Mother’s Helper / Daddy’s Helper
MOSES’ BIRTH
Scripture Reading: Exodus 2:1-10
As we begin to learn about Moses, we need to know the conditions that existed at his birth. Joseph, the son of Jacob, had done much good for the Egyptians, saving them from starving by storing food while there was plenty.
After Joseph’s death there arose another king over Egypt who did not remember the good that Joseph had done. This wicked Pharaoh feared the Israelites would grow in number, join with other nations, fight and defeat the Egyptians, so he commanded the Israelites to kill all their boy babies.
But the Hebrew midwives would not do this. God blessed the Hebrews and their families began to grow. It was very important to the Hebrew women that they have homes and families. God always blesses people when they do what is right.
During this time a Hebrew man, named Amram, married a lady named Jochebed. They were of the tribe of Levi, one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Eventually, Amram and Jochebed had three children. When the last one was still a tiny infant, Pharaoh announced a change in the method of trying to kill the boy babies. He told the Hebrews to throw the babies in the river, probably the Nile. Moses’ mother loved her children and did not want to throw Moses (her infant son) into the river. Amram and Jochebed hid Moses for three months, but as he grew, it became more and more difficult to hide him.
Finally, Moses’ mother had an idea. She made an ark (a small boat), of bulrushes and sealed it with mud so that it would not sink. She placed the little ark among the plants, called flags, growing along the shore of the river. Miriam, Moses’ older sister, watched to see what would happen.
Soon, the daughter of the king came with some of her maidens to the river’s edge. Seeing the ark, she sent one of her maidens to retrieve it. She opened it and found Moses crying. The Bible says she had compassion on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.”
Miriam, watching from nearby, asked the king’s daughter if she would like one of the Hebrew women to come and nurse the baby for her. Pharaoh’s daughter liked the idea and Miriam was told to get a nurse. Of course, Miriam called her mother. Without knowing it, Pharaoh’s daughter was actually asking Moses’ own mother to nurse her child. Pharaoh’s daughter promised wages for this nursing care. This is the only case in the Bible where a king’s daughter paid a mother to nurse her own child.
Jochebed cared for Moses until he was old enough to become the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. We do not know what Jochebed had called her baby boy, but Pharaoh’s daughter named him “Moses” because, she said, “I drew him out of the water.”
Questions
1. Who was good to the Egyptians?
2. Who forgot Joseph?
3. What was Pharaoh worried about?
4. What did he want done to the boy babies?
5. What was his second plan?
6. What did Moses’ mother make?
7. Where did she put what she made?
8. Who found what she made?
9. Who was hired to nurse the child?
10. Why was the baby called Moses?
Drawing to Color
Observations for Parents and Children
1. As God blessed the midwives of Israel, He will bless those who obey Him today
2. As Jochebed trained baby Moses, dedicated parents should train their children to love and obey God
