(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."
