A 7 Minute Meditation entitled “Give It To God” from Exodus 2:1-3
This podcast episode features the song “Something Wonderful” (edited for length) by Alan Špiljak, available under a Creative Commons License.
Exodus 2:1-3 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.
These were desperate times. Although Hebrew race were under the bondage Egyptian taskmasters, they flourished and grew in number; insomuch that they became a perceived threat to the Egyptian Pharaoh. Pharaoh devised a plan to rid them of their power and influence. He gave the command to kill the Hebrew baby boys as soon as they were born. No doubt soldiers were dispatched looking for the babies to throw them in the Nile River. In the midst of this terrible sorrow and danger, baby Moses was born. Can you see this mother, trying to hide this baby? Trying to raise the infant in silence constantly saying “Shhhhh….child please don’t cry.”
As the weeks and months go by, her burden of secrecy, and protection of this child becomes overwhelming. She lived in constant terror, and after exhausting every means at her disposal for protecting baby Moses she came to a grim decision. She could not bear to see him slaughtered at the hands of Pharaoh’s henchmen, so Instead she would place her precious child in the hands of God. Can you see this mother, weeping as she made this little basket? Praying to the God of her fathers, to somehow spare the child’s life.
Finally the day came. The mud and tar had dried in the Egyptian sun. I imagine she wrapped baby Moses as tight as she could, walked to the water’s edge, and with a broken heart placed that little cooing baby in a basket that seemed more to her like a coffin than a boat. She covered him over with the lid, and with a gentle nudge pushed him out into the water.
In this act of desperation, she exhibits a complete dependence upon God, a trust in His sovereign ability. The author of the book of Hebrews said just as much in chapter 11 verse 23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
This was an act of faith in God.
It is interesting to note that the word used to refer to a bulrush in Hebrew is the form of a root word which is often translated as willingness. As a reed bows to the wind, so was Moses’ mother, willingly trusting God with her precious baby.
This seems like a hopeless situation. The Nile River is known for its snakes and crocodiles. Numerous boats traveled swiftly down the river constantly. Surely this mother has indeed put this baby in a coffin. But that is not the case at all.
Note that the word “ark” was used for this basket. This word translated ark is used in the Old Testament in only two contexts? One is here dealing with Moses. The other is in Genesis IN reference to Noah’s ark: a vessel of God’s deliverance from a worldwide flood. Same word is used for this little basket that was waded out into the flags of the Nile. Just like the ark of Noah was unsinkable, so was this basket. I believe that there was no boat on the Nile that could crush it. If a crocodile tried to chomp it, it would have broken a tooth! This basket bumped and bobbed its way down to where the Egyptian royalty went bathing. Can you see Moses’ sister, who had followed the little ark down the Nile, saying to herself as she watched,, “If there has ever been a time for you to cry little brother, it is now!” Sure enough his little shrill cry rings from within the basket. Pharaoh’s daughter had it brought to her. “Look at that. It’s one of those Hebrew baby’s my father is trying to kill.” About that time, the tears of that baby began to roll down his little cheeks. Her heart melted! She thinks to herself, “Not this baby. It’s not going to happen to this one!” All of a sudden a voice rings out from the reeds. A red eyed Hebrew girl said in a shaky voice, “I know a good nurse for that baby.” Pharaoh’s daughter, seeing the desperation in the little girl’s eyes, more than likely perceiving what the situation was, consents. Moses’ sister, runs to her mother with the news, “Mama! Mama! You will never believe what happened to baby brother!” In tears Mama comes to the Pharaoh’s daughter. The Egyptian princess hands her the baby, and says “I need a nurse. Can you take care of this child for me? And here, let me pay you for your time.”
As a point of application: When you have gone to your greatest extent to control a situation to no avail, you must be willing to trust God with the matter; to put it in His hands; to give it to God. It may be that the hardest thing you have ever had to do is to let go of a situation; to turn loose of a relationship; to simply trust God with that sickness. But I want you to know that the God of heaven is absolutely trustworthy! He is a God that sees the end from the beginning and is well aware of what you need, and what your deliverance requires. You just have to trust him.
You may think that you are floating on a river of chance; living a life that is out of control. But you are not. Time and time again in the Bible, we see that God really does work all things together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
