WEBVTT 00:00:00.400 --> 00:00:01.520 Oh, there we are. 00:00:01.679 --> 00:00:05.280 Two very dangerous things is to first of all give me a hot mic. 00:00:05.440 --> 00:00:07.839 And the second thing is to give me extra time. 00:00:07.919 --> 00:00:10.000 So thank you for both of those this morning. 00:00:10.080 --> 00:00:10.960 You may be seated. 00:00:11.119 --> 00:00:13.199 We'll read the Bible in just a minute. 00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:15.519 I know what you're thinking. 00:00:15.759 --> 00:00:18.559 Crazy to have Pastor Summer up here this week. 00:00:18.719 --> 00:00:21.280 Pastor Caleb preached an awesome message last week. 00:00:21.359 --> 00:00:23.920 As a matter of fact, my husband, yeah, go ahead, clap. 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:32.079 My husband bragged about him so much that I almost made Justin go working life kids this morning, just so I wouldn't feel the pressure. 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:34.880 But Pastor Caleb, thank you for an awesome word. 00:00:34.960 --> 00:00:36.079 I love your heart for the next gen. 00:00:36.479 --> 00:00:38.399 Um, but Pastor Jeremy, he's okay. 00:00:38.479 --> 00:00:39.039 I promise. 00:00:39.200 --> 00:00:40.560 Last week he was on vacation. 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:48.159 This week he is actually finishing or taking his last class for his doctoral program uh before he starts his dissertation. 00:00:48.320 --> 00:00:57.679 And so we just thought today you might need a break from looking at your neighbor and talking to someone strange and telling them repeating lines over and over again to the front and to the back and to the side. 00:00:57.920 --> 00:01:00.399 So I'm not gonna make you do that today. 00:01:01.200 --> 00:01:02.880 I'm not gonna make you do that today. 00:01:03.039 --> 00:01:07.120 Also, I don't know about you, but I I I hope he's not listening. 00:01:07.439 --> 00:01:11.280 I absolutely despise his dad jokes. 00:01:11.680 --> 00:01:20.799 I mean, for real, guys, every week he puts them in like this little slack group for all the all the um staff to vote which ones are the best. 00:01:20.879 --> 00:01:22.079 I'm like, they're all horrible. 00:01:22.239 --> 00:01:27.599 So please just stop and absolutely don't say that one because it's just awful, right? 00:01:27.920 --> 00:01:38.079 But today, because it is Mother's Day and because we're not doing dad jokes, I thought we could do a few mom memes. 00:01:38.319 --> 00:01:39.920 How does that sound this morning? 00:01:40.319 --> 00:01:40.959 Be honest with you. 00:01:41.040 --> 00:01:47.439 I turned these in last week and I don't even remember what all of them are, but if you'll throw that first mom meme up there format for us. 00:01:48.879 --> 00:01:49.519 Yep. 00:01:51.359 --> 00:01:53.280 We don't have mom memes. 00:01:53.519 --> 00:01:54.959 All right, well, perfect. 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.799 We're just gonna keep going then. 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:57.760 All right. 00:01:58.159 --> 00:02:01.359 Now I got lots of extra time today. 00:02:02.239 --> 00:02:05.439 But for real, we do want to wish everyone a happy Mother's Day. 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:15.520 And also, I don't know if everyone in this room knows our story, but because of our story, which I'm not gonna share, I realize that there is a weight to this day today. 00:02:16.240 --> 00:02:18.080 Oh Lord, I'm already gonna start crying. 00:02:18.319 --> 00:02:19.039 Sorry. 00:02:19.520 --> 00:02:48.879 So for you moms who have lost children, for you daughters who have lost moms, for those of you who have suffered from miscarriage or infertility, from those of you who didn't have a great mom growing up, for those of you who, for one reason or another, have estranged relationships with your children, for the young moms who feel so guilty for feeling overwhelmed and not even enjoying being a mother. 00:02:49.680 --> 00:02:56.479 For those of you who have children who are lost and wayward and you blame yourself and wonder where you went wrong. 00:02:56.800 --> 00:03:06.479 For those of you young ladies in here who are still waiting to be married and start families of your own, I want you to know today we all come from lots of different places. 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:11.360 We all have lots of different situations where this may not be a happy day. 00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:19.120 And I want you to know today, you are loved, you are seen, and you are not alone. 00:03:20.319 --> 00:03:22.719 Will you please, thank you? 00:03:24.319 --> 00:03:28.000 Will you please stand and get your Bibles if you have those today? 00:03:28.080 --> 00:03:30.719 If not, you can read it off the screen. 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:41.039 Uh, we're gonna read from Exodus 1, verse 8, and while you're turning there, 1 verse 8, Exodus 1, verse 8, it's easy to find, second book of the Bible. 