A Godly Inheritance-Mothers Day

A Godly Inheritance

Exodus 1:9–16 NKJV

And he said to his people, “Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land.” Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh supply cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel. So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor. And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage—in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor. Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah; and he said, “When you do the duties of a midwife for the Hebrew women, and see them on the birthstools, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”

Exodus 2:1–10 NKJV

And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months. But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him. Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him. And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, “Because I drew him out of the water.”

Hebrews 11:23–26 NKJV

By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.

Proverbs 31:30 NKJV

Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

Have you ever felt like a nobody? Perhaps it was when you were the last one chosen in a schoolyard game. Maybe it was getting left out at the school dance when everyone was pairing up. Maybe it was moving to a big city and feeling all alone even though you were constantly surrounded by people. Or perhaps it was the time you were overlooked for that promotion at the office, despite working harder and longer than your colleagues. Well, it turns out you’re not alone in feeling alone! According to a 2018 study, more than half of American adults “report feeling as though no one knows them well at least sometimes, if not always” and just less than half regularly feel left out and alone.

Moses’s mother knew what it was like to be a nobody. At the time of Moses’s birth, the Hebrews had been enslaved by a devious pharaoh who was wary of the thriving Hebrew population for fear they would align with Egypt’s enemies in a time of war (Exodus 1:9–10). The Egyptians were disgusted and repulsed by the Hebrews and subsequently dehumanized them by:

(1) ruthlessly forcing them to build cities for Pharaoh and work out in the fields (Exodus 1:11, 13–14); and

(2) ordering the death of their infant boys both at childbirth (1:16) and by drowning in the Nile River (1:22).

As slaves, these Hebrews were seen as nothing but tools for the Egyptian empire. Though not named in the narrative describing Moses’s early years (2:1–10), we later discover Moses’s mother to be Jochebed, the wife of Amram (6:20). Despite not being named in this story, Jochebed plays an important role in the deliverance of her people from the oppressive Pharaoh and exemplifies the characteristics of a godly mother for us today! It is a reminder that God sees value in and places honor on those who aren’t always valued in society. Ladies, though you may experience times of feeling unseen and unnoticed by others, take heart that God sees you, knows you, and values you!

When Moses was born, Jochebed said “he was a fine child” (Exodus 2:2). The Hebrew word used to describe Moses’s appearance is tov which, according to James Hoffmeier, “is often rendered ‘goodly’ (KJV, RSV); but the word also means ‘beautiful’ and some translations have so rendered it (NASB)”. As Matthew Henry notes, his parents recognized Moses was “more than ordinarily beautiful; he was fair to God”. Whether Moses was considered fine or goodly or beautiful or fair; Jochebed saw something special in her child, believing that his appearance was “evidence that God had given him for a great purpose”. It was this belief that motivated Jochebed to hide Moses’s birth from the Egyptians for three months (Exodus 2:2). Every child is special in the eyes of their parents. What unique and special qualities do you see in your children? What encouraging words can you share with your children about those qualities to “help them to build confidence, feel loved, and give them the opportunity to tap into their fullest potential”?

By hiding Moses and defying Pharaoh’s edict to kill their infant son, the writer of Hebrews commends Amram and Jochebed for living by faith (Hebrews 11:23). Moses’s parents did not allow their fear of Pharaoh’s commands to dictate their actions in the present or negate their future dreams for their son. Their faith in God was stronger than their fear of man. Does the voice of an authority figure quite the voice of God in our life? Proverbs 31 encourages us that “a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised” (v. 30). How can you continue to grow your reverence and obedience to the Lord even when others with influence try to quench your faithfulness?

Harriet Tubman was a nineteenth-century African American abolitionist who was referred to as “the Moses of her people.” Despite carrying a $40,000 bounty on her head, Harriet was a “conductor” on the Underground Railroad who helped fugitive slaves escape from the South to the North and gain their freedom. Harriet’s faith in God to be her deliverer and protector became her strength during her rescue missions. She depended on the voice of God to guide her steps; only going where and when God would lead her.

Unfortunately, it was becoming increasingly difficult for Jochebed to prevent the cries of her infant son from alerting her neighbors or the Egyptians. “A healthy child cries too loudly to be hidden at three months old”. In a last-ditch effort to keep him alive, Jochebed sculpted a basket, or ark, for Moses that would float on the water of the Nile River. She carefully created the basket from papyrus reeds and made it waterproof by covering it with bitumen; then placed the basket at the river bank among the reeds and set her daughter Miriam nearby to keep watch (Exodus 2:3–4). By putting her son in the Nile River, Jochebed was “in a sense fulfilling the pharaoh’s edict”. Yet her actions do not reflect an abandonment of her child, but of devotion, love, and hope; for Jochebed placed the basket in shallow water— where there was less threat of crocodiles and the current from taking the basket away, and where the reeds could provide shade for the basket. She likely knew that the king’s daughter frequented this spot and placed Moses there “in a faint hope that he would be rescued”. Jochebed did all she could to save her son—risking her life and the lives of her family to do so! What lengths would you be prepared to go to save someone you loved?

Jochebed isn’t the only desperate mother whose heroism saved her child’s life. From running into an inferno, fending off wild animals, climbing down wells, and taking bullets in the back, moms put aside their own self-preservation to ensure their child’s safety. This was the case for Angela Cavallo who, in 1982, lifted a 1964 Chevy Impala four inches off the ground when the car fell off its jacks and crushed her son underneath. The middle-aged mother immediately rushed to help, lifting the vehicle and holding it off him long enough for neighbors to pull her son out!

By God’s grace, Jochebed was paid by the king’s daughter to raise her own son until he was old enough to live with her in the palace (Exodus 2:7–10), probably until he was two or three years old. Jochebed made the most of her time with Moses, using his early years to teach him about his Hebrew heritage—who he was and where he came from—so that at forty years of age, Moses would choose to identify as a Hebrew rather than an Egyptian (Hebrews 11:24–25). Every day we have opportunities to teach our children about our faith in Christ. Whether mother, father, aunt, uncle, or close family friend, never overlook the seemingly ordinary, mundane situations where you can insert Jesus into your conversations! This could be as simple as:

(1) praying with your children spontaneously when a need or difficulty arises;

(2) reading Bible stories together;

(3) recapping how you saw God move in your life that day;

(4) discussing what you each learned during worship services; and

(5) brainstorming opportunities to serve together in the church and out in the community.

How can you make the most of the opportunities you have to share your faith with the children God has placed in your life?