Sunday is Mother’s Day. To quote one mother, “The joy of motherhood is what a woman experiences when all the children are finally in bed.” Not only do mothers seem super-human at times, but all mothers speak the same language. Maybe you have heard some mother speak: “Don’t get smart with me.”“Just wait until your dad gets home.” “If you break your leg, don’t come running to me.” “You ARE going to have fun!”
I want to examine the life of an extraordinary biblical mother—found in the book of Exodus and is the mother of the human author of that book; Exodus 2:1-10.
1. And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. 2. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
3. 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. 4. And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.
5. 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. 6. 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.”
7. 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?” 8. And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So, the maiden went and called the child’s mother.
9. 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. 10. 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.”
The mother’s name is Jochobed (yah ko bed) and is often referred to as The Woman Whose Children Became Great, and A Woman Of Great Faith. She was married to Amram, and their children were: Moses - one of the greatest leaders the world has ever known; Aaron - Israel’s first high priest; and Miriam the gifted poetess and musician.
Let’s look more closely. Her IDENTITY was that she was a godly woman (nothing you can do that will have a more lasting influence in the lives of your children than you being a godly example in your homes) (She prays for and with her children, she studies God’s Word and teaches it to her children, she sets an example by the life she leads, she has a compassionate heart, and she stands firm in her faith). Her COURAGE came from having a Godly relationship.
The story of Jochebed is one of a godly mother. She laid the foundation for Moses’s life, she was the chief influence for God during his early formative years, her love, faith and courage saved her child from a death, and she lived a godly life before him.
Mothers, do you have a Jochebed faith? Are you trusting God today for your children? Are you letting go and allowing Him to work in your life and the life of your children? Do you have an intimate relationship with Him? Are you influencing your children by living the kind of godly life that she did? There is nothing like a mother’s faith . . . and you can have that kind of faith—it is yours for the asking!
Always in His Service, Pastor Ron Fellowship Church of the