Faith is not testing God by jumping off bridges or having oneself deliberately bitten by rattlesnakes. Moses, in the wilderness, instructed them to put away pagan gods. 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. Rabbah 1:13). Print copies of this booklet may be obtained from: BIBLE HELPS She therefore was called daughter [bat, which also means young girl] of Levi, because she was once again as a young girl (BT Bava Batra 120a). Likewise, we have nothing to fear when we learn to rely on God. Rabbah 1:16). Ofra sang the lullaby in 18 languages for the film's dubbing (including her native Hebrew). She is noted among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Waiting for Breakthrough - Elizabeth's story. The Apostle Paul exhorts in Ephesians 6 that the Christian should have on the belt of truth and the coat of righteousness; our feet should be shod with the readiness of the gospel of peace. (Isaiah 18:2 writes that the Egyptians made their boats, skiffs out of this material. Ex. https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165 (accessed March 2, 2023). F. Hebrew 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. Jacob, too, married two sisters t. Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women J Jochebed. Thats how God does things. Trials and difficulties and obstacles come to all of us, but for the moment, we want to look at the example found in the life of Jochebed. 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. According to Exodus 6:20, Jochebed married her nephew; thus, she was Amram's aunt as well as his wife. 1 Jesus says to us, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32). After many hardships, Moses was used by God as his servant to free the Hebrew people from slavery and lead them to the edge of the promised land. Rabbah 1:25; for the identification of Jochebed with Shiphrah, see above). We can only get through that kind of disappointment by turning it over to God like Jochebed put her child in his care. Jochebed had faith in God's protection of her baby. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. T. Moses died. She sent one of her attendants, took it. Like Jochebed, we won't always foresee God's purpose in letting go, but we can trust that his plan is even better. D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973) 57. (2021, September 4). The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. She breathed air just like you and I do. The painting "The Mother of Moses" by Simeon Solomon depicts Jochebed and Miriam looking and holding Moses. Jochebed his father's sister. In the New Testament, she is praised for her faith in God.[3]. Women of Influence choose to: Truth: Let it go and trust God. Text says she went to bathe in the Nile. Rabbah 7:3; Ex. Perhaps he learned what it means to have faith in God and fearless courage. Under her influence and teaching, she . The sage, who wanted to awaken them, said: A single woman in Egypt gave birth to sixty myriads from a single stomach. There was a pupil there named R. Ishmael son of R. Yose, who asked him: Was this really so? He [Rabbi] replied: This is Jochebed, who bore Moses, who is deemed the equivalent of sixty myriads of Israel (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:15:3). Can you imagine what it would be like to give away your 3-month-old baby, not knowing what would happen to him? Yes, Miriam is watching from a distant place on the shore, but she, his mother had to let him go. One of the arguments advanced by Moses was his mothers suffering. Deep in unfathomable mines At any rate, Pharaohs daughter was determined to give protection to the baby. Jochebed made a decision, and she made a plan. 18. This couple had great faith. Can you imagine trying to hide a newborn baby? Miriam fetched her mother, Jochebed -- who was also the baby's mother -- and brought her back. 2:12 state that he married a Levite woman. From that marriage, Moses was born. 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 . Ex. The life of Jochebed is an amazing demonstration of the walk by faith. She also gave birth to Aaron, a high priest of Israel. In his gracious way, God gives us himself, the most desirable dream we could ever imagine. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. When the plan to have the midwives kill all the male newborns failed, Pharaoh gave the order to throw all baby boys into the Nile, drown them. Everything looked hopeless for the Hebrew slaves. Then verse 18 shows that Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Jochebed's name is given various allegorical interpretations;[12][13] the Leviticus Rabbah identifies her as the person named in the Book of Chronicles as Jehudijah,[14] by arguing that the name should be interpreted as meaning the Jewess, in reference to her founding the Jewish nation by disobeying the Pharaoh's order to dispose of the firstborn males. The name Jochebed is the earliest known compounded with Jah, or Jehovah. The outcome of this brave action of defying the King of Egypt is now known to all. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Ex. The babys own mother. 