Jochebed

Jochebed - "whose glory is Jehovah"

Most parents alarmed at the type of education children are receiving.

Evolution, sex, and permissiveness has brought a massive growth of private and home schooling.

Even if we home school, remove them from situation, there is still temptation and possible problems.

What can we do to help?

One parent in Scripture made the best of an awful situation.

Jochebed at Moses’ birth

She defies man’s law to save her child. Exodus 2:1-10

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.”

Hid him because he was a “beautiful child”

She defied the commandment of Pharaoh to save her child

She had enough faith to know that God would save her child

Hid him for three months, then placed him in a basket and put it in the bulrushes of the river.

NOTE: This is not necessarily teaching us to defy every command that might threaten our children, but is a lesson in priorities. In context, this is showing that in spite of all of Pharaoh’s conniving, he is not receiving the result that he wants. Wickedness will always eventually collapse in on itself.

Moses’ sister learns from Jochebed

Miriam kept a close watch on the baby to make sure he would be okay - family watching out for family.

This must have been taught by Jochebed as well.

God blesses the situation

Pharaoh’s daughter finds the baby, has compassion, and adopts Moses as her own son.

Jochebed is selected to nurse the baby until he is grown

Despite all the efforts of Pharaoh to separate families and destroy lives, God ensures that this Hebrew boy ends up in Pharaoh’s own family.

A Remarkable Woman

Name mentioned twice in Scripture.

Exodus 6:20 NKJV - Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father's sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.

Numbers 26:59 NKJV - The name of Amram's wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.

Taught Moses the ways of the LORD.

Helped to form a great man of God and one of the greatest leaders of all time.

Exodus 2:11-12 - Would Moses have reacted with hostility to the Egyptian beating the the Hebrew without being properly taught by his mother?

Just like his mother, Moses was willing to disobey his government leaders in order to do the right thing. He defended the Hebrew from the Egyptian.

Egyptians famous for their knowledge of science, mathematics, astronomy, medicine. Moses was instructed in all their wisdom (Acts 7:22).

Though Moses received all this worldly instruction, Jochebed ensured that he knew about their people and their God. This influence won out over all the education of the world.

Must have encouraged Moses to make a choice.

Some people, given the same situation, might rather choose to embrace the worldly ways.

Moses knew he had to make a choice, and he made the right one.

Hebrews 11:24-27 NKJV - 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. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible.

Very likely he made this choice because Jochebed taught him properly.

We need mothers who care about their children in the way Jochebed cared for Moses.

When parents teach their children the way of the LORD, their future will be bright.

Proverbs 1:7-9 “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction. My son, hear the instruction of your father, And do not forsake the law of your mother; For they will be a graceful ornament on your head, And chains about your neck.”

The Need for Mothers like Jochebed

A mother’s pride

Proverbs 22:6 NKJV - Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.

Would Jochebed have been ashamed of Moses and the things he did in this life?

Not at all. The only thing she might have been ashamed of is when he disobeyed God in the wilderness (Numbers 20:10-12).

Moses was taught to follow God.

Moses followed the teachings of his mother NOT because she taught it, but because he knew that it was the way of God.

As parents, can we recommend our way of life to our children? Or are we ashamed of ourselves to the point that we want our children to “do what we say, not what we do”?

If we have a mother like Jochebed, we need to be thankful to God for such a blessing.

2 Timothy 1:5-7 “when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

2 Timothy 3:10-17 - Notice the good examples, and emulate them! Hold onto what is right and push forward to completeness!