She lived in Egypt, where the descendants of Israel were being oppressed. Rabbah 1:13). But that was not the case. Think of her alterative choices. Gods providence was seeing to it that Jochebed was being paid from royal funds to look after her own child. When Moses was about to die, he addressed God and begged for his life. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Perhaps there would be some shade too from the sun in the reeds. Maybe you need to let go of a dream that is not going to come true; yet, the idea of letting it go seems too painful. 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. Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. Can you imagine what it would be like to give away your 3-month-old baby, not knowing what would happen to him? Each was a prophet, and each served Israel (provided them physical succor): by merit of Moses, the Israelites were given the manna; by merit of Aaron, clouds of glory surrounded the Israelites and protected them during their journeying in the wilderness; and by merit of Miriam, the well accompanied them wherever they went. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Yocheved is the major character birth mother of Moses, Miriam, & Aaron in The Prince of Egypt. Maybe its a relationship that is toxic and you need to make a hard choice. Ex. He plants His footsteps in the sea, 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. He said: Master of the Universe! ), wife of Amram and mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Num. Thats how God does things. Finally, when they did speak, they concluded that Job was among the worst of sinners, and that he suffered as a result of deep sin in his life (Job 4:7). Joseph, Jacob's son, was a ruler in Egypt at that time and the children of Jacob (Israel) were treated kindly. How did Jochebed help Moses become a Hebrew? Sometimes we need to slow down and learn to see Him and His presence in our circumstances and thank Him for His care. Whatever it is, we must remember that God is still on the thronethat He is behind the scenes working out all things for our ultimate good. Ex. She was probably about the same age as Amram or maybe even younger. Jochebed just happened to put Moses in the right spot on the Nile? Have you ever been there? Probably about 3 years. She is identified as Shiphrah, one of the Hebrew midwives who saved the newborn baby boys from Pharaoh. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Again, the second time, was this time even harder for her? Rabbi (Judah ha-Nasi) would sit and expound, and the public was drowsing. The Pharaoh's daughter agreed and so Miriam called her mother, who was appointed to take care of him. Jochebeds name means, Honor of God or God is glory. She had to walk away. Jochebed hid Moses because he was in danger of being killed since he was a Hebrew boy. The ruler had thought sparing women was safe, but the midwives, the Hebrew mother, the daughter of Pharaoh, and Miriam, all work together to spare one child5. (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. Learn Religions. Just like today, true faith was mixed with pagan beliefs. She and her husband, Amram lived around 1571BC to 1613BC or 2,433 years after Creation. Answer: As the verse doesn't state what Jochebed's intentions were, the matter is open to speculation. His possessions were all gone; his body was racked with pain; his wife added to the pain of his soul by urging him to curse God and cry out for death. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. She was seen crying once she let the basket that held . 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. The "sister" of the child (presumed to be Miriam), who had come forward, suggested to find her a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. And works His sovereign will. 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. Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. He had a string tied to the boat and was holding the string in his handbut the string slipped from his fingers, and a breeze carried the boat beyond his reach. Jochebed was a human being just as all of us are today. In the Rabbinic retelling, when Amram returned his wife, Jochebed was a hundred and thirty years of age, but signs of youth appeared on her: her body became smoother, her wrinkles were straightened out, and her former beauty was restored. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. I would have wondered if he would be safe? Whats the Definition of faith? Joseph had saved the country from a famine, but eventually, he was forgotten by the Egyptian rulers, the Pharaohs. The Lit. While he was still in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian guard who was assaulting a Hebrew slave, and he hid the body. Deborah, the only female judge in the Bible, excelled in multiple areas. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. What some call fate or luck or it just happened is really Gods providential care. Rabbah [ed. What to do? As the years passed, and after Joseph had died, a new king arose in Egypta king who had not known Joseph. Storms may howl, and clouds may gather, 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. PO Box 391
But who is she? 26:59; cf. Why to Trust? The Haggadah extends this miraculous nature to Moses' conception by marking as 120 the age of Jochebed at conception. This would be shallow water, away from the currents that would have carried him down the Nile. And she bore to him Aaron and Moses. Kadari, Tamar. 4 Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him. Moses, Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian, lived in the thirteenth and early part of the twelfth century B.C.. NAME. My pastor often says Give up the hope of a better past, its keeping you from a better tomorrow Past hurt, past decision? According to one opinion, she realized that he was suited to be a prophet; according to another, she saw that he was born circumcised; and according to a third exegetical suggestion, she saw that the entire house was filled with light (BT Sotah 12a). I think we can see the fond expression on the mothers face as she said with great joy, I knew that God would provide! Jochebeds faith was rewarded by being reunited to her own child. Our background is not our destiny All Israel saw this, and they, too, remarried their wives (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai [ed. But Exodus 2:5 says that the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. 