BABY MOSES
Leader Bible Study
When Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill all male babies instead of bringing them safely through delivery, Shiphrah and Puah courageously refused to obey the orders of the most powerful man in the world. Instead, they offered the excuse that Hebrew women were so strong they gave birth to healthy babies before the midwives could arrive! Due to their bravery, these two women saved an untold number of boys' lives.
Not to be outwitted by slaves, Pharaoh abandoned his tactic and issued a new order that "all his people" were to throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile. Imagine the terror of a postpartum mother who knew that, at any moment, someone could rip her baby boy from her arms and drown him by order of the king. These were the circumstances into which Moses was born.
The author of Hebrews wrote that Moses' family kept him hidden for three months because they saw that he was astejos (Hebrews 11:23). This rarely used Greek word is difficult to interpret, and it conveys more than Moses' physical appearance. Various translations read "beautiful" (CSB; ESV), "no ordinary child" (NIV), "unusual" (NLT), and "proper" (KJV). There was something unique about this baby that made his family believe he was destined for greatness, and they were determined to do whatever they could to save his life.
Jochebed took matters into her own hands and placed Moses in a pitch-covered "ark," demonstrating that, just as God saved Noah and his family (Genesis 6-8), she believed He would save her son. Instead of allowing a cruel king to determine his fate, she trusted God to spare her boy's life. In a surprising twist, God used the compassion of Pharaoh's daughter to reverse Moses' misfortune. Instead of being drowned in the Nile, Moses earned his name by being "drawn out" of the water and adopted into the very family that had plotted his execution. Thanks to the quick thinking of his watching sister, Moses returned to his biological mother for a few priceless years, during which he was physically and spiritually nourished.
How are you trusting God with the lives of those you love? As you pray this week, thank God that no one can thwart His good plans for you and those you love. Ask Him for the strength to trust Him as unconditionally as Jochebed did.
Introductory Activity
In today’s scripture, someone was hiding. To get us ready to find out who, we are going to play “Guess Who’s Hiding.” Children close their eyes. Tap one child on the floor to go and hide somewhere in the room. Children open eyes and take turns guessing who is missing.
Bible Story
Explain that the Bible story is found in Exodus, the second book in the
Bible. Give help as kids locate the book. Direct kids to chapter 1, verse 22. Ask boys and girls to look for the word pharaoh (which begins with ph not f). Explain that Pharaoh was much like a king and that God's people, called Hebrews, were Pharaoh's slaves. Guide kids to close their Bibles. Encourage them to listen for the name of the baby in the story
and what his name means
A new king came into power in Egypt. Pharaoh (the title for an ancient Egyptian king) was worried that there were too many Israelite people and that one day they would fight against him. The king made the Israelites his slaves, and he treated the slaves badly.
Pharaoh made a terrible new command that every Israelite baby boy must die. While this rule was in place, an Israelite family had a new baby boy. The mother, father, and sister loved this new baby and wanted to protect him from the horrible command of Pharaoh.
So the mother hid the baby for three months after he was born. The baby grew, and when the mother could no longer hide the baby, she got a papyrus basket and coated it with tar and pitch. She placed the baby in the basket and placed the basket in the tall grassy reeds along the Nile River. The baby's sister, Miriam, watched from a distance.
Soon, Pharaoh's daughter, the princess, went down to the river to bathe. When she saw the basket, she sent her servant to get it. Protected inside was a baby boy! He was crying, and the princess felt sorry for him. "This baby is one of the Hebrew boys," she said.
Miriam, who was still watching, stepped forward and said, "Shall I get one of the Israelite women to take care of this baby for you?"
"Yes. Go," answered the princess. Miriam brought the baby's mother to Pharaoh's daughter.
Pharaoh's daughter sent the baby to be cared for by his Israelite family until he was old enough to join her in the palace. The baby's family protected and cared for him. When the child grew older, the mother brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and the boy became her son. The princess named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."
-BASED ON EXODUS 1:8-2:10; NUMBERS 26:59
Review Questions
- Why was Pharaoh worried about the Israelites? (He thought there were too many of them and that one day they would fight against the Egyptians.)
- What terrible command did Pharaoh make about baby boys born to the Israelites? (They must die)
- How did Moses' mother protect her baby boy? (She hid him for 3 months, then hid him in a basket in the reeds near the river.)
- How did Miriam help care for and protect her baby brother? (She watched over the basket in the river and brought her mother to Pharaoh's daughter.)
- Who did Pharaoh's daughter ask to care for the baby until he was old enough to join her in the palace? (Moses' mother)
- What did Pharaoh's daughter do when the child came to the palace? (made him her son; named him Moses)
Invite children to paint their family or the story of Moses using watercolors. Remind them that Moses’ mother placed him in the river to protect him because she loved and cared for him. Ask children how they can show love and care for their families.
Invite children to pretend to be Moses’ family by dressing as the princess or Miriam and caring for baby dolls. Tell the story of baby Moses as children feed, clean, and protect the babies. Ask how they can care for and protect their own families.
Fold construction paper in half and cut ¼-inch strips from the fold, stopping ½ inch from the edge. Cut other colors into ¼-inch strips. Open the paper and weave the colored strips over and under to create a colorful design. Talk about how Moses’ mother cared for and protected him by placing him in a basket. Remind children God cares for and protects us.
Provide a water tub with baskets, plastic people, scoops, and shovels for children to act out the Bible story. Discuss Philippians 2:3 and how Moses’ family put his needs first. Ask children how they can put their family’s needs before their own.
Place blue paper or tablecloth on the floor in the block area. Invite children to build a river with blocks around the paper. Children take turns pretending to be Moses by getting in a laundry basket. Work together to care for and safely move the laundry basket down the river. Thank God for each person and their family as they take a turn pretending to be Moses in the basket floating down the basket. As children climb out of the basket, ask how you can pray for their family.