Sunday, August 27, 2006

Exodus - Chapter 2

Moses' Parents: Faith Overcoming the Fear of Man


   The entire story of Moses is very similar to the story of Sargon - Brian Lewis' The Sargon Legend (American Schools of Oriental Research, 1978):

Sargon, strong king, king of Agade, am I. My mother was a high priestess, my father I do not know. My paternal kin inhabit the mountain region. My city (of birth) is Azupiranu, which lies on the bank of the Euphrates. My mother, a high priestess, conceived me, in secret she bore me. She placed me in a reed basket, with bitumen she caulked my hatch. She abandoned me to the river from which I could not escape. The river carried me along: to Aqqi, the water drawer, it brought me. Aqqi, the water drawer, when immersing his bucket lifted me up. Aqqi, the water drawer, raised me as his adopted son. Aqqi, the water drawer, set me to his garden work. During my garden work, Istar loved me (so that) 55 years I ruled as king.



The Exodus Decoded - From Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exodus_Decoded

   The Exodus Decoded is a 2006 documentary, shown on the History Channel in August of 2006, created by Jewish Canadian filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, in which new evidence in favor of the historicity of the Biblical Exodus is explored. It is partially narrated by film director James Cameron. Jacobovici suggests that the Exodus took place around 1500 BCE during the reign of pharaoh Ahmose I, and coincided with the eruption of Santorini that most scholars believe ended the Minoan civilization. In the documentary, the plagues that ravaged Egypt in the Bible are explained as having resulted from that volcanic eruption, and a related eruption in the Nile river delta. While much of Jacobovici's archaeological evidence for the Exodus comes from Egypt, a surprising quantity comes from Mycenae, on mainland Greece.


Egyptian Archaeological Evidence:



  1. The Hyksos Expulsion, contemporaneous Egyptian records of the departure of the mysterious Semitic Hyksos people. Jacobovich suggests that the Hyksos and the Hebrews were one and the same, a thesis he supports with Egyptian-style signet rings uncovered in the Hyksos capital of Avaris that read "Yakob," the Hebrew name of the Biblical patriach Jacob.

  2. The Ahmose stele, a stone tablet unearthed in Karnak by Henri Chevalier in 1947, the only Egyptian tablet ever found which mentions "GOD" in the singular. In it, "God" incurs some of the same plagues described in the Biblical account (i.e. darkness, a great storm). The Exodus Decoded official web site quotes the stele, "How much greater is this the impressive manifestation of the great God, than the plans of the gods!"

  3. Ahmose I. Jacobovitch suggests that the name of the Pharaoh at the time of the Exodus may have been a paronomasia. In Hebrew, the Egyptian name Ahmose would mean "Brother of Moses." The documentary also examines the mummy of Ahmose's son Sapair, who appears to have died at the age of twelve. In the Bible, the pharaoh loses a son to the Plague of the Firstborn, although Jewish tradition says that the son of Pharaoh survived.

  4. Serabit el-Khadim turquoise mine, a slave lab our camp in the Sinai with a Semitic alphabetic inscription that reads "O El, save me from these mines." The use of "El" suggests that it was written before the revelation at Sinai, supporting the thesis that Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt, although this inscription was undated.


Previous Research:



  1. Jewish historian Flavius Josephus suggested in his work Contra Apion that the Hyksos were, in fact, the ancient Hebrews.

  2. This is a similar theory to that first expounded in the international best-seller Act of God written by British historian Graham Phillips. This ground-breaking book was published in 1998.

  3. Much of this thesis has already been researched and published by Ralph Ellis. His groundbreaking work in this field is called Tempest & Exodus, which was first published in 2000. Ralph also links the Hyksos with the Israelite Exodus, and demonstrated that the Ahmose stele not only contains an account of the Exodus, but also has biblical 'quotes' engraved upon it.


Mycenaean Archaeological Evidence:



  1. Gravestones. Three of the stones marking the wealthy tombs of Grave Circle A in Mycenae appear to depict the parting of the Sea of Reeds. A man on a chariot (Ahmose?) is shown in pursuit of a man on foot (Moses?) who is holding what archaeologists have commonly referred to as a spear or sword, but which Jacobovitch suggests is Moses' miraculous staff. Above and below the scene are rows of swirls which, in the Exodus interpretation, represent water, although they are a very common Greek design. The common suggestion is that this scene depicts a chariot race, not a chase.

  2. A Gold ornament excavated from one of the tombs in the Grave Circle seemingly shows the Ark of the Covenant against a background of the tabernacle altar. Jacobovich suggests that members of the Tribe of Dan may have emigrated to Mycenae after the Exodus. This, the documentary suggests, is why Homer refers to the buried at Mycenae as "Danaoi." The Greek myth states that, in fact, the Danaoi did come from Egypt, however under the matriarch Danae.


Scientific Conjectures:



  1. Jacobovici suggests that the Biblical Exodus took place shortly after the eruption of Thera (now known as Santorini), which is thought to have happened some time between 1650 BCE and 1600 BCE. The dates are disputed, depending on whether you prefer to use archaeological dating results (1500 BCE to 1450 BCE), or radiocarbon dating results (1650 BCE to 1600 BCE). Jacobovitch accepts a date around 1500 BCE. He goes on to explain how each of the Mosaic plagues, and even the parting of the Sea of Reeds, could be explained by earthquakes, faulting and a limnic disaster all caused by Santorini.

  2. One possible scientific conjecture of the past has referred to a spot on the western end of the Red Sea where it has been observed in the past to turn to a sandbar and facilitate foot travel when a low tide and a strong eastern wind coincide. Jacobovici refers to the possibility of the bed of the sea of reeds rising out of the water due to geological movements, leaving the water on the sides and below the bed. The text of the story of Exodus 14:21-22 states that there were literal walls of water on either side, making this explanation incomplete. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left." Jacobovici's theories intend to provide some plausible basis for stories later embellished, thus a paucity of evidence for physical impossibilities like "walls of water" does not injure his hypothesis.


