Moses saved from the river
1 Now a man belonging to the clan of Levi married a woman of his own tribe.
2 She gave birth to a boy and, seeing that he was a beautiful child, she kept him hidden for three months.
3 As she could not conceal him any longer, she made a basket out of papyrus leaves and coated it with tar and pitch. She then laid the child in the basket and placed it among the reeds near the bank of the Nile;
4 but the sister of the child kept at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the Nile; her attendants meanwhile walked along the bank. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maidservant to fetch it.
6 She opened the basket and saw the child—a boy, and he was crying! She felt sorry for him, for she thought: “This is one of the Hebrew children.”
7 Then the sister of the child said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”
8 Pharaoh’s daughter agreed, and the girl went to call the mother of the child.
9 Pha raoh’s daughter said to her, “Take the child and nurse him for me and I will pay you.” So the woman took the child and nursed him
10 and, when the child had grown, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter who adopted him as her son. And she named him Moses to recall that she had drawn him out of the water.
Moses discovers his people
11 After a fairly long time, Moses, by now a grown man, wanted to meet his fellow Hebrews. He noticed how heavily they were burdened and he saw an Egyptian striking a He brew, one of his own people.
12 He looked around and seeing no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.
13 When he went out the next day he saw two Hebrews quarreling. Moses said to the man in the wrong, “Why are you striking a fellow country man?”
14 But he answered, “Who has set you prince and judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” Moses was afraid and thought, “What I did must be known.”
15 When Pharaoh heard about it he tried to kill Moses, but Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. There he sat down by a well.
Moses in Midian
16 A priest of Midian had seven daughters. They came to draw water and fill the troughs to water their father’s sheep.
17 Some shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses went to their help and watered the sheep.
18 When the girls returned to their father Reuel, he asked them, “Why have you come back so early today?”
19 They said, “An Egyptian pro tected us from the shepherds, and even drew water for us and watered the sheep.”
20 The man said, “Where is he? Why did you leave him there? Call him and offer him a meal.”
21 Moses agreed to stay with the man and he gave Moses his daughter Zipporah in marriage.
22 She had a child and Moses named him Gershom, to recall that he had been a guest in a strange land.
God remembers Israel
23 It happened during that long period of time that the king of Egypt died. The sons of Israel groaned under their slavery; they cried to God for help and from their bondage their cry ascended to God.
24 God heard their sigh and remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
25 God looked upon the Israelites and revealed himself to them.
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Comments Exodus, Chapter 2
• 2.1 The liberation of the Hebrew people begins with a simple, solitary act—that of a mother risking her life to save her son.
Her action is the manifestation of a mother’s love. It is the rebellion of a conscience that refuses to obey an inhuman law. It is the act of faith of a mother who anticipates the wonderful future that God opens to a newly-born infant, knowing also that children are the future of her people (see Heb 11:21).
Isn’t this the same way in which mothers today refuse abortion in the name of their conscience enlightened by faith?
Historians explain that the details of this story were inspired by the legend of King Sargon, who was saved from drowning when he was a boy. Most probably nothing was known about Moses’ childhood. The story of the basket found among the reeds was a pleasant way of expressing God’s providence. Moses would escape from the common destiny of Hebrew children and land in the confined world of those who benefit from culture. The one who was to free the slaves should experience liberty. The slaves did not even know what the word freedom meant.
• 11. Moses lived a prince’s life. Never the less, he went to meet his people who lived in poorer conditions.
He noticed how heavily they were burdened. He did not respond like many culturally privileged who, rather than acting in solidarity with their people, act contrary to their interests (e.g. through the export of capital and brain drain). Moses did not deliberately close his eyes, like those who deny their humble be gin nings or reject solidarity with their companions in order to be admitted to higher circles.
Immediately, Moses sides with his people. On the following day, he discovers another aspect of evil: they are not innocent victims. The oppression they suffer has something to do with the violence, the evil and the irresponsibility which exists among them. They are not respected by the Egyptians, but neither are they concerned about meriting this respect. This time, Moses does not know what to do and prefers to flee.
Moses has taken the first step on the way that will lead to the liberation of his people. Likewise, those who are able to share the lot of the privileged, but prefer to put themselves at the service of the lowly become, without knowing it, followers of Christ, as Heb 11:25 says: “By faith, Moses refused to be called son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He preferred to share ill treatment with the people of God, rather than enjoy the passing pleasure of sin; he considered the humiliation of Christ a greater wealth than the riches of Egypt.”
Thus we see that the Bible values efforts made to promote human dignity, and the efforts of youth, workers and all those struggling for development and for a more active participation in the building of their future.
The liberation God will bring about is, at the same time, a libera tion from structures of op pression and the awakening of each person regarding his or her own sin.
• 16. As a shepherd in the desert, Moses learns the raw life, poor and free, like that of Abra ham. He lives among the Midianites, who are more or less descendants of the father of the believers (Gen 25:2). Thus, Moses receives from his father-in-law, Reuel, also called Jethro (3:1), the traditions of Abraham and his faith to the one and only God.
• 23. They cried to God for help and from their bondage their cry ascended to God. At times, people do not even have the spirit to hope in God, but though they may have forgotten the promises, God does not forget them. There is such a thing as God’s time and also God’s delay (2 Mac 6:12; Hb 1:2; Sir 35:19; Ps 44; Mk 4:26; Lk 18:1; Rev 6:11). Though we can hasten the hour of God (2 P 3:12), “time and the moment” belong to him (Acts 1:7).