The Master Weaver

And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. (Exodus 2:3)

Moses, Baby in the Basket

Moses, a Hebrew,  was chosen by Father God to lead the Hebrews, the Nation of Israel, out of Egypt.

His mother and father were from the House of Levi (priests).  By spiritual inheritance he was ordained a Priest (to lead, to teach the Word of the Lord God) as was with his parents.

Definitely, his entry into this world wasn’t so secure.

A new Pharoah from the land of Egypt, who did not know Joseph, feared the Hebrews:

• ^“Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.  Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Ramses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.” (Exodus 1:10,11,12).
• And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor:  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigor. (Exodus 1:13,14)
• And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. (Exodus 1:15,16)

Pretty unnerving to be conceived and death is waiting on the horizon because he is a male and a Hebrew.  But with God Almighty, nothing is impossible.

• And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink. (Exodus 2:3)

My concept is the basket that Moses’ mother and father weaved to place him securely into his journey down the Nile River not knowing what the child’s future would be, but trusting God for his destiny.

There is a master plan in progress to create this very special basket.  This basket must be so secure (to avoid sinking) that only the best of the best materials would be used.  This is one art craft that was of a primary importance which sustains their livelihood in the market place.

Can you picture Moses parents collaborating, sitting there, making a list of things to do and do not,  and thinking about the materials that it would take and how much it would cost, to guard their gorgeous bouncing baby boy?

• It must be the right oval size, with proper dimensions;
• The base of the basket must be solid, incredibly strong to avoid tipping over into the river.
• How high should the sides be? How many rows will it take to bring it to just it’s right height?
• Make the knots tight enough to keep the basket from unraveling and preventing the river water from seeping into the basket;
• Don’t forget, remember the canopy to shield the child’s eyes from the blazing sun;
• Must have thoroughly dried wide grasses familiar to the terrain, at a length to create the reeds;
• It must be strong enough able to carry the weight of a baby and the planned blankets to keep him warm at night;
• The texture of the reeds must be soft enough to the touch for when the baby waves his hands and touches the sides;
• The color is important: must blend and camouflage into the banks of the river and fields;
• Include herbal leaves to soothe the baby from crying;
• And one last thought, fill a flask with warm fresh milk so the person who finds the baby will be able to nurse it properly.

Could it be that they used the same precision building formula as Noah did to create the Ark–God’s divine instructions?

Can you imagine the anxiety creeping into Moses’ mother and father wondering if they had not overlooked any detail in creating this basket of life, to avoid any potential harm to their child, Moses?

After all, by design, this basket was chosen and I believe God inspired this family to create it carefully showing off their skilled craftsmanship.  Moses had to live.  God  the Master Weaver, chose him to lead His people out of Egyptian bondage.

No detail goes unnoticed by God, our Master Weaver.  I can hear him whisper into Moses’ father’s spiritual ear, “Don’t forget the handles.”  “They must cover the span of the basket to the wide brim for easy lifting.”  “This basket is carrying Israel’s future.”

*****

And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.  (Luke 2:7)

Anyone notice that this is Luke Chapter 2 (as was Exodus Chapter 2 for Moses)?

Here we have one very special manger, wrapped in holiness.  This manger (a box or trough in a stable or barn from which horses or cattle eat) is covered in dried straw (cut and dried to use as fodder for animals).

The Holy Manger

straw definition:

1.  a single stalk or stem, especially of certain species of grain, chiefly wheat, rye, oats, and barley.

2.  a mass of such stalks, especially after drying and threshing, used as fodder.

3.  material, fibers, etc., made from such stalks, as used for making hats or baskets.

Straw is dry and brittle, prickly to the touch.  Water to soften the edges is unavailable.

Is  straw symbolic to dryness and Jesus who is representative of  “if anyone thirst,”  is our water, to soften the edge of a hard life?

I believe this manger was no less  designed by the “Master Weaver” twisting and turning the fabric of life into a story,  a humble beginning for the one and only Holy Son of the Most High God.

Jesus Christ, too, had to journey down the river of life for mankind.  He, too, was carefully chosen to deliver “His people” from earthly bondage.

I can picture the Virgin Mary and Joseph somewhat dismayed at the surroundings but immediately set out to improve it.  Having in their possession, they whipped out a lovely woven blanket, a Tallit, (Heb. Tallith) to warm the child.  This would shield Him from the cold harsh straw.

The wooden box is Jesus’ manger throne, it is only temporary.  But it’s used with a special type of wood cut into proportions chosen specifically for this day, to bear this child’s weight.  It was high enough for Mary and Joseph to bend over and coo in contentment, giving thanks to the Almighty God.  They touched him tenderly, counting his toes and fingers as most parents do, oblivious to His final tortuous destiny.

The wood also represents the cross that one day Jesus would be hung from (the trunks or main stems of trees as suitable for architectural and other purposes; timber or lumber).

I can hear the Lord God whisper in both the Virgin Mary and Joseph’s spiritual ear, “This is My Son’s Manger Throne, holding the future of the world.”

But for this one night, despite the cold dry straw, the wooden box–the manger throne, the stench of the animals around them, they celebrated the birth of their child, Jesus Christ.

O Holy Night!  What a night to revere and this one special night making its way down into generations in all it’s wonderment!

The Adoration of the Child

Jesus Christ, too, would find his parents fleeing to save his life from certain death at the hands of the then reigning King Herod who set out to kill the Hebrew children from Nation of Israel.

The Master Weaver, ever mindful, ever designing to full fill His purpose!  What a God of detail, of power and might, to the point that this story will have its own final ending in this world as we know it.

Two men, Moses and Jesus Christ:  Moses raised in the House of  Pharoah and his throne, in all it’s richness and Jesus Christ, leaving Heaven’s throne and it’s riches to come to earth, born in a cold stable, inheriting a manger throne, both chosen by Father God, each sharing similarities, both willing to do “His” will to full fill “His” purpose.

Have you made your heart Jesus Christ/God’s throne?

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