Theology:

   The documentary notes that most historians consider the Exodus a "fairy tale," while others reject scientific explanations that are not explicitly miraculous. Jacobovich reminds that God, according to the Judeo-Christian description, can control nature, having an intimate understanding of it. His miracles may therefore be efficient and exploit natural cycles and logic.


The documentary ends with a voiceover saying, in effect, "Was the Exodus just a natural event or was it the hand of God? We'll leave that for the viewer to decide."



1 During this time, a man* and woman** from the tribe of Levi got married.


*man - In Exodus 6:20, we learn that his name is Amram, which signifies “Noble people.”


**woman - We also learn in Exodus 6:20 that her name is Jochebed , which signifies, “Jehovah is glorious.”


2 The woman became pregnant and gave birth* to a son. She saw what a beautiful** baby he was and kept him hidden*** for three months.


*birth - Just as God directly intervened in Israel with the birth of Jesus. Moses has an older brother and sister, so this must refer to her first child after the new Pharaoh's assuming power. Moses was the third in the family; his sister, Miriam, the second. Miriam and Aaron had no doubt been both born before the decree was passed for the destruction of the Hebrew male children, mentioned in chapter 1.



**beautiful - the Hebrew word ("tob"), the same term God used when He declared His works of creation perfect. Jochebed knew that Moses was special to God, not just to her: Acts 7:20 - At that time Moses was born--a beautiful child in God's eyes. Apparently Stephen understood that Moses’ parents saw in this child one whom the LORD desired to use in a special way. This would explain why their faith in God was especially demonstrated by their risking the wrath of Pharaoh in not obeying his edict concerning the destruction of all male Hebrew babies, and hid him for three months.


***hidden: Probably two things are included - first, that they concealed all news of his birth; second, that they hid him in some part of the house.



Hebrews 11:23: It was by faith that Moses' parents hid him for three months. They saw that God had given them an unusual child, and they were not afraid of what the king might do. It is believed by some that Moses' mother had been told by God that this baby was the deliverer. Now that's important to see, because Hebrews 11:23 doesn't make sense if you don't see it. Someone might respond to that and say, "Of course, they were afraid of the king's edict; otherwise they would not have been hiding the baby. They would have been showing him off to the neighbors if they weren't afraid of the king's command that baby boys be killed." So what does verse 23 mean, that they hid their baby son "they were not afraid of what the king might do"? You would expect, "They hid their son because they were afraid," not ". . . because they weren't afraid." And surely that's right: if they had not been afraid for their son's life, they would have carried him around in public. The answer is that there are two threats in the king's edict, not just one. One against the babies and one against those who don't kill the babies. If you kill the baby you save your life. If you don't kill your baby, you risk your life. So when Moses' parents decide they are not going to drown Moses in the Nile River but hide him, they are risking their lives. In other words, they look the fear of death and perhaps torture in the face and say: we will not give in to you. We will not kill our son out of fear for our own lives. Fear of death will not control us.



   It is really surprising how many of the commentators, led by sentiment, have quite missed the meaning of this verse. Exodus 2:2 states that his mother saw "that he was a goodly child": the Hebrew word ("tob") being the same term whereby God approved of His works of creation and declared them perfect (Genesis 1), from which the conclusion has been drawn that, it was the exceeding fairness or beauty of the babe which so endeared him to his parents they were moved to disregard the king’s edict, and take special pains to preserve him. But this is only carnalizing Scripture, in fact, contradicting what the Holy Spirit has here said. Hebrews 11:23 distinctly affirms that it was "by faith" the parents of Moses acted, and this it is which explains their conduct. Now Romans 10:17 tells us, "faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God": thus Amram and Jochebed must have received a Divine revelation (not recorded in the Old Testament), and this word from God formed the foundation of their confidence, and supplied the motive-power of what they did. It is true they knew from the prophecy given to Abram (Genesis 15) that the time for the deliverance of Israel from Egypt was drawing near, as they also knew from the prediction of Joseph (Genesis 50:24) that God was going to undertake for His people. Yet, we are persuaded that Hebrews 11:23 refers to something more definite and specific. Most probably the Lord made known to these parents that their child was to be the promised deliverer, and furnished them beforehand with a description of him. This revelation which Amram and Jochebed "heard" from God they believed, and that, before Moses was born. When, in due time, he was given to them, they "saw he was a proper child" - it was the discernment of faith, and not the mere admiration of nature. As Acts 7:20 declares "in which time was born Moses, and was beautiful to God" (Bagster Interlinear), which indicates an appearance of something Divine or supernatural. They recognized he was peculiarly grateful and acceptable to God: they perceived something remarkable in him, which was the Divine token to them that he would be the deliverer of Israel ... Resting with implicit confidence upon the revelation which they had received from Jehovah, their faith now confirmed by God’s mark of identification upon the babe, the parents of Moses preferred its safety before their own. It was not simply they trusted God for the outcome, but in their souls was that faith which is "the substance of things hoped for" (Hebrews 11:1), and in consequence "they were not afraid of the king’s commandments." Had it been only a natural or human admiration which they had for a signally beautiful child, then it had been "by affection" or "by infatuation" they hid the infant; and that would only have intensified their "fear," for the more they admired the infant, the more afraid would they have been of harm befalling it. Mere beauty is by no means a sure sign of excellency, as 1 Samuel 16:7, 2 Samuel 14:25, Proverbs 31:30 plainly enough show. No, the infant Moses was "beautiful to God" (Acts 7:20) - www.pbministries.org/books/pink/Hebrews/hebrews_070.htm



   God’s plan depended on the faith of 2 parents! This shows how important is the home and the mutual faith of the mother and father! EQUALLY yoked together! - hebrews11-dt.blogspot.com/ - Hebrews 11 study by the Oakview Bible Fellowship.



   For this act of bravery (for surely they would have been severely punished had Pharaoh found out), they are honored in the hall of faith in Hebrews 11. Because this act of bravery is depicted as a special act of faith, we can infer that most of the Hebrew women submitted to the Pharaoh’s edict. It also seems that, before Moses was born, Jochebad was prepared to submit to Pharaoh. She already had two other children (a daughter Miriam, and a son Aaron), and so, she possibly thought that obeying the Pharaoh was necessary to protect these children. - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol9/IA/ot.html



   Satan tries to destroy the seed of the woman, who God said, would crush Satan. Here in Egypt he tries to destroy any possibility of the line of the Messiah continuing by destroying all male children.


   We see a similar incident when Jesus, the Messiah, was born. Herod was used by Satan to try and kill the baby Jesus. But as in the case of Moses, Satan failed in both instances. - hebrews11-dt.blogspot.com/ - Hebrews 11 study by the Oakview Bible Fellowship.



3 But when she could no longer hide him, she got a little basket* made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile River.


*basket: Hebrew tebah - means "box-like container". Found only here and in the Flood story (Genesis 6:14-9:18). Very strong parallel between Moses and Noah.



   What were the other mothers doing? - Probably obeying the law and killing the baby boys.


   Did Moses' mother have any inkling what would happen to the "ark."? I doubt that she knew what, if anything, would happen. Perhaps a crocodile would eat it. Perhaps it would sink and the baby would die. Perhaps the current would bring it out into the main part of the Nile and they'd never see the little boat again. PERHAPS, somehow, God would directly intervene and somehow save the baby. What do you suppose she was praying? How does this apply to us - trying to obey the law and at the same time trying to obey God. She has at the same time obeyed the law (by placing her son into the river) and God.


   Now what made her think that sending Moses down the river would keep him out of harm's way? Look back at Exodus 1:22: Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: "Throw all the newborn Israelite boys into the Nile River. But you may spare the baby girls. The children that were murdered by Herod when Jesus was born were killed with the knife and sword. Pharaoh's orders were to drown these children. The very river that was the final resting place of all the male Hebrew children born at that time would become the means by which Moses was carried to safety and kept alive.



  This ark of Moses’ could very easily have become his coffin, but we can infer from the care that Jochebad took in building the ark, as she "coated it with tar and pitch" - I say, we can infer from this that Jochebad had faith that God would somehow intervene so as to save her son. She did all she could to keep Moses safe, by making a seaworthy ark for Moses. The rest was up to God. "Duty is ours, events are God’s" [Henry, on vs. 3].


  This sea-voyage of Moses presents an interesting symbolic picture-lesson for all parents. Just as Jochebad showed faith in sending her son into the river, so all parents, at some point in time, must have faith and send their children out into the river of the world. We must pray, and then trust that God will take care of them. Oh yes, just as Jochebad prepared the ark with tar and pitch, we do our best to prepare our children for that journey. Even so, at some point, we put them in the river, and let the current take them where it will. [Meyer, 27].



  A great irony is that Pharaoh’s edict to kill the Hebrew boys was in a large manner responsible for the freeing of the Israelites later on. If the edict was not made, Moses would have grown up as a Hebrew, rather than an Egyptian. He would have been a Hebrew slave, rather than the son of a princess. As a Hebrew slave, he would not have been given the skills and access that he was given in the royal household. "Whilst Pharaoh was urging forward the extermination of the Israelites, God was preparing their emancipation. According to the divine purpose, the murderous edict of the king was to lead to the training and preparation of the human deliverer of Israel" [K&D, on 2:1-10]. - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol9/IA/ot.html



  Can you imagine how Jochebed, Moses’ mother, would have felt? There was no sign of God. Not one peep! Yet in dying to her own ability to be able to care and protect Moses, in faith she would have pushed Moses out onto the Nile, while all the while saying in her heart ‘God, I die to my own ability to protect Moses and place him in your hands. Please take the consequences!’ - www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/exodus2.htm



4 The baby's sister* then stood at a distance, watching to see** what would happen to him.


*sister: Miriam, not named until Exodus 15:20.


**watching to see: There were only 2 things they could do at this point: trust God and see what He would do, if anything.


5 Soon after this, one of Pharaoh's daughters* came down to bathe in the river*, and her servant girls walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the little basket among the reeds, she told one of her servant girls to get it for her.


*Pharaoh’s daughters – Possibly the daughter of Thutmose. She later acted as regent for 22 years. Josephus claimed the name of the princess to have been Thermusis , a name related to Thutmose. Some have, therefore, suggested that this Thermusis was possibly the daughter of Thutmose I, a Pharaoh who had no sons of his own. There is an interesting coincidence between Thutmose I and the traditional biblical chronology. According 1 Kings 6:1, the Exodus from Egypt that Moses led occurred 480 years before Solomon began building the temple in Jerusalem, an event thought to have occurred about 967 BCE. This would place Moses' confrontation with the Pharaoh at about 1447 BCE during the reign of Thutmose III (or of Amenhotep II according to other authorities). Since Exodus 7:7 says that Moses was 80 years old at the time of his confrontation with the Pharaoh, Moses' birth would have been approximately 1527 BCE, during the reign of Thutmose I (1540-1504 BCE). Since Thutmose I had no sons of his own, the story of Moses having been reared by Pharaoh's daughter as heir to the throne fits this scenario nicely. At the death of Thutmose I, Hatshepsut became Queen and married her step-brother, Thutmose II, who became the new Pharaoh. - hebrews11-dt.blogspot.com/ - Hebrews 11 study by the Oakview Bible Fellowship.


   NOTE: Pharaoh’s daughter was not just at the Nile getting a bath – this was a ritualistic bath in the Nile River, possibly asking the god of the Nile, Hapi or Hep, for a baby! Hapi was not only the god of the Nile, he was also the god of fertility! She, naturally, assumed that Hapi had answered her prayer and brought her a baby!



  During this period of Egyptian history the royal palaces were in the northern or Delta area of Egypt, rather than up the Nile as in later periods. The proximity of the royal residences to the Israelites makes this and the plague narratives all the more realistic. Such direct contact would have been unlikely if Moses had had to travel up the Nile to meet with Pharaoh. In the Delta area things were closer. Here all the people would have had access to the tributaries of the Nile near where the royal family came, but the royal family probably had pavilions and hunting lodges in the area. - www.bible.org/netbible/exo2.htm



  Satan desired for the Nile to be the place of death for the Hebrew boys, yet God turns it all around and uses that very river as the means by which Moses would be delivered! Likewise, Satan planed for Pharaoh to be his instrument in killing the Israelite children but God again intervenes and Moses is raised as Pharaoh’s own grandson! God can turn all things around! - www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/exodus2.htm



6 As the princess opened it, she found the baby boy. His helpless cries* touched her heart. "He must be one of the Hebrew children," she said.


*cries: Satan's plan defeated by the smallest thing - a baby crying!


  The river, which had swallowed up many Hebrew boys' lives, appeared to have let this one live, and to have brought him back after a considerable length of time, as he was not newborn. In the Egyptians' eyes this “miracle” would give him an air of divinity. - www.1bread.org/scripture/Exodus/Shemoth.html



7 Then the baby's sister approached the princess. "Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" she asked.


8 "Yes, do!" the princess replied. So the girl rushed home and called the baby's mother.


9 "Take this child home and nurse him for me," the princess told her. "I will pay you for your help." So the baby's mother took her baby home and nursed him.



  "It was neither by chance nor accident that Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the river that day, for there are no accidents nor chance happenings in a world presided over by the living God" [Pink, 18]. Who can help but see God’s providence in this episode? God’s providence is seen first in bringing the princess down to the river bank at the critical moment. Then also, God’s providence is seen in the compassion she showed for the Hebrew child. It was a God-given compassion, no doubt. Her own father, Pharaoh, hated the Hebrew children enough to give orders to kill them.


  Pharaoh’s daughter rebelled against this hatred, and not only rescued Moses, but cared for him. Moses’ sister (presumably Miriam) showed great courage here in offering to "get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby." She must have seen true compassion in the princess’s eyes. As for Jochebad, her faith was greatly rewarded. She not only got to nurse her son, but she also got paid for doing so! Ah, the goodness of God!


  The princess’s compassion for Moses was not a temporary gift of God; it grew into an attachment to the child, so that she took Moses as her own son: "When the child grew older, [Jochebad] took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, ‘I drew him out of the water’" (vs. 10). Now, it was certainly difficult for Jochebad to part from Moses a second time, but at least she knew that he would be safe in the king’s household. And given that Moses would grow up in the king’s household, she certainly believed (as any mother would) that great things were in store for Moses.


  We can most assuredly see here the hand of God in preparing Moses for the works of service he would render later. Moses would be given the best education that anyone of that time would get. He would become familiar with the ways and customs of the Egyptians. And he would have access to the future Pharaoh, from whom he would eventually secure the freedom of his people. "Those whom God designs for great services He finds out ways to qualify and prepare beforehand" [Henry, on verses 5-10]. Such preparation for service, though maybe not on so grand a scale, is performed in all of our lives. As Paul tells us: For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (Ephesians 2:10). - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol9/IA/ot.html



10 Later, when he was older, the child's mother brought him back to the princess, who adopted him as her son. The princess named him Moses*, for she said, "I drew him out of the water."


*Moses sounds like a Hebrew term that means "to draw out," but it wouldn't make sense that an Egyptian Princess would even know such a Hebrew word. Egyptian for Moses' name means "child" or "born of" (so, Thutmose = child of Tut, for example). But chances are that "Moses" was not Moses' full name. Like Thutmose and Ahmose, he was the "child of..." something, and that something was probably an Egyptian deity or object, and that part of his name is one which he would have discarded as he cast his lot with his own people and declared his independence of his past. One commentator has suggested that "Moses" is actually what is left of a combo of the Egyptian words for "child of" and "water" (swh -- which was generally applied to the Nile as well). So "Moses" would be a child of the water, one who was "born of" or, metaphorically, drawn out of the water (the metaphorical usage being made precisely in order to draw the pun between "Moses" and "draw out" in Hebrew, and serving as a slap in the face to Moses' now-rejected Egyptian heritage -- think of this in the same way as Malcolm X adopting his own name).
- www.tektonics.org/copycat/sargon.html


   Hebrew and Aramaic, Mosheh, "one drawn out," probably based on the Egyptian ms or msw, "child," "son," "the one born of." The Egyptians incorporated the word msw, "mose," into royal names such as Ahmose, "the one born of (the moon god) Ah"; Kamose, "the one born of the (deified soul) Ka"; Thutmose, "the one born of (the scribal god) Thoth"; and the common name Ramose (later Ramses), "the one born of (the sun-god) Ra." In everyday life, these names were often abbreviated to "Mose." Similarly, the name Pharaoh’s daughter gave Moses may originally have included the name of some Egyptian deity. Since the Egyptians worshipped the Nile, which they deified as "Hapi" (Hpy) and commonly called Itrw, later Irw, the princess may have named Moses Hapimose or Irumose, either of which would mean, "the one born of (or "drawn out of") the Nile." When Moses "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter" (Hebrews 11:24), he would naturally drop the reference to an Egyptian deity.



11 Many years later, when Moses had grown up*, he went out to visit his people, the Israelites, and he saw** how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of the Hebrew slaves.


*grown up: 40 years old (Acts 7:23).


**saw: The verb saw (ra’a, “to see”) followed by the preposition "bet" can indicate looking on something as an overseer, or supervising, or investigating. Here the emphasis is on Moses’ observing their labor with sympathy or grief. It means more than that he simply saw the way his fellow Hebrews were being treated (cf. 2:25). - www.bible.org/netbible/exo2.htm



Moses: Faith Overcoming the Praise of Man

hebrews11-dt.blogspot.com/

Hebrews 11 study by the Oakview Bible Fellowship.


