(Exodus 1-2)
The story of Jochebed and the birth of Moses was at a time of great trial and tribulation for the people of Israel. Background is necessary before introducing Moses' mother Jochebed.
It is amazing to look back on the life of Joseph and remember how God protected him, and put him in a position of power and authority, so that the people of Israel would be preserved in the time of famine...but in the passage of time, the new king of Egypt did not know of Joseph, and so things are about to change mightily for the children of Israel, and yet, in their misery, God is ever in control bringing things to pass that would lead to the exodus of the children from Egypt back to the promised land.
Exodus 1:7-11 "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities..."
But the more that the children of Israel were afflicted by the Egyptians, the more they increased in numbers, and so the more the Egyptians afflicted them. It was a vicious circle. Exodus 1:13-14 "And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: and they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field....."
Now the king seeks to stop the increase in a very drastic way, and he spoke to the Hebrew midwives whose names we are given. Exodus 1:16 "And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live."
And here is a wonderful verse - Exodus 1:17 "But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive." Perhaps we are given the name of the midwives as a memorial to them because their reverential fear of the LORD God caused them to disobey the order of the king, and save the baby boys. When the king found this out, he called for the midwives "And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? And the midwives said unto Pharoah, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them." It is true that they made the excuse that the babies were born before they got there, but still, they preserved the male children..and God blessed the midwives, Exodus 1:20 "Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty." Proverbs 11:18 "The wicked worketh a deceitful work: but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward." And so now Pharaoh orders not the midwives, but the parents to kill their baby boys. Exodus 1:22 "Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive."
Thus begins the account of the birth of Moses. Jochebed was the wife of Amram and there is no doubt that she believed in, and trusted the God of Israel. Jochebed had earlier given birth to a daughter named Miriam, Numbers 26:59 "And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister." Miriam was also to play a part in the preservation of this baby..but ultimately God was in control. Exodus 2:2 "And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months." We do not know what Jochebed named the little babe, but we do know that "by faith, Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment." (Hebrews 11:23) What an awesome verse..and what a lesson for us..they were not afraid because by faith they trusted God..and neither should we be afraid..no matter what comes upon us..we should stand and trust the Lord..Psalm 56:11 "In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me."
Exodus 2:2 tells us that it was Jochebed, his mother, that hid her son for three months. "And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink." (Exodus 2:3)
We read that Jochebed hid the ark in the bulrushes, and there is no mention of it floating down the midst of the river as some stories have portrayed it, we only read of the ark being "in the flags (bulrushes) by the river's brink" (2:3) and V4 "..his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him." This is important, we cannot add to the word of God by implying otherwise, and also, had the ark floated down the river, the baby's sister would not have seen what would become of this little ark. In fact in Exodus 2:5 we read "and the daughter of Pharoah came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it." It is noteworthy that the ark was still among the flags.
How Jochebed must have trusted the Lord, to place her baby in this ark for him to be alone for she knew not how long...she knew not who would discover the baby, or even whether or not he would be discovered at all. She must have only trusted that God would protect this child..
Now Miriam, the baby's sister, stood far off, watching what would happen to the little ark and its precious cargo...and here is the mighty intervention of God in carrying out his plan. The ark is discovered by none other than the daughter of Pharaoh herself. V5 "and the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it." Scripture tells us that while she was washing herself, some of her maidens were walking by the river's side, so they were not present when she found the ark, and she sent her maid to fetch it. And here again is intervention...no doubt she knew her father's order to have the male babies killed, but "she saw the child, and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children" (Exodus 2:6) She had compassion...and our Lord brought the right person at the right time to the right place to find this child, to be raised ultimately in the palace of the king, thus preparing him for the wonderful plan of returning the children of Israel to the promised land. Proverbs 16:9 "A man's heart deviseth his way, but the LORD directeth his steps." (in this case Pharoah's daughter's heart)
But back to Jochebed...whose great obedience and trust in the Lord, at risk to herself, are about to be greatly rewarded.
Miriam, who had been sent to watch and see what happened to the baby, arrives and asks the daughter of Pharaoh "Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?" (Exodus 2:7) And so she is sent and brings Jochebed to her child, now in the arms of another...but what a wonderful, wonderful blessing...the little babe is returned to his mother with the words "take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages and the woman took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water." (Exodus 9-10)
Now, with the blessing of the daughter of Pharaoh, Jochebed can freely and lovingly care for her child with no fear...she may nurse him, love him, nurture him. And not only that, she is paid wages to take care of her own child. What a blessing that the LORD God has given to Jochebed for preserving the life of her son. When he is weaned he is returned to Pharaoh's daughter to become her son..Jochebed has peace in knowing that her child is safe. I wonder if Pharoah's daughter knew that she was giving the baby back to his own mother to nurse? the bible is silent on this.
The story of Jochebed is such a good lesson for believers. What blessings await us as we are faithful and stand for the Lord, trusting Him no matter what happens...putting Him first in our lives...let us stand firm, and trust Him.
Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."
vcg/October 2015
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