Jochebed. A woman who is rarely mentioned in the Bible save for here and in Hebrews 11.
A woman who against all odds bravely hid a baby for three months and when she could no longer hide him wove an ark of sorts for him and set him on the water.
As a mother I cannot imagine what pain and fear must have filled her heart as she let her baby float away. I cannot imagine what courage and strength she had to exercise when she turned away from him and asked Miriam to watch over him to see what would happen. Very few of us would ever do such a thing.
But Hebrews 11.23 says
"By faith Moses was hidden by, Amram and Jochebed, his parents, for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the king’s order."
Thereby explaining Jochebed's behavior. Faith. Only Faith could make her risk her whole family by hiding her baby from Pharaoh. Only faith could have made her strong enough to let him go at three months. Only faith had her parents in slavery name her Jochebed meaning "Jehovah is Glory".
Jochebed walked with God else it would not have been credited to her in the very text that teaches us about Faith in Hebrews 11.
When a woman walks with God we see great things happen all over the Bible. And usually babies are somewhere in the vicinity. She knew God would take care of Moses... but she did her part as well. She hid him for a time, wove a basket that would protect him from water, she set her daughter to watch and wait.
When we walk in faith as mothers we need to know when to protect and hide our children, when to equip them for the world and let them go... and when to let someone else watch over them.
And we all know how Hebrews 11.6 says "And without faith it is impossible to please God,..."
Jochebed walked with God else it would not have been credited to her in the very text that teaches us about Faith in Hebrews 11.
When a woman walks with God we see great things happen all over the Bible. And usually babies are somewhere in the vicinity. She knew God would take care of Moses... but she did her part as well. She hid him for a time, wove a basket that would protect him from water, she set her daughter to watch and wait.
When we walk in faith as mothers we need to know when to protect and hide our children, when to equip them for the world and let them go... and when to let someone else watch over them.
And we all know how Hebrews 11.6 says "And without faith it is impossible to please God,..."
Therefore she pleased God. And oh what a reward he gave her!
A princess of Egypt having a bath in the Nile? Many study texts mention how this was such a rare occurrence given that the Nile was considered filthy by royalty and Egyptian royalty used private bath houses. But what are the chances that at the very time that Moses opened his little lungs to wail a princess of Egypt happened to be nearby, with Miriam his sister watching?
Imagine how much Egyptian royalty must have loathed the Isrealite slaves by then. The kill order from Pharaoh was an indication of this. And the princess recognized him as a Jewish baby instantly. There was no case of mistaken identity here.
And then he wailed.
And suddenly there was no longer the divide of slave and royalty, princess and enemy spawn, Jew and Egyptian. It was simply a woman's heart and a baby's tears.... turning that woman into an instant protector, melting her into wanting to mother the child immediately.
As she heard the baby cry, God transformed Pharaoh's daughter into Moses' protector and foster mother. And then again... conveniently (And this is where the cinema goes say "masawo") she instructs a Hebrew girl lurking nearby...(Miriam) to get her a Hebrew Nurse who turns out to be .... wait for it.... Jochebed!!
Now if that is not a beautiful miraculous story I do not know what is. Forgive my excitement but I love me a good plot. The twists and turns in this story, the suspense as we wait to see with Miriam what will happen... well in Hollywood it just might be a thriller.
As a mother I can imagine Jochebed, sitted at home, her breasts bulging and aching and leaking with milk weeping silently as she grinds corn. Trying to keep from running back to the river and getting her baby back. I can picture her jump as Miriam rushes into the house breathless...
A princess of Egypt having a bath in the Nile? Many study texts mention how this was such a rare occurrence given that the Nile was considered filthy by royalty and Egyptian royalty used private bath houses. But what are the chances that at the very time that Moses opened his little lungs to wail a princess of Egypt happened to be nearby, with Miriam his sister watching?
