JOCHEBED – A MOTHER OF GREAT FAITH WHO TRUSTED HER BABY’S LIFE IN GOD’S HAND (Ex. 2:1-10)

Name & Family connection: Jochebed means “glory of Jehovah” or “Glory of God.” She was the mother of Moses, a Hebrew woman living in slavery in Egypt before the Exodus. The first person in the bible to have a named compound with Jah. She was a daughter of Levi, Kohath and married a man, Amram of the house of Levi (Exodus 2:1; Numbers 26:59). She married her nephew, thus both a wife and aunt of Amram, seeing his wife was his father’s sister (Exodus 6:20). To Amram and Jochebed were born three children each of whom became renounced in their own sphere. As the oak has its roots around the rock, so Jochebad’s children had their roots around their godly mother:  I) Miriam, the gifted Poetess, and musician who was intimately associated with her two brothers in the history of Israel;  ii)  Aaron, who became Israel’s first high priest and founder of the Aaronic priesthood; and  iii) Moses, who became one of the greatest national leaders and lawmakers the world had ever known. It was because of her clever design to preserve the life of her baby boy in a very peculiar circumstance that caused her to be included among that “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives and works testified to their faith in God’s providential care and goodness and she was included among the heroines of faith (Hebrew 11:23).

Peculiar Circumstances: The children of Israel were still living in Egypt but they no longer enjoy liberty and honored by the Egyptians as the people of the great deliverer, Joseph. A new king had come to power or a new dynasty who neither knew Joseph or the God of Joseph (Exodus 1:8).  This new Pharaoh was an oppressor and a tyrant; made the children of Israel “serve with rigor” who made “their lives bitter with hard bondage.” The reason was that with the unprecedented increase in the seed of Abraham in their midst, the government of Egypt feared and trembled that they could outnumber and take over the Egyptian nation. The children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly and multiplied and waxed exceedingly mighty. Surprisingly the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew (Exodus 1:7-12) as God declared (Genesis 13:16).

The reigning Pharaoh was determined to stamp out the people from his dominions and he conceived the cruel and unjust plan of destroying all the male children (Acts 7:17-19). He issued the most dastardly edict/decree to Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah; they should destroy all the newborn’s sons of the Hebrews but spare the infant daughters to live (Exodus 1: 15-16). When God is for you who will be against you? However, the midwives feared God and disobeyed the orders of the king of Egypt and let the boys live. When the king noticed that the midwives did not obey him, he queried them. They responded, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are so healthy that they have their babies before a midwife arrived” (Exodus 1:18-19). At that time, Jochebed was pregnant and another child was on the way.  She already had two children, Miriam about ten years old and Aaron about three years old.

Unusual Child spared & Preserved: Jochebed must have had intense horror as she awaited the third child. If the child is a boy, he will be thrown into that crocodile – infected Nile River. And behold she gave birth to a baby boy. What would the fate of her new son? Thank God the Hebrew midwives did not kill the boy at birth. With intense suspense, she pondered, would I surrender the boy to the authority to be thrown into the Nile River? There was something about this son. Acts 7:20 described him as “an unusual child; “while Hebrew 11:23 described him as “a beautiful child;” and Exodus 2:2 went ahead to call him “a godly child.” The expression “fair unto God” must have mean something. It was beyond the beauty of countenance or intelligence. However, she decided to hide him for three months because he was a special gifted child and there were not afraid of the king’s edict. After a while the cry of a healthy child would soon betray his whereabouts, so she decided to hide him no longer. Probably she prayed about her situation and predicament and may have had discernment in her spirit and led distinctly by her God. God through the intensity of her faith caused her to inherit a vision of what He had appointed for Moses and directed her on what to do.

