THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #22 | THE LIFE OF MOSES #4
Pastor Christopher Choo
Lesson 3703
THE LIVES OF THE PATRIARCHS #22
THE LIFE OF MOSES #4
WOMEN WHO SAVED MOSES
When Eve was called to be a help-meet of Adam in Genesis 2, the Hebrew word ETZER was used.
It didn't mean just a helper but a rescuer as well.
Moses was one of Israel’s greatest and most revered leaders.
However, there were several occasions when he would have perished or been killed if it had not been for the courage, wisdom, and enterprise of women.
Here is a brief look at the six brave Bible women who God used to achieve his purposes.
1 & 2. SHIPHRAH AND PUAH—EXODUS 1:15-21
The Hebrew midwives Shiphrah and Puah courageously defied the authority of Pharaoh by disobeying his wicked edict to kill the newborn Hebrew boys.
These midwives jeopardized their own safety to protect and save the life of Moses and the other baby boys.
Shiphrah and Puah feared God more than they feared Pharaoh, and God blessed them because of their righteous actions—actions that were motivated by their reverence for God (Exod. 1:15-21).
3. JOCHEBED—EXODUS 2:1-3
Moses’ mother Jochebed discerned that there was something special about her infant son, and she protected him by hiding him for three months from Egyptian authorities.
When she could no longer hide him at home, Jochebed made a waterproof basket and placed her baby in it. She placed the basket in the Nile among the reeds and entrusted her son into God’s care.
Jochebed was fearless in her efforts to keep her baby boy safe (Exod. 21:1-3; cf. Heb. 11:23).
4. PHARAOH’S DAUGHTER—EXODUS 2:5-10
Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby in the Nile and felt sorry for him.
Even though she realised he was a Hebrew, she rescued him, offered protection, and later adopted him.
We can assume that the princess would have encountered considerable difficulties in persuading other members of the Egyptian royal family to accept the Hebrew child as her adopted son.
She was successful, however; and Moses was raised in the Egyptian royal palace where he received an excellent education as a student prince (Acts 7:21-22).
His palace education, training, and experience would be useful when Moses had the difficult task of leading the Israelites (Exod. 2:5-10).
5. MIRIAM—EXODUS 2:4-8
Moses’ older sister Miriam had been standing on the banks of the Nile, watching over her baby brother in the basket, to make sure he was safe.
When she saw that he was being rescued, young Miriam bravely approached Pharaoh’s daughter and persuaded her to have the baby nursed by his own mother, Jochebed.
This arrangement meant that Moses received optimum love and nurture within his own family for a few years before being surrendered to Pharaoh’s daughter when he was still a little boy.
Miriam later became a prophetess and she was recognised as a leader alongside her brothers Moses and Aaron (Exod. 2:4-8; cf. Micah 6:4).
6. ZIPPORAH—EXODUS 4:24-26
In this mystifying passage of scripture, we read that God was about to kill Moses.
Moses’ first wife Zipporah astutely recognised the cause of God’s wrath.
She took the initiative and appeased God’s anger, even though she found it all very distasteful.
Zipporah, like the others mentioned above, protected Moses and saved him from death (Exod. 4:24-26).
We honour the courage of these women and their faith.
Believers who narrowly define femininity, and rigidly prescribe certain attributes and roles for women, are doing women and the church a great disservice.
Men and women are different and, generally speaking, they have different strengths and abilities.
However, we need to look beyond gender and discern the spiritual gifts, abilities, and calling of the individual person.
We need to be cautious that we do not underestimate the abilities or curtail the activities of the brave and courageous women who God wishes to use today.
