How does Exodus 2:1-10 connect with the faith shown in Hebrews 11:23? Setting the scene in Exodus 2 “Now a man of the house of Levi went and took as his wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months.” (Exodus 2:1-2) • Pharaoh’s genocidal decree (Exodus 1:22) hangs over every Hebrew family. • Amram and Jochebed quietly welcome their newborn, recognizing something extraordinary about him. • After three months the hiding becomes impossible, so they craft the papyrus ark, coat it with bitumen and pitch, and set it among the reeds of the Nile (2:3). • Miriam watches; Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the child; Jochebed is hired to nurse her own baby (2:4-9). • The boy is named Moses—“drawn out” of the water (2:10)—already hinting at the future Exodus. Hebrews 11:23 — Faith remembered “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that he was a beautiful child, and they were unafraid of the king’s edict.” (Hebrews 11:23) • The Spirit-inspired commentary identifies the driving force behind every detail in Exodus 2: faith. • Their courage is not reckless human defiance; it is confidence that the God of Abraham will keep His covenant (Genesis 15:13-14). Parallels between the passages • “Saw that he was beautiful” (Exodus 2:2; Acts 7:20) ↔ “saw that he was a beautiful child” (Hebrews 11:23). • “Hid him for three months” (Exodus 2:2) ↔ “hid him for three months” (Hebrews 11:23). • Pharaoh’s death sentence (Exodus 1:22) ↔ “the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23). • Exodus narrates the event; Hebrews interprets the heart: faith over fear. What faith looked like for Moses’ parents • Faith chooses life when culture chooses death (compare Proverbs 24:11-12). • Faith acts—building an ark, placing it in the Nile, stationing Miriam nearby (James 2:17). • Faith relinquishes control: the basket floats beyond Jochebed’s reach, yet safely into God’s (Psalm 37:5). • Faith refuses intimidation: “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). God’s sovereign hand behind their faith • Perfect timing: Pharaoh’s daughter comes to bathe at that precise moment (Exodus 2:5). • Perfect placement: reeds keep the basket from drifting away. • Perfect provision: Jochebed is paid wages to nurture her own son (2:8-9), a foretaste of Israel leaving Egypt with plunder (12:35-36). • All of it fulfills God’s larger rescue plan (Romans 8:28; Jeremiah 1:5). Lessons for today’s walk • God-honoring faith is never passive; it counts the cost and still obeys (Luke 14:27-28; Acts 5:29). • Real faith stares down fear because it sees a greater King than Pharaoh (Proverbs 29:25). • Even ordinary homes can become arenas of redemptive history when parents trust God with their children (Deuteronomy 6:5-7; 2 Timothy 1:5). • The same Lord who preserved Moses through watery danger now saves us through Christ, the greater Deliverer (1 Corinthians 10:1-4; Titus 3:5). |
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