In addition to her given name, the Torah she-bi-khetav: Lit. Ex. This kind of marriage between relatives was later forbidden by the law of Moses. Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. Jochebed's name means, "Honor of God" or "God is glory". Hold on to things and people with open hands, like Jochebed they know when to release and. Why did Terah died in Haran? Just rememberthis is a trial of your faith planned to bring honor in the day when Jesus reveals himself. Her hometown was probably Goshen, in the land of Egypt. The Haggadah extends this miraculous nature to Moses' conception by marking as 120 the age of Jochebed at conception. 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. The Exodus Rabbah argues that when the Pharaoh instructed midwives to throw male children into the Nile, Amram divorced Jochebed, who was three months pregnant with Moses at the time, but Miriam soon persuaded him to marry Jochebed again;[10] it goes on to argue that the Egyptians estimated the date that Moses would be due to be born by counting nine months from the start of this marriage, hence allowing Jochebed to hide him for the three months that were overestimated. We indeed must marvel at Jobs faith. He treasures up His bright designs Their heartbreak at giving up their baby is balanced by God's favor when they obey his command not to kill the unborn. This is corroborated by another early midrash, that states that Jochebed was one of the offspring of Jacob who went down to Egypt and was also among those who entered the land of Canaan (Seder Olam Rabbah 9). To protect Moses from Pharaoh's command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. 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 . She and her husband, Amram lived around 1571BC to 1613BC or 2,433 years after Creation. She named him Moses. 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. That same day God swore that the Ark and the Torah would be entrusted to the arms of his descendants (the Kohathites are the only ones who bore the Ark during the journeying in the wilderness, as is attested in Num. In all three explanations, Jochebed immediately comprehended that her son was meant for greatness and she discerned that he possessed unique spiritual qualities. The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. According to another midrash, Moses rejected the breasts of the Egyptian women because he said: God will speak with me. Of never-failing skill, My story: Brents diabetes (Another stone of remembrance), When my youngest son was 5 years old he started loosing weight, was always thirsty and he started wetting the bed at night though hed been potty trained for a long time. 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. Moses was a prophet during biblical times. Pharaohs daughter just happened to have enough influence to save the baby Moses. She didnt just let him go, she was a woman of faith, and she let him go and trusted her God. Reply Paul Irvine, CA April 5, 2009 I wonder. Jochebed was surrounded by grieving mothers. The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. According to another interpretation, Jochebed named her son "Tov" or "Tobiah," which was what his parents called him until Pharaoh's daughter renamed him "Moses" (BT Sotah 12a). 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]. ), and which, consequently, knew not the God of Joseph. (NET). And down through the ages mothers have gone to great measures that required courage to guide and protect their children. They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. The Rabbis resolve this abbreviated chronology by stating that Jochebed and Amram divorced, and Ex. JOCHEBED (Heb. We can only get through that kind of disappointment by turning it over to God like Jochebed put her child in his care. Pharaohs daughter, although a heathen princess, had a womans (a mothers) instinct, and one thing that touches a womans heart is a crying baby. 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. 2 tells of the birth of Moses. 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. [5] Jochebed is also called Amram's father's sister in the Masoretic text of Exodus 6:20, but ancient translations differ in this. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Here is part of the irony of the passage: What was perceived by many to be a womanly weakness compassion for a baby is a strong enough emotion to prompt the (this) woman to defy the orders of Pharaoh. I had to learn over and over and over again to. The Rabbis deduced from this that righteous women are not subject to the decree passed on Eve (that is, the curse of in pain shall you bear children [Gen. 3:16] does not apply to them) (BT Sotah 12a). By faith, Jochebed and her husband Amram hid their son Moses even against the king of Egypt's edict that all Hebrew boys should be put to death at birth. Every genuine believer in Christ has already demonstrated saving faith, but sustaining faith speaks of the simple trust in God that one needs to exercise daily, in order to live a victorious Christian life and to serve God acceptably. The mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. On what was this confidence and hope based? To save her son's life, she waterproofed a basket and put the child in it. She was convinced that her son would be used for an important work. According to the Bible, Jochebed (/ j k b d /; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized: Yee, lit. 2. The expected thing for her to do was to have the little boy tilted over into the water. Numbers 26:58-59 These are the families of the Levitesand Kohath begot