Reflection: Among the reeds

One of the greatest and touching accounts recorded in the Bible, I think, is found in the second chapter of the Old Testament book called Exodus. It is here where the birth of a little Hebrew boy is recorded. A baby whose parents were both of the Hebrew tribe called the Levites, the group of Hebrews who traditionally were the priests, or the "go-betweens", between God and His people, Israel. At the time of this baby's birth, the Hebrews were slaves in the land of Egypt, but the Hebrews had not always been slaves. 

They had come to Egypt during the time of Joseph, a Hebrew who had been sold to Egyptian merchants, but had been favored by the pharaoh of that time when the pharaoh had seen how wise Joseph was. Through this pharaoh, God had allowed Joseph to rise to power before a time of great drought, and it was during the drought, many people including the Hebrew people, had come to Egypt to purchase the food Joseph had had the Egyptians store up. It was because of these incidents that the Hebrews found a new home in the land of Egypt.

Over the years though the Hebrews had multiplied so much that another pharaoh ruling at the time of this baby's birth, had had the Hebrew people enslaved and had eventually ordered all Hebrew baby boys to be killed in order to keep the Hebrews from taking over his country. We can imagine this was a great time of oppression for these people, but one woman, the mother of this baby moved on hope, instead of depression. When she saw her baby was such a gift of goodness, she made up her mind to keep him hidden. For the first three months of his life she managed to hide him in her home, but eventually, probably because he starting crying more, she decided she had to hide him somewhere else. It is then that she comes up with the idea of making a basket with a lid out of papyrus, tar and pitch, and placing him in the reeds found among the banks of the River Nile. She then sets his older sister in a place where she could keep an eye on him.

We do not know how long the baby was kept in the basket, but at some point in time, the pharaoh's own daughter, representing all the riches of Egypt, came down to the river to bathe with her maidens when she spotted the basket among the reeds. After sending one of her slave girls to retrieve it, she opens it up and discovers the baby. The scriptures then record a momentous time in the history of the Hebrews. The scriptures record that when the baby began to cry, Pharaoh's daughter felt compassion for him, and it is that moment in time that she claims the baby as her own. Then, as if on cue, a very clever sister who is probably listening and watching all the excitement of the group (Imagine finding a baby hidden in some tall grass!), instinctively approaches the women, and seizing the moment, and yet, probably tentatively says, "I know a Hebrew woman who could nurse him for you."

Wow! All wrapped up in one small recording of scripture we see courage, compassion, and cleverness exhibited by these three different women, the baby's mom, the Pharaoh's daughter, and the sister, respectively. The pharaoh's daughter immediately responds to the sister's offer, even agreeing to pay the nursing mom for her services. Did I say, "Wow!"?

With the result of these women's actions, God many years later would use this little baby, named by the pharaoh's daughter as Moses, "Drawn out of water", to draw God's chosen people out of slavery, to once again rise them up to be a mighty nation. What an incredible lesson to be learned here in not under estimating what God can do when people follow His Spirit of kindness, courage or wisdom. This is so important centuries later Paul in the New Testament distinctly reminds us of the seriousness of being kind, in his letters written to Christ's followers in Rome ...

"Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God's kindness leads you toward repentance." Romans 2:4 (NIV)

"Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God; sternness to those who fell, but kindness to you, provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off." Romans 11:22 (NIV)

It is because God was kind to us that He sent His own son Jesus to draw us away from being slaves of sin, from the oppression brought on by sin. Jesus, not other men, is the "go-between" between God and all claimed by God, and He didn't have to save us from sin, but He chose to show compassion, reflecting God's kindness, towards us.

The Hebrews' enemy's daughter chose compassion instead of contempt for the Hebrew baby, maybe she was childless and held in contempt by her royal household, who knows, regardless of why sometimes God works through those we would least expect it from ... a Hebrew slave woman who chose courage to overcome oppression ... a young child who spoke at just the right time ... an enemy's daughter who kept her eyes and heart open. Who knows what open eyes and hearts see? Like the pharaoh's daughter, who knows what we might see ... hidden among the reeds.