Pharaohs daughter, although a heathen princess, had a womans (a mothers) instinct, and one thing that touches a womans heart is a crying baby. Thats how God does things. 2 tells of the birth of Moses. The film The Ten Commandments calls her "Yoshebel". The life of Jochebed as a woman of influence teaches us that there are times in our lives when we have done all we can do, weve said all we can say, there is no more and we have to . First, we need to estimate the population that went down to Egypt with Jacob, the amount of time and generations that elapsed between then and the Exodus, and any relevant data points that . Answering:, "Jochebed couldn't have gone to the Holy land because God killed off the entire generation that left Egypt except for Caleb and Joshua as punishment. The midrash portrays Jochebed as a wise woman who was righteous and God-fearing. This exegesis teaches of Jochebeds longevity, and that she was still alive when Moses died. She was the daughter of a Levite, and she married Amram, another Levite ( Exodus 2:1 ). teaches that Jochebed put the ark in a protected place, where bushes and reeds grew. (Viewed on March 1, 2023) . The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, andNumbers26:59. Not only was Moses spared, but his older sister (later identified as Miriam in Exodus 15:20), who was standing somewhere within sight, offered the Egyptian princess her services. This is a clear example of how God gives, provides, and answers more abundantly than we can even ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). She brought him to all the Egyptian women, but Moses was not willing to nurse from any of them. 2:3), lining the inside with bitumen, and coating it on the outside with pitch, so that Moses would not smell the bad odor given off by the latter. Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Job had some low points in his experience, but repeatedly he expressed his confidence in Gods faithfulness. At just this moment, Miriam steps forward and approaches the daughter and volunteers her service to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, and whom did she bring back? From that marriage, Moses was born. One of the arguments advanced by Moses was his mothers suffering. The gay analogy must include a marriage relationship not universally accepted in scripture. Resources Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible Chapter 2. Amram and Jochebed had a daughter, Miriam, and two sons, Aaron and Moses. Can you imagine what it would be like to give away your 3-month-old baby, not knowing what would happen to him? This sequence omits a lengthy period of time, for Jochebed and Amram already had two other children (Aaron and Miriam) when Moses was born. 26:59; cf. Jochebed just happened to be available and able to nurse? She took leave of her baby with a heavy heart, and tried with all her might to protect him and ensure that he remain alive. In 1571 BC, Pharaoh Ramesses I ordered the extermination of all of the Israelites ' newborn babies to avert a prophecy that one of them would lead the Israelites out of slavery. The God of Israel was more real to Amram and Jochebed than was the king of Egypt. At that same time, Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river. When she saw that he was a "fine" child, she hid him for three months and when she could do so no longer, she made a basket out of bulrushes and put him among the reeds by the river bank. Keep him quiet? Maybe you need to let go of a dream that is not going to come true; yet, the idea of letting it go seems too painful. As Moses grew up Jochebed educated Moses in the religion and history of Israel, ensuring that Moses did not lose his Hebrew identity. What if she had been found out, they would take the baby and kill him, perhaps she would lose her life, potentially the whole family, husband, 2 other children= Miriam=young little girl and Aaron=3 years old. Jochebed's name means, "Honor of God" or "God is glory". Have you ever had to give up and let go of someone or something very precious to you? Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. Learn Religions. When Moses was born, Jochebed saw (Ex. Soon, Moses got word that Pharaoh knew what he had done and was going to kill him, so he fled from Egypt to the land of Midian to avoid prosecution. Go then, earthly fame and treasure, [15], Some rabbinic literature attempts to resolve the textual discrepancy in which the Torah lists 34 children of Leah born in Mesopotamia, stating that two were dead, and then immediately states that there were 33 in total,[16] by arguing that the figure referred only to the surviving children, and that Jochebed was the 33rd;[17][18] however, since the Book of Numbers describes Jochebed's birth as occurring in Egypt,[1] this necessitated the further rabbinic argument that Jochebed was born exactly on the border of Egypt, in the gateway of the city. God could grow a crop of wheat on the concrete pavements of our cities if He wanted to, but He normally expects the farmer to use the means at his disposal to grow a crop of wheat. By letting go and trusting God, an even greater dream was fulfilled. In the Rabbinic exegesis, Jochebed was already pregnant with Moses before Amram divorced her, and the fetus in her womb was three months old when he remarried her. Those early years, pre-school years, made an indelible impression on Moses. (2021, September 4). Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. She felt a firm unity with her Creator and was exhilarated by this bond. Jochebed took baby Moses and placed him in an ark of bulrushes. All must work for good to me. The woman conceived and bore a son, since she conceived before this second marriage? Jochebed which in Hebrew means: Jehovah is glory both she and her husband were from the tribe of Levi the priestly tribe. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, and Numbers 26:59. Come, disaster, scorn, and pain. The Apocrypha calls her Tharmuth, other names suggested are Merris, or Bityah, perhaps even the well-known Hatshepsut( HAT shep shoot). Exodus 2:1 A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi. Although her jealously later in life led to . A resolute faith and holy background were the foundation for her remarkable strength and trust in the promises of God. 4041). One wonders why Pharaohs daughter wanted to bathe herself in the dirty waters of the Nile River. Part of her reward was an extremely long life, living to witness the positions of leadership held by her children, and she was even one of the Israelites who entered the land of Canaan. https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165 (accessed March 2, 2023). JOCHEBED. Then she brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him as her own. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? Jochebed his father's sister. Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. Moses just happened to cry at the right time? 2:2) how good [tov] he was. The Rabbis ask what Jochebed saw that was special in her son, on account of which she sought to save him from Pharaohs death decree. She saw that he was a beautiful child, and hid him for three months. She chose bulrushes, a soft and flexible material that is capable of withstanding contact with both soft and hard objects. According to another interpretation, Jochebed named her son Tov or Tobiah, which was what his parents called him until Pharaohs daughter renamed him Moses (BT Sotah 12a). Jochebed bore Amram three righteous offspring. Jochebed was a human being just as all of us are today. But soon he noticed that the stones were going beyond the boat and forming huge circular waves in the waterand those waves were bringing his boat toward the shore. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Women of Influence Surrounding the Life of Moses. "teaching," "study," or "learning." Moses said: The mouth that will speak with God will not nurse something impure [the milk of non-Jews]. By Harold S. MartinA Bible Helps Booklet No. The Rabbis deduced from this that righteous women are not subject to the decree passed on Eve (that is, the curse of in pain shall you bear children [Gen. 3:16] does not apply to them) (BT Sotah 12a). . D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973) 57. Answer: According to tradition, Yocheved lived long enough to enter the Holy Land with the Israelites.. Moses's mother, a Levite, later identified as Jochebed (Numbers 26:59), had married a Levite and given birth to a son. Exodus 1:10-14 describes the hardships placed upon the Hebrew people. (NET). "Jochebed: Midrash and Aggadah." His wonders to perform; In 2433 AM, Jochebed gave birth to . Joseph had revealed himself to his eleven brothers and requested that his father come to Egypt, which the family did. She had to walk away. An additional midrashic explanation of her name is that she smoothed over (shiprah) her daughter Puahs words. For others, a family member rebels against the Gospel plan of salvation. And so, when we have done all we can do, we must calmly trust in the Lordeven though to us there seems to be no way out. Those must have been precious years. The narrative in Exodus 2 about Moses' birth introduces her, without providing her name, as a member of the priestly tribe Levi; she marries a Levitical man, also unnamed here.The mother, in defiance of the Pharaoh's order that every male Hebrew . (Isaiah 18:2 writes that the Egyptians made their boats, skiffs out of this material. By faith, Jochebed and her husband Amram hid their son Moses even against the king of Egypt's edict that all Hebrew boys should be put to death at birth. To protect Moses from Pharaoh's command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. But that was not the case. But there came a day when he grew older When Jochebed had to let him go AGAINto let him go and trust God again. The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. I believe she recognized that the deliverance of God was at hand. With Thy favorloss is gain. Jochebed, more commonly referred to as the mom of Moses, is an important biblical character when studying mothers in the Bible. Of never-failing skill, Scripture does not tell us when Jochebed died but it is possible she was still living when the Law of Moses was given. Again, the second time, was this time even harder for her? That day began a new life for my son and for our entire family and me. God blessed Jochebed's obedience by making her Moses' nursemaid. Zavada, Jack. Amram and Jochebed were strong in their faith during a time where many Israelites had become idolatrous. not an ordinary child Hebrew for fine is tov(TOE v)= means good, beautiful Its the same word that used in the Creation account in Genesis 1:4(light), 10(land and sea), 18(sun, moon, stars), 25(animals), 31(mankind, looked and said=very good). They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. Here is part of the irony of the passage: What was perceived by many to be a womanly weakness compassion for a baby is a strong enough emotion to prompt the (this) woman to defy the orders of Pharaoh. The conditions described in the first two chapters of Exodus indicate that indeed those were dark days for the Children of Israel. [24], It has been proposed by a number of Biblical scholars that Ichabod and Jacob may ultimately be linguistic corruptions of Jochebed, and possibly once have referred to the same individual.[26]. The midrash apparently understands builds her house in a broad sense, because Jochebeds wisdom in the raising of her own children led to the building and firm establishment of the entire people of Israel. The life of Jochebed is an amazing demonstration of the walk by faith. Miriam, the baby's sister, watched to see what would happen. She was convinced that her son would be used for an important work. Pursuing her life passion to teach the Word of God, train leaders and connect people in community, Dianne Miller has dedicated years as a teaching leader in Bible Study Fellowship as well as directing Womens Ministries at the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia and Northwest Bible Church, More, The Net Pastors Journal, Eng. Like Jochebed, we won't always foresee God's purpose in letting go, but we can trust that his plan is even better. Did Amram marry his aunt? Jochebed was married to Amram. When she saw that he was a healthy child, she hid him for three months. But in the midst of this trial, she had confidence and hope. We are thinking of faith in this lesson, not as saving faith, but as sustaining faith. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. Jacob, too, married two sisters t. Possible that he was alive during the Exodus, remember Moses was 80 years old then. Their heartbreak at giving up their baby is balanced by God's favor when they obey his command not to kill the unborn. Who was the mother of kohath? She loved all of her children dearly and proved this when she risked her life to save her youngest child, Moses, from Pharaoh Seti I's soldiers. How do we know? Moses was a fortunate and blessed man. His three friends sat for seven days and simply shook their heads in despair without saying a word (Job 2:13). Adoption is a wonderful way to unconditionally love someone but it comes with a painful price tag (as well see in our story). We don't know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Happy Womens History Month! By faith, Jochebed placed her son, Moses, in a papyrus basket and placed it in the Nile River where the Pharaohs daughter found the basket and child. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. Finally, when they did speak, they concluded that Job was among the worst of sinners, and that he suffered as a result of deep sin in his life (Job 4:7). The Rabbis resolve this abbreviated chronology by stating that Jochebed and Amram divorced, and Ex. In Ex., ii, 10, a derivation from the Hebrew Mashah (to draw) is implied. Where it didnt matter which decision you made, they all seemed risky? Exodus 1; 2. Consequently, Miriam came and offered to the daughter of Pharaoh her mother Jochebed, who was a Hebrew (Ex. After Moses was born, Yocheved hid him at home for three months. According to tradition, Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed (whose other children were Aaron and Miriam), hid him for three months and then set him afloat on the Nile in a reed basket daubed with pitch. Would he forget our family? "We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,"Moses' parents decided, "but God can.". After all she did have a husband and two other children to consider and take care of. When Moses, her youngest child, was born, Jochebed hid him for three months until she could hide him no longer. Why did Terah died in Haran? For others, health deteriorates, death takes a loved one, and plans for the future are shattered. The parents of Moses believed the simple promise of Gods Word, and the revelation that after 400 years Israel would be delivered, and that their son was a proper childand so, instead of casting baby Moses into the river, they hid him for three months, and then turned him over to God. The A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules).midrash portrays Jochebed as a wise woman who was righteous and God-fearing. You can never get them all quiet at the same time. When Jochebed gave birth to a son, she saw that he was a healthy baby. And rides upon the storm. ): I will pay your wages, from which the Rabbis learned of Jochebeds righteousness: like the righteous, she merited the return of what she had lost (her son), and in addition received reward for it (for having nursed him) (Ex. 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