BIBLOS - Teaching the Bible

Teaching the Bible

MOSES:
THE BIRTH OF MOSES

Theological Issues

The Biblical Material

The book of Exodus is unique as it is the book of revelation of the name of God and of Israel's first redemption from oppression in Egypt. It is also a book of festival and worship. The presence of the Lord with Moses and with Israel is the theme of the book.
The book is considered by orthodox Jews and fundamentalist Christians to be written by Moses. However, it is more likely to be viewed as a compilation of three strands of early writing, known as J, E and P. (To explore more on this read a commentary on how biblical material was compiled).
What type of history can be found in the Bible? Behind the book of Exodus there is a series of historical events, forced labour, deliverance and the covenant, but these events have been transformed by the addition of material created by the needs and practices of later theology and ritual so that the underlying bare facts are no longer recoverable. It is history transfigured by faith and not history in the normal sense.
As mentioned in the introduction, there is a legendary aspect to the story of Moses' birth and discovery by the Egyptian princess. Legend usually is built up round some elements of factual material. When the account of the birth of a particularly famous person comes to be composed, much of the factual detail will be lost or forgotten, because at the time of the birth their future fame was not known. In these circumstances a birth account which does justice to the person is put together which while not being historically accurate, will nevertheless convey some symbolic truth about that person: for example, by the time Moses' story was composed formally, his parentage had probably been forgotten. But in order to magnify him and to make him on every side the father of his people, he was attached to the house of Levi on both his mother's and father's side. On the other hand, as deliverer of Israel, Moses needed the power of the contact with the Pharaoh through the princess.
Whilst most of the material about Moses is legendary, he cannot himself be dismissed as 'a figure of legend'.

God's Promise

The rapid growth in numbers of the Israelites in Egypt is confirmation that God's promise to the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to make a numerous and great nation of their descendants was being fulfilled (Genesis 12:2; 26:4,24).
The faith of Israel is built on trust in God's promise via the covenant made first with the individual patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and then with the whole of Israel through Moses at Mount Sinai. God promised to be Israel's God and look after her. Israel promised to live in the way God wanted, as revealed through the Law given on Mount Sinai.
The whole subsequent history of Israel and the Bible record concerns the keeping or breaking of this promise by Israel.

God's Purposes and Providence

The Bible presents an active God who takes part in human history, steering it towards his goal for it.
While God was not shown directly to intervene and save Moses, clearly the writer believes God's providence is effective through the action of human figures. Here, God makes use of the political situation to serve his purpose.
The oppression of the Israelites requires action and this is accomplished through the midwives, Moses' family and the princess so that Moses can become God's agent. There is a providential irony! The very circumstances of oppression make possible the appearance of a deliverer. There is a contrast between God's plan for the good of his people and the Pharaoh's evil plan for the destruction of his people.

God's Deliverance and Redemption

This theme of deliverance pervades the Old Testament / Hebrew Bible because the Israelites constantly get into difficulties, whether political, moral or spiritual and need redemption.
The book of Exodus is one of the most important in the Bible. 'Exodus' means 'the road out of' and symbolises God's action in deliverance from slavery to freedom.
Here, Moses is the agent of that redemption which takes the form of escape from bondage in Egypt to a freedom where the Israelites can be autonomous in order to keep their covenant with God.

The Remnant

Another recurring theme in the Bible is that of the 'remnant'. A particular situation deteriorates until it is almost hopeless, but for a remnant, a person or group of people remaining loyal to God. God then works through them in order to deliver salvation.
Here, Moses is a remnant child of the infant slaughter through whom Israel can be saved from Egypt's oppression.

The Vulnerable

God is shown in the Bible as taking a particular interest in the vulnerable, the hard-done-by, the oppressed, the disenfranchised and those excluded by society. That is because God's very nature is compassion. He has to respond to their need.
Here, Israel's vulnerable position is noted and a vulnerable baby becomes the means of its salvation.
This theme is taken up in the New Testament with the birth of the baby, Jesus whose life is threatened by another massacre. Interestingly, this baby is forced to flee to Egypt for safety rather than from Egypt. The Bible is full of such irony and the unexpected ways in which God works.

Jewish Identity

This is an important feature of Judaism. Circumcision was a visible sign of God's covenant relationship with Israel (Genesis 17:9-14) and marked Jews off from the non-circumcised who were referred to as 'heathen'. Jews have always cherished a sense of belonging to God's 'chosen people'. They see themselves as part of a large family, rather than an ethnic group.
This narrative about the young Moses makes it clear that Moses had to know who he was and understand which group he really belonged to, because he is to grow up as an Egyptian prince. So his real mother has him until he is weaned and that would ensure he became familiar with his true identity as an Israelite. Confirmation of this is found in his response to the Egyptian foreman and escape from Egypt.
Not only is he an Israelite but his parentage is traced on both sides to the priestly tribe of Levites, thus establishing his credentials for leadership (Exodus 2:1).

The Human Predicament

Israel was in a situation which seemed beyond control, not where God wanted her to be nor where she wanted to be. It would appear that knowledge of God had been forgotten by Israel in Egypt. A new beginning was required and God provided that through Moses.
The Bible presents humanity as constantly in need of the opportunity of a new start.

The Human Choices and Channels

The midwives display sheer courage to disobey the Pharaoh and an admirable integrity. They were midwives who brought life into the world and were not going to go against all they stood for and take life, even for the Pharaoh. Further, they feared God - they had an attitude of respect and devotion to the giver of all life. They knew whose will they were going to obey. They had free-will and they made their own choice, whatever the risk. They had the courage of their convictions and were pretty smart with it too in defending themselves before Pharaoh.
Moses' mother and sister have the insight to work out a means of saving their baby boy. They prepare their plan and then courageously carry it out so that Moses grows up knowing his own identity and the plight of his people.
The Egyptian princess knew exactly what she was taking on. She knew she could risk her father's displeasure by adopting a Hebrew baby but she was moved by sheer compassion seeing the plight of this family and she had the courage to come to their rescue.
Here is an amazing narrative where five women are instrumental in delivering not just a baby but the whole nation of Israel from their oppression. They are willing channels through which God's work could be executed.
This theme of women facilitating behind the scenes so that Israel could fulfil God's purposes through men runs throughout the Bible! Is God a chauvinist or was the description of God limited by the historic period and its prejudices and inequalities?