Inspirational Message: Loving Examples From Moses’ Mother

Jochebed, Moses’ mother, evidently possessed faith in the promises of God. We find it interesting to note how her children also served God, their creator. It is difficult to trace her life’s activities, but we must agree that she was an outstanding mother and a prime example of great faith. Though she has never been vividly described in the Bible, she nevertheless became an unforgettable mother to her son Moses, her daughter Miriam and to her older son Aaron. How wisely did she serve as a mother? This story focuses on a mother’s love. Before Moses was born, the Pharaoh had issued a royal order to midwives to unflinchingly kill all Hebrew boys at birth. She did not let the Pharaoh determine the fate of her baby! This was somewhat similar to King Herod who, centuries later, made the same demand in Bethlehem to destroy all males 2 years or less at the time of Jesus’ birth.

We will probably never know how Moses’ life was spared during the first three months. In spite of all man-made laws, God saved some Hebrew people so that Israel’s deliverance would be accomplished. We can honestly imagine that she used all measures of security to have hidden her baby son three months. Surely she leaned on God’s wisdom during such a time as that! Jochebed anxiously saved Moses by creating a watertight ark and with faith in God’s compassion, left her baby to float close to the dangerous current of the Nile River. What a muscle-tightened experience! Can we describe the courage of this desperate mother? She must have thought that God would protect her child! Of course, along with faith, there was much careful rescue planning and work involved by that mother. Her faith was rewarded because no harm came to her child as he floated in reeds.

With the help of his sister Miriam, Jochebed the mother laid her baby near the Nile River’s bank. What could have calmed that mother’s heart but prayer? As customary as it was, surely God had Pharaoh’s daughter to come down and bathe at the right time that day! Patience allowed Jochebed, a motherly genius, who has been widely admired for her quest to save her son with God’s help. In Exodus 2:6, the baby Moses was identified by Pharaoh’s daughter as a Hebrew child. God had his sister, Miriam, to stay on stand-by and she asked that a Hebrew woman nurse the baby (Exodus 2:7-8). How much joy Jochebed must have felt when she was asked to care for her own child whose life was saved by God? Never forget that God can create an undeniable escape plan for any of us when man says nothing is possible. Call on Him and He will answer (Jeremiah 33:3). Can we trace in Moses the gentle and humble character of his devout mother? That mother had opportunities to teach him as he romped and played to trust God. No doubt she also taught him the sacred traditions of Israel and the divine promises of God.

Can we imagine the inward joy of such motherhood? Without robo-calls, let us mentally view these unsettling moments in Israel and hear God’s word. Because of the early training by Jochebed, a Levite mother, Moses resisted the temptations of idolatry with the Egyptians. He remembered his mother’s faith in God and remained a Hebrew all of his life. Certainly his mother’s teachings enabled Moses to leave the palace and accept God’s calling to lift the burden of oppression off his own race. We do not have biblical information to verify Jochebed’s witness of Moses’ greatness, but we do know that she had the satisfaction as a mother of promoting great spiritual truths in his mind during those most formative years of his development. As a mother she also instilled faith in her other children. Thank God for motherhood. Being modern mothers, let us continue to provide opportunities for spiritual enrichment with all children in our presence. Let God provide happiness in our Mother’s Day celebrations!

Mrs. Gladys R. McElmore, a resident of Norfolk’s Middle Town Arch Community, is a New Journal and Guide Freelance Contributor on religion. She is a native of Essex County, Va.