Wednesday: Moses Is Born
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 2nd of July 2025
Read Exodus 2:1-10. What role did God’s providence and protection play in Moses’ birth story?
The historical background of Moses’ birth and life is thrilling because he lived during the time of the famous Egyptian eighteenth dynasty. One king during this dynasty—Thutmose III, called the “Napoleon of Egypt”—is considered one of the most famous pharaohs of ancient Egypt.
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Though under a death sentence at birth (see Exodus 1:22), Moses was born as a “special” son (NLT; Hebrew tob, lit. “good”; Exodus 2:2). The Hebrew term describes more than external beauty. This word is used, for example, in characterizing God’s work during Creation week, when He declared everything was “good,” even “very good” (Genesis 1:4,10,31).
As a new creation, this “good” child will, according to God’s plan, become the adult who will lead the Hebrews out of their bondage. At this baby’s birth, especially under such dire circumstances, who could have envisioned his future? Nevertheless, God will fulfill His words to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He covenanted with them that He would give their descendants the Promised Land (Exodus 2:24-25). And, yes, He would use this tob infant, decades later, to do just that.
Until then, the Egyptian princess Hatshepsut adopted Moses as her son. The name given to Moses has an Egyptian origin, meaning “son of” or “born of,” as reflected in the names of Ah-mose (“son of Akh”) or Thut-mose (“son of Thoth”). His name is, thus, rendered in Hebrew as Mosheh, namely “drawn out.” His life was miraculously spared when he was “drawn out” of the river.
We know only a few things about his early life. After being miraculously saved and adopted by Hatshepsut, Moses lived for his first 12 years with his original family (Exodus 2:7-9; Ellen G. White, Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 244). Moses then received the best Egyptian education, all in order to prepare him to be the next pharaoh of Egypt (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 245). How fascinating that, ultimately, so much of this education would be useless for, or even work against, what really mattered: the knowledge of God and of His truth.
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How much are you learning that is ultimately useless for what really matters? |
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The birth of Moses is indeed one of the most remarkable stories in the Bible, set in a time of great danger and divine purpose. Born during a period of oppression when Pharaoh ordered all Hebrew male infants to be killed (Exodus 1:22), Moses entered the world under threat but was preserved by God’s providence. His mother, Jochebed, hid him for three months and then placed him in a basket along the Nile, where he was discovered by Pharaoh’s daughter (Exodus 2:1–10). This act of courage and faith allowed Moses to survive and grow up in the Egyptian royal household, giving him access to education, power, and privilege—despite being Hebrew by birth.
Moses was truly a man of two worlds as he was born a Hebrew slave but raised as an Egyptian prince. This dual identity shaped his leadership and deepened his sense of justice. Though he was raised among the elite of Egypt, he never forgot his people’s suffering. When he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he acted in defense of the oppressed (Exodus 2:11–12), signaling the beginning of his calling. Moses’ life reflects God’s ability to use someone uniquely placed between two cultures to lead with compassion and strength. His story demonstrates how God can raise deliverers from unlikely circumstances, using even least expected to protect and prepare them for divine purpose.
You wrote
That's what Moses thought, but that's not what God had in mind. God did not intend to lead the Israelites out in military style as an army with Moses as its head. Moses had yet to learn humility and the necessity of depending wholly on God. Those were lessons he learned by spending 40 years in the desert herding sheep.
After that, God called Moses!
The story of Moses birth is a reminder that even among the Egyptians there were people with compassion and a sense of the value of humanity. The Egyptian Princess who rescued Moses from the papyrus reeds in the wetlands of the Nile Delta was not a naïve person with a soft spot for little babies. I am sure that she knew exactly what was going on and was determined to do her part in acting against oppression.
In Australia, the nearest thing to oppression was the incarceration of Lindy Chamberlain, wrongly accused of murdering her baby Azaria in the 1980s. Of course, Seventh-day Adventists protested her innocence, but the real encouragement was the people, not of our faith, who stood up and worked to prove her innocence. There were scientists, lawyers, Aboriginal leaders, and even newspaper journalists who persistently worked to show that there had been a miscarriage of justice. I think particularly of Malcolm Brown, a journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald, who, in contrast to journalists from the tabloid newspapers, reported the case accurately and without sensationalism until she was finally released and ultimately cleared.
We sometimes adopt a “them versus us” attitude that overlooks individuals in high places and influential positions who have a keen sense of justice and fair play. They may not recognise it but that sense ultimately comes from God.
God's people may not always look like "one of us" but they are there true to the sense of love and compassion and it shows at the appropriate time.
“ the sense of love and compassion” comes from the workings of the Holy Spirit.
Good seed is also found among the chaff. As much as the princess was a daughter of the oppressive king, she was used by God to save Moses by having compassion on him. As Esther was told, so we should know, if we remain silent at a time we should speak or act, salvation will come from a region we least expect (Esther 4:14). The Hebrew who was offending his companion was looking for help away from the Palace.
2. It may appear normal what Jochebed did as all women would go extra miles just to save their children but we need to know this act was wisdom given her by God. Was she the only woman who gave birth to a male child?
The lesson says "And, yes, He would use this tob infant, decades later, to do just that."
At first I said wow, God is so patient, hey? To wait for a small babe to grow and the be the one to be used to deliver Israel from bondage.Then a question crossed my mind; But why did God have to wait that long to deliver Israel? At that time when Israel was suffering, wasn't there someone else, another man (suitable man) whom God could use to deliver Israel. Why did they have to wait that long, wait for a baby in order for them to be set free? Why wasn't this Moses born before the oppression started so that so that they could get immediate help?
