• Moses is Born: Exodus 1-2

    After Joseph died, the children of Israel continued to grow into a large nation while in Egypt. Many years went by. The Pharaohs of Egypt began to dislike the Israelites, and they turned the children of Israel into slaves. Because the Egyptians feared the Israelites so much, they afflicted the Israelites with hard labor and made them build cities. Then one of Pharaohs issued a command to have all of the male children born to the Israelites put to death when they were born (Exodus 1).

    One woman had a son and hid him for three months. Then she made a basket, put the boy in it, and set in among reeds on the banks of the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter found him and took pity on him. The child’s sister had been watching, and offered to get a nurse for the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, and the child’s own mother became his nurse.

    As the child grew, he became as a son to the daughter of the Pharaoh. Because of this, he would become learned in the ways of the Egyptians, but because his own mother nursed him, he would also be aware of the fact that he was a Hebrew.

    Because Pharaoh’s daughter had taken the baby from the water, she name him Moses. Little did she know that Moses would grow up to be the leader of the Israelites when they left Egypt. All of this was made possible because of the faith his parents (Heb. 11:23).

    Discussion
    1. Why was Pharaoh so afraid of the children of Israel?

    2. What two things did Pharaoh do to try to retain control of the children of Israel? Did they work?

    3. How did the midwives respond to the command of Pharaoh to put to death the male babies.

    4. How did Moses’ parents react to the Pharaoh’s command? What lessons does this teach about following the commands of men when they conflict with God’s?

    5. What circumstances allowed for Moses’ own mother to become his nurse? Why is this significant?