Preserve Your Children
Saturday, August 29
Exodus 2:1-3 (NLT)
“About this time, a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. 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.”
Devotion
At the time of the writing of this chapter, Israel had been in Egypt for quite some time. However, the Pharaoh of Egypt was not familiar with Joseph nor the rest of his family because the size of Israel at the time was very large. He was actually afraid of them because of how big the nation of Israel was getting. In the previous chapter, Pharaoh had ordered the midwives to break the necks of all male babies. However, God was protecting them from this by allowing the babies to live. The other thing is that the midwives were Hebrew and were afraid to disobey God more than Pharaoh. This worked against Pharaoh because he was unable to stop them from saving the male children from death.
However, we come to Chapter 2, and in the first three verses, we see something that reminds us of how God views family. At the time of Moses’ birth, his parents already had two children. We know who they are: Aaron and Miriam. His mother, Jochebed, kept her son for three months before she had no choice but to leave him in the Nile River in the bulrushes. She chose to leave him there, knowing she couldn’t protect him. His sister was watching from afar to see what would happen to him. We know the end result: he became Pharaoh’s grandson. By doing this, he had a clear way to talk to the next Pharaoh who would release the Hebrews from Egypt. What his parents did led to the eventual release of the Israelites.
Jochebed put him in a basket that was covered with pitch, and the smell of the pitch was stronger than the smell of the human baby. By doing this, she protected her baby from being eaten by the crocodiles. They could not smell him, so he was safe; they could only hear him cry. In his message on Sunday, Pastor Franklin encouraged parents to cover and hide their children. Hide them from the internet and the filth that television, movies, and the Internet itself portray. He said that while we have our children, we should teach them about God and build a basket of faith and love. Jochebed raised three children by herself. She took her role as a parent seriously, and so should all of us who are parents. We have a God-given responsibility to raise them up to love and serve the Lord as we do. Teach them to get involved in the church activities. Don’t wait until they are older; start while they are young. It is what is required of us.
Today's Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
Help us to faithfully protect and guide the children You have entrusted to us. Give us wisdom to guard their hearts and minds, teach them Your Word, and lead them toward a life that honors You. Help us build a strong foundation of faith and love in our homes. In the Name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.
Apply It Today
Build a “basket of faith” around your children by guarding what they see, hear, and experience. Teach them God’s Word, keep them connected to the church, and begin building their faith while they are young.
Resources
- There’s always something exciting happening at Free Chapel! Take a look at our upcoming events and activities, and find something the whole family can enjoy. Go to freechapel.org/events.