Jochebed: Moses’ Mother in the Bible Does The Unthinkable
The rugged face
Estimated reading time: 15 minutes
Moses’ mother accomplished the extraordinary, and it made her life exceptional. She gave up her baby in order to save his life. In a similar way, our heavenly Father gave up His Son in order to save the lives of all who believe. These great sacrifices have given me a beautiful illustration concerning “holding our children loosely” in parenthood. I do not mean we should give them up in the same way that the mother of Moses did in the Bible. However I am recognizing the importance of choosing to fully commit them completely into the hands of the One Who created them and Who wrote their story and Who loves them more deeply than we ever possibly could. This commitment requires a relinquishment of control, and an awareness of our inability to protect or care for them like the Father does.
Jochebed, a Hebrew woman, showed great faith in the promises of God by placing her little boy in a basket. She wanted to save him from death, because the new pharaoh had ordered that all Hebrew baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile River. Yet her actions to save Moses’ life also better positioned him for God’s plan for his future. Moses’s mother did her best to prevent death, but God used her obedience to create avenues that would lead Moses to a powerful life of leadership over all of God’s people.
She may not have known her own impact, and her motives would have been similar to every good mother. But she took action to protect her son against the king’s edict, and demonstrated a trust in the Lord for her fine child that set an example for all mothers to come after her. She could have clung tightly to her son, and hid him in so many other more controlled ways. Yet she chose to set him loose, and watch what God would do with the story of Moses. We can learn so much from this sweet mother that might help us. She inspires us to allow our children the freedom to live the story that God Himself has written for them. We can give the pen back to the Author of all things beautiful, and surrender to His Father heart.
The Background Story
Israelites Multiply – Moses Mother in the Bible
Before we dive into the benefits of holding our children lovingly yet “loosely,” I want to journey back. I will briefly cover the life of Jochebed and her entire family. The Israelites, who had descended from Abraham, had settled in Egypt hundreds of years before due to a famine. Back then, the Pharaoh of Egypt had elevated Joseph, Jacon’s son, to a high rank in his kingdom. So when Joseph’s family sought provision and rescue, they were graciously invited to settle their entire family in the area.
After that time, their family grew exponentially, and a new king took the throne. He had no friendly connection to the people of Israel and saw them as a potential threat. Pharaoh’s command was to increase their labor as slaves making them work harder and harder. The more the children of God faced oppression, the more they multiplied. Pharaoh’s order was then directed to the Hebrew midwives telling them to kill all male babies that they helped deliver. They refused to do this, however, because they feared the God of Abraham more than they feared the king. They were the unsung heroes in this story, and God used them mightily and blessed them with their own families. Pharaoh questioned them, and they said the Hebrew women would deliver before they arrived; so they let the babies live.
Pharaoh’s Massacre
Pharaoh finally commanded all Hebrew boys that were born to be cast into the Nile River. At this time Moses was born. His mother knew of this command from Pharaoh, and determined find a creative way possibly save her son from death. She knew deep within her, that this was no ordinary child. The Bible does not illustrate the reasoning for what Moses’ mother did, but it seemed to be a well scrutinized action mixed with a bit of desperation. Exodus 2:3-4 says “But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. His older sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.”
The story of Jochebed is entirely wrapped up in this one brave act. Even though we do not know much more about her, we can glean so much from her character and determination. Jochebed’s name means “God’s glory” or “Yahweh is glory,” and she certainly displayed this meaning in her life. Her act of bravery became a catalyst for so much more of God’s masterful plan. She knew she could no longer be in control by hiding Moses. She knew eventually, they would find and kill him. So she put him in a basket and placed it along the river bank.
And Moses’ father played a part as well, for he must have agreed with his wife that this was the best plan of action for their son. The name of Amram (Jochebed’s husband) means “exalted people.” This was foretelling of how God would use their son in the “lifting up” of His people out of slavery. Moses’ parents chose to surrender to God’s sovereignty in determining the course of the child’s life, and my how that course changed after this brave action!
Moses Saved – Moses Mother in the Bible
As the basket drifted along, the daughter of Pharaoh happened to be the one to find it. There could have been so many other people who could have found it first. Other Hebrews could have found it. But if they had taken him in as their own, then he still would have been found and killed. Other Egyptians could have found Moses and not rescued him because they feared Pharaoh’s wrath if they broke his command. Even Pharaoh himself could have found him, and quickly thrown him in the Nile at his own request. If you think about it, Pharaoh’s daughter was the perfect choice to find Moses and claim him as her own.
