A Mothers Love

Happy Mothers Day to all those who are mothers, whether it is through natural, adopted, or other means! We celebrate you each of you every day for what you have done for us and continue to do, but today is your day of recognition! For those whose mothers have gone on, we honor them today also.

If there is one thing that makes me think of the attributes of a mother, it is that their love never wavers. They care for their children from the time they are born, through the toddler and teenage years, and even after they leave the house, they are constantly on their mothers mind.

As I have been pondering over that thought this week, I went to the life of Jochebed. She would have been alive at the transition of the Israelites move to Egypt, and would marry Levi and later on would have Miriam (the oldest), Aaron (three years older than Moses), and Moses. But a new Pharaoh would be put into place after the death of Joseph, and the Bible says he “did not know Joseph”. Therefore he would not have known the impact Joseph had on the preservation not only the Israelites, but the Egyptians also. Instead, God had blessed the Israelites and they were continuing to grow in strength and number, causing the Pharaoh to grow concerned. He feared they were becoming too mighty, and too many to handle if they decided to go to war. To humble, and oppress the Israelites, he set taskmasters over them and put them into a work of bondage and slavery. They were given the task of building cities, making their own brick, even withholding straw and making the task that much more difficult. But the bible says the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. God was blessing the Israelites, even though the Pharaoh sought to keep them humble. It was after he realized their numbers and strength continued to grow that he sent for the Hebrew midwives and gave them the order that if any Israelite woman were to give birth to a son, he was to be killed.

Exodus 1:17 ESV

17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

They would not harm the children of God, which made the Pharaoh mad, and he brought the midwives back in wanting to know why they had not carried out his orders. Plainly put, they lied, because they feared God more than they feared Pharaoh.

Exodus 1:22 ESV

22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

He placed the task of monitoring the birth of all the Israelite children to the Egyptians, with the order to cast every male child into the Nile.

This is where we see the story of Jochabed start to unfold. The climate of Egypt is growing hostile towards the Israelites. There is a sense of paranoia over the increasing numbers and overall strength, and the Pharaoh is cracking down.

Birth of Moses

Exodus 2:1–4 ESV

1 Now a man from the house of Levi went and took as his wife a Levite woman. 2 The woman conceived and bore a son, and when she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him three months. 3 When she could hide him no longer, she took for him a basket made of bulrushes and daubed it with bitumen and pitch. She put the child in it and placed it among the reeds by the river bank. 4 And his sister stood at a distance to know what would be done to him.

Despite all the circumstances, Jochebed gave birth to a son and kept him for three months. When it became too dangerous to hide him, she placed him in a basket and set him afloat in the Nile.

While she was of the tribe of Levi, she had no social standing in society, no decent clothes, no possessions, no rank, no position, she was a common slave. She worked in the brickyards or in the fields or as a servant to the Egyptians. But God was still able to use this humble woman beyond imagination. She had given birth to one of the greatest men we have the opportunity to study and read about.

It should be something we look closely at, even though she was a common slave, God used her. In the same way, God can use us, regardless of where we are in life. We may have a past, we may lack social standing, we may not have much education or hold a lofty position. Regardless of where we are in life, mothers, you can be used by God if you do what Moses’ mother did - believe and follow God. You see, God will accept us as we are and who knows what impact our children can have on this world?

But now, the decree. Kill all newborn male Hebrew children. Picture for a moment the uneasiness of Moses’ parents when his mother discovered that she was pregnant. Just imagine their concern, anxiety, fear, uncertainty—wondering what would happen if the child was a boy. What would they do? What could they do? Month after month—for nine long months—they would have prayed and wondered, trying their best to figure out what they would do if the child was a boy.

Then, finally, the day came, and their worst fears became a reality: a baby boy, Moses, was born. Note what his mother did: she did the courageous, righteous thing. She hid the child for three months. Why? What would make her risk her own life to save her child’s life? Moses’ mother was a courageous, righteous woman. When she looked at Moses, God gave her a sense that her child was special. He was a gift, a very special gift from God. His life was important to God; therefore, she had to be courageous and do the righteous thing: she had to save her child’s life. God’s purpose for the child was far more important than even her love. Thus, she wanted to save the child not only because she loved him, but also because he was a special gift from God. Therefore, she hid the child for three months. Day after day and week after week—three long months—she hid the child from the authorities and neighbors, from everyone who might be a threat, lest someone report the child’s presence. She hid the child at the risk of her own life. Moses’ mother was a godly woman, a courageous and righteous woman.

