Standing Up For the Little Man

Exodus 2 gives us a valuable character study into the life of the adult Moses. From three instances we learn that Moses has a special place in his heart for the oppressed. First, Moses stands up to an Egyptian oppressor. As Moses surveyed the scene, he did not notice Egyptian luxury, noble society, or a great empire; he saw forced labor. Even though Moses is of the high court, he still considers his Hebrew kinsmen. When he witnessed an Egyptian in the process of beating a Hebrew to death, he intervened and killed the Egyptian oppressor in the same way he was afflicting the Hebrew.

Second, Moses stands up to a Hebrew bully. The next day, he observes two Hebrews fighting so he addresses the guilty one and stops the fight. The guilty one is not happy and scolds Moses for assuming an authoritative role that he does not have. He also reveals that he knows that Moses has killed an Egyptian (perhaps he uses this knowledge as blackmail). When Pharaoh learns that Moses has killed an Egyptian he demands Moses' life, forcing Moses flees to Midian.

Finally, Moses stands up to belligerent shepherds. In Midian, Moses takes rest at a well. He witnesses local shepherds pushing aside the priest of Midians’ daughters. Again, Moses intervened and came to their rescue and watered their flocks.

From these three instances we learn that Moses is passionate for standing up for the oppressed. As chapter two comes to a close, we also learn that Israel is being oppressed and is in need of someone to stand up for them. Who might there be to stand up to the Egyptians?

The Irony of Moses' Rescue

When the Moses' mother could no longer hide him, she made a tevah (ark) and put him into it. This one of the only two occurrences of tevah in the OT (the other the Noah account). Moses' mother made an ark. Both Noah's ark and Moses' were means of salvation from water. The ark was placed in the reeds by the river bank so that it would not float away. Perhaps there is another element of symbolism in the reeds. Later Moses will lead Israel to the banks of the Sea of Reeds where he will part the waters.

Pharaoh's daughter comes to the river to bathe and finds the baby in the ark. She recognizes that he is a Hebrew. Will she kill the baby and finish the job as her father ordered? No, she has pity on the boy. She commits to the protection and care for the child. How ironic is it that the baby is rescued by the daughter of the very king who ordered his death.

Later, Pharaoh's daughter names the child Moses. Even though his name is Egyptian, she gives a Hebrew etymology. Moshe sounds like the Hebrew word "masha" (to draw out). He is called Moses, because he was "drawn out" of the waters. God said that creation "was good" and Moses' mother said he "was good." Moses was saved by an ark. Moses has already been to the reeds. Does Moses' rescue from the waters anticipate a larger rescue in the future?