“Now a man from the house of Levi went and married a daughter of Levi. The woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was beautiful, she hid him for three months. But when she could hide him no longer, she got him a wicker basket and covered it over with tar and pitch. Then she put the child into it and set it among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. His sister stood at a distance to find out what would happen to him. The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the Nile, with her maidens walking alongside the Nile; and she saw the basket among the reeds and sent her maid, and she brought it to her. 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 Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you?” Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go ahead.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. The child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And she named him Moses, and said, “Because I drew him out of the water.” (Exodus 2:1-10 NASB)
This is an excerpt from last Sunday’s sermon, but it’s worth reviewing and sharing beyond the pews of my church. Moses, a man from the house of Levi, the priestly line, married a daughter of Levi. Moses is born and he was beautiful. His mother nursed him for three months.
Lesson #3: You have heard me say it before, but let me state it again. From the age of zero to five, there is a lot of things learned by children. A great deal of socialization takes place in these formative years. Many social scientists will agree.
Moses was no exception. Here he is – born in a godly home, and God already knew how He would use Moses, and Moses is benefitting from the presence of the Lord. Moses was put in a covered wicker basket and set among the reeds by the bank of the Nile. Long story short, Moses was saved from death and the child grew and became as Pharoah’s daughter’s son. But look at the presence of the Lord. Moses was nursed by his mother, not weaned in those times, until the child was two to three years old. A lot of socialization from his mother’s home, filled with the teachings that came with his family’s roots in a priestly line and rooted in a faith in God. (By the way believers, are members of a royal priesthood, according to Scripture.) The presence of the Lord is apparent in Moses’ formative years, and this can be seen in His mother, a woman of faith. His mother could have said, “I have got my own troubles and trauma to deal with,” and ignored the request to nurse Moses. She could have said, “There is too much I have to deal with in my personal struggles in life to nurse Moses,” her own child. She could have focused on going to the marketplace to shop and refused to live up to her responsibility as a mother first. But the presence of the Lord would not permit that to happen. I hope you share this with some young mothers who need to examine their priorities.
Young women today need to recognize that they have an obligation, along with the father (No free pass card for dads or “My baby’s daddy!”), to bring their children up in the faith, raise them in the fear of the Lord, and instill in them the fact that God has a purpose for them! If the children are not shown this purpose; if the children don’t see the presence of the Lord (This is serious stuff!), that child’s life and/or that child’s life choices, and the consequences that comes with the influence of peers and the pushing of lifestyles that are an abomination to the Lord – will not be escapable!
Socialization does not stop when a child is five years old. It continues, at least up to adulthood; real adulthood and not when a child thinks they are grown. Remember this lesson and share it. Thank God for you who recognized the importance of bringing your child up, even as babies and toddlers, in the church and in a Christian home environment. You have done the right thing! Have a great Wednesday! This was last of the three lessons I said I would share in a series this week. We will see what God has to say tomorrow! And yes, you will get a story! Be blessed!
“Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old, they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6 NIV)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King