Hebrews 11:24: It was by faith that Moses, when he *grew up, **refused to be treated as the ***son of ****Pharaoh's daughter.


*grew up - "not in age and stature only, but in power as well as in renown for accomplishments and military prowess (Acts 7:22). There is a gap here which is supplied by Paul. Acts 7:22 - Moses was taught all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he became mighty in both speech and action.


** refused – Possibly Pharaoh's daughter had proposed to make him coregent and successor to the crown which led him to renounce the palace and identify himself with the Hebrews. He must also have heard from God that he was not to accept this offer – otherwise, it would not have been “of faith”.


***son of – “mose” was a common element in names and meant "son of." Mosheh, "one drawn out," is probably based on the Egyptian “mose”, "child," "son," "the one born of." The Egyptians incorporated the word "mose" into royal names such as Ahmose, "the one born of (the moon god) Ah"; Kamose, "the one born of the (deified soul) Ka"; Thutmose, "the one born of (the scribal god) Thoth"; and the common name Ramose (later Ramses), "the one born of (the sun-god) Ra." In every-day life, these names were often abbreviated to "Mose." Similarly, the name Pharaoh’s daughter gave Moses may originally have included the name of some Egyptian deity. Since the Egyptians worshiped the Nile, which they deified as "Hapi", the princess may have named Moses Hapimose which would mean, "the one born of (or "drawn out of") the Nile." When Moses "refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter”, he would dropped the reference to an Egyptian deity.


**** Pharaoh’s daughter – Possibly the daughter of Thutmose. She later acted as regent for 22 years. Josephus claimed the name of the princess to have been Thermusis , a name related to Thutmose. Some have, therefore, suggested that this Thermusis was possibly the daughter of Thutmose I, a Pharaoh who had no sons of his own. There is an interesting coincidence between Thutmose I and the traditional biblical chronology. According 1 Kings 6:1, the Exodus from Egypt that Moses led occurred 480 years before Solomon began building the temple in Jerusalem, an event thought to have occurred about 967 BCE. This would place Moses' confrontation with the Pharaoh at about 1447 BCE during the reign of Thutmose III (or of Amenhotep II according to other authorities). Since Exodus 7:7 says that Moses was 80 years old at the time of his confrontation with the Pharaoh, Moses' birth would have been approximately 1527 BCE, during the reign of Thutmose I (1540-1504 BCE). Since Thutmose I had no sons of his own, the story of Moses having been reared by Pharaoh's daughter as heir to the throne fits this scenario nicely. At the death of Thutmose I, Hatshepsut became Queen and married her step-brother, Thutmose II, who became the new Pharaoh.


   Moses chose to suffer affliction with the Hebrews not because they were his people, but because they were God’s people.


   The decisiveness of faith can be seen by Moses' decision to identify with the people of God at the cost of no longer being called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He illustrates for us that real faith requires decisive living. Far too many claim to have faith in the Lord but they lack decisiveness when dealing with sin or matters of obedience.


   For 40 years, Moses lived in the court of Pharaoh, having all of the worldly privileges possible in that era. Every imaginable desire was lavished upon the royal family. Moses had the finest education available. He dressed in the best clothing. He ate the finest foods. And he stood in line to inherit the throne of Pharaoh and be king of all the Egyptian empire. Would you give up something like that to cast your lot with a group of impoverished slaves? That is exactly what Moses did.


   At this point in Moses' life, he understood why God had spared him through the faith of his parents. He knew that he was to be a deliverer for the people of God. All of the temptations of Egypt for power, wealth, prestige, and popularity stood before him. And to all of those Moses exercised faith in the Lord and refused to give in.


   Faith still does the same, acting decisively by refusing to give into temptation and sin so that as a believer one might walk faithfully before the Lord. For Moses it meant refusing a crown. For you it might mean refusing a promotion that would require you to compromise your convictions, or refusing a social engagement that would lead you into sin, or refusing to give your energies and finances to things that dishonor Christ even though it means you will be ostracized by others.


Hebrews 11:25: He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin.


   Moses’ decisiveness of faith is evident by choosing to cast his lot with this group of slaves that had no homeland, no political clout, and no financial power. Moses was skilled in administration while they were in complete disarray, with no sense of governmental organization. Moses had a home and an incomparable future with Pharaoh while they were beaten down and despairing. Yet he chose to "share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin." It would have been sin for Moses to remain with the idolatrous Egyptian throne. He understood that everything Egypt offered was temporary. But, “common sense” would have said – “Moses, be the heir to the throne and look what you can do for God and Israel”!


   Faith does something more than "believe" or "accept Christ as a personal Savior." It exhibits faith as a definite decision of the mind, as an act of the will, as a personal and studied choice. It reveals the fundamental fact that saving faith begins with a deliberate turning away from all that is opposed to God.


   The nature of faith is set forth by Paul: I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. As a result, I can really know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I can learn what it means to suffer with him, sharing in his death, (Philippians 3:7-10).


   Here was a case of self-denial: Moses deliberately renounced the privileges and pleasures of a royal palace. It was not that he was now disowned and cast out by the woman who had adopted him; but that he voluntarily relinquished a position of affluence and ease. Nor was this the rash impulse of an inexperienced youth, but the studied decision of one who had now reached the age of forty.


Hebrews 11:26: He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the *Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was **looking ahead to the great ***reward that God would give him.


*How did Moses believe in Messiah (Christ)? All Jews looked forward to the Messianic hope. Genesis 49:10: The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from his descendants, until the coming of the one to whom it belongs, the one whom all nations will obey.


   Moses did not have the New Testament nor did he have the Messianic Psalms or the Prophets, but Moses looked for Christ. It was through the nation of Israel that the "seed" was promised that would bless the world. The seed of Abraham is Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah (Galatians 3:15-18).


