EXODUS CHAPTER TWO ------------------ Verse 1, This man was Amron, the son of Kohath, and grandson of Levi. See Ex 6:18,20. The daughter of Levi, means that she was of the same tribe. Her name was Jochebed, his father's sister. See Ex 6:20. This man took her to be his wife. They were both of the same tribe. Verses 2-3, She conceived and bare Moses. Because of the decree made by Pharaoh in Ex 1:22, she hid Moses three months. Moses was not her first born, but Aaron and Miriam were born before Moses, but not during the time of Pharaoh's decree. Aaron was three years older than was Moses (Ex 7:7). See verse 4 that Miriam was older than Moses. She saw that he was a goodly child. Exceedingly fair as Stephen puts it in Ac 7:20. Ac 7:20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: {exceeding fair: or, fair to God} { fair or proper; elegant (of body), comely, fair } Heb 11:23 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. Notes on Heb 11:23: "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God". Thus Moses' parents must have received a Divine revelation from God concerning Moses. The Lord must have made known to them that their child was the PROMISED deliverer from Egypt. Read Acts 7:20 where "beautiful" is literally "beautiful to God". Had it been only natural or human admiration for his beauty then their fear would have increased. Mere beauty is by no means a sign of excellency, see 1 Sam. 16:7; 2 Sam. 14:25; Prov. 31:30. The infant was beautiful to God (chosen for a purpose) and Moses' parents knew this and acted by faith. Some think that the their faith wavered when they brought him to the river. But the time had come when they could no longer hide him in the house. If a person's faith was wavering then the river is the last place one would bring their child. The very thing that Pharaoh had deemed to be the destroyer was the deliverer. No, it was faith at it's highest. The time line for the deliverer to be born is similar to when Jesus was born. Herod was killing the children in Israel that were two years old and younger to get rid of the promised King that had been born. She could no longer hide him, because as he grew in strength he would probably cry more and the neighbours would hear him. Or because of the diligent search made by Pharaoh's officers. The ark was daubed with slime within and pitch without to keep out the water. bulrushes = rush, reed, papyrus Gill says was a light wood. flags = reed, rush, water plant Verse 4, This is Miriam, Moses' older sister. Her brother Aaron was three years old at the time. She watched to see what would happen to her brother, Moses. Verses 5-6, It was no accident that Pharaoh's daughter would find Moses and have compassion on the child. The very house that was trying to destroy the Hebrew males and prevent them from becoming mighty enough to leave, would nourish and bring up the deliverer, who would lead Israel out from the bondage of the Pharaoh. Just think of the things that had to be right for this to happen. The current in the river must be right and not carry the child out into the river. She had to put the child in the river at the right time, before Pharaoh's daughter came down to bath. Pharaoh's daughter must go down to the river at the right time. She had to look at the right place to see the ark. Pharaoh's daughter saw the ark and commanded her maid to fetch it from among the flags. The ark must have been covered to protect the child, because it says that when she OPENED it. She had compassion on the child even though she knew it was a Hebrew male child. She knew her father's decree also. God turned her heart to have compassion on the child. Verse 7, Moses' sister, Miriam, was right there and asked Pharaoh's daughter if she could fetch a nurse from among the Hebrew women to nurse the child. Verse 8, Miriam then went and fetched her mother which was also Moses' mother and brought her to Pharaoh's daughter. Verse 9, Pharaoh's daughter asked Moses' mother, not knowing who she was, to take the child and nurse it for her, and she paid her wages to do it. Verse 10, After the child grew, Moses' mother brought him to Pharaoh's daughter to become her son. Some say that he was now two to three years of age. So it was Pharaoh's daughter that named him Moses, which means "drawn out." Gill says that this was a Hebrew name. Pharaoh's daughter must have been familiar with the Hebrew language, and perhaps Moses' mother even had some input. Verse 11, Moses is now grown, having spent his life as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He knew who his brethren were. Perhaps his nurse, who was his mother, had told him who he was when he was very young. She may have visited him during these years or him her. Some Jewish writers said that he was 18 others 29 years of age. But Stephen says that he was 40 years old. Ac 7:22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. 23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one [of them] suffer wrong, he defended [him], and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. According to Stephen, Moses knew that he would deliver his brethren. Perhaps this was by divine revelation to his mother and father, who passed it down to him, else by God to him. He saw their burdens that they were under and it must have moved him. He saw an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, being one of his people. Verse 12, Moses looked all around to see if anyone was looking and when he thought there was none he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. He must have dug a hole with the sword that he slew him with and buried him there. Ac 7:24 And seeing one [of them] suffer wrong, he defended [him], and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian: 25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not. 26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another? 