She called her servant to draw out the basket, and when she saw Moses, she had compassion on him. Miriam, the sister, quickly offered to run find someone to nurse him, and ran and got her own mother. Jochebed then received the chance to care for and feed her own baby, knowing he was no longer hers. What a blessing it was for her to know that he would live, but it must have been a insurmountable struggle to accept the fact that he would grow up belonging to another. This however, can be yet another example for us as mothers. We can whole-heartedly care for our children while fully acknowledging that while they are truly God’s gift, they are more truly God’s…first.
The Difficulties in Letting Go
Why is it so hard to relinquish control when it comes to motherhood? We can learn so much from the somewhat short story of this Levite woman. But what some reasons that it is hard to follow her example?
Caring Too Much
1) We cling to control because we seem to think we are caring more for them by fully managing every facet of their lives in a noble attempt to keep them from facing or causing harm. We can certainly help our children to avoid hurtful things. But we must know that the Father who made them cares more for their well-being than we ever will. While our kids are very young, God has given us opportunities to help teach them about things that could hurt them such as hot stoves, outlets, or sharp knives. We can help direct them away from falling or bumping into hard surfaces or drowning. Yet the more we can realize that we are not solely responsible for this protection, we can release unnecessary worry.
As children grow older, we can also help train them to be kind and friendly as they are growing relationships. We can attempt to protect them from a broken heart, but ultimately it is the Lord who will hold their hearts perfectly and faithfully no matter what kind of relational pain they may face. As they enter adulthood, there is a more evident form of separation that comes when they do not need us quite as much. We have to really trust that they can navigate their own way as they trust in the Lord themselves. It would be a much easier transition, however, if we had already been surrendering our children from day one.
Finding Identity in Motherhood – Moses Mother in the Bible
2) We fight for control because we wrap so much of our identity around being a mother. And we base the daily success of this role on the condition or behavior of our children. When we have little ones who are very dependent, we can become sidetracked from knowing where our true identity lies. We focus so much on the practical responsibilities at hand, and we forget that our identity was given by our Savior, and it is not earned by our actions as a mother. We like that our children need us so much because it makes us feel strong. But if we do not recognize and accept that we are first a daughter, then we will pursue motherhood with a need to define our own self worth instead of with a confidence to love unconditionally because He first loved us.
If we are looking to find affirmation in our identity as a mother, we will also focus so much on the behavior of our children instead of caring more for the condition of their hearts. We can become overly discouraged if our kids misbehave because we believe this proves we are failing in our identity. Yet on the other hand, we can take pride in our success if we see our kids finally doing what we asked of them.
Yes, we are to train our children to know right from wrong and to follow God whole-heartedly. But we must know it is the Lord who brings inner transformation as they come to know Him. He is after their hearts, and we can trust in His pursuit of them as we hold them loosely relinquishing control of their futures. By doing this we as mothers can personally regain our true identity in Him as well.
The How To’s of Letting Go
These are just a couple of reasons why we hold tightly to control as mothers, yet there are many more. It will be a daily process of letting go and letting God be God. You may be thinking, “Okay…now I know the importance of committing my children into the Lord’s hands, but how do I practically live that out each day?” While there may be several helpful actions that could be recommended, I do not believe there could ever be a specific ten step plan for this process. It is so very natural for mothers to justify their need for control. Therefore, God alone can enable us to entrust our children back to Him, just as He helped Moses’ mother do the same in the Bible.
1) That’s why the biggest step of all has to be prayer. We can choose every day to commit our kids into His hands, and ask for wisdom from Him to know how to hold them loosely with each circumstance that arises. Sometimes, there will be very visible actions we can take…like giving our kids chances to make some of their own decisions or dropping them off at school with confidence or handing the car keys to our teenager with excitement instead of anxiety. Other times we can hold them loosely by simply maintaining a mindset that they belong to Jesus first and forever. As we continue to pray over our children, we begin to trust God more and more with their lives. Prayer opens heaven and gives us as mothers a heavenly mindset.