   Moses was conscious of the fact that it was the Messiah he was looking for-ward to meeting and spending eternity with. It was the Christ, the Son of God, he forward to. How could Moses know Jesus? The same way Abraham knew Jesus. Remember what Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:56: Your ancestor Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.


**looking ahead - The phrase describes one who looks intensely as though gazing upon up an image to be painted or sculpted, seeing every detail to be reproduced on canvas or in stone. Moses looked at the eternal reward that comes through faith in the Messiah. He considered the cost of following the Messiah in light of eternity and gladly chose to follow Christ.


   Moses’ faith was forward looking. He looked ahead not only to the Messiah who would come but to the Heavenly Canaan he would lead His people into. He was looking to one who would deliver His people, not only from political and economic slavery but spiritual slavery. One who would not only lead His people to a free and fertile land in this world, but to the freedom of heaven. John 8:56 - The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites, and you must listen to that prophet.


***reward – What is our reward?

1 Corinthians 3:10-15: Because of God's special favor to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have--Jesus Christ. Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone's work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames.


   Faith is always rewarded and the reward always exceeds the cost. However, the vast majority of the reward is delayed until we enter the heavenly world. Moses’ faith looked ahead to this reward of faith. The tense of the verb here suggests it was not just a one off act of anticipation but a habitual and constant frame of mind. He was always looking beyond this world to the next. As Dr. Vance Havner said: “Moses chose the imperishable, saw the invisible, and did the impossible.”


Moses lived 120 years:

1. The first 40 years, thinking he was “somebody”, the son of Pharaoh!

2. The next 40 years, thinking he was a “nobody”, in the desert, taking care of his father-in-law’s sheep, until he was ready for the work.

3. The last 40 years, discovering what God can do with a “nobody” - to liberate his People from the most powerful man on earth, from Pharaoh!


   This verse is about our choices. In this case, Moses had a clear choice – stick with Egypt and all it offered or with the Hebrew slaves and God. What about our choices? Often, the right choice is the most difficult and sometimes the least “logical”. Moses had to cast his lot with Egypt or with Israel. To choose one was to reject the other. Moses could not choose Israel and keep his affiliation with Egypt or even move to a merely neutral relationship with Egypt. We are constantly forced to make choices – some “minor”, some “major”. Our prayer should be that God shows us the right choice to make. What choices and decisions are you making right now that may have major impact on your life and the lives of others for the rest of your life? Are these decisions truly and completely committed to God who knows the future?


   Moses had made a choice to separate himself from the Egyptian ways. He understood that the life of Egypt was not what God wanted for him. Moses lived in Egypt for 40 years and yet, like Joseph, he knew it wasn't home. This world is not our home and to be in this world, but not of it, we must continue to live by faith in the promises of God and His faithfulness each day as we live to His honor and glory.


   He looked at his high position as the son of the Pharaoh's daughter, which made him the grandson of the Pharaoh, and he determined, as great as all of that was, it couldn't compare with what he looked forward to by faith; the same thing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob looked forward to.


   Moses knew that there was something more than Egypt. He knew that nothing in this physical world could ever satisfy for eternity. How did he know that? The same way you and I know that - by faith in the living God and His promises.


   Part of the reason Paul has picked Moses as an example is the fact that there was no middle ground for Moses. Neither was there any middle ground for his Hebrew Christian readers. They could not return to Judaism and be neutral about Jesus. For Moses, choosing Israel meant the loss of status and privilege. It meant the end of financial security and material possessions. It meant that his life would always be at risk. For the readers of Hebrews the choice was between staying true to Christ and returning to Judaism with the accompanying rejection of Christ. To stay true to Christ would mean risking life, financial security, possessions, and their status in the community.


   When it comes to the commitment of our lives there is no neutral ground either. We will either be committed whole-heartedly and enthusiastically to Christ or we will reject and oppose him. There is always a price to be paid when we reject worldly values to embrace wholehearted commitment to the way of the cross.


   Paul understood the same thing when he wrote in Philippians 3:7 - I once thought all these things were so very important, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the priceless gain of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I may have Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own goodness or my ability to obey God's law, but I trust Christ to save me. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith.


Acts 7:23-29 (Stephen speaking): One day when he was forty years old, he decided to visit his relatives, the people of Israel. During this visit, he saw an Egyptian mistreating a man of Israel. So Moses came to his defense and avenged him, killing the Egyptian. Moses assumed his brothers would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't. The next day he visited them again and saw two men of Israel fighting. He tried to be a peacemaker. `Men,' he said, `you are brothers. Why are you hurting each other?' But the man in the wrong pushed Moses aside and told him to mind his own business. `Who made you a ruler and judge over us?' he asked. `Are you going to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?' When Moses heard that, he fled the country and lived as a foreigner in the land of Midian, where his two sons were born.



The Commandments DVD

Cecil B. DeMille


   My favorite part of the movie, “The Ten Commandments” where Moses was forced out of Egypt by Pharaoh:

“Into the blasting wilderness of Shur, the man who walked with kings now walks alone. Torn from the pinnacle of royal power, stripped of all rank and earthly wealth, a forsaken man, without a country, without a hope, his soul in turmoil like the howling winds and raging sands that lash him with the fury of a taskmaster’s whip, he is driven forward, always forward, by a God unknown toward a land unseen. Into the molten wilderness of Sin where granite sentinels stand as towers of living death to bar his way. Each night brings the black embrace of loneliness. The mocking whisper of the wind, he hears the echoing voices of the dark. His tortured mind wondering if they call the memory of past triumphs or wail of foreboding disasters yet to come. Or, whether the desert’s hot breath has melted his reason into madness. He cannot cool the burning kiss of thirst upon his lips nor shade the scorching fury of the sun. All about is desolation. He can neither bless nor curse the power that moves him. For he does not know from where it comes. Learning that it can be more terrible to live than to die, he is driven onward through the burning crucible of desert where holy men and prophets are cleansed and urged for God’s great purpose until at last at the end of human strength, beaten into the dust from which he came, the metal is ready for the Maker’s hand."



