Moses in a Basket on the Nile River

Exodus 2 begins with the birth of Moses. Moses begins as the son of a Levite, the priestly tribe of Israel. Moses’ life continues on for 3 more books or 137 more chapters! In Numbers 20 Moses disobeys God and the consequences are that he will not enter the Promised Land. Moses’ death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34.

Moses is hidden for the first three months of his life by his mother because Pharoah has decreed that all Israelite males are to be thrown in the Nile at birth and drowned. This was Pharoah’s idea of how to take care of the Israelite population explosion that he feared would result in a rebellion among the Hebrew slaves and the overthrow of his government. I don’t know how a woman can hide a newborn-3 month-old baby. I haven’t known any infants who were quiet enough to be invisible!

So Moses’ mother makes a waterproof wicker basket, puts her infant into it, and floats the basket into the Nile River. Rather ironic that Pharoah had used that same site for his method of infanticide!

Pharoah’s daughter finds Moses one day as she is doing her bathing ritual and decides to keep him as her own. Exodus 2:6 says that she knew he was Hebrew. Maybe he looked like a Hebrew. Maybe he had a cloth wrapped around him that identified his heritage. The daughter knew he was a slave child and yet she took him in as a son.

Exodus 2:11 says that Moses himself knew he was Hebrew and saw the slaves as “his own people”. As he saw how his “people” were treated, Moses felt the need to intervene. He killed a Hebrew overseer and fled to Midian, across the desert, and the rest—is history.

As I was reading, it was at this point that I thought, “How did all these things come to past?” “How did a baby survive in the Nile?” “How did it ‘happen’ that Pharoah’s daughter was able to keep a Hebrew infant and raise it as her own?” Maybe Jesus said it best:

“…With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26 (NIV, my emphasis)

God looked at His children, oppressed by Pharoah, and answered their cries for freedom. He did it through a man, Moses, who grew up because God gave a miracle to protect the one He had chosen. Before I begin to think that Moses had no choice in this, I look at the story of Moses and the burning bush. Moses could have run away. Moses could have decided he was going to ignore this strange phenomenon. How could he do that when he knew the story of his deliverance in the Nile River in a basket?!!!

Moses had a choice when God called him and he argued long and hard. He argued with God long enough that God’s anger burned against him!!! (Exodus 3-4) God didn’t strike him dead. God gave him a partner…Aaron. God gives. God gives us what we need. All we have to do is say, “Yes”. God will do the rest. It is obedience that turns God’s head and touches His heart.

All things are possible with God. There is no prayer ‘good enough’ or number of people who gather that are ‘enough’. It is God’s love. It is God’s goodness that reaches out to His children and pours out blessings of opportunities to do for Him.

“In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed.

In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling. Exodus 15:13 (NIV)

Take a step of faith today that you have been reluctant to take. Take a step toward God and let Him love you! ALL THINGS WITH GOD…ARE POSSIBLE!!!