Moses, Prince and Leader

 


The daughter of Pharaoh finds Moses among the reeds at the river's edge

AFTER many years a new king ruled Egypt. He was afraid of the Israelites, because they had become very numerous and powerful; so he put them to hard labor and made slaves of them. Then he commanded that every newborn Israelite boy should be thrown into the Nile.
    Just at this time Moses was born, and his mother hid him as long as she could, for he was a beautiful child. But when he was three months old, she laid him in a little cradle and set it among the bushes at the river's edge. His sister stood a little way off, to see what would become of him.
    Soon the daughter of Pharaoh came down with her maids to bathe in the river. When she saw the cradle among the reeds, she sent a maid to get it. The baby started to cry, and the heart of the princess was touched.
   Then his sister ran up and asked, "Shall I get a Hebrew nurse for the baby?"
    "Yes, do so," said Pharaoh's daughter. The girl went and called the child's mother.
    "Nurse this child for me," said Pharaoh's daughter, "and. I will pay you." The mother nursed him and brought him up. And the child grew and Pharaoh's daughter took him as her own son. She called him "Moses," for she said, "I drew him out of the water."
    Moses was looked upon as a member of Pharaoh's household. He grew up like a prince and studied with the other children at the court of Pharaoh. He learned to read and write while his people were living in slavery.
    But Moses did not forget that he was an Israelite. He sorrowed when he saw his people suffer. One day, when he was a young man, he saw an Egyptian master striking an Israelite. Moses was angry. He struck the Egyptian and killed him.
    The next day Moses learned that his deed was known. He was afraid. Pharaoh wanted to put Moses to death. But Moses fled from Egypt into another country.
    One day Moses defended the daughters of a priest of that country. Later, Moses married one of these women and became a shepherd for his father-in-law.
    The king of Egypt died. The Israelites called on God to rescue them. Remembering His promise to their fathers - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob - God heard their prayer. He made ready to deliver them from their trials.

Moses was the alive promisse. The same God who cared Moses cares you. Love, Tia Célia