   “Egypt seems the least likely place for God to start training a leader, but God’s ways are not our ways” [Wiersbe, 14].


   At some point, Moses, though brought up as an Egyptian, realized that he was a Hebrew. We are not told when or how this happened. He may have known all his life that he was the natural child of Hebrew parents; or quite possibly, as movie renditions tend to dramatically depict, his Hebrew parentage was revealed to him after he was grown. Whatever the case, Moses seemed to have been shielded and separated from the children of Israel. At this point in time, Moses apparently considered himself more a Hebrew than an Egyptian. In fact, Stephen tells us that a motive for killing the Egyptian was that Moses saw himself as being a God-appointed savior for the Israelites: Moses assumed his brothers would realize that God had sent him to rescue them, but they didn't. (Acts 7:25). “One day he made a courageous decision to help his people, even if it meant losing his noble position as the adopted son of the royal princess. The pleasures and treasures of Egypt faded from view as he saw himself helping to liberate God’s chosen people” [Wiersbe, 15]. This was a great act of faith by Moses, as we are told in the book of Hebrews: It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be treated as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God's people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of the Messiah than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to the great reward that God would give him. (Hebrews 11:24-26). - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol10/J1/ot.html



   Now let's go to Exodus 2, verse 11. At this point in his life, God probably, in some kind of direct confrontation as he does some forty years later in this very chapter, tells Moses he is going to be Israel's deliverer. Moses now has a choice. As the son of Pharaoh's daughter, he is in an excellent position to make it to the throne, if indeed they would allow a foreigner on the throne. They might not. Pharaoh was considered to be a direct descendent of Ra the sun god. The rule of Egypt was established by god in his creative order, according to Egyptian history, and Pharaoh was the direct descendent of god and therefore reigned as god. The first god in their history was Ra. The king of Egypt did not rule by election or by the right of the people; he ruled by the right of creation. So Moses probably would not have actually become Pharaoh, but he might well have become Prime Minister as Joseph, also a Semite, did some 400 years before. His other choice was to identify with the people of God, the people of Israel, who, at this point, were undergoing persecution. They were not in favor as they had been in Joseph's day. By choosing them, Moses would give up all the prerogatives and perks that went with rank, privilege and power, something he had enjoyed for 30-40 years depending upon when he left his mother and entered the Egyptian court.


   So for around 40 years he has been enjoying being a prince of Egypt, and according to Josephus, he has been a very fine prince. Josephus' "Antiquities of the Jews,' while a little inflated here and there and with some inaccurate data here and there, all-in-all is a rather reputable history. In there we are also told Moses was a beautiful man, a handsome man, so impressive that both Egyptians and Jews stared at him as he passed.


   Also, Moses was a brilliant general. According to Josephus' record, he delivered Egypt from the Ethiopians. So he has already been a deliverer, if indeed Josephus is correct. Since he has already delivered Egypt, who would God more likely choose than a proven deliverer. Looking at it from a human standpoint, as Chief Executive Officer of a struggling corporation which was in trouble, what would you do? Well, first of all, you'd fire all your managers. Then you go out and buy yourself some proven management. You bring in somebody with a track record of success in the same kind of situation you are in. So Moses, trained in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, a man of power in words and deeds, proven on the battlefield, handler of vast numbers of men, a good planner, a good fighter, a brilliant man, has everything needed, from a human perspective, to be a second deliverer. His resume reads, "I delivered Egypt." He is exactly the man God needs.


   Now, if you were a deliverer with a proven track record, a system that had worked for you before, would you change your system? Well, Moses had delivered Egypt from the Ethiopians in the strength and resources of Moses, with the wisdom, understanding and power in words and deeds that he got from his training in Egypt. So, of course, he thinks, "It all worked once, and it will work again." Then, as a Chief Executive with a problem, what do you do? You go out and survey the situation. Very normal, logical thinking. That is exactly what Moses does. - www.pbc.org/library/files/html/14737_moses03.html



12 After looking around to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand.


   The text literally says, “and he turned thus and thus”. It may indicate that he turned his gaze in all directions to ascertain that no one would observe what he did. Or, as B. Jacob argues, it may mean that he saw that there was no one to do justice and so he did it himself (Exodus, 37-38, citing Isaiah 59:15-16).
- www.bible.org/netbible/exo2.htm


13 The next day, as Moses was out visiting his people again, he saw two Hebrew men fighting. "What are you doing, hitting your neighbor like that?" Moses said to the one in the wrong.


14 "Who do you think you are?" the man replied. "Who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Do you plan to kill me as you killed that Egyptian yesterday?" Moses was badly frightened because he realized that everyone knew what he had done.


   Israel was not ready for a deliverer. Nor was Moses ready to be the deliverer. God used his time in exile to prepare him for the great role of leadership he would assume, as deliverer of the children of Israel from the bonds of the Egyptians. “God ordered this for wise ends. Things were not yet ripe for Israel’s deliverance. The measure of Egypt’s iniquity was not yet full; the Hebrews were not sufficiently humbled, nor were they yet increased to such a multitude as God designed: Moses is to be farther fitted for the service” [Wesley, on vs. 15]. “Like Joseph’s thirteen years as a slave in Egypt and Paul’s three years’ hiatus after his conversion (Galatians 1:16-17), Moses’ forty years of waiting and working prepared him for a lifetime of faithful ministry. God doesn’t lay hands suddenly on His servants but takes time to equip them for their work” [Wiersbe, 16]. “Egypt accomplished him for a scholar, a gentleman, a statesman, a soldier, all which accomplishments would be afterwards of use to him; but yet lacketh he one thing, in which the court of Egypt could not befriend him. He that was to do all by divine revelation must know, what it was to live a life of communion with God, and in this he would be greatly furthered by the retirement of a shepherd’s life in Midian” [Wesley, on vs. 21].
- www.scripturestudies.com/Vol10/J1/ot.html


15 And sure enough, when Pharaoh heard about it, he gave orders to have Moses arrested and killed. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and escaped to the land of Midian*. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well**.


