Punta Gorda Seventh-day Adventist Church

Scripture: So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. (Ex.2:2, NKJV)
 
Observation:  A goodly child. Even as a babe Moses gave evidence of the keen intellect, emotional stability, and also the physical perfection that marked his later years. All of this is implied in the Hebrew word translated “goodly.” Jochebed saw in these qualities a token of divine approval, which she took as a sign that God had marked out some special task for him. According to Acts 7:20 he was, literally, “attractive [“beautiful,” RSV] to God.” This is rendered in the KJV as “exceeding fair.” Jochebed would of course have loved and protected Moses even if he had not been so “goodly” a child, for mothers often devote their deepest love to weak and sickly children. However, Jochebed’s efforts to preserve the life of Moses are praised in Heb. 11:23 as an act of faith, and this implies awareness on her part that God had destined him for an important role and would therefore intervene to preserve his life. This, however, does not necessarily confirm a statement by the Jewish historian Josephus (Antiquities ii. 9. 3) that it had been revealed to Amram before the birth of the child that he was appointed to be the savior of Israel. (The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, Volume 1. 1978 (F. D. Nichol, Ed.) (501). Review and Herald Publishing Association.)
 
Application:  Every time I read the words of today’s text I find it interesting that Jochebed saw that her son, Moses, was handsome.  What mother doesn’t think their child is handsome?  Well, in a poll of 1000 parents in the United Kingdom revealed their feelings and reactions when they first set eyes on their babies.  Of the 18 per cent who admitted being disappointed by the looks of their child, more than half had discussed their feelings with their partners but only eight per cent said they had spoken to anyone else about it.  Instead it seems the vast majority suffer their disappointment in silence, choosing to put on the brave face society expects.

        A spokesman for the company that conducted the survey explained that as human beings we are wired to love our babies and the poll overwhelmingly supports the theory that we all fall in love with our children at first sight.  At the same time, loving your baby doesn't have to mean that you think he/she is beautiful.  It appears that every parent feels a pressure to say their new baby is beautiful but only four out of five actually believe it.  And yet, the remaining fifth who secretly feel their baby is ugly don't love them any less and may even feel the need to spoil them more than they would a good looking baby.

        Were you a little disappointed with your child’s look when you first laid eyes on him/her?  Maybe that has to do with the world’s idea of what constitutes a beautiful baby.  We have seen the “Gerber” baby on so many baby food jars, posters, and commercials that we expect ours to look just like that.  But the reality is that our children are beautiful because they are ours. . . and they are God’s children.  At first, many children are a bit “disfigured” as a result of the trauma of going through the birth canal, or when they are premature, but with time their head assumes the proper shape,  they fill up with normal baby fat, and act more and more like these precious little creatures, looking so much like us, and we fall in love with them more and more every day.  Love your child, no matter what your first feelings about their looks may be.
 
A Prayer You May Say:  Father God, thank you for our children, your gift to us.  May they experience our love toward them in the same way we experience Your love toward us.