“When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.”
Exodus 2:2
Dear members and friends,
The story of Moses begins with three women: his mother, his sister, and Pharaoh’s daughter. Each woman plays a different role in preserving the life of the child who, according to Pharaoh’s command, should have been destroyed. Yet through these three women, what God has prepared is quietly preserved and nurtured.
For Swedenborg, these women represent three different aspects of our spiritual life. Moses’ mother sees that her child is “beautiful” and hides him for three months. Swedenborg associates the mother with the church and religious elements (Secrets of Heaven §6742). Before Moses can become a prophet and leader, his life must first be protected. Spiritually, this reminds us that when something new is born within us—a new understanding, a desire for goodness, or a deeper awareness of God—it may initially be fragile. It needs to be protected, nourished, and nurtured where it could be acknowledged and loved.
Moses’ sister stands “afar off, to know what would be done to him.” Swedenborg associates her with truth on the rational plane, therefore religious truth (Secrets of Heaven §6727). The mother protects, but the sister watches. She does not know what will happen, yet she remains attentive. When Pharaoh’s daughter discovers the child, the sister immediately recognizes an opportunity and arranges for Moses’ own mother to nurse him. Truth, in this sense, teaches us to watch for what God is doing. Spiritual perception is not always knowing the future; it is recognizing the opening that providence places before us.
The most surprising figure is Pharaoh’s daughter. She belongs to the household of Pharaoh, whose decree threatens Moses’ life. Yet when she sees the child, she has compassion for him. Pharaoh’s daughter is the most complex figure in this story because she essentially symbolizes the desire for truth within the natural mind, which is symbolized by Pharaoh. Thus, she could either challenge spiritual truth from a negative and skeptical standpoint or become an instrument for recognizing and preserving that truth.
Our spiritual transformation can be like this. A new truth or a new love may begin very quietly within us. We may not yet understand its purpose. We may only know that it needs to be protected, watched over, and nourished. But, by the divine providence it is protected, watched, and nurtured until it is ready to take the next step.
My brothers and sisters in God, let us have a time of reflection this week. Find a quiet place and moment. Let us search into our self, mind, and life. Perhaps, there is a new truth growing within us being protected by the divine providence.
Blessings,
Rev. Junchol Lee