*Midian - Since the Midianites were descendants of Abraham by Keturah (Genesis 25:1-2), Moses was with relatives during his 40 years of sojourn, some of whom still worshiped the true God. Among them was Jethro, a priest of the true God (Exodus 18:1, 12, 23). Jethro was also called Reuel (Exodus 2:16–18), which means "friend of God" or "friend of Elohim".


   Isn't it peculiar that Moses' adopted grandfather would want to kill his daughter's adopted son - for killing someone as insignificant as a Hebrew?



   The story is another meeting-at-the-well account. Continuity with the patriarchs is thereby kept in the mind of the reader (cf. Genesis 24; 29:1-12).


   The location of Midian is uncertain, but it had to have been beyond the Egyptian borders on the east, either in the Sinai or beyond in the Arabah (south of the Dead Sea) or even on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba. The Midianites seem to have traveled extensively in the desert regions. R. A. Cole reasons that since they later were enemies of Israel, it is unlikely that these traditions would have been made up about Israel’s great lawgiver. - www.bible.org/netbible/exo2.htm



16 Now it happened that the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came regularly to this well to draw water and fill the water troughs for their father's flocks.


17 But other shepherds would often come and chase the girls and their flocks away. This time, however, Moses came to their aid, rescuing the girls from the shepherds. Then he helped them draw water for their flocks.


   They wanted to be the first to have access to the clear water; after they were finished, it would be stirred up and muddied, and the next to come would have had to wait until it settled down again. This connects us to the passages about the evil shepherds [ominously, the word "pastor" means the same] who also made the water (a common idiom for the word of YHWH) inaccessible to the sheep, or muddied it with their feet. (Yeshayahu 56:11; Yirmeyahu/Jeremiah 50:6; Yehezqel/ Ezekiel 34) Rose up and freed them: a classic picture of Y'shua, the “prophet like Moshe”, whose very name shares its root with the word here for "freed". He delivered us by rising up. (I Corinthians 15) ---- http://www.1bread.org/scripture/Exodus/Shemoth.html


18 When the girls returned to Reuel*, their father, he asked, "How did you get the flocks watered so quickly today?"


*Reuel: The name “Reuel” is given here. In other places (e.g., chap. 18) he is called Jethro. Some suggest that this is simply a confusion of traditions. But it is not uncommon for ancients, like Sabean kings and priests, to have more than one name. Several of the kings of Israel, including Solomon, did. “Reuel” means “friend of Elohim.”
--- http://www.bible.org/netbible/exo2.htm



   The harassment of the daughters must have been a regular occurrence, for their father was surprised at how early they returned from watering on the day Moses came to their rescue: - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol10/J1/ot.html


19 "An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds," they told him. "And then he drew water for us and watered our flocks."


20 "Well, where is he then?" their father asked. "Did you just leave him there? Go and invite him home for a meal!"


21 Moses was happy to accept the invitation, and he settled down to live with them. In time, Reuel gave Moses one of his daughters, Zipporah*, to be his wife.


*Zipporah: means "bird."


22 Later they had a baby boy, and Moses named him Gershom*, for he said, "I have been a stranger in a foreign land."


*Gershom sounds like a Hebrew term that means "a stranger there." In Midian, a land closer to Canaan than Egypt, Moses thought of himself as an alien and a sojourner. He still thought of his homeland as Egypt, not Canaan. From Moses’ point of view, Egypt, his homeland, is far away. One can hardly think of this time as that of great faith or purpose in Moses’ life. This becomes even more evident when God’s call of Moses is described in chapters 3 and 4. The great faith and commitment to the people of God with which verse 11 began has somehow eroded into something far less.


23 Years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites* still groaned beneath their burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their pleas for deliverance rose up to God.


*Israelites: Literally, "the sons of Israel."


   It seems to be implied here that the children of Israel expected some measure of relief when the “king of Egypt died.” But the change of kings did not ease their oppression, and so the Israelites still groaned beneath their burden of slavery. Their oppression was not to end through a change in leadership, nor through any work of man. God was reserving this work for Himself. “Silent as God seems through the long hours and years, He is not indifferent” [Meyer, 38]. In fact, in the case of the Israelites, everything was going as planned. God had prophesied to Abraham, hundreds of years before, that His people would be held as slaves for four hundred years (Genesis 15:13). God also prophesied their deliverance (Genesis 15:14). Since God promised their deliverance after 400 years, it was certain to happen. - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol10/J2/ot.html


24 God heard their cries and remembered his covenant promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.


25 He looked down on the Israelites and felt deep concern for their welfare.


   And indeed, the time had come for the deliverance of the Israelites. Some, who would grudgingly admit there may be a God, would say, “Even if there is a God, He doesn’t care for us.” This is refuted in many ways by the writings of the Bible and the history of God’s people. He sees, He cares, He is intimately concerned with what goes on here on earth. - www.scripturestudies.com/Vol10/J2/ot.html



On-Line Sources:



Off-Line Sources:



  • American Heritage® Dictionary fourth Edition - 2003

  • The Exodus Revealed: Searching for the Red Sea Crossing - (2001), DVD, Studio: Questar, ASIN: B00005AUE2, available from Amazon.com

  • The Defender's Study Bible -World Bible Publishers

  • "The NIV Application Commentary - Exodus" – Peter Enns – Zondervan™

  • "The Ten Commandments" (1956 film) from Paramount Pictures, directed by Cecil B. DeMille, starring Charlton Heston as Moses



This study is on line at: exodus-study.blogspot.com/2006/08/exodus-chapter-2.html

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