Exodus 02: When Things Don't Go As Planned

A baby in a basket should be the end of a story, not the beginning of deliverance. But Exodus 2 keeps flipping the script: what looks like loss becomes protection, what feels like surrender becomes provision, and what seems like a detour becomes training for destiny. We open with Moses’ mother making the hardest choice she can make and then watching God do something only God can do, placing Moses into Pharaoh’s household while still caring for him through his own family.

Then we follow Moses into adulthood, where calling and impatience collide. Raised with access to Egypt’s power, he sees injustice and tries to fix it fast, on his terms, with deadly results. That one moment turns into exile and decades in Midian, reminding us that good motives don’t replace God’s timing. If you’ve ever tried to force a door open because you were sure you were “supposed to,” this part of the story will hit close to home.

We also zoom out to the bigger Exodus story: Israel’s groaning under slavery, God hearing their cries, and God remembering His covenant. That covenant faithfulness is the backbone of real hope. We end with a practical question you can carry all day: is there something you’re holding so tightly that it’s time to trust the Lord instead of trying to control the outcome?

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Scripture quotations taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation (NLT).
Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Welcome And Daily Bible Rhythm

SPEAKER_00 0:01

Hey everyone and welcome to the Bible Breakdown Podcast. In this podcast, we will be breaking down the Bible one chapter a day. Whether you are a new believer or have been following Christ for a while, we believe that you will learn something new and fresh every single day. So thank you for joining us and let's get into breaking down the Bible together.

When Things Don’t Go As Planned

SPEAKER_01 0:23

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, Pastor Brandon. Today, Exodus chapter two, and today's title is When Things Don't Go as Planned. When things don't go as Planned. I love the story of Moses and the Exodus and all of that. But if there is one thing we don't always think about, but we could learn from this, and that is God has a plan. And almost always it is not the same as ours unless we change our plans to his, because we're going to see how there were all kinds of things that are happening just within this one chapter that the people in this story probably wouldn't have chosen for themselves. However, God knew how to get them where they needed to be, and it wasn't the way they were going. So adjustments had to be made. And so you we just have to decide. Are we going to trust the Lord or are we going to try to do things our own time and our own way? We have to decide, right? We're getting into all that in just a second. And we're going to start talking about one of the famous, most famous stories in all of history. So get your Bibles out to Exodus chapter two, get your coffee ready, get your hot chocolate, whatever it is. But make sure you also take just a moment, like, share, and subscribe to the YouTube channel and the podcast. Make sure you leave us a five-star review on the podcast. It really does help. And make sure you're going to the Bible breakdown Facebook page on, well, on Facebook, because there's an amazing group of people doing a wonderful job. And as always, the more we dig, the more we find.

Exodus Backstory And Long Bondage

SPEAKER_01 1:51

Well, if you've been with us over the past couple of days, we finished up a book of the Bible in the New Testament, and now we're into the book of Exodus, one of the greatest stories in history because it's the story of God. It is a story how God redeems his people. That for 430 years, since the time when Jacob and all of his family came down to join Joseph at the end of Genesis, now it has been over 400 plus years of bondage. It has been a long time. And it didn't start that way for all for a long time. There was a season where Joseph and his descendants, they were friends with the Egyptians. They coexisted. But eventually, it says the history tells us that there was a civil war that happened in Egypt. And we find out in Exodus chapter one, a new king came into power who did not know what Joseph had done and why they were such friends of the Israelites. And so they enslaved them. And now we have 400 years later, it is time for freedom. And that's what the book of Exodus is all about, the exodus from slavery to freedom. And today we have where that deliverance begins. And as we were talking about before, many times the road to freedom for us is not the not the road we would have chosen. You know, for some people, it it looks very similar, but still different. And for some people, it's completely different. As we're going to read this together and just enjoy this story. And I'm curious for how many of you want to know in the comments on the YouTube video, and you can let us know on the Facebook devotion. I would love to know what is it that you remember about this story that turns out to not be in the Bible? Does that make sense? When I was a kid and I would listen to these stories at vacation Bible school or something like that, somewhere in there, while they were talking about what was actually in the Bible, I think I was making it up as I went along too. And so I added all kinds of stuff. I added that, you know, poor Moses is in the water and he had to like, you know, travel around crocodiles and all this kind of stuff. We're going to see if any of that's in the Bible. And I want to know as we're reading through, is there anything that you go, man, I didn't know that that wasn't there? Or I didn't know that that was there. And we're going to do this together. So you ready?

