Meditations in Exodus

Exodus 2:11 reads, “And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.”

Furthermore, Hebrews 11:24-26 declares, “By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.”

Finally, in Acts 7:21-23 Stephen gave the report, “And when he was cast out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.  And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.”

These three passages of Scripture speak concerning a choice that Moses made when he was forty years old.  He had been adopted by Pharaoh’s own daughter and had been raised in the palace as her own son.  He had all the privileges of world available to him.  Yet he chose “to visit his brethren the children of Israel,” viewing the children of Israel truly as his own people.  Indeed, “he went out unto his brethren,” the children of Israel, in order to look upon their burdens, having a desire to determine what he might do to deliver them from those burdens (See Acts 7:25).  Yea, as Hebrews 11:24-26 reveals, He chose “rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt.”

Meditations in Exodus

This meditation is a companion to a previous meditation:  
        The Fear of the King verses the Fear of God - Exodus 1:15-21

Exodus 2:1-4 reads, “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.  And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.  And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.  And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.”

Furthermore, Hebrews 11:23 declares, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.”

Certainly, Hebrews 11:24-29 speaks much concerning the faith of Moses as a man of God.  Yet although Moses is presented in Hebrews 11:23 as the subject of the sentence, this verse does not speak concerning the faith of Moses himself, but concerning the faith of Moses’ parents.  Indeed, Moses began to learn the walk of faith in the Lord through the example of his godly parents.  In addition, although Exodus 2:1-4 focuses our attention only upon Moses’ mother, Hebrews 11:23 reveals that all those things were done through a unity of faith in the Lord by both Moses’ parents, by both his father and his mother.

Meditations in Exodus

This meditation is a companion to two previous meditations:  
            And the People Multiplied – Exodus 1
            Our Lord’s Faithfulness Versus The World’s Hatred – Exodus 1

In Exodus the Lord our God began the process of fulfilling his promises unto His chosen people, the children of Israel.  Even so, three times Exodus 1 indicates that the children of Israel multiplied in number and might.  Thus the book of Exodus begins with a demonstration of our Lord God’s faithfulness unto His own.  Yet as the Lord our God moves in faithfulness to bless His people, the world often moves in hatred to afflict God’s people.  This present evil world sets itself against the Lord, against His authority, and against His will.  Therefore, this present evil world also sets itself against the Lord’s people with hatred and persecution (John 15:18-25). 

Yet in the midst of hateful persecution, some will be found who fear God more than they fear the world or the king (the governmental authority).  Such was the case of the Hebrew midwives, as recorded in Exodus 1:15-21.

Meditations in Exodus

This meditation is a companion to a previous meditation:  And the People Multiplied – Exodus 1

As we have noted in a previous meditation (see above), in Exodus the Lord our God began the process of fulfilling his promises unto His chosen people, the children of Israel.  Even so, three times Exodus 1 indicates that the children of Israel multiplied in number and might.  Thus the book of Exodus begins with a demonstration of our Lord God’s faithfulness unto His own. 

Yet as the Lord our God moves in faithfulness to bless His people, the world often moves in hatred to afflict God’s people.  This present evil world sets itself against the Lord, against His authority, and against His will.  Therefore, this present evil world also sets itself against the Lord’s people with hatred and persecution (John 15:18-25).  Yet even in the midst of this world’s hateful persecution, our Lord continues faithful unto His faithful servants.  Even so, in six acts Exodus 1 reveals the conflict between the Lord’s faithfulness for His people and the world’s hatred against God’s people.

Meditations in Exodus

Genesis is a book of beginnings.  In chapters 1-2 we find the glorious beginnings of the universe, the earth, mankind (both male and female), and marriage.  Then in chapters 3-7 we find the grievous beginnings of sin, selfishness, violence, and death, which led to the divine judgment of the world-wide flood.  Yet throughout the remainder of the book we find the gracious beginnings of a people chosen out by the Lord our God for Himself.  Thus we encounter the great promises that the Lord our God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob (Israel), and the twelve sons of Jacob (the children of Israel).

In Exodus the Lord our God began the process of fulfilling his promises unto His chosen people, the children of Israel.  Even so, three times Exodus 1 indicates that the children of Israel multiplied in number and might.  Thus the book of Exodus begins with a demonstration of our Lord God’s faithfulness unto His own.