%20compressed.png?updatedAt=1733383467626&ssl=1 "The Early Life of Moses: From Birth to Divine Calling")
The Early Life of Moses: From Birth to Divine Calling
In the land of Egypt, a new Pharaoh arose who viewed the growing population of Israelites with suspicion and fear. To curb their numbers, he decreed that every newborn Hebrew boy was to be thrown into the Nile River. Amidst this oppressive edict, a Levite woman named Jochebed gave birth to a son. Recognizing the beauty and potential of her child, she hid him for three months. When she could conceal him no longer, she crafted a papyrus basket, coated it with tar and pitch to make it watertight, and placed her baby inside. She set the basket among the reeds along the bank of the Nile, entrusting her son’s fate to God’s providence.
The baby’s sister, Miriam, stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen. Soon, Pharaoh’s daughter came down to bathe at the river, accompanied by her attendants. Noticing the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave girl to retrieve it. Upon opening it, she saw the crying infant and felt compassion, recognizing him as one of the Hebrew babies. Miriam approached and asked if she should fetch a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, and Miriam brought her mother, Jochebed. Pharaoh’s daughter instructed Jochebed to nurse the child, offering to pay her wages. Once the boy grew older, Jochebed brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her son and named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.”
As Moses matured, he became aware of his Hebrew heritage. One day, witnessing an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, he intervened and killed the Egyptian, hiding the body in the sand. The next day, he saw two Hebrews fighting and tried to mediate, but one retorted, “Who made you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian?” Realizing his deed was known, Moses feared for his life. When Pharaoh learned of the incident, he sought to kill Moses, prompting him to flee to the land of Midian.
In Midian, Moses rested by a well. There, he encountered the seven daughters of Reuel (also known as Jethro), the priest of Midian, who came to draw water for their father’s flock. Some shepherds arrived and drove them away, but Moses stood up for them and watered their flock. When the sisters returned home earlier than usual, their father asked why. They explained how an Egyptian had rescued them from the shepherds and watered their flock. Reuel invited Moses to stay with them, and in time, gave his daughter Zipporah to Moses in marriage. She bore him a son, whom Moses named Gershom, saying, “I have become a foreigner in a foreign land.”
During this period, the king of Egypt died, but the Israelites continued to groan under their slavery. Their cries for help reached God, who remembered His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God looked upon the Israelites and was concerned about their plight.
While tending Jethro’s flock near Mount Horeb, the mountain of God, Moses encountered a miraculous sight: a bush that was on fire but did not burn up. Curious, he approached, and God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” Moses replied, “Here I am.” God instructed him to remove his sandals, for he was standing on holy ground. He introduced Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and revealed that He had seen the misery of His people in Egypt. God declared His intention to rescue them from oppression and bring them to a land flowing with milk and honey. He commissioned Moses to go to Pharaoh and lead the Israelites out of Egypt.
Moses expressed doubt about his ability to confront Pharaoh and questioned what he should say if the Israelites asked for God’s name. God responded, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.'” He assured Moses that He would be with him and provided signs to authenticate his mission, including turning his staff into a snake and making his hand leprous and then restoring it. Despite these assurances, Moses hesitated, citing his lack of eloquence. God reassured him, saying He would help him speak and teach him what to say. When Moses persisted in his reluctance, God appointed his brother Aaron to assist him, stating that Aaron would speak to the people on Moses’ behalf. With these provisions, Moses set out for Egypt, carrying the staff of God in his hand.
This narrative highlights Moses’ journey from a Hebrew infant under threat, to an Egyptian prince, to a fugitive in Midian, and finally to God’s chosen leader for the deliverance of Israel. It underscores themes of divine protection, identity, and the preparation of a leader for a monumental task.