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.599 I just want to shout out a few names this morning. 00:03:43.759 --> 00:03:53.039 Heather Abston, Jasmine Brawley, Kylie Moberg, Samantha Redmond, Mary Kate Goswick, Carmen Loper, and Ashley Wallace. 00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:58.479 They are spending their day, their Mother's Day, serving our children and life kids. 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.960 And would you please just give them a shout and a round of applause? 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.639 Thank you, ladies, so much. 00:04:04.879 --> 00:04:06.240 Thank you, thank you. 00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:07.919 I appreciate all you do. 00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:12.879 All right, we I've got four chapters to cover this morning, so I hope you're ready. 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:14.960 No, we're just gonna read a little bit, though. 00:04:15.120 --> 00:04:16.079 We're just gonna read a little bit. 00:04:16.160 --> 00:04:17.040 So uh bear with me. 00:04:17.120 --> 00:04:20.079 We are gonna skip around some just for the sake of time. 00:04:20.319 --> 00:04:29.600 In Exodus verse one, I'm sorry, Exodus chapter one, verse eight, it says this A new king arose over Egypt who did not know Joseph. 00:04:29.839 --> 00:04:36.560 He said to his people, Behold, the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. 00:04:36.879 --> 00:04:49.920 Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply, and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us and fight against us and depart from the land. 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:52.079 Skip down to verse 15. 00:04:53.040 --> 00:04:59.680 Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shifrah, and the other one named Pua. 00:05:00.079 --> 00:05:09.439 And he said, When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death. 00:05:09.759 --> 00:05:15.360 But if it is a daughter, then she shall live. 00:05:15.759 --> 00:05:21.519 But the midwives they feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. 00:05:21.759 --> 00:05:26.560 So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, Why have you done this thing? 00:05:26.639 --> 00:05:28.240 And let the boys live. 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:38.160 And the midwives said to Fi Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth more before the midwife can get to them. 00:05:38.399 --> 00:05:43.759 So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very mighty. 00:05:44.079 --> 00:05:48.240 Because the midwives feared God, he established households for them. 00:05:48.480 --> 00:05:49.680 Verse 22. 00:05:49.920 --> 00:06:04.480 Then Pharaoh commanded all of his people, saying, Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive. 00:06:05.439 --> 00:06:10.639 God, I pray today that your name would be glorified. 00:06:10.959 --> 00:06:12.720 Speak to our hearts. 00:06:13.040 --> 00:06:15.360 Lord, I pray you would encourage us by your word. 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:19.199 We thank you for your word because it is alive and active. 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.480 It strengthens, encourages us, and cuts away what doesn't need to be there so we can be more like you. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:30.800 And I pray that process would happen today as we soak up every word from your mouth. 00:06:31.439 --> 00:06:33.839 We ask all these things in your name. 00:06:33.920 --> 00:06:36.160 And everybody said, Amen. 00:06:36.319 --> 00:06:36.720 Amen. 00:06:36.800 --> 00:06:37.920 You may be seated. 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:46.560 Have you ever felt overlooked, underestimated, undervalued? 00:06:46.720 --> 00:06:47.439 Anybody in the room? 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:47.839 Anybody? 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:49.279 Mamas, especially, right? 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:55.519 Like we, I don't know about y'all, but like I work all day, and then I come home and I work more. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:06:57.040 Right? 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:02.639 And um, I have a great husband, so I'm not gonna rip him to shreds up here because he's amazing. 00:07:02.720 --> 00:07:06.639 But sometimes I'm literally like, tag, you're it. 00:07:06.879 --> 00:07:08.399 Like, why do I have to cook dinner? 00:07:08.480 --> 00:07:09.360 Why can't you? 00:07:09.600 --> 00:07:11.199 Uh no, he's incredible. 00:07:11.360 --> 00:07:14.319 But hey, we we feel overwhelmed sometimes. 00:07:14.480 --> 00:07:17.360 We feel undervalued, overlooked, and it's not just women, right? 00:07:17.439 --> 00:07:19.759 This can happen on your workplace, it can happen anywhere. 00:07:20.000 --> 00:07:27.120 Well, today in our story in the Bible, we are gonna look at a very common topic that is throughout all the Bible. 