“It was at this time that Moses was born…” (Acts 7:20a)
Moses was born when children were being left to die, exposed to the elements. Moses entered a world where mothers saw their baby boys killed. Moses was fearfully and wonderfully made, knit within his mother’s womb, at a time when nothing seemed wonderful, and everyone was fearful. The Egyptians made the Israelites’ lives an unending cycle of despair and pain. Slavery was an endless future for the nation without any hope in sight.
It is into that world that Moses’ mother and father welcomed their baby boy. I can only imagine their heartache as they saw their beautiful child for the first time… but Hebrews tells us they didn’t just have heartache; they also had faith (see Hebrews 11:23).
The world needs more people like Moses’ mom (Jochebed) and dad (Amram): parents who feel the heartache of a dark world but aren’t afraid to raise their children in opposition to it. The foundation of Moses was found in Amram and Jochebed. Their faith became his.
Matthew 4:4 #Biblebites
Today’s Reading: Acts 7:20-29
Questions to ask:
- How does this show the continuation of Jesus’ work now going on in the church?
- How is the gospel, Paul’s preaching, and/or Paul’s defense received?
- What is the Holy Spirit doing in this text?
- What in our reading shows how Paul handled adversity and difficulty?
This year, #Biblebites are following the life and writings of Paul. If you would like a copy of the reading schedule, you can view it here: https://eastlandchristians.org/news-events/2023-vision