Moses was born during a troubled time for the Israelites in Egypt. The King made a decree that midwives were to kill all Hebrew boys when they were born, leaving only the baby girls alive. This program was Pharaoh’s attempt to control the population of the Israelites, who were strong and growing in numbers in the land of Egypt, exponentially. This is nothing new in human history, and repeated itself many times since.
God has a way of thwarting plans, making His own come alive, and blowing your mind in the process. In the midst of calamity and chaos, God delivers abundant grace. We can see that clearly in Moses’ parents. Do you know much about Moses’ parentage? Jochebed and Amram were their names. Not very famous names, but they are to God. Let’s focus on Moses’ mother, Jochebed, a Hebrew woman living in slavery in Egypt.
She was the daughter of a Levite, and she married Amram, another Levite. According to Exodus 6.20, Jochebed married her brother’s son Amram. Yes, she married her nephew. She was Amram’s aunt as well as his wife. Amram was Moses’ dad and his great-uncle. That makes for one interesting bible trivia question. She already had a daughter, Miriam, who was old enough at the time of Moses’ infancy to act as a lookout (Exodus 2.4). Along with Moses and Miriam, Jochebed also had Aaron, Moses’ brother.
Please take the time to do a little back story by reading Exodus 1.8-16, which I have placed at the end of this article. There was rebellion against the Pharaoh’s murderous decree. The Hebrew midwives refused to participate in the infanticide, deceived Pharaoh, so they could avoid killing the baby boys.
Exodus 1.17–19 says— “But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. 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 Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.”
All of this brings about the backdrop of Moses’ unique early life… and an extraordinary story of motherhood.
Exodus 2.1-10— “And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him 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. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. 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. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women 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.”
Jochebed camouflaged Moses in a basket of bulrushes and set him in the Nile River to preserve his life (v3). A river full of crocodiles by the way. Trust in God is essential at this point. Total dependence is being shown here. A complete surrender is being demonstrated by this woman of faith. This means the midwife also rebelled against the murderous law. Thank God for her rebellion. Even Pharaoh’s own daughter disobeyed the decree when she found Moses. Praise the Lord for her rebellion as well. She took pity (mercy) on him and adopting him as her own child (vs5-10). Moses was raised as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, and it was also Pharaoh’s daughter who named him. More grace. Jochebed even accepted not naming her child, to keep him safe, small price to pay. More dependence and surrender. She made many sacrifices to allow God’s will in her son’s life. She stepped aside and allowed God to be in the driver’s seat. Lord, help us now to do more of this. Thank you for Jochebed’s example.
Look back at verses 7-9— “Then said his sister to Pharaoh’s daughter, Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee? And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child’s mother. And Pharaoh’s daughter said unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the women took the child, and nursed it.”
Jochebed, in an astonishing example of God’s providence and mercy, became Moses’ nurse. Can you believe it?! Well, bonus, she was also paid by the king for her service! Only God could have made that happen.
In all the Bible, Jochebed is mentioned again in only 2 places: Numbers 26.59 and Hebrews 11.23. Hebrews 11.23 says— “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.” No doubt it was faith!
No other information is given about her in the Bible. Interestingly, the Qur’an tells the story of Jochebed’s decision to hide Moses also. Even Islam sees the importance of her decision.
Moses’ mom appears to have been just an ordinary person whose faith in God and love for her infant son caused her to defy the king of Egypt. In the providence of God, Jochebed’s son became one of the greatest leaders in the history of Israel. This should be a reminder to us that we never know how God may use our descendants. This also shows us that we never know where a single act of obedience, in faith, will carry that act into the future, past our lifetime. The paramount reminder: that we have to let God use our kids, our own lives, the way He wants to. Let go, surrender, act only in faith. If we don’t, we may be hindering a great work of God. It’s always a great idea to point our kids to God—to love Him with all their heart.
Jochebed’s life teaches us: when placed in these life changing situations, simply obey by faith. You may be surprised by the results. If not in this life, certainly in the life to come, we will see God do big things.
Back story passage of Exodus 1.8-16— “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, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour: And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. 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.”