Pharaoh only decreed against the males, but you have decreed against both the males and the females [since all the Israelites withdrew from their wives, neither sons nor daughters would come into the world]. He plants His footsteps in the sea, The life of Jochebed as a woman of influence teaches us that there are times in our lives when we have done all we can do, weve said all we can say, there is no more and we have to . Sometimes we need to slow down and learn to see Him and His presence in our circumstances and thank Him for His care. We are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). 1 Clearly one of the Bible's most outstanding figures, she served ancient Israel as a prophet, 2 judge, military leader, songwriter, and minstrel (Judges 4-5). Amram and Jochebed were strong in their faith during a time where many Israelites had become idolatrous. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. After Pharaohs daughter discovered the baby, Jochebed became his nurse. A summary of his forty years in Midian is given ( Exodus 2:12-22 ), and the last three verses ( Exodus 2:23-25) set the stage for Exodus 3. Amram married Jochebed who was also from the tribe of Levi, one of Jacobs 12 sons. A resolute faith and holy background were the foundation for her remarkable strength and trust in the promises of God. Where it didnt matter which decision you made, they all seemed risky? 2:3), lining the inside with bitumen, and coating it on the outside with pitch, so that Moses would not smell the bad odor given off by the latter. Moses, in the wilderness, instructed them to put away pagan gods. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. He does them in a big way if we dare to trust Him. This would make Jochebed the aunt of Amram, her husband. According to one midrashic view, Shiphrah and Puah were mother and daughter Jochebed and Miriam, while another states that they were daughter-in-law and mother-in-lawJochebed and Elisheba daughter of Amminadab. The Rabbis say that when the daughter of Pharaoh asked of Jochebed: Take [helikhi] this child and nurse it for me (Ex. All her choices were difficult. Why did she do this? In Ex., ii, 10, a derivation from the Hebrew Mashah (to draw) is implied. Whats the Definition of faith? One of the most stimulating accounts in the Bible, pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job. Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible - Jochebed. His possessions were all gone; his body was racked with pain; his wife added to the pain of his soul by urging him to curse God and cry out for death. Resources Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible Chapter 2. She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. And if all the male children were murdered, it would of course only be a generation or two until as a nation they would be wiped out completely. Jochebed which in Hebrew means: Jehovah is glory both she and her husband were from the tribe of Levi the priestly tribe. They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. The Apostle Peter says, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7). Jochebed knew also that God had foretold the bondage in Egypt which they were now experiencing. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. The Lit. Amram and Jochebed had no fear of the kings decree. Learn Religions. She was so scared of losing her son that she placed him in a basket in one of the most dangerous places imaginable. The expected thing for her to do was to have the little boy tilted over into the water. (Maybe an angel stood there and pinched the baby so that he would cry at the right time.). Imagine being her as she left him here alone in the water. One of the arguments advanced by Moses was his mothers suffering. I was in shock. While he was still in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian guard who was assaulting a Hebrew slave, and he hid the body. My pastor often says Give up the hope of a better past, its keeping you from a better tomorrow Past hurt, past decision? Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. The Story Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. This brings us to the influence one mother had on history - not only the history of her family, but the entire history of the children of Israel. [5] Jochebed is also called Amram's father's sister in the Masoretic text of Exodus 6:20, but ancient translations differ in this. What would she do if he was snatched out of her arms and taken to certain death? Maurice is a Messianic Jew who frequently channels God. Nile was considered emanation (em uh ney shun) THE SOURCE of the pagan god Osiris( O sigh rus) and the waters had magical properties. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? And she bore to him Aaron and Moses. The mother of Moses is famous in the eyes of God, not because she bore the baby Moses, but because of her faitha faith that knew no defeat. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165 (accessed March 2, 2023). My story: Brents diabetes (Another stone of remembrance), When my youngest son was 5 years old he started loosing weight, was always thirsty and he started wetting the bed at night though hed been potty trained for a long time. Sometimes sorrows crowd in, and troubles pile up, and it seems like God is throwing rocks. Her hometown was probably Goshen, in the land of Egypt. In the midrashic account, the daughter of Pharaoh saw that Moses was hungry when she drew him from the river. What if she had been found out, they would take the baby and kill him, perhaps she would lose her life, potentially the whole family, husband, 2 other children= Miriam=young little girl and Aaron=3 years old. Can you imagine trying to hide a newborn baby? 2:2). She was convinced that her son would be used for an important work. I want to be sure to add, even if this sounds like heresy in our health, wealth, prosperity theology culture: When you let go and trust God not all babies in baskets are rescued, not all illnesses are healed, not all jobs are restored, not all relationships are mended but this is True: when you let go and trust Him God is glorified and He will work it out for ultimate good. She had feelings just like you and I have. According to another midrash, Moses rejected the breasts of the Egyptian women because he said: God will speak with me. She did not sit down and brood about the current situation in Egypt, and say, If this child is to be Israels deliverer, God will somehow spare him and deliver him; theres nothing we can do; so well throw him in the river, and if God wants him, He can save him. She knew that God expects us to do our part, and that He will not do for us what we are able to do for ourselves. She was born at the very moment when Jacob and his entire household, Levi and his wife among them, had just entered the gates of Egypt. There is nothing immoral in marrying your aunt unless the Torah explicitly forbids it. Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. Perhaps there would be some shade too from the sun in the reeds. Women of Influence choose to: Truth: Let it go and trust God. Jochebed's story is one of trust, courage, and faith. The babys own mother. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. Jochebed succeeded in concealing Moses for three months (Ex. Exodus 1:10-14 describes the hardships placed upon the Hebrew people. 6:20: Amram took to wife his fathers sister Jochebed. Amram was the son of Kohath and the grandson of Levi, while Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, and therefore his aunt. Rather, this verse teaches that Jochebeds pregnancy was without suffering, just as she gave birth without pain. Several rabbinic commentaries attest to this and comment that maidenhood was restored to Jochebed at the time of her marriage to Amram. You can never get them all quiet at the same time. Mike Huckabee, Devorah Sklar (still trying to get her exact age) has died of COVID. Why did Terah died in Haran? An additional midrashic explanation of her name is that she smoothed over (shiprah) her daughter Puahs words. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. (The length of Amrams life was 137 years.) Jacob, his sons, and their families had gone into Egypt to live because there was a severe famine in their land, and they were able to find food in Egypt. Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. It was Jochebed's love and devotion to Moses that preserved his life and allowed him to lead the greatest salvation event in Old Testament history. Gods purpose in redeeming Israel depended at that very moment on the pitiful cry of a little baby. The children of Israel were still in Egypt, but they were no longer honoured by the Egyptians as the people of their great deliverer, Joseph. not an ordinary child Hebrew for fine is tov(TOE v)= means good, beautiful Its the same word that used in the Creation account in Genesis 1:4(light), 10(land and sea), 18(sun, moon, stars), 25(animals), 31(mankind, looked and said=very good). Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. = Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. For others, health deteriorates, death takes a loved one, and plans for the future are shattered. It was at this time that Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed. My mother Jochebeds teeth were blunted by [the death of] two of her children in her lifetime; will more of her teeth be blunted by my death? But this argument, too, was of no avail (Deut. Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. If so, then why does Ex. So what happens when you trust God, eyewitness account: Miriam is near by, watching and.. Exodus 2:5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself by the Nile, while her attendants were walking alongside the river, and she saw the basket among the reeds. Yet another tradition explains that she shiprah her actions before God (i.e., performed good deeds that were pleasing to the Lord). Rabbah 1:26). When Moses, her youngest child, was born, Jochebed hid him for three months until she could hide him no longer. For others, a family member rebels against the Gospel plan of salvation. Ex. The Jews had been in Egypt for 400 years. Moses, the great law-giver, was born within what would soon be seen as an unlawful union. Exodus 6: 20 - "Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons Aaron and Moses. Just like today, true faith was mixed with pagan beliefs. This was God responding to the faith of a mother who dared to trust in Him. A number of miracles were performed for Jochebed in connection with the birth of Moses: she bore him at the age of one hundred and thirty, and God restored her youth and her beauty. He had two mothers who loved him, two mothers who did all they could to save him from a certain death. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Miriam fetched her mother, Jochebed -- who was also the baby's mother -- and brought her back. 3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus container, coated it with asphalt and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Devorah was as active an anti-vaxxer as you'll see on this site. 1:17 relates that the midwives, fearing God, let the boys live; their reward for fearing God, according to the midrash, is Torah: because Jochebed feared the Lord, she gave birth to Moses, through whom the Torah was given (Ex. (NIV). Surely this was a time of great trial for Jochebed, but instead of manifesting fear and despair, she seemed to have confidence and hope. Of never-failing skill, Conservative scholars date the "Exodus," a landmark in Israel's history, at 1446 B.C. She chose bulrushes, a soft and flexible material that is capable of withstanding contact with both soft and hard objects. A careful reader of the Bible account can almost picture Miriam (the older sister of Moses) running to her mother and telling her what had happened. Jochebed just happened to be available and able to nurse? Consequently, Miriam came and offered to the daughter of Pharaoh her mother Jochebed, who was a Hebrew (Ex. He said, for example, I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25). God saw to it that the baby should weep at this very moment. What to do? We must put on the shield of faith and believe that God is sending the trials to prepare us for even greater blessings. Jochebed was the daughter of a Levi man and born in Egypt. THE BIRTH OF THE DELIVERER. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. By faith, Jochebed and her husband Amram hid their son Moses even against the king of Egypts edict that all Hebrew boys should be put to death at birth. We know from history that all the kings in Pharaohs day had bath houses, such as even the wealthiest do not possess in our day. Jochebed was Amram's aunt, strangely enough; she was his father's sister. God could grow a crop of wheat on the concrete pavements of our cities if He wanted to, but He normally expects the farmer to use the means at his disposal to grow a crop of wheat. JOCHEBED (Heb. And after Jochebed did all that she could, she went back homeundoubtedly with a great sense of trust that God would work things out according to His plan. There was the risk of him being discovered, or washed away in an errant wave. Yet the Bible reveals that Levi and his son and grandson all had very long life spans. He treasures up His bright designs Has He brought something to your mind that youve been holding on to and need to let go? ), wife of Amram and mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Num. The Pharaoh had decreed that all their baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile, because he feared that they might become too powerful. The Apocrypha calls her Tharmuth, other names suggested are Merris, or Bityah, perhaps even the well-known Hatshepsut( HAT shep shoot). Would he forget me? In the New Testament, she is praised for her faith in God.[3]. The gay analogy must include a marriage relationship not universally accepted in scripture. And rides upon the storm. According to Jewish legend, Jochebed is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. I believe she recognized that the deliverance of God was at hand. Probably about 3 years. By letting go and trusting God, an even greater dream was fulfilled. Only because she trusted the Lord could she abandon her son rather than see him killed. Trials are of many kinds and they change from day to dayand vary from person to person. 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