2) Having humility in my ability is another necessary step. We must be able to recognize that while we are so very needed, we are completely incapable being everything they need. Only God Himself can be what our children need, because He created them that way. We in all humility must step aside and allow the Lord to fill that perfect place in our children’s hearts. We may never have the intention of taking the Lord’s place. But if we listen to our pride, we will try all our lives to be everything our children need, and we will fall short every time.
3) Lastly, don’t give worry a voice. If we listen for even a short time to the many worries that come with motherhood, then our actions will result in a fight for control. We will assume that the only way to quiet the worry is to proactively eliminate as many possibilities for bad outcomes as we can. Yet the much better way, is to simply choose not to listen. The uncertainties of what will happen to our children can be daunting. We can become complete pros at letting our minds travel to the worst case scenario at every turn. We must take captive these futile thoughts, and choose to listen to a better voice. By focusing on the voice of the Shepherd we can quiet all the what-if’s and shut out the worry.
The Benefits of Letting Go
What are the benefits for us and our children that come with giving them over to the Lord? These may seem evident at times. However, there are other times, where we feel that maintaining all control is absolutely the best option for everyone. We may not be willing to trust that God already has a beautiful story written for our children, and we are certainly part of it, but we are not the author. Committing our children back to the Father, puts them right back into His storybook. It allows Him to navigate His mastery of design for their lives. Holding our children loosely magnifies the truth that they are held much more securely by the hands that created their inmost being.
Knowing they belong to God first, actually gives us the chance to help them see and grow in their own identity. It helps them to know that there is no other name or assignment of worth that the world could place on them that will ever compare to the value that comes with being “His.” Entrusting our kids to the Father also gives us “His” eyes for them and “His” love for them. And giving our children back to God actually enables us to cherish them more for the gift that they are. God gave us these wonderful little people as one of the greatest blessings imaginable. Yet they also become a gift of praise back to Him as we offer them up with sincere gratitude.
I’ve Witnessed It – Moses Mother in the Bible
I just had my fourth baby. And while I am beyond grateful for this beautiful gift, it seems all the harder not to worry about each one of them but to trust the One who made them. Many times I have taken control out of God’s hands, and tried to go my own way in motherhood. This has never worked well, and has gotten me into a big web of worry and feeling worthless. And my children have suffered too from my manipulative control.
As I have prayerfully handed them over time and time again, I have watched the Lord do things in their lives that I know I never could have done myself. I have watched my worry disappear and joy return. I have seen the Lord’s protection over them in such sovereign ways. And I have witnessed their little hearts and minds grow as they encountered God personally for themselves. I have encountered the benefits of holding my children loosely, and yet it is still a daily journey. Lord, help me follow the examples of Moses’ mother as well as Hannah and Mary in the Bible who chose to commit their children to You, Father, and Your bigger plan.
Back to Jochebed
Relinquishing control does not mean “doing nothing.” It’s quite the opposite actually. Sometimes, it is extremely action packed. Or sometimes, its choosing to have the right mindset or heart towards our children and their lives. Moses’ mother took great action in the Bible a mindset that captured the bigger picture for baby Moses, and he became a great leader for the people of God. Because of Jochebed’s wisdom, he was one of the very few male children of Israel that escaped death during that time. He grew up as a son of Pharaoh, yet He never disassociated himself from the Hebrew people.
During his formative years, he encountered a very different life than most of his family. Yet as a young man, he took great pity on his people, and began to disagree with what might have seemed like the wisdom of the Egyptians. He killed a man who was beating a fellow Israelite, and the next day, he ran. He encountered yet another phase of his life that was extremely different from the slavery that his people were living in, and this time in the dessert was where He got to know a part of God that He’d never known before. God met him in a burning bush, and gave him a word that would change his life forever.
God’s word would continue to be spoken and lived out through the remainder of his life, and he would become such a powerful leader, representing the future Christ to the Israelites. If you don’t know the rest of his story, you should definitely read it. But all of this was started when a young woman chose not to accept the fate that her son was doomed to have, and to place her son’s life into the hands of the One who knew and wrote his whole story. She calls us to do the same. Will you respond to this call? The Father is faithful.
About the Author
Celeste Claborn
Hi! I’m Celeste! I am a mother, a wife, and a writer! I have the joy of raising 5 kids, one of which is my husband, John. When we’re not writing, we enjoy the great outdoors, traveling or playing outside with the neighbors. I hope you find joy in my writing, as well as impactful articles that lead you closer to freedom and adventure in Jesus.
