God saw the people of Israel--and God knew.

Just so I stay on track, I thought I would continue with Exodus 2.

So, all the boy babies born to the Israelites are to die. Pharaoh couldn't trust the Israelite mid-wives to do the deed.. so he commanded his people to take care of the problem.

The Israelites women know this. And they don't want their children dead.

One woman had a boy child. She was a Levite, married to another Levite. She hid him for three months until she couldn't any longer.

2The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank.

Oh, that must have been terrifying for her. What would happen to her wee boy child?

4And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.

Her boy child was saved! Pity was felt, mercy was shown.

5Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

The Pharaoh's own daughter ignored her father's command. She took pity. This wee boy child didn't die. AND his mommy was able to continue to care for him, and to do so openly for

...7Then his sister said to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?" 8And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." So the girl went and called the child's mother. 9And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him.

She was able to keep her fine child with her until he was old enough to live with Pharaoh's daughter.

10When the child grew up, she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, "Because," she said, "I drew him out of the water."

And so the story of Moses begins!

Moses received the best of everything. An Israelite raised as an Egyptian, in Pharoah's household. He would have had access to the best education, the best food, the best training. He was living a life of ease. But he knew who he really was.

He protected his people. Perhaps not in quite the right way though.

11One day, when Moses had grown up, he went out to his people and looked on their burdens, and he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his people. 12He looked this way and that, and seeing no one, he struck down the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

He killed a man for beating up one of his own people. He had hoped he did it in secret. But he soon found out that he was wrong. For when he went out the very next day, he found one of his own people mistreating another. So he asked "the man in the wrong, "Why do you strike your companion?" And the man didn't even answer him nicely, he just attacked Moses verbally. Basically saying, what's it to you? Are you planning to kill me too?

This frightened Moses who thought "Surely the thing is known."

And it was for when Pharaoh heard of it, he sought to kill Moses.

Moses ran for his life. He ended up in Midian. Where as God would have it, he met a priest with seven daughters. He protected those daughters from some ill-behaved shepherds and thus he found himself a wife.

While Moses dwelt in safety

the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help.

The Israelites were in such distress, they cried out to God, he heard them. He remembered his covenant with them. God saw the people of Israel--and God knew.

I have to admit, that line brings me comfort. God saw his people, and God knew.
God knows what to do when we call out to him in times of trial.
God sees us and he knows us.
God hears us and he remembers us.

Ah...it's good to know that God knows. :)

Stay tuned for the rest of the story... :)