Many, many years had flown by since Joseph's brothers and their families first settled in the land of Egypt. Over time, they grew into a vast and mighty nation, but they still lived under the rule of the Egyptians. Things had changed, though. The once-friendly Pharaoh, who had welcomed their ancestors from Canaan, was no more. New kings had taken his place, and these rulers were less friendly to foreigners. Instead, they made life hard for the Israelites.
One fateful day, a devastating decree spread sorrow throughout the land of Goshen, the Israelites' home. Every newborn baby boy was to be thrown into the river, a horrifying fate that awaited them in the jaws of hungry crocodiles. In a humble house near the mighty river Nile, a mother named Jochebed wept as she cradled her precious baby boy. He was a beautiful, healthy child, and she couldn't bear to follow the king's cruel order. She decided to hide him for as long as possible.
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| Moses set afloat |
Hiding an infant was easy while he was small and slept most of the day, but as he grew, the task became more challenging. Her daughter Miriam did her best to help,
but the risk of discovery grew each day. Jochebed prayed for guidance, and with divine inspiration, she crafted a small ark from bulrushes, waterproofed it with pitch, and fashioned a soft bed inside. Placing her sleeping baby in the cradle, she set it afloat among the bulrushes near the riverbank, knowing that Pharaoh's daughter often came to bathe there.
Sure enough, the royal procession arrived, and the princess, drawn by curiosity, noticed the unusual ark among the bulrushes. Her maids retrieved it, revealing the charming baby inside, who woke up and began to cry. The princess, who loved babies and had none of her own, was moved by the infant's cry and decided to save him. Miriam, watching nearby, offered to find a Hebrew woman to care for the child, and the princess agreed.
Jochebed was hired as the baby's nurse, and the princess named him Moses, signifying how he had been drawn from the water. Though Moses would eventually live in the palace and be raised as a prince, Jochebed cherished those early years when she could teach him about God and their heritage as God's chosen people.
When Moses grew old enough to no longer need a nurse, he went to live in the palace as the princess's son, never forgetting his true identity. One day, witnessing the cruel treatment of an Israelite slave by an Egyptian taskmaster, he intervened, killing the taskmaster. However, this act led to his exile, leaving behind the riches and honor of palace life.
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| The Promised Land |
Moses then lived a vastly different life in the desert, working as a shepherd for an Arab tribe. Yet, God had greater plans for him. One day, in the desert, he encountered a burning bush that was not consumed by the flames. From this miraculous sight, God called Moses by name and tasked him with leading his people out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. Initially hesitant, Moses eventually accepted God's call and returned to Egypt to confront Pharaoh. Through a series of plagues, God's power was displayed, leading to the release of the Israelites. Moses became their leader, guiding them through challenges and dangers with God as their protector.
Despite God's continuous care, the Israelites often complained, and Moses bore the brunt of their discontent. Once, his anger almost led to disobedience, resulting in the divine decree that he would see the Promised Land from afar but never enter it. Moses accepted this fate and, on a mountaintop, gazed upon the Land of Canaan, the land of promise, before God took him. His murmuring people would never see their great leader again.
