A Muddy Basket

O.T. #124  "A Muddy Basket"
Sept. 10, 2013
Exodus 2-Part 3


LET IT GLOW

Oh the things we do. Did you ever make mud pies as a little girl? I did and had such fun. Often times there would be grass or twigs in them from the mud hole. Maybe it wasn't such a yucky thing, looking back. And then, there was the summer that I taught at children's camp how to make a basket. We soaked the reeds in water overnight to soften them so they were bendable. Today's Bible story is about a mother who made a basket of tar and pitch. What a craft mom!

Moses was a Hebrew born into a Levite family, priestly tribe, with a three year old brother Aaron and a sister Miriam, age 7-12. The family lived in Egypt for 400 years and were slaves to the Egyptians. yet they continued to believe in God. There were hard times and harsh treatments for believers in God. These were dark days.
The Hebrews grew in numbers and strength. Pharaoh was afraid they would unite with his enemies and overthrow his kingdom. He tried to get the midwives to kill all Hebrew baby boys, but they refused. He made a law that all Hebrew baby boys would be killed.
Moses was hid three months and then...

• Mother Jochebed devised a plan.
• She put Moses into a basket made of papyrus and tar and pitch, made watertight.
• It was the time and place that the Pharaoh's daughter took a bath, that Moses in the basket was put in the river.
• He was put in the Nile River in the shallow part, where the bulrushes(cattails) grew.
• Sister Miriam closely watched  Moses, keeping an eye on him.
• After a while, the baby cried. The Princess had him drawn out of the water. She saw that Moses was a Hebrew baby.
• Miriam offered to get a  Hebrew woman to nurse him. She agreed.
• As it turned out, Jochebed was hired by the Princess to take care of Moses, her own child. She was reunited with her son and paid wages to raise him. (Can it get any better?)

The story of baby Moses is one we heard in Sunday School growing up. Did you see the hand of God over the circumstances? Is that how it is with your life? Is he directing the details and timing?


LET IT GROW

I want you to put yourself in his mother's shoes today.

1. If your son is heard crying, and found out, he could be immediately taken from you and thrown into the Nile River to die. What a horrible way to live! Is it a joyful time to have a baby boy,  living in fear for the life of your precious son?
2. Devising a well thought out plan to save this sweet baby must have been inspired by God. Have you ever heard of such a thing since then?
3. Convincing Moses' father to go along with the plan would have been a challenge.
4. Mother let go of her plans for the child and let God direct him.
5. Continuing to exercise great faith and inner courage to hide and set the baby in the Nile while doubt could wash him away any second surrounded her.
6. Putting her trust in God involved thinking, planning, and applying on her part.
7. Jochebed got going with God. Her's was an active faith, not a passive one. It incorporated foresight and wisdom in its application, not simply hindsight and wishful thinking.

We knew how the story would turn out before reading it. Just think, this mother was living it and didn't have that privileged information.

Do I ask God to help me devise a plan for my life or am I on my own?
Am I willing to give up something that is so precious to me, giving it to God?
(He own everything anyway.)
Can I trust God to work things out for my good and His glory?

LET IT GO

of that precious thing God wants; that we may be loving more than Him.

Give and it shall be given unto us.

Keep praying.