As we come to Exodus 3, an indeterminate amount of time has elapsed since Joseph’s family moved to Egypt. More important than this gap of time though is the change in leadership that had occurred. Egypt was no longer ruled by a faith friendly pharaoh. Instead, they were ruled by a pharaoh “to whom Joseph meant nothing” (1:8). This could mean that he had no knowledge of Joseph and the place he occupied in Egypt’s history. However, given the scope of Joseph’s accomplishments, that’s improbable. It’s much more likely that it means he knew about Joseph’s contributions but didn’t care.
For this pharaoh, any concern about the past was overruled by Israel’s burgeoning population (v. 7) and the potential problem it could cause if they decided to turn against Egypt. Consequently, he attempted to alleviate this potential threat through conscripting them and forcing them to work endless hours under brutal conditions. “They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly” (v. 14). He would work them to death!
But God had promised Abraham in Genesis 15:5-6 He would make his descendants numerous, and no pharaoh was going to be able to stop that. Despite the conscription, Israel continued to multiply. “The more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread” (v. 12).
In response, this pharaoh took his wickedness to the next level. He established a policy of infanticide against all male Israelite babies. At first, he enlisted the Hebrew midwives. When that failed, he issued a general order that all Hebrew baby boys be thrown into the Nile.
This is where Moses came on the scene as Yahweh showed He was not only powerful enough to rescue a baby from the Nile River—He could also arrange events so the baby who would one day liberate Israel would grow up in the palace of Egypt being bounced on pharaoh’s knee! Furthermore, Moses’ mother was given a government job taking care of her own son!
But all of this would be done according to His schedule. So even though Moses was ready 40 years earlier (see Acts 7:23-29), Yahweh wasn’t. Forty years later He called an eighty-year-old broken man to a burning bush. Moses was broken to his way and ready (though he didn’t know it), to be used by God.
And how God would use this man!
May we live ready to be used by Him.
A Taste of Grace with Bruce Green 