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). 31 December 1999. All must work for good to me. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. Instead of letting him be murdered, she took a basket and coated the bottom with tar, to make it waterproof. (The length of Amrams life was 137 years.) A resolute faith and holy background were the foundation for her remarkable strength and trust in the promises of God. Lieberman], pp. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Accordingly, Prov. The baby was discovered by Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter. We dont know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. How will you be encouraged by Jochebed to boldly face your fears today? Jochebed was the mother of Moses, one of the major characters in the Old Testament. Her hometown was probably Goshen, in the land of Egypt. That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. The child, found by the pharaoh's daughter while bathing, was reared in the Egyptian court. [17][18] Biblical scholars have instead simply proposed that the discrepancy in the enumeration of Leah's children is due to the list not originally having included Dinah, who was added by a later editor to introduce consistency with the story of the Rape of Dinah. 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. A desperate measure. 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. " That decree applied only to the men and not to the women. The afflictions of life are like driving through a tunnel. Another midrash has Jochebed building a little canopy for Moses inside the ark, for she said to herself: Perhaps I will not see him under his wedding canopy (BT Sotah 12ab). She appears briefly in The Prince of Egypt under the name 'Yocheved', voiced by (and resembling) Israeli vocalist Ofra Haza. She had hard problems to face just like you and I have. Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. Moses, the great law-giver, was born within what would soon be seen as an unlawful union. Ex. A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the, Yael Wife of Heber The Kenite: Midrash and Aggadah, Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab: Midrash and Aggadah, They will spit: In the tradition of Miriam, Jewish women will continue to challenge the establishment, The Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women, Copyright 19982023, Jewish Women's Archive. I felt like cold water had been poured all over me. As she raised her children, she implanted the seeds of hope in their hearts. (Viewed on March 1, 2023) . Jochebed had such a deep abiding faith in the trustworthiness of Gods Word that it drove her to act. 6:20: Amram took to wife his fathers sister Jochebed. Amram was the son of Kohath and the grandson of Levi, while Jochebed was the daughter of Levi, and therefore his aunt. 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. 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). Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. I want to be sure to add, even if this sounds like heresy in our health, wealth, prosperity theology culture: When you let go and trust God not all babies in baskets are rescued, not all illnesses are healed, not all jobs are restored, not all relationships are mended but this is True: when you let go and trust Him God is glorified and He will work it out for ultimate good. He treasures up His bright designs Jochebed's name means, "Honor of God" or "God is glory". Jochebed knew as long as she trusted Jehovah, she had nothing to fear. But there came a day when he grew older When Jochebed had to let him go AGAINto let him go and trust God again. Some of you have lost children to divorce, some have run-away, and some have even died. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. Imagine being her as she left him here alone in the water. (Amram lived to be 137 years old).". I have called Thee Abba Father; Reply Paul Irvine, CA April 5, 2009 With Thy favorloss is gain. Miriam, the baby's sister, watched to see what would happen. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, andNumbers26:59. She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. Moved with compassion when she discovered the child, she decided to adopt him. From that marriage, Moses was born. And her influence is felt to this day by the followers of the God of the Bible as we read about the great things that her son did for the people of God of his time. Have you ever worked in the baby bed nursery at church? Jewish Women's Archive. Jochebed is identified by some rabbis in the Talmud with Shiphrah, one of the midwives described by the book of Exodus as being ordered by Pharaoh to kill the new-born male children. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? Rabbah 1:25; for the identification of Jochebed with Shiphrah, see above). He lived 137 years. ), and which, consequently, knew not the God of Joseph. According to social media posts written by Gov. The narrative in Exodus 2 about Moses' birth introduces her, without providing her name, as a member of the priestly tribe Levi; she marries a Levitical man, also unnamed here.The mother, in defiance of the Pharaoh's order that every male Hebrew . His mother, Jochebed (Arabic: , romanized:Ykbid), and her efforts to save the baby Moses are recounted. She looks like and is voiced by the late Ofra Haza. Rabbah 1:16). Has anything just happened to you recently that you know really was God working for you? 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. A number of miracles were performed for Jochebed in connection with the birth of Moses: she bore him at the age of one hundred and thirty, and God restored her youth and her beauty. The latter had spoken impudently to Pharaoh, who sought to kill her in his anger. The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . Act out Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses. He turned to his three friends, and said in essence, Although I dont know why I am called upon to face this trial, I do know the joy of fellowship with God, and though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him (Job 13:15). 2:5 says that the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the land of Egypt voiced! Losses, of giving up and letting go and trust God again providential care Jochebed knew as as. 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