Week 5 Day 4 Fire, Fire!

Exodus 2-4

When we last stopped reading, the king had decided to control the Israelites by killing any and all baby boys. Baby girls could live.

So here in chapter 2, a Levite man marries a Levite woman. They of course end up having a baby boy.

Mom hid the baby boy for three months.

That is really impressive to me.

None of my kids have been "quiet" kids.

How did she hide him?

Anyway, after three months, she couldn't hide him anymore. So she got a basket, covered it with tar, and put the baby in the basket then into the Nile.

I can't help but think about crocodiles and alligators here.

How scary!

That must have been a step of faith.

Along comes the Princess who has her servants retrieve the baby.

Miriam, Moses' sister, offers to fetch a Hebrew nurse to help with the baby.

So for some time Moses' own mother nursed him AND was paid to do it by the Princess.

I wonder if the Princess knew who Moses' "nurse" really was?

As the child grew older, the Moses' nurse/mom took him to the Princess who then adopted the boy as her own son.

Did your read that?

It is the first adoption noted in the Bible!

Obviously that is near and dear to my heart.

As Moses grew, he visited his people (which makes me think that he knows who his people are even if he is living in the palace) and was outraged to see an Egyptian treating one of his people very poorly. Apparently Moses is a bit of a hothead. He killed the Egyptian.

It soon became apparent that it wasn't a crime done in secret. Others knew or found out (and this was in the days before Internet). The king wanted to have Moses killed.

I can't help but wonder, is is the king who has been Moses' adopted grandfather? Or is it someone else? I just don't know. Not many details are given here.

Anyway, Moses hightails it out of town for his sake.

In Midian, Moses meets some girls by the water troughs. I have noticed this is a big meeting place in the Bible. Wells, troughs, etc. Anyway, Moses helps the girls who in turn tell their daddy who in turn invites Moses to dinner, gives away one of his daughters to be Moses' wife who later delivers a son.

And all of this is in one chapter!

Chapter three: The famous burning bush.

One day as Moses is taking care of the Jethro's flock (his father in law), he notices a bush that is on fire. But it isn't burning up. Don't you know he was rubbing his eyes wondering if he was seeing it correctly? Then he does what all of us would have done. He tries to get a closer look.

God stops him. He makes him take off his shoes instead. It is holy ground after all.

Then God talks to Moses. He tells Moses that He remembers his people and sees what troubles they are facing. He hears their cries. He hasn't forgotten them (like I am sure they felt like He had). He is ready to do something. And Moses is the key.

It becomes apparent that Moses is a very human guy. He doesn't quite jump at this opportunity like Abraham did. (God said "Go", Abraham said, "Okay!") No, Moses did what most of us would do.

"God, are you sure about this?"

"God, don't you know me at all?"

"God, what do I even say?"

At first God calmly answers Moses' questions. And gave Moses all sorts of useful information such as the fact that king in Egypt would not really let God's people go.

I am sure that eased Moses' fears...NOT.

God even gave Moses a few "tricks" he could show the people. Not really tricks, but "signs".

Still, Moses questioned.

Actually, he went beyond questioning.

He just flat out told God, "Please, send someone else!"

You have to kind of feel for him. I think I have more or less said that a time or two. Or ten thousand.

At this point though, the Lord became angry.

I kind of feel for Him too. I have a couple of kids who question every decision I make. I know why I am making them and have good reason. I don't appreciate being questioned over and over and doubted over and over. I get it. I become a bit edgy myself.

Thankfully the LORD doesn't just smite him though, whatever smite means.

He just offers yet another solution to Moses' doubts.

He is sending in Moses' brother for back up.

I guess Moses ran out of excuses at that point. He went to his father in law and told him he needed to go back to his home, Egypt.

I cannot help but wonder if Moses was secretly hoping that Jethro would just say "no".

But he didn't. He said, "Go."

Probably not what Moses was wanting to hear.

But he went.

Tomorrow's reading: Genesis 5-6:27

Reba