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| 1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. |
Went a man – Amram, which signifies "noble people." R2902:3
A daughter – Jochebed, which signifies "Jehovah is glorious." R2902:3
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| 2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. |
Bare a son – Moses' humble birth, as one of an enslaved race, would naturally incline him to humility. R1651:3
That he was – As a natural result of favorable pre-natal influence. R1671:3
A goodly child – Like the Apostle Paul, Moses seems to have been chosen even before he was born. R1651:1, R1671:6
Stephen says he was "exceedingly fair." (Acts 7:20) Josephus says he was so h R3987:6
Beautiful. As careful breeding affects the lower animals, so also it is potent in respect to humanity. R5251:1
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| 3 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. |
Laid It in the flags – They probably knew of the custom of the Egyptian princess to resort to that spot, or they may have been guided by a dream. R5251:3
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| 4 And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. |
And his sister – Miriam was born about nine years before Moses. R3987:6
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| 5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. |
Daughter of Pharaoh – Supposed to have been Neferari, the wife of Rameses II and daughter of the preceding monarch. R2903:1
A married woman, but childless. R3988:1
At the river – Probably Memphis, near the present site of Cairo, under the shadow of the pyramids. R3988:1
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| 6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children. |
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| 7 Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?
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| 8 And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. |
Pharaoh's daughter said – It is probable that the princess perceived the ruse and cooperated, believing that the little one might as well have its own mother as caretaker. R5251:4
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| 9 And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child, and nursed it. |
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| 10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water. |
She brought him – Probably when he was 7 or 12 years old, by which time the parents would have instructed the boy in respect to the Abrahamic promises. R2903:1
Became her son – God gave Moses just the kind of education he needed for his work-earliest years under training of godly parents, the remainder of the first 40 years under the most favorable education of his day, the 40 years of retirement for mellowing and refining his character. R1651:3
His name Moses – Supposedly derived from the Coptic, Mo (water) and uses (saved out of it). Some translate "born from the water." R5251:5, R3988:2
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| 11 And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren. |
When Moses was grown – Moses believed that the time had come for the deliverance. He was ready and anxious to begin that work. He knew not of his own unreadiness. F5252:3
He was 40 years old. R1651:6
That he went out – Typifying that Christ, "though he was rich, yet for our sakes he became poor." (2 Cor. 8:9). R4058:2
Typifying how Christ left the glory of the heavenly condition, took a bondsman's form as a man, and came to deliver his brethren from bondage. (Phil. 2:6-8 Diaglott) R4058:2
Unto his brethren – Refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. (Heb. 11:24) R2909:1
He would inspire his people with confidence in him by showing them that his sympathies were with them and that he could be relied upon as their leader. R5252:3
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| 12 And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand. |
Slew the Egyptian – How many would be inclined to console themselves with the thought that they were not directly responsible for the injustices whose profits they enjoy. R2909:1
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| 13 And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? |
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| 14 And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. |
And he said – Typifying how Christ "came unto his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11) R4058:2, R2909:3
Who made thee – There was no such loyalty among his brethren as he had expected. R5252:4
They had not wished his services and had rather resented his interference. R5419:1
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| 15 Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. |
Moses fled – Fearing for his life. It looked as though all his years of education and development had gone to waste. Moses was now thoroughly crestfallen, meek, tractable, teachable. R5252:4
But Moses, believing the promises, esteemed "the reproaches of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt, for he had respect unto the recompense of the reward." (Heb. 11:26) R2909:2
Often spiritual Israelites find their efforts for good rejected and coveted opportunities for the Lord turned away; yet these very lessons fit us for future usefulness. R2909:5
The land of Midian – Typifying the far country, even heaven itself, to which our Jesus went after his rejection by his people. R4058:2
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| 16 Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters: and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock. |
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| 17 And the shepherds came and drove them away: but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock. |
Moses stood up – Full of the instinct of justice R5252:4
Helped them – His natural nobleness and training made him chivalrous in the defense of women. R2909:3
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| 18 And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, How is it that ye are come so soon to day? |
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| 19 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock. |
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| 20 And he said unto his daughters, And where is he? why is it that ye have left the man? call him, that he may eat bread. |
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| 21 And Moses was content to dwell with the man: and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter. |
Content to dwell – A humble shepherd for 40 years, learning a most important lesson of meekness, of full submission to the divine will. A very severe lesson for one not yet understanding God's providences in his affairs. R5252:5, R1651:4, R2909:4
Zipporah his daughter – Typifying the Bride of Christ, chosen from among the Gentiles. R1651:6
Being an African, a black, the sons would, of course, be mulattoes. R2909:4
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| 22 And she bare him a son, and he called his name Gershom: for he said, I have been a stranger in a strange land. |
Bare him a son – Being mulatto, he would have less respect among the Israelites and there would be less tendency to establish a rulership in the family line. R2909:5
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| 23 And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage. |
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| 24 And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. |
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| 25 And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them. |
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