genuine desire to help or provide support.”
One current example of compassion in action is the World Central Kitchen which was founded by Chef José Andrés after the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake. They believe that food can heal communities in times of crisis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, they delivered over 30 million meals to people in need and frontline workers.
During the early phases of the war, they provided more than three million meals and groceries to Ukrainians fleeing Russian violence within Ukraine and at food distribution sites in its neighboring countries. They are still serving the people of Ukraine today.
World Central Kitchen’s hundreds of volunteers are examples of people who are motivated by compassion.
The Role of Women
A good text for a Mother’s Day sermon can be found in these verses. Moses’ mother, sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter were used by God to usher in the means of his deliverance.
Moses’ mother in particular had a very important role to play. While she weaned her baby boy, she had occasion to tell him about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When I was young, my mother said to me, “I pray every day.” That simple statement began my life of prayer that allowed me to find Jesus as my best friend.
Praise God for praying mothers who teach their children about our Living God.
After he was weaned, Moses was raised in Pharaoh’s court.
When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water” (Exodus 2.10).
Moses means “to draw out.” The princess of Egypt drew him out of the water and God used him to draw Hebrew people out of slavery.
The Wrong Way to Freedom
Moses was chosen by God to lead over a million Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. Imagine what would have happened if he had tried to lead them out using the methods he used to right a wrong.
One day after Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and saw their forced labor. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his own people.
He looked this way and that, and seeing no one he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand (Exodus 2.10-11).
Walter Kaiser’s assessment is insightful. “Minds capable of great virtue are subject to great vice when that God-given asset is turned into a liability through hast, pride, or stubbornness.”
The next day, Moses found out that his secret killing wasn’t secret at all (verses 13 and 14).
He also learned that Pharaoh wanted him dead (verse 15).
Modern-Day Social Action
Moses was 40 years old when he fled Egypt. It took another 40 years before he was ready to return and begin the process of freeing enslaved Hebrews.
I am sure that people living under oppressive systems would feel that 40 years is an intolerably long time to wait for relief.
Eric Fromm points out how successful rebels often rule like the tyrants they opposed. Social change that is achieved by violence ends poorly.
Exodus is the story of a God-achieved liberation. One thing we can do is to pray and work for people to be set free.
— Free from sin and self.
— Free from oppression and persecution.
— Free to love God and one another.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 