Exodus 2: God Raises A Deliverer
“God heard their groaning and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was concerned about them.”
Overview
Exodus 2 recounts the story of Moses’s birth and early years. Born during Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew boys, Moses was hidden by his mother and placed in a basket in the Nile. Pharaoh’s daughter finds him and raises him as her own son, while his mother acts as his nurse.
As an adult, Moses kills an Egyptian for beating a Hebrew and then flees to Midian. There, he marries Zipporah, the daughter of Jethro, and begins a new life as a shepherd. The chapter concludes with Israel crying out under slavery, and God hearing their cry, remembering His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
When God Raises a Deliverer
Exodus 2 reads like a drama filled with danger, courage, and divine orchestration. Pharaoh had ordered that every Hebrew boy be killed, but amid this dark decree, God was preparing a life that would change history. Moses was born into danger, yet his mother’s faith and cleverness saved him. She placed him in a basket—a small ark of hope—on the Nile. In a move that only God could plan, Pharaoh’s daughter finds the child, and Moses is raised in the very palace that aimed to destroy him.
The irony is striking. The enemy’s house becomes the training ground for God’s chosen deliverer. This is how God operates: He flips the enemy’s plans upside down. Where Pharaoh sought destruction, God planted deliverance. The same river that was intended to drown Hebrew boys became the place of rescue for someone who would save them.
As Moses matures, his true identity begins to surface. Though raised as an Egyptian, his heart beats with the struggles of his people. When he sees a Hebrew being beaten, he intervenes and kills the Egyptian. His passion for justice is genuine, but his approach is flawed. Acting on his own strength, Moses ends up in exile. Sometimes our desire to do God’s work collides with our impatience, and we rush ahead of His timing. Moses’s failure, however, was not the end—it was simply preparation.
In Midian, Moses learns humility and endurance as a shepherd. Gone are the privileges of Egypt; in their place are long days in the wilderness that shape his heart for leadership. The deliverer must first overcome pride, self-reliance, and misplaced zeal. God often guides His servants through seasons of obscurity before entrusting them with a clear calling. What seems like exile may be a training ground for destiny.
The chapter ends with a powerful reminder: “The Israelites groaned in their slavery and cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery went up to God. God heard their groaning and remembered His covenant.” These verses shift the focus from Moses back to God. The true hero of Exodus is not Moses—it is Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God.
Why This Is Important
Exodus 2 encourages us to trust that God sees and hears. He is never absent, even when circumstances seem dire. He raises up deliverers, but the deliverance always comes from His hand. For us, Moses’s story points forward to Jesus—the greater Deliverer born under threat, preserved by God, and raised up to bring salvation to His people.
When you feel hidden, overlooked, or burdened by trials, remember: God is crafting a larger story. He sees. He hears. He keeps His promises. And just as He raised Moses for Israel, He has raised Jesus for us—our ultimate hope and deliverer.
