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CHAPTER 3: The Birth, And The Training Of Moses, Both In Egypt And
In Midian, As Preparatory To HisCalling Exodus 2
TO the attentive reader of Scripture it will not seem strange - only remarkable - that
the verymeasure which Pharaoh had taken for the destruction of Israel eventually led
to their deliverance.Had it not been for the command to cast the Hebrew children into
the river, Moses would not havebeen rescued by Pharaoh's daughter, nor trained in all
the wisdom of Egypt to fit him for his calling.Yet all throughout, this marvelous story
pursues a natural course; that is, natural in its progress, butsupernatural in its purposes
and results.
A member of the tribe of Levi, and descendant of Kohath,(Exodus 6:20; Numbers
26:59) Amramby name, had married Jochebed, who belonged to the same tribe. Their
union had already beenblessed with two children, Miriam and Aaron, when the
murderous edict of Pharaoh was issued.The birth of their next child brought them the
more sorrow and care, that the "exceeding fairness" ofthe child not only won their
hearts, but seemed to point him out as destined of God for some specialpurpose. In
this struggle of affection and hope against the fear of man, they obtained the victory,as
victory is always obtained, "by faith." There was no special revelation made to them,
nor wasthere need for it. It was a simple question of faith, weighing the command of
Pharaoh against thecommand of God and their own hopes. They resolved to trust the
living God of their fathers, and tobrave all seeming danger. It was in this sense that
"by faith Moses, when he was born, was hid threemonths of his parents, because they
saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of theking's commandment."
Longer concealment at home being impossible, the same confidence of faithnow led
the mother to lay the child in an ark made, as at that time the light Nile-boats used to
be, of"bulrushes," or papyrus - a strong three-cornered rush, that grew to a height of
about ten or fifteenfeet.
The "ark" - a term used in Scripture only here and in connection with the deliverance
of Noah by an"ark" - was made tight within by "slime" - either Nile-mud or asphalt -
and impenetrable to water bya coating of "pitch." Thus protected, the "ark," with its
precious burden, was deposited among "theflags" in the brink, or lip of the river, just
where Pharaoh's daughter was wont to bathe, though thesacred text does not expressly
inform us whether or not this spot was purposely chosen. The allusionin Psalm 78:12
to the "marvelous things" done "in the field of Zoan," may perhaps guide us to thevery
scene of this deliverance. Zoan, as we know, was the ancient Avaris, the capital of
theShepherd kings, which the new dynasty had taken from them. The probability that
it would continuethe residence of the Pharaohs, the more so as it lay on the eastern
boundary of Goshen, is confirmedby the circumstance that in those days, of all the
ancient Egyptian residences, Avaris or Zoan alonelay on an arm of the Nile which was
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