Amram. The God of Israel was more real to Amram and Jochebed than was the king of Egypt. The latter had spoken impudently to Pharaoh, who sought to kill her in his anger. Mike Huckabee, Devorah Sklar (still trying to get her exact age) has died of COVID. We face a variety of trials. (Viewed on March 1, 2023) . [18][21], According to Josephus Flavius the birth of Moses was an extraordinary event because Jochebed was spared the pain of child-bearing due to both her and Amram's piety. His older sister, Miriam (15 years his senior), and his brother 3-year old Aaron were safe from Pharaoh's edict since they were born before it was enacted. [2] No details are given concerning her life. Sustaining faith, in simple language, is the assurance that the thing which God has said in His Word is true, and that God will act according to what He has said. 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 midrash describes in detail how she prepared the ark for Moses. How did Jochebed help Moses become a Hebrew? We dont know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. She sent one of her attendants, took it. Im curious, how many here are either adopted, have adopted children or someone in your family has been adopted? Faith is not testing God by jumping off bridges or having oneself deliberately bitten by rattlesnakes. Jochebed was thrilled to be able to raise her son. [1] Amram was the son of Kohath, who was a son of Levi. Jochebed knew as long as she trusted Jehovah, she had nothing to fear. 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. Her name in Hebrew means "bitterness." Miriam was the first woman in the Bible to be given the title prophetess. However, when Amram married his aunt, this was before the Torah had been goven on Mount Sinai, soits laws didn't apply yet. Jochebed nursed Moses for twenty-four months (Ex. She committed Moses to the Lord. She was so scared of losing her son that she placed him in a basket in one of the most dangerous places imaginable. Moses would become God's servant who would lead Israel out of Egypt. 3 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus container, coated it with asphalt and pitch, placed the child in it, and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Exodus 2:2b She hid him for 3 months. 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. (Genesis 1:7-10) Pharaoh gave the midwives an order to kill any boy that was born of the Hebrew women . Family tree. Have an update or correction? Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. She was born at the very moment when Jacob and his entire household, Levi and his wife among them, had just entered the gates of Egypt. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? 11:23 By faith Moses was hidden by, Amram and Jochebed, his parents, for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the kings order. 18. At that same time, Pharaoh's daughter was bathing in the river. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. One of the most stimulating accounts in the Bible, pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job. He became afraid that if an enemy of Egypt waged war against them, the Israelites would side with the enemy against Egypt. F. Pharaoh's daughter knew Moses was a Hebrew baby. Then verse 18 shows that Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. Have you ever worked in the baby bed nursery at church? It was not uncommon for Pharaohs and other Egyptians to bathe ceremonially in the sacred Nile River, as many Indians do today in the Ganges River. Hanover, PA 17331 Can you imagine trying to hide a newborn baby? Further study: The name Jochebed is the earliest known compounded with Jah, or Jehovah. Likewise, we have nothing to fear when we learn to rely on God. Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women J Jochebed. When trials come our way we must learn to be patient and trust and wait. Moses, in the wilderness, instructed them to put away pagan gods. (Maybe an angel stood there and pinched the baby so that he would cry at the right time.). Jochebed knew also that God had foretold the bondage in Egypt which they were now experiencing. Hebrews 11:23 and Exodus 2:1-2 and 6:20. 26:59): The name of Amrams wife was Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. The midrash adds that she was conceived on the way to Egypt, and was born between the walls (at the entrance to Egypt). 1 Clearly one of the Bible's most outstanding figures, she served ancient Israel as a prophet, 2 judge, military leader, songwriter, and minstrel (Judges 4-5). After Moses was born, Yocheved hid him at home for three months. Consequently, Miriam came and offered to the daughter of Pharaoh her mother Jochebed, who was a Hebrew (Ex. Have you ever been there? Jochebed which in Hebrew means: The Honor of Jehovah. Hebrew: MSH Mosheh (M. T.), Greek: Mouses, Moses. United States of America, (Click + to show other publications in this category), (A Study of Acts 18:1-26 and Romans 16:3-5), (Click + to show other publications that have this tag). Robert Lehigh, Editor JOCHEBED: THE MOTHER OF MOSES. [27], Stories of unusual events during the pregnancy of Aminah, mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad,[28] are compared with the similar experiences of Jochebed when she was carrying Moses. Waiting for Breakthrough - Elizabeth's story. Numbers 26: 59 - "Now Kohath was the ancestor of Amram, and Amram's wife was named Jochebed. There arc three arks mentioned in Scripture. Women of Influence choose to: Truth: Let it go and trust God. By Harold S. MartinA Bible Helps Booklet No. Life comes with the opportunity to learn the art of Releasing when we have no control, of dealing with extenuating circumstances that we can do nothing about. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. Rather, this verse teaches that Jochebeds pregnancy was without suffering, just as she gave birth without pain. Trials are of many kinds and they change from day to dayand vary from person to person. One wonders why Pharaohs daughter wanted to bathe herself in the dirty waters of the Nile River. Ed, Issue 46, Winter 2023, Women of Influence Surrounding the Life of Moses. [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]. Adoption is a wonderful way to unconditionally love someone but it comes with a painful price tag (as well see in our story). Jochebed was a daughter of Levi ( Exodus 2:1 ), and the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam ( Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59 ). Print copies of this booklet may be obtained from: BIBLE HELPS God saw to it that the baby should weep at this very moment. Jochebeds name means, Honor of God or God is glory. And she bore to him Aaron and Moses. Amram was the Levite man who was Moses father. The explanation you suggest is certainly a possibility. A careful reader of the Bible account can almost picture Miriam (the older sister of Moses) running to her mother and telling her what had happened. 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. We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us - including overcoming our greatest fears. If you want to read the first two Bible studies check out: Zarephath Widow Bible Study - A lesson in courage and surrender. He lived 137 years. 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. (NET), Hebrews 11:23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the kings edict. Jochebed was a daughter of Levi (Exodus 2:1), and the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59). 2:1), and thus was Amram's paternal aunt (Ex. The afflictions of life are like driving through a tunnel. Those early years, pre-school years, made an indelible impression on Moses. Jochebed was paid to nurse and care for the boy, her own son until he grew. [29] The significance of this comparison is understood to spring from the affinity of Arabic folklore for Hebrew traditions.[29]. But once again we see God behind the scenes! "the written Torah." All Israel saw this, and in consequence they also divorced their wives. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. But this couple worshipped Jehovah God. For some, there is a lack of the assurance of the forgiveness of past sins. [4] The story continues with Moses, who grew up to become the leader of the Exodus, leading his people out of the land of Egypt. She did . I learned to give injections, to plan meals, to test blood, to watch for highs and lows, and I learned to trust God in a new, powerful way. Beginning at verse 4 in Exodus 2, we see how God, in response to the faith of this mother who dared to trust in His Wordsets in motion a whole chain of wonderful events to accomplish His purposes and to honor her faith. Faith and trust in God knows that even when God seems silent, He is always working for the good of His children. 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. The time of darkness is planned by our Heavenly Father to bring praise and glory to Him in the great day when Jesus returns. It took faith to place the child in the river. No details are given concerning her life. for a little while. Thats a significant fact. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. 1:17 relates that the midwives, fearing God, let the boys live; their reward for fearing God, according to the midrash, is Torah: because Jochebed feared the Lord, she gave birth to Moses, through whom the Torah was given (Ex. To protect Moses from Pharaohs command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. But among all the poor Hebrew slaves, there was one couple who did not despair. She is described as the daughter of Levi, born to him in Egypt (Num. Gods purpose in redeeming Israel depended at that very moment on the pitiful cry of a little baby. Possible that he was alive during the Exodus, remember Moses was 80 years old then. The Nile was home to alligators, snakes and all other manner of dangerous animals. Think of her alterative choices. Some of you have lost children to divorce, some have run-away, and some have even died. He said, for example, I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25). Ex. This would be shallow water, away from the currents that would have carried him down the Nile. On the foundation of Gods promise not to destroy Israel, and on the basis of a four hundred year servitudethe parents of Moses believed that God would preserve him and use him for His purpose. In the midrashic account, the daughter of Pharaoh saw that Moses was hungry when she drew him from the river. Although her jealously later in life led to . Born shortly after the decree to throw Hebrew newborn boys in the Nile, Moses escaped death through adoption by pharaoh's daughter. Jacob, too, married two sisters t. When she saw that he was a healthy child, she hid him for three months. The film The Ten Commandments calls her "Yoshebel". She chose bulrushes, a soft and flexible material that is capable of withstanding contact with both soft and hard objects. [Amram lived 137 years]. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Israel (Jacob) and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. 4 Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him. 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