Reflection: The story of Moses’ mother, Jochebed (Exodus 6:20, Numbers 26:59), is the story of an amazing woman. Jochebed grew up as a slave in Egypt, married as a slave, and bore her children as a slave. She could not guarantee any aspect of her family’s life, yet she would have known the promises God made to her ancestor Abraham: he would not abandon his people, and after 400 years of slavery and mistreatment, he would redeem them (Gen 15:13-14) .
In the birth of her son Moses, Jochebed showed enormous courage, as she recognised that Moses was a special child (Ex 2:2, Acts 7:20, Hebrews 11:23), perhaps even one that God would use to deliver his people. Just prior to Moses’ birth, the king of Egypt ordered the midwives to kill all Hebrew baby boys at birth; when they would not, he ordered his people to drown them in the Nile (Exodus 1:22). It was into this climate that Moses was born. We can only imagine the desperation amongst Hebrew families at the time; the fear during pregnancy; the despair at the birth of sons; the shock, grief and horror as their sons were taken from then.
Yet Jochabed conspired to save her son. She hid him for three months, and showing much ingenuity,
put him in the Nile herself, safely in a basket. This led to his salvation, as the daughter of Pharaoh adopted him as her own son. Jochebed (through the quick thinking of her daughter Miriam) was even blessed to be able to nurse her son until he grew older. Moses lived, and prospered, and became essential to God’s plan of salvation for his people. All due, in large part, to the faith, bravery and sacrifice of his mother Jochebed.
Question: What inspires you most: Jochabed’s courage in defying Pharaoh’s edict, her ingenuity in hiding her child, her sacrifice in surrendering her three month old baby, or her faith in God which inspired all her actions?
Prayer: Thank you, Almighty God, for the example and faith of Jochebed, Moses’ mother. Help us to have a such a faith in you, which defies our situation, trusts in your redemption and plan, and acts with courage, ingenuity, and sacrifice.
We are reading the Bible with Karen Mudge until 19th May.