September 14
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command,” Hebrews 11:23.
The children of Israel journeyed from the land of Canaan to Egypt during a severe famine and they became servants to the Egyptians. At the time, a new Pharaoh came into power. Because the population of the children of Israel was increasing, Pharaoh was afraid that eventually they would become powerful and the Egyptians could be overthrown. He instructed the Egyptians to make life miserable for the children of Israel through difficult manual labor. However, the children of Israel continued to increase in number in spite of the miserable treatment by the Egyptians.
Pharaoh then issued an executive order to the Hebrew midwives that when the Hebrew women gave birth to a baby boy, the midwife should kill the boy. The midwives were instructed to carry out infanticide, the killing of infants. However, the midwives were God-fearing people, and they refused to carry out Pharaoh’s order. They feared God more than the king.
This reminds us of what happened in the days of the apostles in the early church. The Jewish leaders forbade the apostles to teach and preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The apostles’ answer was, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” Acts 5:29.
When people in government pass laws that are immoral and contrary to the Commandments of God, Christians will refuse to obey such laws, and respond, as the apostles did, “We ought to obey God rather than men!” We need to teach people in government that there is a higher Law than any of the laws passed by men. The Moral Law, as revealed in Holy Scripture, is binding upon all people.
When Pharaoh’s efforts through the midwives failed, he commanded all the Egyptians to throw every baby boy of the Israelites into the Nile river at birth. During that time, Moses was born. He was hidden for three months by his parents, who were God-fearing people. “They were not afraid of the king’s command.” They had faith in God’s promise to send a Savior into the world. At the time, they did not know what plans God had for Moses.
When it became too difficult to hide the growing baby, his mother, Jochebed, wove a basket and made it watertight. She placed the baby in the basket and set it in the rushes by the riverbank where Pharaoh’s daughter frequently came for bathing. She instructed Miriam, Moses’ sister, to watch from a distance to see what would happen. Pharaoh’s daughter arrived, and when she saw the basket, she sent one of her maidens to get it. She opened the basket and saw the baby Moses crying. Miriam ran to the riverbank and offered to get a Hebrew nurse to care for the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed to the suggestion, and Miriam went and got Jochebed, Moses’ mother.
What an example of faith for parents to follow! Christian parents will rear their children in the Christian faith. They will bring them to Jesus! They will bring them to their Lord and Savior through Holy Baptism. They will teach them to pray and to sing the praises of Him who loves us and who suffered, died, and rose again to redeem us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. Parents should remember the words of Jesus: “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God,” Mark 10:14.
“Jesus loves me, this I know,
For the Bible tells me so.
Little ones to Him belong;
They are weak, but He is strong.
Yes, Jesus loves me,
Yes, Jesus loves me;
Yes, Jesus loves me,
The Bible tells me so.” Amen.