Highlight:

Hebrews 11:23

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.

Explanation:

Moses was born into an Egypt that had forgotten the contribution of Joseph.

Exodus 1:8

8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.

This Pharaoh dealt treacherously with God’s people, and even instituted a policy that all the sons should be killed.  

Exodus 1:22

22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.

Moses’ parents had a fearful task that they chose not to be afraid of in defying the unjust law of the land that compelled them to kill there son.  

Exodus 2:2

2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

Imagine having to hide your babies cries from the authorities for the first three months of life.  Nursing the child in secret must have been difficult.  The most famous way she exercised her faith in God and defiance to the foreign king was to put her baby in an ark of bullrushes.  God showed Himself to be so faithful and incredible.  

Exodus 2:3-9

3 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.  4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.  5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.  6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.

7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?  8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother.  9 And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

The daughter of the man who instituted the law to kill that child paid Moses mother to nurse her own child, and then adopted it as her own, making him a prince of Egypt.

Application:

The Bible is living and active because it doesn’t just say what happened, but proclaims what often happens even today.

1. Satan uses ungodly leaders to hurt children.  This is a theme in scripture and is still happening today.
2. Civil disobedience in response to unjust laws is an act of faith, should be honored, but comes at a cost. Moses’ parents excercised their faith in God in defiance to the king’s commandment, and God used that to deliver his people.  Moses was more safe in a basket of bullrushes than in his mothers arms in his home.  In the flesh that is hard to believe, but God worked out his plan to get Moses where He wanted Him.
3. God is able to honor those who live by faith.  He sovereignly worked out his plan to deliver his people in this circumstance.  God can be trusted.  We ought to have the attitude of those three Hebrew boys:  “We believe God can deliver us, but even if he won’t, we will not bow….”

Response:

The day may be coming when we have to defy the government.  God give me boldness when that day comes.  Help me to live by faith even when it is difficult.