Our bible study takes off from the story of Moses’ birth written in Exodus 2:1-6. Of these verses, we zero in on Exodus 2:2-3.
Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman,
and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.
When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
But when she could hide him no longer,
she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch.
Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds
along the bank of the Nile.
His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe,
and her attendants were walking along the riverbank.
She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it.
She opened it and saw the baby.
He was crying, and she felt sorry for him.
“This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.
(Exodus 2:1-6, NIV)
EXODUS 2:2
Moses: The Hidden Child
Moses couldn’t have picked a worse birthday.
He entered the world at a time of terrible trouble. Another Hebrew like him—added to the already bursting population of Hebrews in Egypt—was one threat too many. No one had seen his cute face yet, but by an oppressive Pharaoh’s decree, Moses already had a price on his head.
The genocide campaign against all male Hebrew children was unheard of in ancient history. Keep in mind, a similar event—Herod’s slaughter of Bethlehem innocents—happened in Jesus’ time, centuries after Moses’ story.
You can then imagine the horror of the execution order. Pharaoh’s edict to throw newborns to the river must have given many mothers panic attacks. For how could one hide a baby whose first instinct was to cry? And loudly too, if he must.
Moses had it easy, though. It was his parents who carried the burden of keeping his whereabouts secret (Exodus 2:2). It was them who dealt with the daily anxiety of living discretely. It was the family—together with seven-year-old sister Miriam and three-year-old brother Aaron—who must bear the penalty of defying the law if caught.
JOCHEBED - MOTHER OF MOSES
Unfortunately, the day came “when she could hide him no longer” (Exodus 2:3). Whether Moses wasn’t playing his part to be quiet or high officials were aggressively hunting male babies, leaving no stone unturned, we don’t know for sure. But the pith of the matter is—Jochebed couldn’t sustain her ruse.
How her heart must have ripped apart when forced by perilous times to let go of Moses! Sending off her baby downstream wasn’t an ideal option.
Because the Nile River was a deathtrap.
What choice did Jochebed have? Hand over Moses to the bloodthirsty Pharaoh and negotiate? Or risk a face-to-snout encounter with a Nile crocodile? Which gamble had better chances of success?
Before you dismiss the idea, let me add. Nile crocodiles were a real threat in ancient Egypt. These apex predators sat at the top of the food chain. With an average fifteen feet length, more than five hundred kilos weight, and at least sixty-four teeth, well … they deserved their reputation as ferocious baddies.
For Nile crocodiles, anything that moved was fair game. So, sending baby Moses on a basket cruise on the Nile must have been a desperate countermeasure for desperate times. It was all a heartbroken mother could do, with the best of her abilities, given the cruelty of the Egyptian monarchy.
I guess the choice would have been easier if Jochebed knew for sure her child would live. But Jochebed didn’t have the benefit of psychic insight. She had no idea her son will walk the earth for another 120 years.
She had no idea Moses would be a legend who’d deliver God’s people from bondage—that the mission of redemption was divinely written in his to-do list.
Jochebed didn’t know her son would one day raise his weary 80-year-old arm, for six hours, until the enslaved Israelites crossed the Red Sea.
Jochebed didn’t know her son would be the mouthpiece of God and the conduit of supernatural marvels … that he would one day go down Mount Sinai with a face so radiant, Israelites would cower in fear (Exodus 34:29-30).
Jochebed didn’t know.
But at a time of peril, she kept an active faith. And she braved treacherous days with a plan. A tactical, well-staged plan.
So you see, Moses had it easy. Even in the first months of his life, he already had a potent weapon … his praying mother.
And Jochebed’s prayer was no tiny accomplishment. For they lived in a country where even fellow Israelites succumbed to Egyptian paganism.
Mother and Child Acrylic Painting by Ginger Estavillo Umali
EXODUS 2:3
Tar and Pitch
Jochebed had few things going for her. But that few was everything.
God was everything.
God didn’t permit the Nile River to swell out of control nor the basket to drift far from reach and into oblivion.
God planted the right adoptive woman to rescue Moses and moved her heart with enough compassion to raise an orphaned Hebrew (Exodus 2:6).
But before Jochebed surrendered her child to God, she did her own homework. She didn’t flirt with fate. She didn’t toss caution to the wind by placing Moses in a papyrus ark without protection. She knew there must be purposeful provision for the journey to at least give her baby a fighting chance at survival.
Exodus 2:3 shares an eye-opening detail:
“But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch” (Exodus 2:3, NIV).
Tar and pitch. What’s that? What for?
Let’s read another translation for clarity—
“But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made of papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in the basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River” (Exodus 2:3, NLT).
Waterproofing! Smart.
In the ancient world, pitch was derived from trees, most likely from pine sap. It was used to seal naval vessels, earthen wine containers, and baskets, among other things. It was a precious shipbuilding tool, smeared on ship wood and ship equipment, to save them from decay.
So not only did Jochebed slice reeds from ten-foot-tall papyrus plants, she also added waterproofing to her labor. I imagine her crying as she weaved, perhaps debating in her head the foolishness of parting with her treasure in that basket.
Nothing more was said of Jochebed’s life except for this story in Exodus 2. But the fruit of her piety and watchfulness produced advantages for many generations down the road.
Even briefly, she nursed a child without knowing she raised a leader.
She protected a child without knowing she secured a legacy for God’s people.
That which was within her power to do, she executed with perfect clarity and determination.
And the consequences rippled beyond her lifetime.
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOU
Friend, are you contending with a problem so huge, you feel there’s no way out?
Maybe the pandemic shut-down your business and recovery is remote.
Maybe you’re entangled in an embittered relationship, even a counselor can’t help.
Maybe a loved one lives as a prisoner to addictions. Or maybe depression paints your day with gloomy colors and suicidal urges want to win your battles.
It doesn’t matter what conflict shapes your story. You’re at the epicenter of a dilemma of cyclonic intensity. Desperate measures are needed. But you don’t know what to do or how to even start.
Let me encourage you, dear Jochebed.
Shift your gears to slow.
Crawl into the protective arms of the Father and be still while you’re there.
Right now, prayer is your ally. In moments such as these—more than ever—you need the Holy Spirit to flow like a river of peace into your soul.
Surrender everything to the One who can deal with the problem.
Speak the unspeakable to yourself. “Yes, I can do this through Christ who strengthens me.” Say it out loud, even if you don’t believe it.
Go ahead. Do your utmost best within the abilities and resources bequeathed to you. Work bullheadedly on your weaving and glazing of “tar and pitch.” But at the end of the day, when nothing more can be added by your physical heaving, pushing, and pulling, don’t despair.
Leave the outcome to your merciful Savior.
Because in the first place, it was God who ordained this day to enter your narrative. It was Him who planted you in a ruthless crisis to stretch your faith.
So brave it. And survive.
God has a far-reaching goal which may or may not be visible to you in your lifetime. You may not witness the full picture. Just like Jochebed, you may not realize what legacy ripples from your hard work. But that’s okay. It’s alright not to be in the God-loop.
For now, whatever is within your facility to do, do it well. Finish your own papyrus basket like it’s nobody’s business.
Just do it.
Let’s face it. Life’s tough. We come undone more times in a day than we care to admit. When your battle isn’t over but you want the pain to ease up, sit quietly with the Lord. Find rest as you read these DEVOTIONALS.
For more
BIBLE STUDIES, check out these posts:
Unseen Gems in a Barren Life
(Isaiah 54)
Frustrated by Nets, Astounded by Fish
(Luke 5:4)
Thank you so much, Cindy, for dropping in and leaving me an encouraging note. It’s amazing how the Lord brings His Word to our attention when we most need it. He breathes freshness to our tired situations and presses us to move tiny steps until we’re energized enough to run the race again. I’m praying for you. Keep weaving that basket he placed on your lap. You’re building a lasting legacy that will benefit many.
Thank you.very much. Beautifully & Insightfully written. Very relevant for my current situation. Will weave my reed basket and trust in the glazing of tar & pit. Entrust my life and family in His hands. Amen.