“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” ( Hebrews 11:23 )
It takes faith to ignore and disregard an edict of the king to do what is right. As the Israelites flourished in Egypt the Egyptians became increasingly aware of them, setting out to rule and oppress them. At first the king instructed the midwives to kill each baby that was born a boy. “The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, “When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live” ( Exodus 1:15-16 ).
However, the midwives feared God and did not do what the king instructed. When confronted by the king the women replied, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive” ( Exodus 1:19 ). God showed favor to the midwives giving them families of their own. After this, the king stopped giving mere suggestions and ordered the people, “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live” ( Exodus 1:22 ).
When Moses’ parents became pregnant, giving birth to a son, his mother hid him away for many months until it was no longer possible to do so. Then she coated a papyrus basket in tar and set it afloat on the Nile. She would not bow to the king’s order and kill her son. By faith, she provided a means to save him by placing him securely in the same waters that were meant to kill him.
As his sister kept watch over the basket, Pharaoh's daughter found the babe floating on the river and drew him out. She had compassion on him knowing he was a Hebrew child. Moses’ sister was sent to fetch his real mother so she could continue nursing him. “When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water” ( Exodus 2:10 ).
By faith Moses’ parents disregarded their lives to save their son who would grow up to deliver his people from slavery. The Nile was meant to be the tool to kill him, but God used that very thing to be the means for his deliverance. Even the meaning of his name reflects the miracle that occurred because God was faithful to His promise of sending a deliverer to the Israelites.
When we step out in faith, God will always meet us to carry it through. He will use the very things intended for harm to save us. Like Moses’ parents, we too can participate in His mighty works by being sensitive to His leading in our lives. What an amazing truth!