Talking about standing up for the oppressed, helping those who are voiceless, none more so than infants. The two Hebrew midwives were outstanding because of their extraordinary bravery as professionals and as believers. These two women prevented the genocide of the Hebrew people. How many babies they saved is unknown, but the number of Israelites who left Egypt is recorded in Numbers 1 as 603,550 men who were over the age of twenty. Many of these men were more than likely saved by midwives who had refused to kill them at birth. What if they had obeyed the Pharaoh?
Aaron, Joshua, Caleb might not have lived beyond the moment of their birth
The midwives' refusal to follow the Pharaoh's genocidal instructions "may be the first recorded incident of civil disobedience in history. Historians calling them "the earliest, and in some ways the most powerful, examples, of resistance to an evil regime"
Whilst we do not bring politics into our church/religion, we are not to stand idly by and say or do nothing about alleviating the social injustices about us.
Women played a significant role in sparing the life of arguably the greatest leader of GOD’s children. Here is a list of examples
- Young slave girl Miriam
- Wealthy, prime of life youthful aristocrat princess
- Fully grown and maturing Jochebed in hardship
- Older wise Puah and Shiphrah of a previous generation
All played a part in GOD’s plan to deliver His people. These women represent every age and every phase of our lives. Young, old, rich, poor, recognised, despised. At every stage and phase of your life GOD has a work for you to do to advance His Kingdom.
This theme—God bringing hope out of hopelessness—is one of the most powerful threads woven through Scripture. Besides Joseph and Moses, here are a few more profound examples:
• Ruth – A Moabite widow in a foreign land with no prospects. Yet through loyalty and faith, God brought Boaz into her life, and she became part of the lineage of Christ. What seemed like an end became a new beginning.
• Esther – A young Jewish girl in exile who was thrust into the Persian king’s court. When a decree went out to annihilate her people, it seemed hopeless. But “for such a time as this,” God positioned her to bring deliverance.
• Hannah – Barren, mocked, and heartbroken. Her anguish seemed endless. But through prayer and surrender, God gave her Samuel, one of Israel’s greatest prophets.
• The Cross – The darkest day in human history. Evil seemed to have triumphed. But through death came life, and through the grave came victory. The resurrection of Jesus turned despair into the ultimate hope.
God often allows us to reach our lowest points so we can see that our deliverance doesn’t come from within ourselves or from others—but from Him alone. Time and again, He steps into human hopelessness, flips the script, and writes a story of redemption that only He could author. What Satan meant for evil, God repurposes for good—revealing His power, His love, and His deep commitment to His people.
The lesson question is admittedly unsettling: “How much are you learning that is ultimately useless for what really matters?” It's a challenging question, and the answer hinges, of course, on what the author might define as “what really matters.”
But there is no 'wrong or right' from my perspective, as we live in two overlapping realms —the physical and the spiritual. Moses mastered the physical dimensions of life: he gained knowledge, honed practical skills, developed strong communication, and cultivated a good character. But he also grew in the spiritual dimension — learning to live with reverence, compassion, and care for others. Both aspects are essential for a balanced life.
God considered Moses to be a 'good' person before he was born. So, I hesitate to call any learning "useless", especially when viewed through the lens of someone striving to integrate the physical and the spiritual. Every experience and bit of knowledge has its purpose, fitting into the greater whole of a life that is both grounded and meaningful — physically and spiritually.
"Moses then received the best Egyptian education, all in order to prepare him to be the next pharaoh of Egypt (Patriarchs and Prophets, p. 245). How fascinating that, ultimately, so much of this education would be useless for, or even work against, what really mattered: the knowledge of God and of His truth."
Is the lesson saying that Moses's education was useless?
At the court of Pharaoh, Moses received the highest civil and military training. The monarch had determined to make his adopted grandson his successor on the throne, and the youth was educated for his high station. “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” Acts 7:22. His ability as a military leader made him a favorite with the armies of Egypt, and he was generally regarded as a remarkable character. Satan had been defeated in his purpose. The very decree condemning the Hebrew children to death had been overruled by God for the training and education of the future leader of His people. Patriarchs and Prophets p. 245, emphasis mine.
How much are you learning that is ultimately useless for what really matters?
And same Bible says knowledge shall increase.
I guess I disagree with the idea that what Moses learned was useless. I feel that God could have protected him in other ways if He chose to. He must have had a purpose in Moses being in the Egyptian court for 40 years. Now certainly he didn't learn everything he needed to there. He would experience more education for another 40 years in Midian. But the first 40 years were not useless. Nor is any education if we approach it with a God-focused mind.
Yes, there are some things that are not worth learning about - immorality, dabbling in spiritualism, but I think most learning can be beneficial. Even learning about other religions or gods is not useless because it helps us understand how others think and the contrast can help us appreciate what God is really like. Learning about history, psychology, science, literature and on and on it goes has value. But we need to always study with a divine worldview in control of our minds. And yes, knowledge of the Bible is the most important. But I don't think it works against other knowledge. After all, all truth comes from God.
The lesson culminates beautiful in reminding us what a powerful, all wise, all knowing, Way Maker ...Light in the darkness so even when we dont see His workings we are assured that He never stopped working ...working out all good and prefect plans for those who have faith in Him enough to keep His commandments.
Pen of Inspiration tells us that "God blessed his (Moses) ready obedience, and he became eloquent, hopeful, self-possessed, and well fitted for the greatest work ever given to man. This is an example of what God does to strengthen the character of those who trust Him fully and give themselves unreservedly to His commands. PP255.1
As standard bearers, let's not fall from our post. Stand and see the salvation of our Lord!
Reflections....so Jochebed opened the first Day Care centre
1st female ship builder.Jochebed...Titanic builders should have used her blue prints...it would still be afloat!