[435 words]
“What do you know about Moses?” the Bible class teacher asked her eager 5th graders. “He was saved from death because his mother put him in a little boat on the river.” “He was found by Pharaoh’s daughter.” “He led the people out of bondage.” “He gave the Ten Commandments.” “He led the children of Israel in the desert.”
We know a great deal about Moses, don’t we? Without a doubt, he is one of the greatest people in the Bible. But, what do you know about his parents? Some may know their names were Amram and Jochebed. Others may know they were of the tribe at Levi. A few may know this passage of Scripture: “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 story of Moses really begins with parents’ faith. The king of Egypt had decreed that all Hebrew male babies should be thrown into the Nile River.
However, the faith of Moses’ parents led them to reject the king’s commandment. As a result, Moses was rescued from the river by the daughter of Pharaoh and nurtured for the first few years of his life by his own mother. During those years his parents must have taught him about his heritage, the God of Israel, and the promised future. What happened then is history: Moses was brought up in the house of Pharaoh as the son at Pharaoh’s daughter; after 40 years in Egypt he refused the splendor and power of a position in Egypt and became a shepherd in the wilderness of Sinai for another 40 years; then God called and Moses answered to become Law-giver, deliverer, leader, prophet, priest, protector, and a household name to millions.
What Moses became was largely because of his parents’ faith which led them to preserve him, provide for him, and prepare him for the service of God. Now, look at your child. Here is a gift from God. You are entrusted with a treasure. What will your child become? The answer will largely be dependent upon your faith. You may have a Moses on your hands if (and that’s a big “if”) you have enough faith to fulfill your God- given responsibilities in training him in the ways of God. Bible classes will help. Regular attendance in worship will help. Christian associations will help. Do all you can to capture the Moses in your child while the opportunity is there. Think about it.
Jay Lockhart
via Chapman church of Christ
Ripley, MS