others, as in the case of Moses refusing, choosing, esteeming and forsaking, it may be

very personal and individual.

When Moses was born, two parts of God's promise drew near together. Amram his

father knew full well that Moses was the fourth generation from the entry into Egypt. He

also knew that there was another prophecy which must be fulfilled namely, that 400 years

were to elapse (see Gen. 15: 13 and 16). It might have been difficult to have understood

clearly, before the event, how 400 years and a fourth generation could coincide, but by

the time Moses was born the possibility of this coincidence became manifest.

We learn that the parents of Moses hid the child for three months "because they saw

that he was a proper child". Stephen speaking of this same event, says Moses was

"exceeding fair", margin, "fair to God", a Hebraism indicating something exceptional.

The word asteios, "fair", "proper", is an unusual word, occurring only in Acts 7: 20

and Heb. 11: 23.  Etymologically it means "belonging to the city", like "polite" (from

polis, a city), "urbane" (from verbs, a city). One edition of the LXX introduces the name

of God into the description of David in I Sam. 16: 12, where it reads: "Now he was

ruddy . . . . . and fair in aspect through the Lord". It may be therefore that Moses at his

birth had something about him that first of all caused his parents to stop and think, and

then to perceive that here was the promised deliverer of the Lord's people.

The hiding of Moses was by faith, not fear, for faith is not presumption. It would not

have been an act of faith to have exposed Moses, and it is salutary to remember the

Saviour's repudiation of the devil's suggestion to "tempt the Lord". When we read the

record in Exod. 2: the mother alone is mentioned: "When she saw, she hid, she took

him", etc. Heb. 11:, however, assures us of the fact that both parents were associated in

this venture of faith, even as Exod. 2: goes on to reveal the part played by the elder

sister Miriam.

It will also be observed that faith set aside the commandment of the king. Normally,

the child of God is called upon to be law-abiding. Taxes were paid both by the Lord

(Matt. 17: 27), by the command of the Lord (Matt. 22: 21), and by the command of his

servant Paul (Rom. 13: 7). Human government was to be viewed as under the ordering

of God (Rom. 13: 1; Titus 3: 1; I Pet. 2: 17).  The order of human society is not

invaded because believers are "all one in Christ". Though it be true that "in Christ" there

are no longer "male and female", yet these distinctions are observed in the order of the

home life (Eph. 5: 22-33), and in the church (I Tim. 2: 8-15). Though there be no longer

"bond and free", nevertheless the relationship of master and servant remains untouched

(Eph. 6: 5-9).

While this is the general attitude, it will be seen that there are times when faith takes

the position of Peter and John: