Seeing the unseen hand of God in the early life of Moses.

Between Genesis 50 and Exodus 1 is a time gap of approximately four hundred years—a time gap during which something quite amazing happens. God planted His people in Egypt in order to prepare them for the Land of Promise. Safe and warm, Egypt was an “incubator” for Jacob’s growing family. God also planted His people in Egypt to prepare the Promised Land for them. God then raises up Moses to take them out of Egypt into the promised land.

In Chapter 2, we find God’s hand at work in the history of Israel, preserving the life of one child who will become Israel’s deliverer. Pharaoh conceived an evil plan to kill the Jewish boys. God, however, used his evil plan for good by raising up a slave boy who would one day be His instrument to save the Jews.

1. Moses was born according to God’s timing.

Moses was born at a difficult time, a dangerous time, but when we look at his life story, we discover that he was born at exactly the right time.

Maybe there’s been a time in your life when you wished that you were born at a different time. But if you were born at any other time, you would not be who you are. You were born according to God’s timing at just the right time. And you can thank God for that – God made you, God placed you here, and you were born at just the right time.

2. Moses’s parents saw the hand of God in giving them the baby Moses.

In Exodus 2:2 the text could simply be rendered, “she saw that he was good.” The Hebrew word rendered “good” is frequently used by Moses in the five books of the Law, and in most it has the sense of goodness which is the result of being made (or given) by God, and/or of being declared good by Him.They saw something special about him as a child.Every child is the product of divine creation (cf. Ps. 139:13-14), and thus is “good” in the eyes of God. Moses’ parents refused to put their child to death because God had created him, and because this meant that this child (like every other child ever born) was good in God’s eyes.

3. Moses’s parents saw the hand of God in protecting the life of baby Moses.

Moses’ parents protected Moses’ life risking their own.By faith, his parents risked their own death by nursing him for his first three months and then trusting God by placing him into an ark.

The careful actions of Moses’ mother to construct the ark of bulrushes, to set Moses afloat close to the royal bathing place, and to have his sister watch to see what would happen, indicate a hope that something would work out right for the child.

God is working. Sometime he works in a way that we can’t see at all, but he’s working to accomplish his plan for you.

Think about what God did. He brought Pharaoh’s daughter to that river at just the right time – 2 hours later, 2 hours earlier, she might not have seen that little floating basket. God providentially caused her to have seen that little floating basket. God providentially caused the little ark to catch her attention – she might not have noticed it otherwise. And somehow, that baby cried at just the right moment. Pharaoh’s daughter may not have been as kindly disposed to the baby had he not cried. But that crying baby stirred compassion in her heart. God did all of this.

There is no coincidence in all of this. God’s name isn’t mentioned in these verses. But God’s hand is all over in these verses – his hand is all over what’s happening. And his hand is all over our lives as his children – even when we may not immediately see what he’s doing.

Application Question:

Look back into your life from the very beginning and trace the unseen hand of God in your life.

Quote:

“In everything both great and small, we see the hand of God in all.” - Helen Steiner Rice

Prayer:

Lord, I thank you that you are a God whose hand is over my life even though I do not see it. Help me to be aware of it and live by the truth of this knowledge.Amen