How many parents see their children as Moses’ mother did? How many see them as a gift from God, as very special and important to God?

The day came when Moses could no longer be hidden. His mother had to do something. What could she do to save her child? She had to be wise—work out the wisest plan she could—and she had to trust God, completely trust Him to use her plan and save her child. This she did. The “basket” in this instance is the same word in Hebrew (tebah) used to describe Noah’s ark, the only other place it is found in the Bible. The basket was probably a covered papyrus box, maybe with air holes. She for some reason put him in a little boat, like Noah, that was sealed with pitch. Every Hebrew would have caught the significance of this word. Just as God’s hand of grace was on Noah, a deliverer, bringing salvation, so it was with the deliverer Moses.

Just like Noah, Moses had been sealed from the outside world and protected by God.

Moses Protected

Exodus 2:5–8 ESV

5 Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river, while her young women walked beside the river. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her servant woman, and she took it. 6 When she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call you a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the child for you?” 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the girl went and called the child’s mother.

Imagine this scene: Moses floats down the dangerous Nile! Who knows what kind of critters was lurking around! Yet God sovereignly cares for this little boy. God keeps Moses from crocodiles, starvation, and drowning. When the daughter of Pharaoh finds him, she takes “pity on him.” Perhaps she says something like “aww,” the way others react when they see a little one. God used the nurturing instinct in her life to take care of Moses. And by God’s grace, Moses was nourished and taught by an Israelite—his mother, it seems—as an infant. God raised up a deliverer, right under Pharaoh’s nose!

Moses’ mother had prayed and trusted God to save her child and to use him in God’s service. And God was doing just that. God was looking after and taking care of the baby. Moses’ mother was witnessing the sovereign, guiding hand of God. She was experiencing just how God works all things out for good to those who truly love and follow after Him. This brings us to an important principle. We may think that things are falling apart sometimes, but remember God’s mysterious providence. God works out His perfect will in amazing ways. Trust in Him. You see, God preserved His leader even during a time of uncertainty and what seemed to be certain death.

God’s Leader Preserved

Exodus 2:9–10 ESV

9 And 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. 10 When the child grew older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. She named him Moses, “Because,” she said, “I drew him out of the water.”

Moses’ mother had her faith rewarded. The most that she could have hoped for now happened. She was employed to care for Moses. When Miriam brought her mother to Pharaoh’s daughter, the princess hired her to look after Moses. She also would have continued to instruct Moses when they were visiting one another. There is a possibility that she was kept in the palace serving Pharaoh’s daughter throughout Moses’ years in Egypt. When Moses reached a certain age, his mother took him to the princess, and Moses became the son of Pharaoh’s daughter.

The daughter of Pharaoh gave the child the name Moses, “to draw out,” thinking “I drew him out of the water” (v. 10). What a perfect name, given the fact that God would use Moses to draw His people out of Egypt! Note how God took the evil plan of Pharaoh, twisted it, and worked it out for good. God caused Pharaoh to give food, shelter, and clothing to the very child who was to take the lead in freeing the Israelite slaves, the very thing Pharaoh was trying to prevent.

Closing

While God raised up a mighty leader, had it not been for the faithfulness of his mother, could it be that the story could have changed? What if she had obeyed the earthly ruler Pharaoh? What if Moses had been cast into the Nile and drown? What would have been the fate of the Israelites at the hands of the Egyptians?

Moses’ mother had her faith rewarded. Our faith will also be rewarded if we will only trust God. God will twist events and work all things out for our good if we will just love Him and follow after Him.

For the mothers today, the same faithfulness of Jochebed will be rewarded today if we place our children in His hands just as she did with Moses. He protected Moses during birth, he preserved him in the basket, he allowed him to be raised in the house of Pharaoh, no doubt learning about Egyptian culture, and God used him in a way to set His people free from bondage.

Mothers, don’t lose hope, don’t lose faith, keep the course and God can and will work in the lives of your children.