Moses In The Basket

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Exodus 2, verse 1 says this. About this time a man and woman from the tribe of Levi got married. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She saw that he was a special baby and kept him hidden for three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she got a basket made from papyrus reeds and waterproofed it with tar and pitch. She put the baby in a basket and laid it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. The baby's sister then stood at a distance, watching to see what would happen to him. Soon Pharaoh's daughter came down to bathe in the river, and her attendants walked along the riverbank. When the princess saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her maid to go get it for her. When the princess opened it up, she saw the baby, and the little boy was crying and she felt sorry for him. This must be one of the Hebrew children, she said. Then the baby's sister approached the princess. Shall I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you? She asked. Yes, go, the princess replied. So the little girl went and called the baby's mother. Take this baby and nurse him for me, the princess told the baby's mother. I will pay you for your help. So the woman took her baby home and nursed him. Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, I lifted him up out of the water. Now pause. Isn't that amazing that what this mom would not have wanted, she actually got to have back even better? Because here's the thing she was trying to hide Moses from Pharaoh because Pharaoh did not want little boys being born to the slaves. And so she hid him. And what she got in return is she was actually going to get paid to take care of her own baby. You know, that's amazing. So she had to give up what she wanted to actually get back more than she could have ever imagined. I wonder if there's a theme that's starting to happen, right? Here

Moses’ Shortcut And Costly Fallout

SPEAKER_01 6:14

we go. Verse 11. Many years later. Now let's pause for a second because a lot happened between the time when Moses was a baby and now when Moses is all grown up. A couple things is we're going to call him Moses, but the Hebrew way to say Moses' name is Moshe, Moshe. But we're not going to do that because it's not something we're used to. So we're going to call him Moses. But if you look in the book of the works of Josephus, Josephus was a Jewish scholar that actually lived around the time of Jesus and a little afterward, and he did a lot of work in writing down some of the antiquities of the people of Israel and different things. And there's a lot of people, a lot of different opinions about him. But one of the things that he talks about is it was in Jewish tradition that Moses very well was raised as a child of the Pharaoh. Now, that doesn't mean at all that he was in line for the kingship, nothing like that. He was adopted into the family, obviously knowing that he came from Hebrew origins, but that would have meant he would have had the opportunity to go to the same schools, which would have been the finest education in the world at the time. He would have been trained in how to lead others. And there's some evidence to say that he might have even been a warrior. He might have actually been someone who was a military leader for the time. Isn't it amazing that the very person that God chose to deliver the nation of Israel, he put into the finest schools that there were, so that when the time came for him to lead an entire nation out of bondage, he would have had some kind of idea how to do it. What mom wouldn't have wanted turned out to be the exact thing that not only she needed, but also for her son. Once again, I think something kind of is happening here. But all that whole time, during those many years, Moses is growing up in the courts of Pharaoh. He's learning the ways of what it is to be a leader, he's learning how to take care of a kingdom, having no idea what was going on. But look what happens. The Bible says Moses had grown up and he went out to visit his own people, the Hebrews, and he saw how hard they were forced to work. During his visit, he saw an Egyptian beating one of his fellow Hebrews. After looking in all directions to make sure no one was watching, Moses killed the Egyptian and hid the body in the sand. The next day Moses went out to visit the people again, and he saw two Hebrew men fighting. Why are you beating up your friend? Moses said to the one who had started the fight. Then the men replied, Well, who appointed you to be our prince and judge? Are you going to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday? Then Moses was afraid, thinking, Everyone knows what I did. And sure enough, Pharaoh heard what had happened and he tried to kill Moses. But Moses fled from Pharaoh and went to live in the land of Midian. When Moses arrived in Midian, he sat down beside a well. Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters who came as usual to draw water that had been filled with troughs for their family's flock. But some other shepherds came and chased them away. So Moses jumped up and rescued the girls from the shepherds. Then he drew water for their flocks. When he heard the girls return well, when the girls returned to Raoul, their father, she he asked, Why are you back so soon today? An Egyptian rescued us from the shepherds, they answered, and then he drew water for us and watered our flocks. Well then where is he? The father asked. Why did you leave him there? Invite him to come and eat with us. Moses accepted the invitation, and he settled there with them. In time, Raoul gave Moses his daughter, Zipporah, to be his wife. Later he gave birth to a son, and Moses named him Gershem, for he explained, I have been a foreigner in the in a foreign land. Years passed, forty to be exact, years passed, and the king of Egypt died. But the Israelites continued to groan under their heavy burden of slavery. They cried out for help, and their cry rose up to God, and God heard their groanings, and he remembered his covenant promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he looked down on the people of Israel, and he knew it was time to act. Wow. There's a lot of a lot of commentary that goes into this story. There are some commentaries that say that it is possible that from an early age Moses might have realized that he was in a unique position to do something about the plight of the Hebrew people. He was raised in the courts of Pharaoh. He would have known how the law works, and he would have known that they are slaves, but they don't have to be. He would have known a lot of things. And there is some Jewish commentary that says that what he might have been doing in this chapter is he might have decided, maybe I'm the one to liberate Israel. Because here's the thing: if he had had any experience with the Israelites, he would have known the prophecy that had been given to Abraham. If you remember back in the book of Genesis, God gave Abraham a vision that said, they are going to go down into Egyptian bondage, but I'm going to bring them back out again. Don't you think they would have remembered that one? Yeah, hey, God told us we were going to be in this, but he also told us he was going to get us out of it. I mean, there's some commentary that says that it is possible that Moses might have heard that and he might have thought, I'm the guy. But here's the thing if that's true, then he went about it his way instead of God's way. Because you see, he goes out there and he sees this Egyptian, this Egyptian trying to, you know, overcome and overwhelm this Hebrew, and so he decides to take justice in his own hands and decides he is going to be judge, jury, and executioner. And it ends up backfiring and he ends up becoming a wanted man. Spending 40 years on the back of Mount Sinai herding sheep because he decided to do it his way instead of God's way.

