The Early Life of Moses

A. The birth of a Moses (2:1–10)

B. The growth of Moses (2:11–15)

C. The flight of Moses (2:15–22)

EXODUS 2:1–22

In order to free people to worship Him, God raised up a mediator, a deliverer, a savior, named Moses. Let us take a look at Moses.

The Birth of a Moses (2:1–10)

Despite the circumstances, a Levite woman bore her son and kept him for three months. When it became too dangerous to hide him, she placed him in a basket and set him afloat in the Nile.

The “basket” in this instance is the same word in Hebrew (tabah) used to describe Noah’s ark (Gen 6–9), the only other place it is found in the Bible.

The basket was probably a covered papyrus box or ark as it is translated.

Every Hebrew would have caught the significance of this word. Just as God’s hand of grace was on Noah, a deliverer, bringing salvation, so it was with the deliverer Moses.

Imagine this scene:

Moses floats down the dangerous Nile! God sovereignly cares for this little boy. God keeps Moses from crocodiles, starvation, and drowning. When the daughter of Pharaoh finds him, she takes “pity on him.” Perhaps she says something like “aww,” the way others react when they see a little one. God used the nurturing instinct in her life to take care of Moses. And by God’s grace, Moses was nourished and taught by an Israelite—his mother, it seems—as an infant (vv. 7–9). God raised up a deliverer, right under Pharaoh’s nose!

This brings us to an important principle.

We may think that things are falling apart sometimes, but remember God’s mysterious providence. God works out His perfect will in amazing ways. Trust in Him.

The daughter of Pharaoh gave the child the name Moses, “to draw out,” thinking “I drew him out of the water” (v. 10).

What a perfect name, given the fact that God would use Moses to draw His people out of Egypt!

The Growth of Moses (2:11–15)

Notice the time that passes between verses 10 and 11. Moses grew up. A number of similarities exist between Moses and the greater Savior and Redeemer, Jesus. Let me point out a few:

• Like Moses, Jesus was born to be a Savior and was rescued from an evil ruler at birth (Matt 2:16).

• Like Moses, He sojourned in Egypt: “Out of Egypt I called my Son” (Matt 2:15).

• Like Moses, “silent years” occurred before His public ministry.

• Like Moses and the Israelites who wandered for 40 years in the wilderness, Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness (Matt 4:1–11).

• Jesus went to a high mountain and gave “the law,” His sermon (Matt 5–7), much like Moses did on Sinai.

Of course, Jesus transcends Moses. Jesus is without sin, and Jesus is fully God. Thus, it should not surprise us when we see Moses fail for all the mediators in the Old Testament failed at some level. But Jesus did not.

As the Story continues, we find that when Moses “had grown up,” he witnessed the brutal assault on one of his people, the Hebrews.

Luke told us that this was when Moses was 40 years old (Acts 7:23).

Seeing this, “he struck the Egyptian dead” (Exod 2:12). While some may say that Moses had the right to kill him as a son of Pharaoh, his own conscience reveals to us that he knew it was wrong for before he acted, he looked around, and after he acted, he “hid [the Egyptian] in the sand.”

This act reveals that Moses still had a lot to learn before he would be ready to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

It was not only wrong for Moses to kill the man, but it was wrong for him to attempt to begin leading the people out of Egypt without God’s instruction.

In Acts 7:25 Stephen tells us that Moses assumed that “his brothers would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.” This attempt led to the rejection of his leadership (Exod 2:13–14

Exodus 2:13–14 NKJV

13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two Hebrew men were fighting, and he said to the one who did the wrong, “Why are you striking your companion?” 14 Then he said, “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” So Moses feared and said, “Surely this thing is known!”

Moses should have waited for God’s instructions.

On a more positive note, Moses’ act revealed that he desired to be associated with the people of God rather than the Egyptians. Hebrews 11:23–26 says this:

Hebrews 11:23–26 NKJV

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. 24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

The Flight of Moses (2:15–22)

Moses became an outlaw on the run! As he fled, he ended up in Midian (v. 15).

The Midianites’ name came from the fourth son of Abraham by his second wife, Keturah (Gen 25:2).

Some of the teachings of Abraham possibly continued with the Midianites. Josephus tells us that the Midianites lived around the Gulf of Aqabah, which is at the north end of the Red Sea, about 120 miles south-southwest of the Dead Sea in the wilderness.

While Moses was at a well in Midian, the daughters of the priest of Midian came to get water. During their visit, some shepherds came and “drove them away” (v. 17).

Moses acted to combat this injustice. But this time he did not kill anyone. Instead, he acted only to drive them away—a contrast to the previous episode in Egypt.

We begin to see Moses act as a righteous deliverer. He not only rescued them but also “watered their flock” (v. 17).

Moses began displaying servant leadership. This act of service got him rewarded with not only bread but also with marriage!

So Moses married Zipporah and had a son, Gershom.

The book of Acts explains that Moses spent 40 years in Midian.

Someone said,

“Moses was 40 years in Egypt learning something; 40 years in the desert learning to be nothing; and 40 years in the wilderness proving God to be everything” (in James Boyce, Ordinary Men, 59).

Think about that.

He spent two years of preparation for every one year of ministry.

By living in the wilderness, he learned to rely on God.

By having a family, he learned to lead, guide, and discipline those he loved.

By working with the Midianites, most likely as a shepherd, he developed skills to help him lead the Israelites out of their enslavement.

Of course, I do not want to imply that God selected Moses because he was so gifted and talented.

Moses depended on God’s power and grace for victory.

But these experiences in the wilderness did have a shaping effect on his life.

Remember, God wastes nothing. He often prepares us for the next chapter of life with the present chapter’s experiences.