??Lindsay was so excited! Mother had just called from the doctor's office："Lindsay, " she said, "We're going to have a new baby in the family!" Lindsay thought of all the people she wanted to tell：her friend Amy next door, her grandmother, and her teacher at school!
??In our Bible lesson today there was also a new baby, it was a boy! But shhh! Mother Jochebed and Father Amram are not telling ANYONE about their new baby son! And shhh! Big sister Miriam and brother Aaron were not allowed to tell either. Why not？Because this was a Hebrew family and the King of Egypt had ordered that when a Hebrew baby was born, if it were a girl, it could live; but if it were a boy, it was to be thrown into the Nile River to drown! Why would the King make such a wicked rule？After all, if it hadn't been for a Hebrew man named Joseph, and if it hadn't been for the God of the Hebrews, there wouldn't even BE an Egypt, for God had used the Hebrews to save Egypt from starvation. But this new king did not remember Joseph, nor did he care about the Hebrews' God, Who is the true and living God Who created all things. This new king had one big worry：He felt there were getting to be TOO MANY Hebrews, and that they were much stronger than the Egyptians. He said to his people, "Suppose we have a war and those Hebrews decide to fight against us! We've got to do something to cut down their population and cut back their power."
??The king's plan was to make the Hebrew people work very hard as slaves, carrying heavy loads of stone and building treasure cities for himself. But a strange thing happened! The harder the Egyptians made the Hebrews work, the more they afflicted them.why, the more they grew! Finally, the king, or Pharoah as Egyptian kings were called, said to his people："Every Hebrew girl that is born, let it live; but every Hebrew boy that is born, throw him in the Nile River to drown!" Link：What a wicked, sinful heart Pharoah had to want to murder a little baby! You and I would never do that, would we？To kill a baby before it is born, after it is born, when it grows to be a child like you, or a grown-up like me.it is all the same to God.
??It is murder and it is a terrible sin. Is it going to surprise you when I say to you that you and I have sinful hearts too？Even though we would never murder a precious baby, yet the Bible says, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked：who can know it？Jeremiah l7：9. Sometimes we think we are good because we see how bad other people are, but God sees that all our hearts are sinful. When you lie, disobey your parents, or say or do hurtful things to others, that is sin. And it is sin that keeps us away from God and His family. But God's loving plan for you is that you become part of His family and enjoy Heaven forever with Him! He has filled Heaven with wonderful things to make you happy forever. And He has made a way for you to have your sins forgiven and be in Heaven.
??Do you remember that we have talked about the Lord Jesus Christ？As the perfect Son of God, He is the One Who carried out God's plan for your sin to be forgiven. Jesus took your punishment by suffering and dying on a wooden cross many years ago. When He was dying, He was not only giving His blood as a payment for your sin, but also suffering great pain for your sin. After Jesus died, He was buried, came alive in 3 days and then went back to Heaven to be with God. He is alive in Heaven today and ready to forgive sin, no matter how wicked or sinful our hearts may be. It is sad that Pharoah did not care about God's forgiveness for his wicked, sinful heart. He was ordering that all the Hebrew boy babies be killed. That is why the family in our lesson today had to hide their new baby boy, and keep him a secret from everyone!
??Day after day they hid him. It must've been hard, for babies cry loud, don't they？Do you suppose Mother Jochebed and Father Amram worried a lot？"What if an Egyptian neighbor comes by and hears the baby cry？" "What if brother Aaron forgets and tells some of his friends about his baby brother？" "What if the baby gets sick and needs a doctor？" There could have been a lot of "what if's" to worry about, but the Bible tells us that this Hebrew family hid their baby "by faith." That means they trusted God to take care of him. Jochebed and Amram were trusting God to take care of their baby boy.
??After 3 months, the Bible says they could no longer hide him. But they were still trusting God, even as Jochebed took a big basket and put pitch or tar on it to make it waterproof. Tenderly she wrapped her healthy little boy and placed him in the basket. She and Miriam took him quietly down to the Nile River and put the basket afloat in the Nile River, wedged and hidden in some tall reeds by the bank of the river. Big sister Miriam was left to watch and see what would happen. And she didn't have to wait long! She heard women talking and laughing, and peeping out from her place, Miriam saw, oh no! Not the princess of Egypt! Yes, she was lovely, but she was the daughter of the Pharoah who had made the rule to murder the Hebrew boy babies! Oh, how Miriam hoped she wouldn't see, but no! She DID see, in fact, she ordered her maid to go get that basket out of the reeds.
??Shall we hold our breath with Miriam as the princess opens the basket and stares down at Miriam's darling baby brother! Oh, no the poor darling baby began to cry. Miriam heard the princess say, "Oh, this is one of the Hebrew baby boys!" The princess knew that baby was Hebrew, and she also knew her father's commandment! But God touched the heart of the princess, and she not only had compassion for that little fellow but adopted him as her own son! Then God put on Miriam's heart just the right thing to do.
??She went to the princess boldly and said, "Shall I go and call a Hebrew mother to help you care for this child？" The princess said, "Go." And Miriam went! She went straight to her own mother ! Quickly Jochebed went to meet the princess. How amazed she was to hear the princess say, "Take this child away and nurse him for me. I will pay you to take care of him." Oh, what a wonderful God we have, children! We can trust Him to take care of us! MTS：Have you been fretting or worrying about things？There are many dangers, many hard things in this world, even for children like you. But if you have believed in the Lord Jesus and asked Him to save you from your sin, you are His child. Take your worries to Him in prayer. Trust Him to take care of you! Remember that sometimes God takes the problem away from you. And at other times, God will take you away from the problem. Still there are times when your wise, loving Heavenly Father will take you right through the problem. No matter how God works, trust Him to take care of you in the very best way!
??Jochebed walked home with her baby boy in her arms! She did not have to hide him now, and she would be paid to take care of her own son! Surely she and her family praised God together for His wonderful care of their son. They enjoyed every minute of the years they had together, and I'm sure Jochebed taught this little boy about the true and living God. When he was probably between 3 and 5 years old, Jochebed knew it was time to take him to the princess. The princess took him and named him Moses, which means "drawn out." Why do you think she named him that？Yes, because she drew him out of the water. No doubt Jochebed was sad to leave her little son at the palace, but she knew very well she could trust God to continue to care for little Moses.
??小林翠这会儿真是好兴奋！妈妈刚从医院打回电话回来， “林翠，” 她说，“我们家里又要添一个小宝宝了。”林翠真想把这个消息告诉她认识的每一个人：她的朋友，住在隔壁的艾米，奶奶，还有学校的老师！
??在我们今天的圣经故事里，也有一个刚出生的孩子，是一个男孩子。SHHHH，妈妈约基别和爸爸暗兰可是没有告诉任何人他们有了一个新出生的小宝宝。还有，SHHHH，他们也不允许大姐姐米利暗和大哥哥亚伦把这个消息告诉任何人。这是为什么呢？原来呀，他们是一个希伯来人的家庭。埃及的国王已经下了命令，当一个希伯来人的孩子出生的时候，如果是一个女孩子，就可以活；但如果这是一个男孩子，他就要被扔进尼罗河淹死。为什么国王下了这样一条歹毒的命令呢？
??如果不是一个叫约瑟的希伯来人，如果不是希伯来人所信的这位神，埃及就已经不存在了。因为神使用希伯来人使埃及渡过了饥荒。可是，这个新的埃及国王不知道约瑟，也不在乎希伯来人所信的这位创造了宇宙万有的真神活神。有一件事使这位新的埃及国王大大担心：他担心希伯来人会越来越多，他们会比埃及人强盛。于是，国王对他的百姓说：“如果有一天，我们需要去打仗，那些希伯来人弄不好会反过来攻击我们。所以我们得想办法减少他们的人口，使他们不能强盛起来。”国王的计划是让希伯来人像奴隶一样做苦工，搬运重石头，为国王建造存放财宝的城堡。
??可是，一件奇怪的事情发生了！埃及人越是苦待希伯来人，希伯来人就越使埃及人苦恼。这是为什么呢？原来，希伯来人是越来越多。最后，埃及国王(又叫法老)对他的百姓说：“希伯来人所生的女孩，可以让她活；但是如果是男孩，他就要被扔进尼罗河里淹死。” 法老的心真是凶狠恶毒，他竟然连小小的孩子都要杀害。你和我从来不会作那样的事，对不对？对神来说，不管是没出生的孩子，还是刚刚出生的婴儿，不管是长得像你一样高的小朋友，还是像我这样的大人，在神眼里，都是一样宝贵的生命。夺取这个生命就是谋杀，是一个可怕的罪。如果我说，我和你的心肠都是罪恶的，那么你会不会觉得奇怪呢？虽然我们从不会杀死一个可爱的孩子，可是圣经上说：人心比万事都诡诈，坏到极处，谁能识透呢？(耶利米17：9)。 有时，当我们看到别人有多坏时，我们会认为自己很好。但神看我们的心都是有罪的。当你说谎，不听父母的话，甚至说话，做事伤害到别人的时候，那就是罪。正是罪使我们与神和神的家隔开。但是神为了你设计的美好计划是让你成为神家里的一员，与神一起永远享受天堂的美好。他使天上充满了各样极其美好的事物来让你享受。他已经为你预备了一条路，使你的罪可以被赦免，使你可以去天堂。你还记得我们已经谈到过主耶稣基督吗？作为神无暇疵的儿子，正是他实现了神的计划，使你的罪可以被赦免。 在很多年以前，耶受死在十字架上，为你承担了罪的惩罚。当他死的时候，他不但流血赎了你的罪，他还为了你的罪受尽了痛苦。在耶稣死后，他被埋葬，又在第三天复活。然后，他回到天上，和神在一起。今天他就在天上活着，随时可以原谅我们的罪，不管我们的心有多么邪恶。
??可是，埃及的法老并不在乎神愿意饶恕他的恶毒心肠，这真是令人难过！他还命令杀死所有的希伯来男孩。这就是为什么在我们今天的圣经故事里，那个希伯来人的家庭得把他们刚刚出生的男孩藏起来，不能让任何人知道。他们藏了他一天又一天。这真是一件很不容易的事。因为婴儿的哭声很大，是不是？他的妈妈约基别和爸爸暗兰一定好担心。 “如果一个埃及人的邻居经过，听见孩子的哭声怎么办？”“如果哥哥亚伦忘记了保守秘密，去告诉他的小朋友他家里有一个刚出生的小弟弟，怎么办？”“如果孩子生病，需要看医生，怎么办？”可能会有许多“如果，如果”来让他们担心。 但是圣经告诉我们，这个希伯来人的家庭是凭着信心把这个孩子藏起来，也就是说他们相信神会看顾他们的孩子。 妈妈约基别和爸爸暗兰相信神会看顾他们的孩子。三个月以后，圣经告诉我们他们不能再藏了。但他们仍然信靠神！妈妈约基别拿了一个大箱子，抹上石漆和石油使它不会透水。然后她十分小心的把这个看起来满健康的男孩包起来，放到箱子里。然后她和大姐姐米利暗悄悄地拿着箱子来到尼罗河边，把箱子搁在河边的芦荻中让它漂在河上。而大姐姐米利暗被留下来多待一会儿，要知道他究竟会怎样。她刚等了一会儿，就听见有女孩子的说话声和笑声。她从藏身的地方向外一瞥，欧，不！怎么会是埃及的公主！当然，她很可爱，可是，她是埃及法老的女儿。正是法老命令杀死所有刚出生的希伯来男孩。米利暗多么希望她所看见的不是真的。欧，不！她所看见的是真真确确的。 而且埃及的公主让她的使女把箱子从芦荻中拿出来。当公主打开箱子，看着米利暗那可爱的小弟弟，我们真是要和米利暗一起屏住呼吸了。欧，这个可怜的小弟弟开始哭起来。米利暗听见公主说：这是个希伯来人的孩子。公主知道这个孩子是个希伯来人，她当然也知道她父亲的命令。
??可是，神感动了公主的心，使她不但可怜这个希伯来人的孩子，她还收养了这个孩子做她的儿子。然后神在大姐姐米利暗的心里催促她去做一件事情。米利暗勇敢地来到公主面前，对她说：“我去在希伯来妇人中叫一个奶妈来，为你照看这个孩子，好不好？”公主说：“去吧”。米利暗就去了。她直接回到她自己的家。妈妈约基别 赶快去见公主。当她听见公主说的话真是惊讶极了。 公主说：“你把这个孩子抱去，替我喂养他。我会给你工钱的。”噢，我们的神多好啊，孩子们。我们实在是可以相信神会照顾我们的。
??那么，你有没有为什么事情焦虑发愁呢？在这个世界上有许多危险，许多困难，甚至小孩子也会遭遇到这样的事。如果你已经相信主耶稣，并让他来把你从罪中拯救出来，那你就是他的孩子。带着你的烦恼到他面前去祷告，相信他会看顾你。记住，有时神会把困难从你那里拿开；但有时，神也会把你从困难当中拿出来。还有的时候，那位有智慧又慈爱的天父会带领你经过困难，因为当他带领你经过难处的时候，他有重要的功课让你学习。不管神怎样做，你要相信他会以最好的方式看顾你。
??妈妈约基别知道神会看顾她的孩子。她抱着孩子走回家。她现在再也不需要把他藏起来了。而且她照看自己的孩子还得到工钱。她和她的一家都赞美感谢神，因为他奇妙地看顾了他们的孩子。他们一家享受那些年在一起的每一个时刻。我相信妈妈约基别一定告诉她的孩子关与这位又真又活的神。当他大约三至五岁的时候，约基别知道是要把他带到公主那里去的时候了。埃及的公主把他带到埃及的王宫中，而且是在埃及国王的王宫里。公主给他起名叫摩西，意思说：从水里拉出来。为什么叫这个名字呢？对，因为是公主把他从水里拉出来的。约基别一定觉得很难过，因为要把她的儿子留在王宫里，但是她深深知道，当小摩西被藏在家中那三个月里，神保护了他；当小摩西躺在箱子里漂在尼罗河上的时候，神看顾了他。约基别完全可以相信神会继续看顾她的儿子小摩西。 |