In Exodus 1, Pharaoh first tried to subdue Israel by causing them to do backbreaking manual labour. When that failed, he contacted the Hebrew midwives and asked them to put to death the male children. When that plan failed, he announced to all the Egyptians to put to death all the Hebrew male children by drowning.

This final plan of genocide is in place, and that is the context into which we come to this passage of the birth of Moses. Exodus 2:1-22 looks at the first 80 years of Moses' life. We see in the text how God preserved Moses' life, how Moses chose to identify with God and His people, and how God prepared Moses for the task that He had in store for him. We will follow the outline below:

1. God Delivers Moses from Pharaoh. (v.1-10)
2. Moses Fails as the Deliverer. (v.11-15)
3. Moses Delivers 7 Midian Daughters. (v.16-22)

Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed (Exodus 6:20), from the tribe of Levi (Exodus 2:1). The fact that both the man and his wife are of the tribe of Levi is a point which Moses wants us to view as significant. The children of Israel know that the house of Levi has been chosen and appointed by God at Sinai to be the priesthood of Israel.

At a very young age, this helpless, vulnerable, weak infant is hidden away from murderous Pharaoh in a floating bed of reeds and oils in the tall reeds of the river Nile (v1-10). God is going to use this weak infant to accomplish His sovereign designs. It is God’s delight to use that which seems foolish and weak in our eyes, in the eyes of men, to bring about His promises and purposes.

In verses 11-15, two incidents are recorded of Moses attempting to be a deliverer for the Hebrews. Moses identifies with the Israelites and thier suffering and pain. His heart longs to help them but his methods fail him as he ends up murdering an abusive Egyptian. The next day Moses tries to rescue two Hebrews from killing each other. These Hebrews resent Moses for his privileges and for getting involved in their argument, one of the men makes a snide remark about Moses killing the Egyptian taskmaster. Though it has only been one day, the truth of what happened is already out. It is only a matter of time before Pharaoh discovers that Moses has murdered one of his workers. Soon, Pharaoh hears the news and seeks to kill Moses, but Moses escapes to Midian (Exodus 2:13–15).

Verses 15-22, Moses meets the Midianites. He’s had an encounter with the Egyptians, he’s had an encounter with his own people, the Hebrews, now he encounters the Midianites.

Getting Started                          

1. Did you ever have swimming lessons as a child? Can you remember your first lesson or first time in a swimming pool, river or sea? Share your experience.     

• Read Exodus 2:1-22

2. What insight, principle, or observation from Sunday’s sermon did you find to be the most helpful, eye-opening, or challenging?

Digging Deeper

3. If the Levitical priesthood began with Aaron, the older brother of Moses (Exodus 28:1–3), why is it significant that the text mentions that both the man and his wife of this baby are of the tribe of Levi?   

4. According to Acts 7:25, why might Moses had felt surprised by the response of the Hebrew man when Moses confronted him about his fighting with another Hebrew? 

5. What happened at the well in Midian and how did this impact the trajectory of Moses’s life? 

The Heart of the Matter

6. Verses 5-10 from Exodus 2, tell us a lot about the character of God. We know there is no such thing as luck or coincidence in the bible, so then why do you think God wanted Moses found by a member of the royal family? What can we learn from Pharaoh’s daughter? 

7. We live in a world that values independence and individualism. How many times have you been tempted by the devil to not trust in God but rather trust in yourself? What lessons from the sermon on Sunday about God being our perfect deliverer resonated with you? 

8. Romans 8:28 says,  “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” What are some ways God has used your past mistakes to sovereignly bring about good in your life and the lives of those around you?