Letting Go Without Giving Up

SPEAKER_01 12:01

And so what can we take away from this? So many things. But here's the question what if God's plan is different than ours? Some of you would be like, Amen. I have noticed that very, very much. Here's the thing God's word promises us that all things work together to the good of those who love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. But here's what it doesn't say all things work together for the good the way they want it to, when they want it to, how they want it to, and in a timely manner. It just says it will work out to the good. Can you imagine how hard it must have been for Moses' mom when she realizes this is a special baby? I love this baby, but I can't keep this baby. I can't keep I can I cannot raise this baby. I c I I want to so bad, but if I do, it will destroy this baby because Pharaoh is trying to kill the young boys. So the only way I can make sure this baby lives is to give this baby up and just trust the Lord. And can you imagine the moment? I mean, if you're in here, you're in here, I'm acting like I'm at church. If you are, if you're listening to this today and you, if you have a little baby, imagine putting that baby in a basket. You have made that thing the best you possibly can. But at some point, no matter how well you prepare that basket, no matter how much you put blankets in that basket, no matter how much you put an extra bottle in that basket, you get some extra pampers in that basket, no matter what it is you do, you put his favorite toy in that basket. At some point, you gotta put your lid on top of that basket. And I wonder, I'm just using my imagination at this point. How long do you think she sat there with her hand on top of that basket? And how long do you think she prayed? God, I don't want to give up my boy. God, I don't want to do this. God, is there any way that you could change this? If you'll just give me some kind of sign, I'll do something else. And no sign came. And so at some point, she had to take her hand off the basket. And you know what's amazing? She may have taken her eyes off that basket, but God did not take off, take his eyes off that basket. He took care of Moses, and he had the most unlikely, who knows, person to come and go, Hey, here's the baby. And then what turned what went from a tragedy into not only, well, I give you your baby back, but I'm gonna pay you to raise this baby for me. My goodness. Now, fast forward many years, Moses. I wonder how long he looked at that Egyptian before his blood got to boiling and go, you don't need to treat the God's people that way. You don't need to do that. I'm going to make sure. Instead of I'm going to, I'm going to see what God has to say. I'm going to act in justice, instead, I'm going to act in vengeance, messed it up as well. Now we leave him on the backside of nowhere having to just try to make it work. You know what it reminds me of? It reminds me of Jesus. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He looks at his father, and as an example to all of us, he says out loud enough for John to hear and later write it down Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not what I will, but your will be done. In other words, just like Moses' mom guessing, at some point, she had to take her hand off the basket and trust the Lord. That is not the plan I would have wanted, God, but I trust that it is yours. Is there an area of your life that you are holding on to so hard? Obviously the season is over. Obviously, God is doing something else. Obviously, it's time. But because you want it so bad, because you love it so bad that it's hard, I'm not talking about giving up. I'm talking about trusting. And so instead, is there an area, and maybe not. Okay, so sometimes there's a lot of value in holding on one more day. I'm that guy. I am that guy who holds on too long a lot of times, right? But what if there's somebody watching or listening to this and that hits you in a different way? You know, God's already told you through his word, through wise counsel, it's time to let that relationship go. It's time to close the business. It's time to just admit that this didn't work. What if it's not giving up? Instead, it's letting loose and trusting the Lord.

Prayer And Final Encouragement

SPEAKER_01 16:30

Let's pray together right now. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you, God, that you are trustworthy. Lord, I've experienced times in my life when I didn't understand if it was giving up or if it was just trusting. And it was hard. It was hard to trust you, not because I don't trust you, but because it's so hard to know when to trust and when to let go and when to hang on. Lord, I just pray you'll give us wisdom today. Open our eyes to see that when we put our hope in you, it's never a bad idea. I pray, Lord, for you to have your way in us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. What God's Word says in Exodus 6, verse 6, it says, I will free you from the oppression and I will rescue you from slavery. I want to pray that God will continue to work out his freedom in all of us today. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for Exodus chapter 3.