Imagine how much Egyptian royalty must have loathed the Isrealite slaves by then. The kill order from Pharaoh was an indication of this. And the princess recognized him as a Jewish baby instantly. There was no case of mistaken identity here.
And then he wailed.
And suddenly there was no longer the divide of slave and royalty, princess and enemy spawn, Jew and Egyptian. It was simply a woman's heart and a baby's tears.... turning that woman into an instant protector, melting her into wanting to mother the child immediately.
As she heard the baby cry, God transformed Pharaoh's daughter into Moses' protector and foster mother. And then again... conveniently (And this is where the cinema goes say "masawo") she instructs a Hebrew girl lurking nearby...(Miriam) to get her a Hebrew Nurse who turns out to be .... wait for it.... Jochebed!!
Now if that is not a beautiful miraculous story I do not know what is. Forgive my excitement but I love me a good plot. The twists and turns in this story, the suspense as we wait to see with Miriam what will happen... well in Hollywood it just might be a thriller.
As a mother I can imagine Jochebed, sitted at home, her breasts bulging and aching and leaking with milk weeping silently as she grinds corn. Trying to keep from running back to the river and getting her baby back. I can picture her jump as Miriam rushes into the house breathless...
"Mom! It's a Princess! And she wants a wet nurse for the baby! Come now Mom!"
I can imagine Jochebed running on air... hardly letting herself believe... and meeting the princess in all her glory. A princess who has taken her baby as her own, now hiring her to raise her own child.
Seeing as Pharaoh's order was getting Hebrew babies killed, I can imagine childless wet nurses were a dime a dozen in the Goshen area where they (the Hebres lived) lived. So no one probably questioned Jochebed's state, or how readily the hungry baby took to her.
Like Mary she held her child and held her faith and joy... close to her heart.
As I began I mentioned that Jochebed's faith had a domino effect.
I can imagine Jochebed running on air... hardly letting herself believe... and meeting the princess in all her glory. A princess who has taken her baby as her own, now hiring her to raise her own child.
Seeing as Pharaoh's order was getting Hebrew babies killed, I can imagine childless wet nurses were a dime a dozen in the Goshen area where they (the Hebres lived) lived. So no one probably questioned Jochebed's state, or how readily the hungry baby took to her.
Like Mary she held her child and held her faith and joy... close to her heart.
As I began I mentioned that Jochebed's faith had a domino effect.
1. It melted an Egyptian Princess's heart and made her raise a slave baby as her own.
2. It taught Miriam faith, courage and determination and she later became a leader in Israel.
3. It transformed Moses, a Hebrew boy born in uncertain times into a confident Egyptian prince raised by his own Hebrew Mother.
4. It was the beginning of his training. It equipped him peculiarly for dealing with Pharaoh later on.
No other Hebrew could have even gained audience with Pharoah when you come to think of it, except one who had been raised as a prince of Egypt.
So from the little act of faith by a desperate mother, a whole nation was delivered from slavery.
As a mother I am challenged to seek God deeper, to sit at the feet of these great mothers like Jochebed, brave leaders like the Princess who I am sure later had to stand up to her father, and learn about this amazing God who only requires that we believe.
But I am also challenged to allow God to use my children and my love for them to grow my faith and excercise it as I prepare them and later let them into the world.
"Being confident of this that He who began this good work in us all will bring it to completion in Christ Jesus."
Amen
No other Hebrew could have even gained audience with Pharoah when you come to think of it, except one who had been raised as a prince of Egypt.
So from the little act of faith by a desperate mother, a whole nation was delivered from slavery.
As a mother I am challenged to seek God deeper, to sit at the feet of these great mothers like Jochebed, brave leaders like the Princess who I am sure later had to stand up to her father, and learn about this amazing God who only requires that we believe.
But I am also challenged to allow God to use my children and my love for them to grow my faith and excercise it as I prepare them and later let them into the world.
"Being confident of this that He who began this good work in us all will bring it to completion in Christ Jesus."
Amen
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