Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. One of the most stimulating accounts in the Bible, pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job. The story of Jochebed is thought to be described in the Book of Exodus (2:110) although she is not explicitly named here. Waiting for Breakthrough - Elizabeth's story. She found herself in a terrible. "We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,"Moses' parents decided, "but God can.". It is an unquestionable fact of scripture that God blessed the forbidden marriage of Amram and Jochebed. An Impossible Problem Solver. Exodus 2:1 A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi. She is only mentioned twice by name in Scripture, but she is the mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. From that marriage, Moses was born. Bravely, she asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. [29] The significance of this comparison is understood to spring from the affinity of Arabic folklore for Hebrew traditions.[29]. When Moses was about to die, he addressed God and begged for his life. A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the, Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab: Midrash and Aggadah, They will spit: In the tradition of Miriam, Jewish women will continue to challenge the establishment, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. The life of Jochebed is an amazing demonstration of the walk by faith. What does it mean that they had faith? Here there would be less danger from crocodiles than if she just put him down on the beach. Each was a prophet, and each served Israel (provided them physical succor): by merit of Moses, the Israelites were given the manna; by merit of Aaron, clouds of glory surrounded the Israelites and protected them during their journeying in the wilderness; and by merit of Miriam, the well accompanied them wherever they went. This portrayal emphasizes the painstaking attention that Jochebed paid to every detail in the ark. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. Pharaohs daughter just happened to have enough influence to save the baby Moses. And she bore to him Aaron and Moses. Jochebed was a human being just as all of us are today. According to the Bible, Jochebed (/ j k b d /; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized: Yee, lit. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, and Numbers 26:59. (The length of Amrams life was 137 years.) There are several data points we have to nail down in order to properly defend the Bible 's assertion that 600,000 men left Egypt with Moses in the Exodus. According to Jewish legend, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. I was in shock. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:24, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jochebed&oldid=1140850169, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:24. Since Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, and Moses was her son (as shown above), then to complete the 430 years, Jochebed had to be 48 years or older when she gave birth to Moses. Moses, the great law-giver, was born within what would soon be seen as an unlawful union. Jochebed: Levi's daughter and Amram's wife. And if all the male children were murdered, it would of course only be a generation or two until as a nation they would be wiped out completely. Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible - Jochebed. Can you fill in the blank _____ Lord I hear You saying Let it go and trust Me with it, Women of Influence, women who are affecting their world, their family, their workplace, their friends for good for God have open hands. Moses was tov, beautiful, fine, good, and not ordinary. 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. Would he forget our family? Jewish Women's Archive. The princess adopted Moses eventually but never knew that Jochebed was the little boy's biological mother. A summary of his forty years in Midian is given ( Exodus 2:12-22 ), and the last three verses ( Exodus 2:23-25) set the stage for Exodus 3. Has He brought something to your mind that youve been holding on to and need to let go? Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. . Can you imagine trying to hide a newborn baby? 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. Moses was a fortunate and blessed man. They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. Have you ever worked in the baby bed nursery at church? Only because she trusted the Lord could she abandon her son rather than see him killed. If the Pharaoh here is Rameses (RAM uh sees) II, he had over 60 daughters.3 We dont know, but whoever she was, she had enough influence to kill Moses or keep him alive. Conservative scholars date the "Exodus," a landmark in Israel's history, at 1446 B.C. 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. We know from history that all the kings in Pharaohs day had bath houses, such as even the wealthiest do not possess in our day. He turned to his three friends, and said in essence, Although I dont know why I am called upon to face this trial, I do know the joy of fellowship with God, and though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him (Job 13:15). Go then, earthly fame and treasure, She is a witless baby. Still another notion bases its understanding of the name on Job 26:13: By his wind the heavens were calmed [shifrah]. The verse describes the heavens that were created by God for Israel, and it was Shiphrah who returned Israel to their Father in heaven (Eccl. Shiphrah placated him, saying: Do you pay attention to such a one as her? A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). Surely the words of Hebrews 11:6, Without faith it is impossible to please God, include the concept of sustaining faith. Answer Moses' mother, Jochebed, was a Hebrew woman living in slavery in Egypt before the exodus. A desperate measure. Certainly faith in God, that He exists, that He made a covenant with Abraham that set them apart as a chosen people, His people. PO Box 391
Just like today, true faith was mixed with pagan beliefs. Or would it be wise to just distance herself from this baby and let someone else throw him in the Nile? As she raised her children, she implanted the seeds of hope in their hearts. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. Zavada, Jack. We will notice several aspects of Jochebeds faith-walk. After all she did have a husband and two other children to consider and take care of. She named him Moses, saying, Because I drew him from the water.. Yocheved was the daughter of Levi, Jacob 's son. The Pharaoh in the opening of the book of Exodus was afraid of the Jews because there were so many of them. Some, its likely all of us, know the pain of giving up, letting go of someone, or something precious to you: A relationship, a job, a dream. 