Exodus: From Slavery to Freedom Through Moses' Courage - Essay Sample

The book of Exodus talks about how the Israelites were freed from bondage. The Pharaoh was intimidated by the growing number of Israelites and forced them into slavery. He further orders all the newborn babies to be thrown into the Nile. But one lady decides to save a baby by making a drift and put the baby there. The baby is picked by a pharaoh daughter who names him Moses and raises him as her son. Moses flees Egypt after killing an Egyptian supervisor who was beating a Hebrew slave. Moses later is commanded by God to head to Egypt and free the Israelites and lead them into Canaan. The objective of this paper is to show that women in the book of Exodus are the liberators.

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The first women liberators are the Hebrew midwives Shipharh and Puah, who defied the Pharaoh's directives to execute all Hebrew newborn baby boys. They hid the babies to save them from the Pharaoh wrath (Everhart 41). Was it not for these two ladies Moses would not have been born? It though their heroic actions that Moses is born and saves the Israelites from bondage. The consequences of not following the Pharaoh's command could lead to their death, but they still ignored it. The second liberator we encounter is a Levite woman does not support the pharaoh orders and hides his son. She later put the baby in a basket, hoping that somebody will find and take care of the baby. The Levite woman is a liberator because she risks her life and goes against the orders of the Pharaoh. When the Pharaoh daughter finds the baby in the basket, she treats him with compassion and love. She had the option of not taking the baby to avoid any responsibility, but she decided to raise Moses as his baby. Even though she is an Egyptian and knows the baby is an Israelite, she takes the baby. As such, she is a preserver of life.

Miriam, the sister to Moses, is also a liberator as she made an effort to ensure Moses' birth mother take care of him at the palace. She knew that Moses' mother was hurting from losing his son. To soothe, she managed to get her a nursing job at the Pharaoh's palace. Meaning she could be able to see Moses daily. Later on, Moses Marries Zipporah, who is very supportive of his husband. God wanted to kill Moses for not following instructions, and Zipporah came to her rescue (Everhart 45). She intercedes for Moses with God and ensures their son is circumcised as per the lord's instructions.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the women in Exodus played a pivotal role in safeguarding the lives of Israelites. It is through their heroics and dedication that Moses and other Israelites were saved from the Pharaoh's command. One might be tempted to think that the role played by these women liberators was small and insignificant. Were it not for the brave women, the whole male generation at that juncture would be wiped out. Moses would also not have been born, and thus the Israelite would still be in bondage in Egypt. It is not an easy task to cater for a baby, and you are not the parent. Miriam knows the pain of losing a child and thus introduces Moses' birthmother to nurse Moses. Zipporah, on the other hand, offers a helping hand to Moses and intercedes for Moses when he angers God. Consequently, the women in the book of Exodus are liberators who drive the Exodus narrative

Work Cited

Everhart, Janet S. "Serving Women and Their Mirrors: A Feminist Reading of Exodus 38:8B". No. 66, 2014. JSTOR, Doi:https://www.jstor.org/stable/43725137?seq=1. Accessed 8 May 2020.