Jochebed- A Mother’s Story

Jochebed- A Mother’s Story

Exodus 2:1-10

Emmanuel Christian Church

5.12.24

INTRODUCTION: It wasn’t a good time to discover she was pregnant. She and her husband were already the busy parents of a young daughter nearing womanhood and a three year old little boy. It wasn’t that another child wasn’t wanted or welcome, but things in the country were getting pretty tough in those days. First of all, the family were unwelcome immigrants. More than that, they been conscripted against their will as laborers in government work projects. And to top it all off- the government had recently ordered that the baby boys born to households like their’s were to be put to death! Her name was Jochebed, wife of Amram- both of the tribe of Levi of the nation of Israel. The place was Egypt and the story is that of Moses’ birth. This Mother’s Day, I want to turn the spotlight on Jochebed- one remarkable mom. In the process, I’d like for us to attempt to crawl inside her head- to see events as she saw them, and be encouraged by the character she displayed in response to the challenge she faced. PROPOSITION: I believe Jochebed’s story will encourage mothers, and will remind the rest of us just how important IS the role of motherhood. Exodus 2:1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. Exodus 2:5 Then Pharaoh’s daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. “This is one of the Hebrew babies,” she said. Exodus 2:7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” Exodus 2:8 “Yes, go,” she answered. And the girl went and got the baby’s mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.” So the woman took the baby and nursed him. 10 When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, “I drew him out of the water.” TRANSITION: FAITHFUL, SHREWD and SELFLESS- Remarkable! In the face of what could be described only as “CRISIS”, Jochebed met the challenge and changed history! This morning, we’re going to let this remarkable mom teach us these virtues one at a time… Jochebed was FAITHFUL

  • Faithful to God
  • Amram and Jochebed were Levites- members of the priestly tribe who actually lived up to the call to service that God had placed on their lives.
  • The made “the list” of those inn God’s Hall of Fame of faith! Hebrews 11:23By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.
  • The challenge to their faithfulness came when Pharaoh ordered infanticide.
  • In response to the challenge- Jochebed’s faith in God outweighed her fear of Pharaoh. APPLICATION: Most men do not understand that fear is EVERY woman’s challenge. How they meet that challenge speaks volumes about who they are. Jochebed didn’t run away, or deny her fear- she chose to defeat it with faith in God- and that makes her remarkable!
  • Faithful to family
  • Jochebed recognized Moses as “tov” or “good” (“fine” in our translation) and it is the exact word God used at the end of each day of Creation!
  • Jochebed knew she was a participant in the Creator’s work as in her body was created her little baby boy.
  • As a result, Jochebed realized the sacred value of her son. APPLICATION: A mother’s role in the Divine work of the transmission of God’s gift of life is something we ought to not merely honor, but reverence. When we talk about the “Sanctity of Life” we’re really talking about the sacred miracle that takes place when a mother brings a child into this world. To a mother, there is no such thing as an “ordinary child”. Jochebed understood the holy, sacred role of a mother. We ought to take some time this Mother’s Day to really think about this sacred partnership between God and mother. Jochebed Was SHREWD (3-9)
  • shrewd | sh roōd : Having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astuteExodus 1:22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”
  • Jochebed had a couple of problems: to defy Pharaoh could endanger the whole family. To follow Pharaoh’s order was to sign her son’s death warrant!
  • Jochebed’s decision? Throw her baby into the Nile!
  • Nobody said she couldn’t first put him in his own waterproof basinette!
  • But that wasn’t the end of her shrewdness! It appears she had a follow-up plan:
  • The basket was strategically placed where Pharaoh’s tender- hearted daughter was known to bathe in the Nile.
  • Miriam, Moses’ sister would keep an eye on her brother’s welfare.
  • When Pharaoh’s daughter would make her “chance” discovery, Miriam would rush forward and offer to find a Hebrew wet-nurse for the baby (who would just happen to be Jochebed herself!).
  • The shrewd plan worked perfectly! In a beautiful display of God’s sense of humor, the daughter of the man who sought to kill the Hebrew boys rescues the one who would one day deliver the entire nation while paying out of the royal treasury for his very own mother to care for the baby! APPLICATION: Shrewd! Jochebed could have thrown up her hands in surrender, given up and given over her precious son. BUT- she was a wise woman who combined faith in God with the wisdom He provided in the midst of the crisis. That shrewd combination of faith and wisdom turned the crisis into a cause for God’s glory! A remarkable mom indeed! Jochebed Was SELFLESS (10) “When the child grew older…”
  • That statement leaves us with many questions!
  • How much older? At least to the point that Moses had been weaned - at least a year?
  • The Hebrew here seems to imply that it was much longer- maybe well into Moses childhood. The writer of the NT book of Hebrews gives us some evidence for this: Hebrews 11:24 By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. 25 He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
  • What lessons did Jochebed impart to Moses during the time she had influence in his life? Did she teach him about…
  • God’s call to Abraham? (A mighty Nation, A blessing to all peoples)
  • The miracle birth of Isaac (Abraham and Sarah became parents at nearly 100 years of age!)
  • Jacob’s wrestling match with God and his name change to “Israel”?
  • Joseph’s dreams and rise to power as Egypt’s second in command some 400 years earlier? APPLICATION: Jochebed’s early influence in Moses’ life cannot be overstated. Such is the influence of a faithful, shrewd and selfless, mom! BUT, then came the day… “...she took him to Pharaoh’s daughter and he became her son.”
  • How emotionally wrenching that must have been!
  • If Jochebed had been a selfish woman she might have tried to steal her son away- and deprived Israel of her deliverer
  • If Jochebed had been a selfish woman, she might have even killed her son to keep him from the arms of another mother.
  • But the Scripture says “she took him”!
  • She must have known God had big plans for her baby boy! CONCLUSION: Godly mothers like Jochebed understand and embrace their role as partners with God in the process of raising up what Scripture calls “godly offspring”. Godly mothers know that their children are not objects to be possessed for selfish reasons, but are a living trust given by God for the glory and advance of His kingdom. To them, we owe a debt of gratitude!