Lesson 1: Oppression – The Background and the Birth of Moses
1.3 Moses Is Born
A Child of Hope: God’s Plan Begins in Secret
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Introduction
Some lives begin in the greatest distress—and yet God uses them in marvelous ways. Such was the life of Moses. When he was born, every Hebrew boy in Egypt faced death. And yet he survived. Why? Because God’s hand was visibly upon him. Exodus 2:1–10 powerfully shows us how God’s providence works amid threat, fear, and chaos—and what it means for us today.
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Bible Study: Exodus 2:1–10
Moses is born into a time of overwhelming oppression. The Pharaoh has ordered every Hebrew boy to be killed (Exodus 1:22). Yet a Levite couple defies the decree and gives birth to a son—Moses. They recognize that this child is “good” (Hebrew tov), a hint of divine purpose.
For three months they hide him. Finally, they place him in a reed basket on the Nile, trusting that God Himself will take control. And indeed: Pharaoh’s daughter finds him, is moved with compassion, and adopts him as her own son. Moses grows up in the palace—kept safe, protected, and prepared.
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Answers to the Questions
Question 1: Read Exodus 2:1–10. What role did God’s providence and protection play at Moses’ birth?
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Birth in Danger: Although all Hebrew boys are to be killed, God gives the parents courage to keep Moses alive.
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Called “Good” (tov): This term echoes the creation story. God sees in Moses more than a baby—He sees a future calling.
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Rescue on the River: The basket is set adrift at exactly the right time and place—straight into the hands of Pharaoh’s daughter.
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Return to His Mother: Moses is not only saved but also spends time with his birth mother, receiving vital spiritual grounding.
All these elements show that God acts decisively even when humanly all seems lost. His ways are often hidden, but never random.
Question 2: How much do you learn that ultimately proves useless for what really matters?
Moses received an extraordinary education in Pharaoh’s house—language, leadership, warfare, diplomacy: all the makings of a great ruler. But when God calls him, most of those skills prove irrelevant. God leads Moses into the wilderness for forty years, where he learns what truly counts: humility, obedience, and dependence on God.
This question challenges us today: How much time, energy, and effort do we invest in things of no everlasting value? Knowledge, abilities, status, control—they are good when used for God, but worthless if they draw us away from Him.
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Spiritual Principles
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God’s plan often starts in secret. Great callings arise from humble beginnings.
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God’s protection works through simple means. A mother, a basket, a child—these suffice for Him.
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True training happens in God’s school. Worldly wisdom alone cannot equip one for spiritual mission.
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God fulfills His promises even when all odds are against them.
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Application for Daily Life
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Trust that God sees your life—even if no one else notices.
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Offer Him your “today” even when you don’t understand your “tomorrow.”
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Examine your learning—does it draw you closer to God or farther away?
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Embrace apparent setbacks (like Moses’ wilderness years) as God’s preparation.
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Conclusion
Moses’ story begins in utmost danger and culminates in divine calling. His life proves: God rescues those whom others discard—and then uses them. His story shows that no child, no person, and no life is accidental. God’s eyes are fixed on what He Himself has deemed “good.”
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Thought of the Day
Your journey may not start in a palace but in a simple basket. Yet if God’s hand rests upon you, He will lead you right where you are needed.
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Illustration – “The Baby in the Box”
Hamburg, 2023
Garbage collectors first thought it was an animal: a cardboard box, drenched, shivering under a bridge on a winter’s night. When they opened it, they found an infant wrapped in an old coat—with a note pinned to his chest: “Please save him. His name is Samuel.”
He was taken to the hospital and stabilized. No mother or father came forward. After a few media reports, the story quietly slipped from the public eye. But a pediatric nurse named Miriam never forgot him. She contacted child services and prayed continually. Weeks later, she was granted custody.
“I don’t know why,” she often said, “but I believe God has a plan for him.”
Samuel was different—quiet, observant, thoughtful. In school he stood out not for grades but for helping others unseen. At seventeen he began mentoring other foster youth. At twenty-one he studied social work. By thirty he led an international children’s charity—quietly, effectively, in deep faith.
His colleagues sometimes ask why he fights so passionately for life. He smiles and says,
“Because I was meant to die—but God had other plans.”
