Sermon #3 from "Take Off Your Sandals" series on Exodus

This is the story of the extraordinary faith of Moses' parents, particularly his mother, in the face of Pharaoh's edict that all newborn boys were to be throne into the Nile River.

We also see the extraordinary providence of God as he protects the young Moses, as he softens the heart of Pharaoh's daughter, and as he turns the royal house into a place where Moses could grow up.

There are pointers in this story to our own life of faith; to a God who is always working behind the scenes; and to a greater child who would be destined to be the Savior of the world.

Based on Exodus 2:1-10 & Hebrews 11:23

Exodus 2:1-10

1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket[a] for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8 “Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,[b] saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Hebrews 11:23

23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

Discussion Questions

Exodus 2:1-10 is about the birth of Moses, the future deliverer of Israel. For us, it is a powerful example of trusting God in desperate times.

1. Why were these desperate times for Moses' parents? (See Ex 1:22, 2:1)
2. We have our own "desperate times." Can you think of some examples of people going through desperate times? 
3. Read Hebrews 11:23. What does this tell us about Moses' parents? In what way was hiding Moses an act of faith?
4. After three months, Moses' mother placed him in the Nile. The word for "basket" is translated "ark" in Genesis. What connections might we make between Moses and Noah?
5. There are "three women and a baby" in this story. Can you name the three women? What part did they play?
6. God's providence is his governing of all things and all people, based on his power and goodness. How do we see God's providence in this story?
7. What are some ways that you have seen the providence of God in your life?
8. Moses is rescued from death in "the river-god" of the Nile, and raised to be a prince in the royal household. In what ways might this point to God's larger redemptive story?
9. Pharaoh's daughter adopts Moses and gives him a name. What does the name mean? What might be the significance of Moses' name?
10. What are some of your personal takeaways from this story?