00:07:27.279 --> 00:07:32.959 I mean, if you think about it, Isaac overlooked Jacob, who became the father of the twelve tribes of Israel. 00:07:33.120 --> 00:07:38.319 Joseph's brothers overlooked his dreams, which ended up coming true and saving their lives. 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:42.560 Jesse overlooked David, who would be the king of Israel. 00:07:42.639 --> 00:07:50.560 And the disciples were overlooked by the religious elite because they were uneducated men, but look at how they changed the world. 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:57.680 Today, I want to talk to you about some women who were also overlooked in a very popular story. 00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:11.360 We need to look at some of these very overlooked details because at the end of the day, what I want you to know is that God delights in using what man overlooks. 00:08:12.160 --> 00:08:16.000 God delights in using what man overlooks. 00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:18.160 Now, just a few things that I want you to note. 00:08:18.480 --> 00:08:23.120 Exodus is actually the Greek title for this second book of the Bible. 00:08:23.439 --> 00:08:31.680 Exodus, uh actually in Hebrew, the the title of this book is not Exodus, but it is Shemat, which means names. 00:08:31.759 --> 00:08:36.720 And that's gonna come into play in a little bit because you're gonna hear me say this word a lot in this message. 00:08:36.960 --> 00:08:38.240 That's ironic. 00:08:38.480 --> 00:08:41.919 Listen to the irony because man, I don't know about you. 00:08:42.080 --> 00:08:43.360 I know God is love. 00:08:43.600 --> 00:08:44.480 I know he is. 00:08:44.639 --> 00:08:49.919 God is faithful, he is all the good things, but God has such a sense of humor. 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:56.879 And he is so, and I love God's word because as you read it, you get to see that a little bit more. 00:08:57.039 --> 00:09:03.440 And our story today shows us a little bit of God's humor and his irony in some things. 00:09:03.600 --> 00:09:09.039 And so Shemmat means names, and that's gonna come into play in a little bit as we continue on in this message. 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:10.799 But let's talk about what's happening. 00:09:10.960 --> 00:09:13.039 So, Exodus is a continuation of Genesis. 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:22.240 As a matter of fact, your Bible's probably taken out this word, but the first word in the Hebrew Bible of this book is and, meaning, hey, this is a continuation of what's just happened. 00:09:22.320 --> 00:09:23.360 Well, what's just happened? 00:09:23.519 --> 00:09:30.000 If you've been in my small group for the past two years, you should know because it has taken us almost three years to go through Genesis. 00:09:30.639 --> 00:09:36.000 But this is the story of uh Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. 00:09:36.159 --> 00:09:37.279 Jacob has 12 sons. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.679 Joseph is the is the second to youngest. 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:42.720 He's the favorite, he has these dreams, what and yada yada, yada, you know all that. 00:09:42.799 --> 00:09:44.159 I'm not gonna go into all that, all right? 00:09:44.320 --> 00:09:51.519 So he gets sold into slavery, he goes to Egypt, his whole family ends up moving there, and he saves Egypt and his family from famine. 00:09:51.840 --> 00:09:55.440 And so, Exodus, where we pick up, is a continuation of that story. 00:09:55.600 --> 00:10:00.720 And if you go back and read, which I do hope you will this week because I am covering four chapters very quickly. 00:10:00.879 --> 00:10:08.960 But if you go back and read, you'll see that the people of God were multiplying, they were teeming and swarming. 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:14.559 It's the same exact words used in Genesis 1 during the creation. 00:10:14.879 --> 00:10:16.480 Everything was coming to life. 00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:20.000 They were multiplying, they were subduing, and they were taking over. 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:31.759 And so it's almost two or three hundred years later, after Joseph's story and the Pharaoh that was in that story, and actually, this is like a new Pharaoh that has come into power, a new family of pharaohs, right? 00:10:32.480 --> 00:10:37.200 And it says, he did not know Joseph. 00:10:37.600 --> 00:10:45.679 Now, that verb there actually kind of means he just didn't, he he not he obviously couldn't know him because he's two or three hundred years older, right? 00:10:45.919 --> 00:10:53.440 But he chose not to acknowledge the history of Joseph and the Israelites. 00:10:53.679 --> 00:11:08.559 So you see, what one Pharaoh, the group that he viewed as an asset with a specific skill set of shepherding that could be a blessing in his land, this new Pharaoh chose to look at as a problem. 00:11:09.039 --> 00:11:10.639 They were a threat. 00:11:11.039 --> 00:11:13.039 Because what's gonna happen, what's gonna happen? 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:20.639 They're gonna take over, they're gonna multiply so much, they're gonna take over, or they're gonna desert in a battle, and then we're gonna be left stranded. 00:11:21.039 --> 00:11:29.200 So he he has this threatening appearance about him, and so he comes up with this plan and he says, Hey, I know what we're gonna do. 00:11:29.360 --> 00:11:33.679 The first thing we're gonna do is we're gonna make them slaves and we're gonna enforce hard labor. 00:11:33.919 --> 00:11:36.159 Well, that didn't keep them from multiplying. 00:11:36.480 --> 00:11:37.600 We won't go into that. 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:39.120 You can think about that later. 00:11:39.440 --> 00:11:42.639 But they continued to multiply no matter what was happening, right? 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.799 So Pharaoh has to come up with plan B. 00:11:45.039 --> 00:11:46.639 And that's what we just read. 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:53.759 Plan B was the two murderous midwives who in fact turned out to not be murderous. 00:11:54.080 --> 00:11:55.840 Well, that plan is gonna fail. 00:11:56.000 --> 00:12:02.480 And so his third plan is that all the Egyptians are gonna throw the baby boys into the Nile River and kill them. 00:12:02.799 --> 00:12:17.120 But what I want us to focus on here today is that twice, both in verse 16 and in verse 22, Pharaoh says, Let the daughters live. 00:12:17.679 --> 00:12:20.320 Now he could have just said, kill the boys. 00:12:20.480 --> 00:12:22.559 I mean, we don't need further discussion, right? 00:12:22.720 --> 00:12:24.639 Kill the boys means kill the boys. 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:32.320 But he's emphatic, kill the boys and let the daughters live. 00:12:32.480 --> 00:12:35.519 I'm sorry, whoever is videoing today, I know I move a lot. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:39.200 I'm used to talking to kids and you can't stand still, so I'm sorry about that. 00:12:39.600 --> 00:12:46.159 But he says twice, let the daughters live. 00:12:46.799 --> 00:13:06.559 And oh the irony, because the author of our story, who is probably Moses actually, is now going to go into great, great detail about not just one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven. 00:13:08.080 --> 00:13:09.759 That was for you, Zeke. 00:13:10.639 --> 00:13:17.679 I mean, not six, but seven women who rescued the rescuer. 00:13:18.639 --> 00:13:22.960 And oh, the irony that we see because Pharaoh looked at these women. 00:13:23.039 --> 00:13:24.159 He overlooked them. 00:13:24.320 --> 00:13:29.840 He thought they were worthless nobodies, and yet they're gonna be his downfall. 00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.600 Our first two women to look at today are Shifra and Pua. 00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:36.559 Shifra and Pua, they were midwives to the Hebrews. 00:13:36.639 --> 00:13:41.600 We don't actually know if they were Hebrew or Egyptian because the way it's translated could go either way. 00:13:41.759 --> 00:13:50.159 And we really don't know a whole lot about them, except that we do know that midwifery back then was a very elite job to have. 00:13:50.399 --> 00:13:56.879 They were more than likely managers because the Hebrew people were so large, there's no way they could get to every birth, right? 00:13:56.960 --> 00:13:58.320 They're multiplying like crazy. 00:13:58.480 --> 00:14:10.639 So they were probably managers of other midwives who concocted the scheme to save the baby boys because they knew that God's law stood above that of any man. 00:14:11.840 --> 00:14:20.480 Whether, even if they were Egyptian, they realized there was a moral law and it was wrong to take someone else's life. 00:14:22.320 --> 00:14:37.200 And in a book that places emphasis on names, we don't even know the name of the Pharaoh, but we know the names Shra and Pua. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:49.679 Because Moses wants to make sure that they are forever remembered for their courageous act of standing in opposition to an evil regime. 00:14:50.879 --> 00:14:52.080 That's it is good. 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:53.919 I didn't write it, God did. 00:14:54.879 --> 00:14:59.279 All right, so Pharaoh's first plan, it's failed, right? 00:14:59.440 --> 00:15:07.039 His covert operation, where he spoke to these midwives, and he says to take the lives of the boys in the privacy of their own homes, that didn't work. 00:15:07.200 --> 00:15:09.759 So now he goes to an overt operation, right? 00:15:09.919 --> 00:15:16.720 Hey, everybody's involved, and I command you to throw all the boys into the Nile River. 00:15:16.960 --> 00:15:18.320 But he says it again, right? 00:15:18.480 --> 00:15:19.519 Verse 22, we just read it. 00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:20.399 I'm gonna read it again. 00:15:20.559 --> 00:15:34.639 Verse 22, then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, Every son who is born to you, who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive. 00:15:35.360 --> 00:15:38.080 Now, your Bible translation this morning may say girls. 00:15:38.240 --> 00:15:40.799 Let the girls live, let the girls stay alive. 00:15:41.279 --> 00:15:44.639 I'm not gonna argue translations this morning, but I know this. 00:15:45.519 --> 00:15:48.159 The real Hebrew word there is daughter. 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:49.200 It's bot. 00:15:49.360 --> 00:15:54.000 Looks like bat, it's like you swing a bat, but it's bot, and it means daughter. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:16:01.440 And we only hear the irony of this, because these are Pharaoh's last words recorded. 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:03.440 Let the daughters live. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:21.039 And when we flip the page, or you might not have to, but if you go to the very next verse, our next character, who has a name, and you'll find it out in Exodus 6, but Moses doesn't call her that, he calls her the daughter of Levi. 00:16:22.240 --> 00:16:28.080 You see, Moses wants us to catch the irony this morning that Pharaoh says the daughters are worthless. 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:30.960 Enter the daughter of Levi. 00:16:31.759 --> 00:16:33.440 The daughter of Levi. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:34.240 You know what? 00:16:34.320 --> 00:16:35.600 She has a baby boy. 00:16:35.759 --> 00:16:39.440 And some of your translations this morning say she saw he was special or whatever. 00:16:39.519 --> 00:16:48.399 That's a really hard word for translators to translate because it literally in the Hebrew the word is Tov and it just means good. 00:16:49.120 --> 00:16:51.200 She saw that he was good. 00:16:52.159 --> 00:16:54.879 It's actually the same exact word. 00:16:55.200 --> 00:17:04.160 If you go all the way back to Genesis 1, when God created on the in the six days of creation, what did he say at the end of every day? 00:17:04.400 --> 00:17:08.160 It is, say it louder for the people in the back. 00:17:08.319 --> 00:17:11.839 It is, you didn't, I didn't make you look at your neighbor and say it. 00:17:11.920 --> 00:17:14.319 Just shout it out, just clarifying. 00:17:15.119 --> 00:17:16.160 It's good. 00:17:17.279 --> 00:17:22.319 She is looking at her son through the eyes of Yahweh. 00:17:22.640 --> 00:17:30.400 She is seeing him as made in the image of God, and she says, He is good. 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:33.759 So what does she do? 00:17:34.240 --> 00:17:35.279 She built him. 00:17:35.440 --> 00:17:37.440 Your Bible probably says a basket. 00:17:37.599 --> 00:17:39.519 Guess what the actual word is? 00:17:39.759 --> 00:17:40.640 It's Teva. 00:17:41.200 --> 00:17:42.960 You know what Teva means? 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:44.079 Ark. 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:46.880 Wow, well, we've heard that before. 00:17:47.119 --> 00:17:49.279 Because what did Noah build? 00:17:50.319 --> 00:17:53.119 Yeah, it's not actually an archie archie. 00:17:53.200 --> 00:17:56.720 It really is just an ark that he built. 00:17:57.680 --> 00:18:01.279 She built her baby an ark. 00:18:02.319 --> 00:18:19.039 You see, Noah, he built an ark and he pitched it with gopher wood and pitched it to make it waterproof, and he puts his family in the ark to save them from the chaotic waters of the flood that would surely bring death. 00:18:19.680 --> 00:18:21.680 And she does the same thing. 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:23.920 It's just on a smaller scale. 00:18:24.720 --> 00:18:26.160 She builds her little ark. 00:18:26.240 --> 00:18:31.200 The Bible says she takes the time to tar and pitch it and make it waterproof. 00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:40.319 She places her precious baby in that ark, and then she places that Tava into the waters of death of the Nile. 00:18:41.920 --> 00:18:49.359 And I know she did it with faith in God in her heart, but I also know she did it strategically. 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:52.480 She didn't just haphazardly place that basket. 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:54.480 She didn't. 00:18:55.680 --> 00:19:00.480 She knew this is where Egyptians come to bathe. 00:19:00.720 --> 00:19:02.480 I'm sorry, but I'm convinced of it. 00:19:02.640 --> 00:19:03.440 She knew. 00:19:03.680 --> 00:19:06.720 Yes, she had faith, but she knew she was wise. 00:19:07.680 --> 00:19:11.440 Enter female number four. 00:19:13.599 --> 00:19:14.559 Miriam. 00:19:16.799 --> 00:19:18.799 I'm going backwards in my notes. 00:19:18.960 --> 00:19:20.480 Sorry, let's do this. 00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:26.079 The next female in our story, the next daughter is Miriam. 00:19:26.799 --> 00:19:29.680 Miriam is Moses' sister, and what does it say? 00:19:30.559 --> 00:19:34.559 We're in chapter two, in case you're wanting to keep up with the scriptures that we're reading. 00:19:34.880 --> 00:19:38.720 It says that she keeps a distance and she watches. 00:19:39.440 --> 00:19:42.079 She becomes the watchman, the guardian of her brother. 00:19:42.240 --> 00:19:45.599 She wants to know what will happen to him. 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:49.359 You know what's funny about that word there to know? 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:56.079 It's the same exact word used in verse 25 at the end of chapter 2, chapter 2, verse 25. 00:19:56.240 --> 00:20:01.119 It says, God saw the sons of Israel and God took notice of them. 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:04.960 He was watching them to see what would happen. 00:20:05.119 --> 00:20:09.680 Just like Miriam was watching her brother to see what would happen. 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:21.519 See, we're supposed to pick up on this language here that Miriam is acting in this moment like Yahweh, as a guardian of her brother, a watchman of the people. 00:20:23.039 --> 00:20:26.319 So she can take action when needed. 00:20:26.880 --> 00:20:31.519 Enter daughter number five, the daughter of Pharaoh. 00:20:32.079 --> 00:20:34.240 We're not going to talk about her very long right here. 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:35.599 We're going to come back to her. 00:20:35.839 --> 00:20:39.599 But she comes to the Nile River to bathe. 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:42.960 And she sees the ark and she doesn't know what it is. 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.640 So what does she do? 00:20:44.880 --> 00:20:51.920 She enters into the story, daughter number six, who is the maidservant. 00:20:52.400 --> 00:20:56.480 And the maidservant doesn't have what we would consider a big role. 00:20:56.720 --> 00:20:58.240 But why is she mentioned? 00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:16.160 Because Moses wants us to pick up on the fact that seven daughters, seven overlooked women, underestimated, undervalued women, rescued his life. 00:21:17.440 --> 00:21:25.200 So the maidservant, all she does is fetch the Teva, the ark, and brings it to the princess. 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.599 And the princess, she opens the Teva. 00:21:29.920 --> 00:21:32.079 I'm gonna read Exodus 2, verse 6. 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:33.359 I think I have that on the screen. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:44.559 It says, When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the boy was crying, and she had pity on him and said, This is one of the Hebrew children. 00:21:45.680 --> 00:21:51.599 So she sees, she hears, she takes pity, and she rescues. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:56.079 Hey, guess where we can see those same verbs same place. 00:21:56.480 --> 00:21:59.680 Exodus 2, verses 24 and 25, when we're talking. 00:22:00.319 --> 00:22:01.920 About Yahweh and his people. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:10.240 God heard their groaning and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he saw the sons of Israel, and God took notice of them. 00:22:10.720 --> 00:22:16.559 The same verbs in different, they're in different order, but the same verbs. 00:22:16.880 --> 00:22:20.640 God sees, he hears, he has compassion. 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:24.799 And then as we continue, we're going to read the rest of the rescue story, right? 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:26.960 So what does that mean? 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:34.960 It means that in this moment, the daughter of Pharaoh is acting in character with Yahweh. 00:22:36.079 --> 00:22:38.079 She sees this baby. 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:41.279 She immediately understands the situation. 00:22:42.160 --> 00:22:50.880 And she has compassion on a life that otherwise she should disregard because he's Hebrew. 00:22:51.039 --> 00:22:53.279 And the Egyptians hated the Hebrews. 00:22:54.079 --> 00:22:58.079 But she acts in character with Yahweh. 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:03.680 She sees him, she hears him, she has compassion on him, and she rescues him. 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:07.839 Sister Miriam comes back into the story, right? 00:23:08.240 --> 00:23:10.640 As the Bible's first social worker. 00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:17.599 Do you want me to fetch for you? 00:23:17.839 --> 00:23:19.680 Can I go call for you? 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:24.160 A nurse, someone who can nurse this baby for you. 00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:26.559 She's the mediator. 00:23:27.519 --> 00:23:30.160 She's acting like Christ in this moment. 00:23:30.640 --> 00:23:35.680 She is mediating on behalf of the life of her brother to save his life. 00:23:37.599 --> 00:23:38.240 Yes. 00:23:38.720 --> 00:23:40.079 Go fetch the mom. 00:23:40.319 --> 00:23:42.000 Let me pay her wages. 00:23:42.240 --> 00:23:47.599 She can raise this baby for a few years, and then when you bring him back to me, I'll adopt him. 00:23:47.920 --> 00:23:50.240 And that's exactly what happened. 00:23:50.960 --> 00:23:53.200 That's exactly what happened. 00:23:54.960 --> 00:23:56.559 And we're skipping a page. 00:23:56.720 --> 00:23:57.359 Sorry about that. 00:23:57.599 --> 00:23:58.799 Can y'all tell I'm nervous? 00:23:58.880 --> 00:23:59.920 I'm sorry. 00:24:01.039 --> 00:24:05.759 And then Pharaoh's daughter does something that I just find fascinating. 00:24:05.839 --> 00:24:12.160 And I wasn't going to mention it because I was afraid we wouldn't have enough time, but I'm going to tell you right now, that time they're so small I can't even see it anyway. 00:24:14.240 --> 00:24:19.440 So Pharaoh's daughter, she names Moses. 00:24:20.720 --> 00:24:28.079 And this is what's so cool about his name because his name has a meaning in both Egyptian and Hebrew. 00:24:28.400 --> 00:24:36.160 You see, in Egyptian, Moses means son of, but it's almost always attached to something else, like Thutmos or Ramses. 00:24:36.319 --> 00:24:36.640 Okay? 00:24:36.799 --> 00:24:39.119 And it means the son of that person. 00:24:39.599 --> 00:24:41.440 Well, Moses is the son of. 00:24:44.160 --> 00:24:45.200 We don't know. 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:45.759 Right? 00:24:45.839 --> 00:24:47.599 Because she doesn't know who his dad is. 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:49.119 He's the son of. 00:24:50.880 --> 00:24:57.920 But in Hebrew, Moshe means one who draws out. 00:24:59.279 --> 00:25:00.640 So I like to put them together. 00:25:00.720 --> 00:25:03.119 I know technically you're not supposed to do that, but I don't really care. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:04.160 Right? 00:25:04.480 --> 00:25:11.200 So I like to call Moses son of the one who will draw out. 00:25:12.319 --> 00:25:21.359 You see, I think God told Pharaoh's daughter what to name him because she was giving him a prophetic name. 00:25:21.759 --> 00:25:28.400 You are the son of the one who will be the rescuer, who is the true rescuer. 00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:34.559 All right, so Moses, he grows up in Pharaoh's own home, right? 00:25:35.519 --> 00:25:38.880 Under the guard of Pharaoh's daughter. 00:25:39.519 --> 00:25:44.880 And one day he goes out, and again, I'm skipping so many chapters, so please go home and read this for yourselves. 00:25:44.960 --> 00:25:46.079 Don't just take my word for it. 00:25:46.160 --> 00:25:49.440 Read it for yourselves, because I'm about to be all the way in chapter four now. 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:55.759 He he grows up, he goes out, he sees some of his Hebrew brothers, and they're being mistreated. 00:25:55.839 --> 00:25:58.960 So he kills the Egyptian, buries him. 00:25:59.279 --> 00:26:02.319 Pharaoh finds out he has to flee to Midian. 00:26:02.480 --> 00:26:03.680 He flees to Midian. 00:26:03.920 --> 00:26:11.920 He comes upon a well where there's not one, two, three, four, five, six, but seven daughters at a well. 00:26:13.599 --> 00:26:15.039 He marries Zipporah. 00:26:15.279 --> 00:26:18.720 For some of you that are older here today and you don't know what that means, it's nothing bad. 00:26:18.799 --> 00:26:21.519 It's just a thing kids and live kids do constantly. 00:26:21.680 --> 00:26:23.759 And it really gets on your nerves sometimes. 00:26:23.839 --> 00:26:26.960 But you just gotta go with it and laugh with it, right? 00:26:27.119 --> 00:26:27.759 Right? 00:26:28.240 --> 00:26:32.480 So he's right, he goes to Midian, he meets Zipporah at the well. 00:26:32.720 --> 00:26:39.759 Zipporah and her family take him in and they guard him from Pharaoh until Pharaoh dies. 00:26:40.400 --> 00:26:42.160 And he marries Sepporah. 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:52.559 He has two children with her, two sons, and he has his burning bush experience where God says, Hey Mo, it is time for you to be that person that you're supposed to be. 00:26:52.720 --> 00:27:02.079 I think, I'm pretty sure God came down at some point at the burning bush and said, I need you to go to Pharaoh and say, Pharaoh, Pharaoh. 00:27:08.319 --> 00:27:11.359 I'm pretty sure that's exactly how God said it. 00:27:12.559 --> 00:27:15.359 Almost 100% positive. 00:27:16.000 --> 00:27:23.279 But if God talks to Pharaoh, or God talks to Moses and he says, Moses, it is time for you to do what I have called you to do. 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:24.400 Go back to Egypt. 00:27:24.559 --> 00:27:27.440 Tell Pharaoh to let my people go so they can worship me. 00:27:27.680 --> 00:27:29.680 You know, Moses, he makes all kinds of excuses. 00:27:29.759 --> 00:27:38.319 I'm sure he had a really big complex being an adoptive child and probably very confused about his background and stuff. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:40.880 And so he just, he's like, God, I can't do this, I can't do this. 00:27:40.960 --> 00:27:42.240 And God says, shut up and go. 00:27:42.400 --> 00:27:44.000 So he does, right? 00:27:44.480 --> 00:27:46.559 But here's a crazy thing. 00:27:46.799 --> 00:28:00.480 On the way back to Egypt, we encounter this really weird story where God is ready to kill Moses, the person he just told to go back to Egypt and do this really big thing, and he's about to kill him. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:01.279 Let's see why. 00:28:01.440 --> 00:28:04.079 We're in chapter 4, verse 24. 00:28:04.319 --> 00:28:12.240 Now it came about at the lodging place on the way, the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. 00:28:12.640 --> 00:28:23.279 Then Sepporah took a flint and cut off her son's foreskin and threw it at Moses, at Moses' feet, and she said, You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me. 00:28:23.519 --> 00:28:24.880 So he let him alone. 00:28:25.039 --> 00:28:30.480 At that time, she said, You are a bridegroom of bridegroom of blood because of the circumcision. 00:28:30.720 --> 00:28:31.440 Weird story. 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:32.640 We're not going to go into it. 00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:34.079 But here's what we know. 00:28:35.519 --> 00:28:37.119 Another story for another time. 00:28:37.279 --> 00:28:42.319 I love telling these kind of stories to your kids on Sunday mornings and then being like, Go home and ask your parents what that means. 00:28:46.240 --> 00:28:55.759 Look, Moses had been called to do what God called him to do, but he had neglected to do what God commanded him to do. 00:28:56.079 --> 00:28:57.839 And that was to circumcise his son. 00:28:57.920 --> 00:29:02.640 You see, Moses was probably circumcised by his parents because she hid him for three months. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:06.880 And he knew what to do, but he neglected to do it. 00:29:07.279 --> 00:29:21.039 So one big difference between Zipporah and our other six women is that while the other six women saved, helped to save Moses and rescue him from the wrath of God, Zipporah saved him. 00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.640 I'm sorry, from the wrath of Pharaoh. 00:29:22.720 --> 00:29:24.880 Nothing like messing up your great line. 00:29:27.039 --> 00:29:28.160 Let's start over. 00:29:28.640 --> 00:29:39.200 While the other six women saved Moses from the wrath of Pharaoh, Zipporah saved Moses from the wrath of God. 00:29:41.279 --> 00:29:56.240 Listen, seven women, seven different roles, all noted, all worth mentioning, all valuable to our story. 00:29:56.559 --> 00:30:00.880 We're just gonna run through them real quick, and then I'm I'm getting close to the end, guys. 00:30:00.960 --> 00:30:03.839 Believe it or not, I'm on page five of seven. 00:30:06.400 --> 00:30:09.359 The first ones, Shifra and Puah. 00:30:09.759 --> 00:30:14.960 They feared God over man and they acted accordingly, saving the lives of many boys. 00:30:15.119 --> 00:30:17.839 They were brave and they were courageous. 00:30:18.160 --> 00:30:27.279 Joshabed, or the daughter of Levi, she saw the good of God's creation and she made a waterproof ark to save her son from the waters of death. 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:33.599 Miriam, she became a watchman and a mediator, the maidservant. 00:30:33.920 --> 00:30:37.519 She just performed a simple act of obedience. 00:30:37.839 --> 00:30:39.359 Pharaoh's daughter. 00:30:39.599 --> 00:30:47.680 She exhibited the compassion of God and provided life and protection for Moses in the same household of the persecutor. 00:30:47.920 --> 00:30:50.880 She is brave and she is courageous. 00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:52.559 And then Zipporah. 00:30:53.039 --> 00:30:58.000 She acted quickly and wisely in obedience to what God had commanded. 00:30:58.240 --> 00:31:02.079 Now, if I'm going to give you three points, because every sermon has to have three points, right? 00:31:02.319 --> 00:31:04.640 I'm going to give you three points this morning. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.799 I'm not going to linger long on them. 00:31:07.039 --> 00:31:10.240 Three things we can learn from this story, from this text. 00:31:10.480 --> 00:31:16.160 Number one is this never underestimate your value. 00:31:17.359 --> 00:31:29.200 Because you see, in our story that is taken from a very male-dominating society, every single character that was important was female. 00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.240 That lets me know your value is not based on your gender. 00:31:34.559 --> 00:31:35.920 I'm not leaving you out, men. 00:31:36.000 --> 00:31:37.200 You're valuable too. 00:31:37.440 --> 00:31:40.000