Think about the alternative choice before her. What if she kept the child at home until the authorities discover it? Or distance her and watch for him to be picked and thrown into Nile River? All her choices were difficult and had associated risk. Jochebed made a decision and which accompanied with a plan. She obtained or made a basket out of papyrus or an ark of bulrushes or a little cradle of plaited reeds, coated the bottom with tar to make waterproof and protection against wild animals and crocodiles. (Egyptians made their boat of this material –Isaiah 18:2). She put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River to preserve the life of the baby and stationed Miriam, Moses elder sister to stand near the river side and watch over the small craft. Imagine the emotions, the feelings Jochebed had as she placed the baby boy down the water and back away. Was she crying when she let the child go? Emotionally, how disturbed was she? Even though Miriam was watching from distance place on the shore, she had the courage to let him go while trusting her God. She was a woman of great faith and a woman of influence.

GIVING UP/LETTING GO: Have you ever have to give up and let go of someone or something very precious to you? After you’ve bored a baby in your womb for months, given birth, held that baby, nursed, rocked and stayed up all night trying to ease his crying and keep him warm; then after three months, you give him up! Adoption is not easy at all! Some have lost children to divorce, some have run away and some have even died. For sure, there is a certain amount of pain, a loneliness pain, when they leave home to go to college, when they get married, when they start their own life. ”Someone has said, “Mothers begin saying goodbye to their children from the moment they are born.” There is also a pain that comes from wanting to have a child and not having one and having to give up perhaps after many trails – childlessness!!! Some or rather all knows the pain of giving up, letting go of someone or something precious to us: a relationship, a job, a dream, a profession or trade to be married and raise children. “Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go.” Life comes with the opportunity to learn the art of releasing when we have no control, of dealing with extenuating circumstances that we can do nothing about. What do you do when you can’t do anything more?

God was setting a stage:  It was not uncommon for Pharaohs or other Egyptians to bathe ceremonially in the sacred Nile River since they believe that the Nile possessed the ability to impart fruitfulness and to prolong life.  Just at that time, the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river and her maidens walked along by the Nile Riverside. It was not an accident but divine intervention. Probably, some movement of the child or some cry of some sort drew her attention to the ark or she just noticed something unusual. She sighted the ark on the reeds; it was a covered vessel. She was curious, what could it be? She then sent her maid to fetch it. The royal Princess opened it and saw the child and incidentally “the baby wept” out the very moment. This child was “amazingly cute and unique.” It was an appeal to all mothers in her heart; conscious of the fact that this child, an innocent child belong to somebody somewhere, Pharaoh’s daughter had compassion upon him. “This is one of the Hebrew’s children” She exclaimed!

At that juncture, Miriam his elder sister positioned to watch the baby in the ark, seeing what happened, approached Pharaoh’s daughter and naively ask, “Shall I go and call to you a nurse of the Hebrew women that she may nurse the child for you? Am I baffled at the intelligence and smartness of the ten-year-old? Pharaoh’s daughter surprisingly responded, “Go.”  Miriam was not long in calling her mom and presented her as a nurse (Exodus 2:7-8). Jochebed’s baby was not only saved but she was paid to care for her own son until he was weaned. Jochebed got her child back for a while. It was another provision from the hand of God; nothing happens by chance. God was behind making all things to work together. God is always working for the good of His children (Romans 8:28). The highest was high plotting the draft. What was perceived by many to be a womanly weakness – compassion for the boy is a strong enough emotion to prompt this princess to defy the orders of Pharaoh? The midwives, the Hebrew mom. Pharaoh’s daughter, and Miriam all work together to spare one child.

Jochebed was paid to nurse and care for her own son until he grew up and she brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who raised him as her own. Little Moses was to be brought up in a heathen court/palace and he needed a counteracting influence and if I may ponder, what influence could equal that of a praying mother and a woman of faith? In the early morning, during the day and late night, when he was still tender, the prayers of the mom went up for him. Moses would remember the old teachings at her mom’s kneeling; those early years, pre-school years made an incredible, undeniable, indelible impression on him. But there came a day when he grew older and Jochebed would’ve to let him go, again.  He must have been taught about the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; the creation story, the flood and Jacob’s wonderful vision and miracle of the Red sea, etc. He must have also been taught and experienced the power of the living God, who spoke, acted, loved and cared for His people. Without a doubt, little Moses must have known about the fetishes of the gods of Egypt…. were simply myths and shadows!!!

The Challenge to Christian mom’s: Jochebed was the very one who took Moses back to the royal palace. He went from her arms to the arms of Pharaoh’s daughter, not without kisses and hugs as she turned away and went home. I guess this second time was harder for her than the first. There had been some more bonding between the two.  Christian moms, does your home influence counteract the sin, the falsehood, the impurity and shallowness of the society we live in? How much God do you have in you such that could influence your children against worldliness, sin, and shame? Such that it could outweigh other vice influences which surround your children when the child leaves home to college or while in search for greener pastures in far away city and country. It has been opined that true mothers’ lives again in her children – the answer to her prayers, result of her watchfulness, true correction of her own faults produced in her children. Moses wouldn’t have been the man he was without his mom, Jochebed, a praying mom and woman of faith.

What do you do when you can’t do anything more? When all that surround you is evil and wickedness? What are some areas of your life you need to stop holding on to and start trusting God? Is it your past? A pastor often says, “Give up the hope of a better past; it’s keeping you from a better future.” Your past hurts:  past failures, past decisions, and past expectations. It may be a toxic relationship and you need to make a hard choice or be in a relationship that is too controlling or very abusive, full of turmoil – verbal abuse, emotional abuse, financial abuse and physical abuse.

“Take this child and nurse him for me and I will pay you your wages” To be the mother of Moses whom the Lord knew face to face, like no other leader in Israel was an honor none but God could give, beyond earthly wages. It was Jochebed’s love, faith, and courage that saved her child from cruel death and preserved him to bless the world. When you let go and trust God, God is glorified and he will work it out for the ultimate good. DO NOT FORGET: Not all babies in baskets are rescued; not all illnesses are healed; not all jobs are restored; not all relationships are mended. Pause a minute:  Has God brought something to your mind that you’ve been holding on to and need to let go? – Bitterness, greed, ego, pain, and forgiveness. Maybe you have to let go a dream that never comes true – the idea of letting go is painful. Maybe it’s something material, a possession you have?

Jochebed showed great trust in God’s faithfulness:

1. Much unwed mom’s who got pregnant by mistake or error, debar the shame of getting pregnant out of wedlock or marriage refused to have an abortion; incidentally, have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. Like Jochebed, they trusted God to find a loving home for their child. Their heartbreak at giving up their baby is balanced by God’s favor when obeying His command not to kill the unborn.
2. Most heartbroken people love their babies but have no resources or means or whatever it would take to raise the baby turned their dreams over to God. They may have desired a happy marriage, successful career or trade or some other worthwhile goal yet situation/circumstances prevent it. We can only get through that kind of disappointment by turning it over to God. That’s how Jochebed put the baby in God’s gracious hand and care. In that similar way, Jesus gave Himself away and was able to get it back.
3. Jochebed refused to give or abort her pregnancy in the face of cruelty. She gave birth without knowing what shall befall her and her baby and she hid him for three months despite the imminent risks.

• She got papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Place the Child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile River
• Position his sister to stand at a distance to see what would happen to him
• About that time, Pharaoh’s daughter came to bathe and urged her maids to fetch the basket.
• She opened it herself; the boy Moses cried and she had compassion on him.
• Miriam asked to get a nurse and she got her mom, Jochebed.
• Pharaoh’s daughter said to Jochebed, “Take this baby and nurse for me and I will pay you.” She took the baby and nursed him. Pre-school education is very important for a child.
• When the child got older, she took the child back to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses – say “I drew him from water” and she raised him in Egyptian education and culture.

Be a woman of influence; a woman of faith; a woman who is affecting her world, her family, her workplace, her friends and relations for good. Hold on to things and people with open hands, like Jochebed, who knew when to let go!