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. Cain the first human murderer recorded in the Bible, Jephthah the Gileadite the tenth Judge of Israel, Samuel 15th Judge of Israel and also a Prophet, Background Information: For Hebrews Chapter 11. But there came a day when he grew older When Jochebed had to let him go AGAINto let him go and trust God again. She was only shown onscreen at the time that Moses was exiled and got to meet his biological mother. THE BIRTH OF THE DELIVERER. Have you ever been there? The Story She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. Rabbi (Judah ha-Nasi) would sit and expound, and the public was drowsing. The only woman who judges, Deborah "used to sit under the palm treeand the sons of Israel came up to her . She named him Moses. Some of you have lost children to divorce, some have run-away, and some have even died. 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. This sequence omits a lengthy period of time, for Jochebed and Amram already had two other children (Aaron and Miriam) when Moses was born. His three friends sat for seven days and simply shook their heads in despair without saying a word (Job 2:13). Rabbah 1:25). The Lit. Sometimes we need to slow down and learn to see Him and His presence in our circumstances and thank Him for His care. 18:1214 (BT Sanhedrin 58b). Accordingly, Prov. Moved with compassion when she discovered the child, she decided to adopt him. After three months Jochebed was forced to obey the decree of Pharaoh. This word conveys the possibility that Jochebed sensed something was special about her new baby boy. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Answer: According to tradition, Yocheved lived long enough to enter the Holy Land with the Israelites.. So when Jochebed gave birth to Moses. Jacob, too, married two sisters t. Jochebed was married to Amram. The mother of Moses is famous in the eyes of God, not because she bore the baby Moses, but because of her faitha faith that knew no defeat. The Jews had been in Egypt for 400 years. Instead of letting him be murdered, she took a basket and coated the bottom with tar, to make it waterproof. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. Miriam, who was six years old at the time, said: Father, father, your decree is harsher than that of Pharaoh. God, who is the great Architect of our destinies, allows nothing to come into our lives except that which is for our ultimate good and blessing (Romans 8:28). After you had given birth, held that baby, nursed, rocked and stayed up all night trying to ease his crying and then to give him up? She had hard problems to face just like you and I have. When Moses, her youngest child, was born, Jochebed hid him for three months until she could hide him no longer. Jochebed his father's sister. Moses said: The mouth that will speak with God will not nurse something impure [the milk of non-Jews]. The Birth of Moses Bible Story Study Guide, Biography of Moses, Leader of the Abrahamic Religions, Meet Miriam: Moses' Sister and Prophetess During the Exodus, Gain a Christian Perspective on the Passover Feast, Scripture Readings for Ash Wednesday Through the First Week of Lent, 8 Mothers in the Bible Who Served God Well, Enjoy the Complete Christmas Story of the Birth of Jesus, Meet Eve: The First Woman, Wife, and Mother of All the Living, Moses and the Burning Bush Bible Story Study Guide, Bible Story of a Brave Trio: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Parting the Red Sea Bible Story Study Guide, M.A., English Composition, Illinois State University, B.S., English Literature, Illinois State University. Like Jochebed, we won't always foresee God's purpose in letting go, but we can trust that his plan is even better. Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. Hebrews 11:23, 2:1 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. We are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). 2. Jochebed had such a deep abiding faith in the trustworthiness of Gods Word that it drove her to act. I would have wondered if he would be safe? Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. The answer: It was based on the promises of Gods Word. On what was this confidence and hope based? In his gracious way, God gives us himself, the most desirable dream we could ever imagine. Devorah was as active an anti-vaxxer as you'll see on this site. In verse 16 we find that Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 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). [2] No details are given concerning her life. Yet in the Book of Exodus, it is explicitly mentioned that Jochebed was the sister of Kohath thus making her the aunt of Amram. How do we know? When she no longer could keep him, she gave him away to save his life. She felt a firm unity with her Creator and was exhilarated by this bond. Exodus 2, which describes the birth of Moses, does not name her, or, for that matter, the father or sister of Moses. Jochebed: Mother of Moses. Joseph had saved the country from a famine, but eventually, he was forgotten by the Egyptian rulers, the Pharaohs. The Rabbis resolve this abbreviated chronology by stating that Jochebed and Amram divorced, and Ex. As Moses grew up Jochebed educated Moses in the religion and history of Israel, ensuring that Moses did not lose his Hebrew identity. We often think of this passage as the story of Moses, but it might be more appropriate to call it the story of Jochebeda woman who is relatively unknown to many Christians. She breathed air just like you and I do. Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. Numbers 26: 59 - "Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, and Amram's wife was named Jochebed. What strong faith this woman had, but also what courage. Print copies of this booklet may be obtained from: BIBLE HELPS
. It seems that God impressed upon their hearts the conviction that their very child, Moses, should be the one whom God would use to bring about the promised deliverance. 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. First, some background. Exodus 2:1-2. and Scripture does not tell us when Jochebed died but it is possible she was still living when the Law of Moses was given. Faith is one of the most frequently used words in the Christians vocabulary, but it may be one of the most misunderstood words. What are some areas of your life you need to stop holding on to and start trusting God? And after Jochebed did all that she could, she went back homeundoubtedly with a great sense of trust that God would work things out according to His plan. Exodus 1; 2. Devorah and her husband Maurice Sklar ran Maurice Sklar Ministries, founded by Maurice Sklar, which has about 10,000 followers online. V. 1 begins with the marriage of Jochebed and Amram, and then the reader is immediately told of Mosess birth, concealment and rescue. Jochebed's story is the third part of our eight-week Bible study - Ordinary Parents with Extraordinary Faith. 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 Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile possessed the ability to impart fruitfulness and to prolong life.4 Dr. Thomas Constable, While her attendants were walking up and down the banks keeping undesirable people and animals away, she saw the basket. Put him down on the promises of Gods word that it drove to... Special principles of interpretation ( hermeneutical rules ) Jochebed had such a one her., pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job was before that injunction your! 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