All of the examples of individuals whose lives illustrate the principle, "The just shall live by faith,"
have come from the book of Genesis. The example which we are considering in this lesson comes from the Book of Exodus.
The whole point of this chapter starts from the definition of faith given in the first verse.
"Now
faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen" (Hebrews 11:1). This statement is based upon Romans 10:17: "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God." The hope of the believer rests on believing what he has heard from God.
Our text says, "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 command." This statement tells us that Moses' parents had heard something from God. They believed what they heard, and that gave them the courage to act as they did.
A lot of sermons speak much about the beauty of the child. If their action had been based on the beauty of the child, it would have been by affection, by fancy, or perhaps by pride. If the actions of Moses' parents had been based on affection for the child, their fear would have been increased.
Affection would not have driven the fear away. The more they admired and loved the baby, the more would they have feared that something evil would have happened to him. Our text says that it was "by faith." Because of their faith, the more they loved the child, the less they feared. It was because of this faith that they hid the child and had no fear as to the consequences of obeying God instead of obeying man.
THE COMMAND OF THE KING OF EGYPT
Hebrews 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.
Exodus 1:8-22: 8Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not
Joseph. 9And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel
are more and mightier than we: 10Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest
they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join
also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
11Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.
And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12But the more
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they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved
because of the children of Israel. 13And the Egyptians made the children of
Israel to serve with rigour: 14And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage,
in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service,
wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 15And the king of Egypt spake
to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the
name of the other Puah: 16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to
the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill
him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17But the midwives feared God,
and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children
alive. 18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why
have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? 19And the
midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian
women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and
waxed very mighty. 21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that
he made them houses. 22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son
that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
The crowning of a new king in Egypt
There came to power a new king who did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8). This new king was of a new dynasty.
Isaiah 52:4: "For thus saith the Lord GOD, My people went down aforetime into
Egypt to sojourn there; and the Assyrian oppressed them without a cause."
This new king was of a different kind. This is the idea in the word translated "new." Note Deuteronomy 32:17, "They sacrificed unto devils, not to God; to gods whom they knew not, to
new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not." The new gods were of a different kind. With the new king being an Assyrian instead of an Egyptian, we can surely understand why he did not know Joseph.
The concern of the king (Exodus 1:9, 10). He was concerned that the Israelites might join the enemy in a time of war and escape.
The craftiness of the king (Exodus 1:11-14). He planned to make slaves of the Israelites, perhaps to break their will and hinder their growth in number.
The command to kill the male children (Exodus 1:15-22). He gave the order to the Hebrew midwives (Verses 15, 16). This caused great opposition by them (Verses 17-21). Pharoah gave the order to all of the people (Verse 22).
THE COURAGE OF MOSES' PARENTS
The birth of Moses
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Exodus 2:2: And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him
that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
Miriam and Aaron had already been born. Moses was conceived and born after the command to kill the male children was given.
The boldness of Moses' mother
Exodus 2:3: And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark
of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein;
and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink.
By faith, she hid him for three months (Hebrews 11:23). By faith, she put him in an ark and placed the ark in the river. W. Bullinger wrote, "It looks as though it were almost defiance; but it was not; it was “faith. It looks like recklessness, but it was 'the obedience of faith,' for they must have heard from God what He was about to do."
Also, Bullinger wrote, "The king's commandment to his people was: “Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river.” (Exodus 1:22). Jocebed committed her son to the waters of the very same river: but he was safe amid those waters of death, by a Divinely devised and ordered protection: and the same Divine ordering ruled and over-ailed all to the working out of His own counsels."
Faith was the basis of the mother's courage. Hebrews 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." Her faith was rewarded by the compassion of the king's daughter and the saving of her baby's life.
THE COMPASSION OF THE KING'S DAUGHTER
Exodus 2:5-10: 5And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the
river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the
ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. 6And when she had opened it,
she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him,
and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. 7Then said his sister to Pharaoh's
daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may
nurse the child for thee? 8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid
went and called the child's mother. 9And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take
this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the
woman took the child, and nursed it. 10And the child grew, and she brought him
unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name
Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
The arrival of the king's daughter at the river is seen in Verse 5.
The ark containing the baby is found in Verse 5.
The anguish of the baby is seen in Verse 6a.
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The acknowledgement and compassion of the king's daughter is seen in Verse 6b.
The action of Moses' sister is revealed in Verse 7.
The assistance requested by the king's daughter is found in Verses 9, 10.
Conclusion
The parents of Moses heard the Word of God and believed it. This was the basis of their action.
Because the parents of Moses believed God, they were not afraid of the king's command and took action to save the life of their son. Although the child was "a goodly child," "a proper child," and a child of beauty, it was faith that motivated them to obey God and not kill their son. It was faith that enabled the parents of Moses to believe like Peter and the other Apostles, "We ought to obey
God rather than men" (Acts 5:29). It is faith that will enable us to say "no" to disobedience and
"yes" to obedience to God.
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