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. When hiding him was no longer possible, she placed him in a waterproof basket and set him adrift among the reeds, hoping he would be saved from Pharaoh's death squads. My mother Jochebeds teeth were blunted by [the death of] two of her children in her lifetime; will more of her teeth be blunted by my death? But this argument, too, was of no avail (Deut. Scripture does not tell us when Jochebed died but it is possible she was still living when the Law of Moses was given. A type of non-halakhic literary activitiy of the Rabbis for interpreting non-legal material according to special principles of interpretation (hermeneutical rules). So Jochebed got her own child back, at least for a while. Epstein-Melamed], p. 6; BT Sotah 12a; Pesikta Rabbati 43). [2] No details are given concerning her life. Amram married Jochebed who was also from the tribe of Levi, one of Jacobs 12 sons. We have seen now the trial of Jochebeds faith, the foundation of her faith, the exercise of her faith, and the response to her faith. 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). When Jacob went to stay with his uncle Laban, he met one of his daughters, Rachel, and loved her. Jochebeds name means, Honor of God or God is glory. This is a huge part of the story Jewish Study Bible, The verb could be given a more colloquial translation such as she felt sorry for him. But the verb is stronger than that; it means to have compassion, to pity, to spare. What she felt for the baby was strong enough to prompt her to spare the child from the fate decreed for Hebrew boys. Hold on to things and people with open hands, like Jochebed they know when to release and. In fact, the goodness and mercy of God were so great that the mother was even paid for nursing her own son! Josephus and the Fathers assign the Coptic mo (water) and uses (saved) as the constituent parts of the name. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. A desperate measure. The gay analogy must include a marriage relationship not universally accepted in scripture. Jochebed had such a deep abiding faith in the trustworthiness of Gods Word that it drove her to act. We are to walk by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). Jochebed, shes the one, who took him to the Royal Palace. When Moses, her youngest child, was born, Jochebed hid him for three months until she could hide him no longer. (NET). "We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,"Moses' parents decided, "but God can.". Jochebed was able to use her amazing creativity and courage to solve an impossible problem. She is identified as Shiphrah, one of the Hebrew midwives who saved the newborn baby boys from Pharaoh. Moses, Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian, lived in the thirteenth and early part of the twelfth century B.C.. NAME. Another proof that "bare" in Numbers 26:59 cannot indicate an immediate father-son or father-daughter relationship is found by considering that this verse states Jochebed was a daughter of Levi. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. They took the urine sample and when the doctor came back he coldly said I think your son has diabetes and I want you to go immediately to the Juvenile Diabetes clinic, Ive already called them to tell them youre on your way. Joseph had revealed himself to his eleven brothers and requested that his father come to Egypt, which the family did. Born into a Levite family, Moses' natural parents, Jochebed (mother) and Amram (father) reared Moses until he was about 3 months old. We dont know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. Subscribe our channel: http://bit.ly/1MeurZHBeginners Bible - Encounter a time in ancient Egypt when Baby Moses was plucked from the reeds of the Nile River . After Pharaohs daughter discovered the baby, Jochebed became his nurse. 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. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Exodus 1:10-14 describes the hardships placed upon the Hebrew people. With tears running down his cheek, he appealed to an older brother for help, and the brother picked up big stones and threw them out toward the boat. Devorah and her husband Maurice Sklar ran Maurice Sklar Ministries, founded by Maurice Sklar, which has about 10,000 followers online. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us - including overcoming our greatest fears. Why to Trust? Jacob, his sons, and their families had gone into Egypt to live because there was a severe famine in their land, and they were able to find food in Egypt. Has He brought something to your mind that youve been holding on to and need to let go? Yet another tradition explains that she shiprah her actions before God (i.e., performed good deeds that were pleasing to the Lord). The answer: It was based on the promises of Gods Word. His mother, Jochebed (Arabic: , romanized:Ykbid), and her efforts to save the baby Moses are recounted. Answer Moses' mother, Jochebed, was a Hebrew woman living in slavery in Egypt before the exodus. All Israel saw this, and in consequence they also divorced their wives. She did . One of the explanations of this discrepancy is that Jochebed completed the number seventy; she was not included in the list because she was still in her mothers womb (Gen. Rabbah 94:9). Exodus 2:10 When the child grew older she brought him to Pharaohs daughter, and he became her son. Jochebed's story is one of trust, courage, and faith. Jochebed: Levi's daughter and Amram's wife. 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. If so, then why does Ex. She was only shown onscreen at the time that Moses was exiled and got to meet his biological mother. 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. I had to learn over and over and over again to. God had told Abraham, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great substance (Genesis 15:13-14). Jochebed was a human being just as all of us are today. 78). Jochebed is most known as the mother of Moses. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Answer: As the verse doesn't state what Jochebed's intentions were, the matter is open to speculation. But once again we see God behind the scenes! She did not sit down and brood about the current situation in Egypt, and say, If this child is to be Israels deliverer, God will somehow spare him and deliver him; theres nothing we can do; so well throw him in the river, and if God wants him, He can save him. She knew that God expects us to do our part, and that He will not do for us what we are able to do for ourselves. 113:9): He sets the childless woman [akeret ha-bayit] among her household as a happy mother of children. Jochebed, who had been uprooted [nitakrah) from her home as a result of the decree of Pharaoh, would now be set happily among her household. Exodus 1:14 concludes by saying, All their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour. But even this severe treatment did not serve to decrease the number of the Children of Israel, and so in desperation, the Egyptian king decreed that every male child born to the Hebrews should be cast into the river. Hebrews11:23 they were not afraid of the kings edict. God blessed Jochebed's obedience by making her Moses' nursemaid. Bravely, she asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. As Moses grew up Jochebed educated Moses in the religion and history of Israel, ensuring that Moses did not lose his Hebrew identity. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Israel (Jacob) and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. While he was still in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian guard who was assaulting a Hebrew slave, and he hid the body. Jochebed complied with the royal decree, but in protecting the child from the deep waters of the river, the essential point of the decree (killing the male babies) was disregarded. He went from her arms to the arms of Pharaohs daughter. All must work for good to me. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. Surely this was a time of great trial for Jochebed, but instead of manifesting fear and despair, she seemed to have confidence and hope. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah also designates Jochebed as the daughter of Levi (Num. God always honors such faith as theirs. 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. Some of you have lost children to divorce, some have run-away, and some have even died. Her thoughtful nature was consistent throughout the Bible story of Moses in the basket. In 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings, she was portrayed by British Actress Anna Savva. She is described as the daughter of Levi, born to him in Egypt (Num. This is a clear example of how God gives, provides, and answers more abundantly than we can even ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). (NET), Exodus 6:20 Amram married his fathers sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. The Pharaoh had decreed that all their baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile, because he feared that they might become too powerful. According to Jewish legend, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. The new Pharaoh reduced the Hebrews to slavery, he robbed them of their liberties, and he put them to work in the brick yards under cruel taskmasters. The Torah relates that the midwives did not fulfill Pharaohs command because they feared God, who rewarded them for their actions: He established households [battim] for them (Ex. Moses's mother, a Levite, later identified as Jochebed (Numbers 26:59), had married a Levite and given birth to a son. Surely Jochebed would have told little Moses stories of the faithfulness of the God of Israel. Although her jealously later in life led to . Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. Answer (1 of 23): Re your query: According to Exodus 2, Moses' mother gave him back to Pharoah's daughter. Exodus 6: 20 First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. V. 1 begins with the marriage of Jochebed and Amram, and then the reader is immediately told of Mosess birth, concealment and rescue. (We learn later, in Exodus 6:20, that the father and mother of Moses are named Amram and Jochebed.) Growing up, we wanted him to have all the normal experiences of childhood, sleepovers, soccer, basketball, baseball, and football, field trips, then dates, eventually college and marriage: without me. 2:7, BT Sotah 12b). "teaching," "study," or "learning." Keep him quiet? Moses just happened to cry at the right time? When she placed little Moses in the Nile River that day, Jochebed could not have known that he would grow up to be one of God's greatest leaders, chosen to rescue the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. Further study: 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. 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