Exod 2:1-10 · Read 5 min · think and write 20 min
The children of Israel were growing more and more numerous in Egypt, and “Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, ‘You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive’” (Exod 1:22).
This lesson reads about a boy born at that time into a family of the house of Levi, and about his sister.
1A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife.
2The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months.
3When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.
4His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him.
5Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river. Her maidens walked along by the riverside. She saw the basket among the reeds, and sent her servant to get it.
6She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
7Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?”
8Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” The young woman went and called the child’s mother.
9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” The woman took the child, and nursed him.
10The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.”
Hidden three months. “A man of the house of Levi went and took a daughter of Levi as his wife” (v. 1). “The woman conceived and bore a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months” (v. 2). “When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him, and coated it with tar and with pitch. She put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank” (v. 3).
Stood far off. “His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him” (v. 4). This passage does not give her name; it says only ‘his sister’.
Pharaoh’s daughter. “Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river” (v. 5); she saw the basket and sent her servant to get it. “She opened it, and saw the child, and behold, the baby cried. She had compassion on him, and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children’” (v. 6).
Call a nurse. “Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, ‘Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?’” (v. 7). “Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Go.’ The young woman went and called the child’s mother” (v. 8). “Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, ‘Take this child away, and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.’ The woman took the child, and nursed him” (v. 9). The child was back in his own mother’s arms.
Drew him out of the water. “The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, and said, ‘Because I drew him out of the water’” (v. 10).
Afterwards. “In those days, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his brothers and saw their burdens” (Exod 2:11). The next lesson reads what “Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron” (Exod 15:20) did after Israel had crossed the sea.
The book of Numbers records: “The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. She bore to Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister” (Num 26:59).
Readers can see this: in this chapter Exodus records, “His sister stood far off, to see what would be done to him” (v. 4).
Perhaps you are worried about someone: a family member who is ill, a child who has gone far away, a friend in a hard place. There is little you can do; often you can only watch from a distance, not knowing how things will turn out.
This lesson does not say that you have only done your part once you come up with a good plan; nor does it say that watching from a distance is of no use. What it shows you is this: she “stood far off, to see what would be done to him” (v. 4); when Pharaoh’s daughter opened the basket, “She had compassion on him” (v. 6); his sister stepped forward and said, “Should I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women” (v. 7); and “The young woman went and called the child’s mother” (v. 8).
This week: Think of someone you can only watch from a distance right now. Pray for them once each day this week; and if there is some small thing you are able to do, do it if you would like to.
Scripture: World English Bible.