27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday? Verses 13-14, Moses went out the second day and saw two of his brethren striving with one another. He thought that his brethren would know that he would deliver them, and they would receive him, but they did not. The one who was in the wrong and smitest his brother told Moses, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian?" Then was Moses afraid, because the thing was known and it might get back to Pharaoh, which it did. Verse 15, Pharaoh hears of what Moses did, and he seeks to kill Moses or have him put to death, even though he is his daughter's adopted son. He probably knew that he was a Hebrew. He may have heard that a deliver was to come, and now thought it might be this Moses. So Moses fled from Egypt and dwelt in the land of Midian, and there he sat down by a well. Midian: son of Abraham by Keturah and progenitor of the tribe of Midianites or Arabians. Land of: the territory of the tribe descended from Midian; located principally in the desert north of the Arabian peninsula; Verses 16-17, Moses helps the daughters of Reuel, who was the priest of Midian, against the shepherds that had driven them away. Reuel, being a descendant of Abraham he must have retained a knowledge of the true God and was therefore a priest in that land. Verse 18, Reuel: called also Jethro, or, Jether. See 2:1 Their father wonders why the came back so soon. Perhaps it was usual that the shepherds gave them trouble, or perhaps what they had to do would take longer than it had taken them, but through Moses' assistance the task was completed sooner. Verses 19-20, Reuel's daughters relate to him what has happened and he bids them to fetch him that he may come and eat with them. Verse 21, Moses was content to dwell with them and Reuel gave Moses his daughter, Zipporah, to be his wife. Perhaps after dwelling with them some time. Verse 22, Zipporah bares Moses a son, whom he calls Gershom, which means "a stranger here." Verses 23-24, After some time, the Pharaoh who was in power when Moses was born, and from whose face Moses had fled died. Gill says that Moses was now 60 years of age. We know that Moses was 80 years old when he spoke to Pharaoh (Ex 7:7). The bondage of the children of Israel was great. Their load was too heavy to carry. So too, the sinner who is under conviction. The load is too heavy to carry. The law says guilty and the law becomes a sword against him and a pit under his feet. God heard their cry, not that he does not hear and know about everything, but He did not ignore their cry. The sinner who cries out because of conviction of sin, God will hear him. He heard their cry by reason of the bondage. They cried and complained in the wilderness, but God was angry with that, but here they cried by reason of their bondage, and God was pleased to hear their cry. God remembered the covenant that he had made with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. Not that He had forgotten it, but the appointed time had come for Him to execute the deliverance that was wrapped up in promise. He had brought them there that He might deliver them by a mighty hand. Verse 25, God looked upon them with compassion. Since He has compassion on whom he wills, it is therefore said that he had respect unto them. The Hebrew says, he "knew" them. It does not say that He had respect of their persons, but to them. De 7:6 For thou [art] an holy people unto the LORD thy God: the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that [are] upon the face of the earth. 7 The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye [were] the fewest of all people: 8 But because the LORD loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. respect - Ac 10:34 Then Peter opened [his] mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: Ro 2:11* For there is no respect of persons with God. Eph 6:9* And, ye masters, do the same things unto them, forbearing threatening: knowing that your Master also is in heaven; neither is there respect of persons with him. Some have used these verses to teach against the doctrine of election, but these are not against the doctrine of election. God did not choose a people based on anything He foresaw in them but simply because He was pleased to do so. He does not respect a person's race or position and station in life, but has called men and women from all races and stations in life. But it is He that chooseth and calleth and maketh alive whom He will. ADDITIONAL NOTES ON CHAPTER TWO: -------------------------------- Pink says, "from Adam to Christ there is none greater than Moses. He is one of the few characters of Scripture whose course is sketched from his infancy to his death." He was the child of a slave but the son of a queen. He was born in slave quarters but lived in a palace. Read "Gleanings in Exodus" pg 16, Quote from Haldeman. The parents by faith, "HID" the child and later had recourse to put him in the ark. Faith NEVER puts God to the test, but leans upon Him. Even Christ withdrew from those who sought to kill him. (Lu 4:30; Joh 8:59). The Charismatics look for the sensational. The mother of Moses rejected the civil authority when it was contrary to the revealed will of God. We should always obey the civil authorities until they violated the revealed will of God. "and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." (Heb 11:23), speaking of Moses' parents. Moses was brought to the place of death, the river, but was made secure in the ark. Again a picture of salvation in Christ Jesus. Pink says that this whole incident of Divine safeguarding of the infant Moses is an illustration of how God preserves the life of His elect in their unregeneracy. SEE Jude 1:1. Jude 1:1 Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, [and] called: Notice preservation is mentioned before calling. That is, temporal preservation. Satan, through Pharaoh, tried to defeat God's plan. Pharaoh proposed to "deal wisely" with the Israelites; and yet, in the end, God compels him to give board, lodging, and education, to the very man which accomplished the very thing that Pharaoh was trying to prevent. Thus Pharaoh's wisdom was turned to foolishness. Moses when he had come to years acted upon FAITH. His parents, as we had before said, must have told him some things. Heb 11:24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, 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 pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ {or: for Christ} greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible. Josephus says that Pharaoh only had a daughter who only had Moses as an adopted child. So Moses was perhaps in line to succeed on the throne, which shows what faith will do, "Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt" The firstborn of Pharaoh (In Ex 11:5) must have been his daughter, if this be true. Notice the character of his choice: "to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season" The satisfaction enjoyed: "Esteemed it greater riches" The motive of the choice: "By faith." The object set before him: "for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward"