Hospitality isn't Limited to Christians

 Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, ^b saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Thoughts:  Life is a bit nebulous.  Sometimes believers do stupid and wrong things, and sometimes non-believers do really great things.  It seems even silly to say, but it should be said that good is not limited to Christians.  Yet it is also true that God is able to use the good and the bad we do to achieve His purposes.  
       Here a pagan, Pharaoh's daughter, felt sorry for the crying baby.  God puts this compassion for babies in many a woman's heart.  God used it to rescue Moses and to rescue the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. 
      In the New Testament, it says many times that Jesus "ate and drank with sinners."  The sinners invited him to eat and drink with them when the Pharisees would not.  But Jesus went with them.   Christians do not have a corner on hospitality.  But the other side of it is that when someone is hospitable toward you, you should let them be and try to answer their hospitality by being gracious and accepting their show of kindness.  So Moses' sister and mother did not hesitate to allow her brother to be raised in a pagan palace.  It not only was better than death, it was a place where Moses could get a good education, good food, and a healthy place to be.        We should rejoice in the hospitality shown to Moses and to Jesus by pagans and sinners.  We should rejoice when those who do not share our beliefs are kind to us.  Kindness does not just mean inviting others and welcoming others, it also means allowing yourself to be invited and welcomed.   When you are shown kindness, show kindness in return, and even outdo their kindness as a means to honor God.  

Prayer: Lord, give me a heart to welcome others' hospitality toward me and my family.   Let me also exceed in how I show hospitality toward others.  

Moses- Drawn from the Water

22Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every Hebrew boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

 1Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket^a for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother.9Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses,^b saying, “I drew him out of the water.”

Thoughts: The Egyptians were trying to cut the Hebrew population down bu killing the boys (infanticide).  Judeo-Christian religion has always valued life and did not believe in child sacrifice, or in infanticide.  Moses' mother loved him but had to protect him by hiding him and then floating him down the mighty Nile river in a basket.  Pharaoh's daughter found the baby and adopted him.  She named him "Moses" which meant "Drew" , for she drew him out of the water.  Moses' sister, Miriam made sure Moses was nursed by his own mother. 
    Moses was not only saved and nourished by God, but he was being groomed to free his people.  

He would be in the palace of one of the greatest kingdoms in the history of the world.  He would learn to be a leader and to read and write.  He would have the education of a prince, and the knowledge to lead his people. 
    Sometimes a terrible environment can be a place where we can grow and be used by God.  

Prayer: Lord, may your love lead me through the hard times of life, trusting you.  

Moses Mother's Witness

1Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket^a for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the riverbank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her female slave to get it. 6She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said.

7Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?”

8“Yes, go,” she answered. So the girl went and got the baby’s mother. (Exodus 2) 

Thoughts: Moses' mother, in tradition, is name Jochebed.  We know very little about her except that she dared to spare her son and sought to nurture him at risk to her own life.  She hid Moses, then made a basket for his escape.  She ended up nursing her own child and doubtless had a special relationship with him growing up. Technically, Moses' mother was un-named. She only sought to bless her child, and risked everything for his existence.  Today, women should want to protect their children and also to protect their children's souls.  

Prayer: Lord, guard my children.   Let me risk my all for them, yet let them also be faithful in my love for you.