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Children of Israel
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to make him disbelieve in the existence of the Maker of the heavens
and of the earth.
The instructions he received from his parents were such as to
fortify his mind and shield him from being lifted up and corrupted
with sin and becoming proud amid the splendor and extravagance
of court life. He had a clear mind and an understanding heart, and
never lost the pious impressions he received in his youth. His mother
kept him as long as she could, but she was obliged to separate from
him when he was about twelve years old, and he then became the
son of Pharaoh’s daughter.
Here Satan was defeated. By moving Pharaoh to destroy the
male children, he thought to turn aside the purposes of God and
destroy the one whom God would raise up to deliver His people.
But that very decree, appointing the Hebrew children to death, was
the means God overruled to place Moses in the royal family, where
he had advantages to become a learned man and eminently qualified
to lead his people from Egypt.
Pharaoh expected to exalt his adopted grandson to the throne.
He educated him to stand at the head of the armies of Egypt and
lead them to battle. Moses was a great favorite with Pharaoh’s host
and was honored because he conducted warfare with superior skill
and wisdom. “And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the
Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.” The Egyptians
regarded Moses as a remarkable character.
Special Preparation for Leadership
Angels instructed Moses that God had chosen him to deliver the
children of Israel. The rulers among the children of Israel were also
taught by angels that the time for their deliverance was nigh, and
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that Moses was the man whom God would use to accomplish this
work. Moses thought that the children of Israel would be delivered
by warfare, and that he would stand at the head of the Hebrew host,
to conduct the warfare against the Egyptian armies and deliver his
brethren from the yoke of oppression. Having this in view, Moses
guarded his affections, that they might not be strongly placed upon
his adopted mother or upon Pharaoh, lest it should be more difficult
for him to remain free to do the will of God.