She had feelings just like you and I have. 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. He went from her arms to the arms of Pharaohs daughter. What strong faith this woman had, but also what courage. This word conveys the possibility that Jochebed sensed something was special about her new baby boy. Moses was a fortunate and blessed man. After three months Jochebed was forced to obey the decree of Pharaoh. It is an unquestionable fact of scripture that God blessed the forbidden marriage of Amram and Jochebed. 2:7, BT Sotah 12b). Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. 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. Those must have been precious years. Moses, in the wilderness, instructed them to put away pagan gods. "We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,"Moses' parents decided, "but God can.". But who is she? We will notice several aspects of Jochebeds faith-walk. 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. Jochebed was the mother of Moses, one of the major characters in the Old Testament. God always honors such faith as theirs. By letting go and trusting God, an even greater dream was fulfilled. Have an update or correction? The Rabbis identify Jochebed with Shiphrah, one of the two Hebrew midwives (Shiphrah and Puah) who delivered the children of the Israelites during the Egyptian servitude. It is our Christian duty to walk by faith in this world, until we come to live by sight in the eternal world. Perhaps God might use him to fulfill the Promise. This brings us to the influence one mother had on history - not only the history of her family, but the entire history of the children of Israel. Jochebed enjoyed longevity, living to witness the positions of leadership held by her children, and was even one of the Israelites who entered the land of Canaan. After all she did have a husband and two other children to consider and take care of. The painting "The Mother of Moses" by Simeon Solomon depicts Jochebed and Miriam looking and holding Moses. For others, a family member rebels against the Gospel plan of salvation. Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women J Jochebed. D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973) 57. Jochebed succeeded in concealing Moses for three months (Ex. The Apostle Peter says, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7). There is great historical debate on who was Pharaohs daughter? According to the Bible, Jochebed (/jkbd/; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized:Yee, lit. 2:12 state that he married a Levite woman. Joshua 24:14 throw away gods your forefathers worshipped beyond the river and in Egypt. JOCHEBED. At that same time, Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river. Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. Why did Terah died in Haran? I have called Thee Abba Father; There was something supernatural and marvelous taking place here. In 2433 AM, Jochebed gave birth to . The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. According to one midrashic view, Shiphrah and Puah were mother and daughter Jochebed and Miriam, while another states that they were daughter-in-law and mother-in-lawJochebed and Elisheba daughter of Amminadab. This couple had great faith. In the midrashic account, the daughter of Pharaoh saw that Moses was hungry when she drew him from the river. The Haggadah extends this miraculous nature to Moses' conception by marking as 120 the age of Jochebed at conception. Nile was considered emanation (em uh ney shun) THE SOURCE of the pagan god Osiris( O sigh rus) and the waters had magical properties. 2 tells of the birth of Moses. Adoption is a wonderful way to unconditionally love someone but it comes with a painful price tag (as well see in our story). Rabbah 7:3; Ex. All her choices were difficult. And in Ephesians 6:16, we read, Above all, (put on) the shield of faith, (by which you) shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. The shield of faith is the piece of armor which we are to use to quench the flaming arrows of the evil one! According to the Bible, Jochebed (/ j k b d /; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized: Yee, lit. When he saw that Pharaoh had decreed that all the boys be cast into the Nile, he proclaimed: Are we laboring in vain? (we give birth to sons who will eventually be killed), and so he divorced his wife. [7] In making this identification, the rabbis interpret the houses, with which the Book of Exodus describes God as having compensated the midwives,[8] as having been those of priesthood and of royalty; these houses are interpreted by the Talmudic rabbis as allegorical references to Jochebed's sons Moses and Aaron respectively.[9]. The Jews had been in Egypt for 400 years. There was the risk of him being discovered, or washed away in an errant wave. As she raised her children, she implanted the seeds of hope in their hearts. Jochebed was Amram's aunt, strangely enough; she was his father's sister. Hebrew: MSH Mosheh (M. T.), Greek: Mouses, Moses. Jochebed was given the name Shiphrah because she would cleanse (meshaperet) the newborn, by washing it and cleaning it after birth; another etymological explanation is that, by merit of her deeds, the Israelites were fruitful [she-paru] and multiplied in her time (Sifrei on Numbers, para. 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. When trials come our way we must learn to be patient and trust and wait. 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). Would he forget our family? Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. Hugs and kisses and then she turned away and went home. Jochebed did not say, Im going to throw the child into the river; if hes Gods man, God will somehow save him. That is not faith; that is fanaticism. Pharaoh decreed only for this world, but you decreed both for this world and the next [a baby that was born and died as a result of Pharaohs decree would merit the World to Come, but an unborn child would not attain this]. First, some background. She was the wife of Amram, as well as his aunt. Faith and trust in God knows that even when God seems silent, He is always working for the good of His children. She lived in Egypt, where the descendants of Israel were being oppressed. The question of Jochebeds kinship to Amram arises from the statement in Ex. The story of his birth ( Exodus 2:1-10) is followed by an account of his killing of an Egyptian and the flight to Midian ( Exodus 2:11-16 ). Exodus 2:3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch. All Israel saw this, and they, too, remarried their wives (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai [ed. Bravely, she asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Robert Lehigh, Editor 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. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. F. Pharaoh's daughter knew Moses was a Hebrew baby. The film The Ten Commandments calls her "Yoshebel". (Viewed on March 1, 2023) . When she could hide him no longer She either purchased or made a basket out of papyrus and covered it with an asphalt type material that made it watertight. Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. 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. Everything looked hopeless for the Hebrew slaves. Jochebed: Levi's daughter and Amram's wife. 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. 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. A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the amora'im on the Mishnah. V. 1 begins with the marriage of Jochebed and Amram, and then the reader is immediately told of Mosess birth, concealment and rescue. Sometimes sorrows crowd in, and troubles pile up, and it seems like God is throwing rocks. I wonder if she picked him up, cuddled him to stop his cries; did he smile at her and melt her heart? Ex. The story of Jochebed is thought to be described in the Book of Exodus (2:110) although she is not explicitly named here. 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 is praised for her faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews. 14:1: The wisest of women builds her house is applied to Miriam (Midrash Proverbs 14:1). The time of darkness is planned by our Heavenly Father to bring praise and glory to Him in the great day when Jesus returns. The prophecy of 400 years of bondage (Gen 15:13) was coming to a close. Jochebed was the mother of Moses, one of the major characters in the Old Testament. 4 Dr. Thomas Constable, Constables Notes, Lumina, www.bible.org. Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. Thus it was easy for Amram and Jochebed to add up the years of Israels stay in Egypt, and see that the time of deliverance which God had promised had almost come. The answer: It was based on the promises of Gods Word. The child, found by the pharaoh's daughter while bathing, was reared in the Egyptian court. About 1486, the reigning Pharaoh tried to kill Moses when he sought identity with his people Israel, but Moses escaped to Midian. As Moses grew up Jochebed educated Moses in the religion and history of Israel, ensuring that Moses did not lose his Hebrew identity. With Thy favorloss is gain. Would I ever see him again? Genuine faith also has rewards. Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. she took pity on the baby. 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. 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). 4. 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