She took leave of her baby with a heavy heart, and tried with all her might to protect him and ensure that he remain alive. This was God responding to the faith of a mother who dared to trust in Him. I took him to the pediatrician and I knew it was a urinary tract infection, wed get the pink bubble gum antibiotic and hed be fine. 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. 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. According to Jewish legend, she is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. I was in shock. Consequently, Miriam came and offered to the daughter of Pharaoh her mother Jochebed, who was a Hebrew (Ex. 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. [19], According to traditional rabbinic biblical chronology, Moses was 80 years old when the Exodus occurred, the Israelites had been in Egypt for 210 years in total, and thus in combination with the rabbinical claim that Jochebed was born on the border of Egypt, as her parents had entered it, this would require Jochebed to have been 130 years old when she gave birth to Moses;[20] Rabbinical literature regards this to have been alluded to be the biblical description of the dedication of the Israelite altar, at which 130 shekel weight of silver was offered. Joseph, Jacob's son, was a ruler in Egypt at that time and the children of Jacob (Israel) were treated kindly. And rides upon the storm. God always honors such faith as theirs. 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. Why did she do this? 1:21), which the Rabbis understand as priestly and Levitical households, or as royal households. The explanation you suggest is certainly a possibility. No details are given concerning her life. 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. He lived 137 years. Is it your past? Can you see the Providence of God in this story? The choice to hid the baby put the whole family at risk. Joseph had revealed himself to his eleven brothers and requested that his father come to Egypt, which the family did. Amram and Jochebed still enjoyed a forbidden sexual relationship which produced three famous children, Aaron, Miriam and Moses, Exodus 6:20, 15:20. He became afraid that if an enemy of Egypt waged war against them, the Israelites would side with the enemy against Egypt. 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. The conditions described in the first two chapters of Exodus indicate that indeed those were dark days for the Children of Israel. she took pity on the baby. He said: Master of the Universe! Although the Torah asserts that Jacobs household who came to Egypt numbered seventy souls, the Rabbis noted that only sixty-nine individuals are listed in Gen. 46. (NET). The princess adopted Moses eventually but never knew that Jochebed was the little boy's biological mother. 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 . . Truthfully, there is a certain amount of pain, a loneliness pain, when they leave home to go to college, when they get married, when they start their own life. Rabbah 1:26). "We cannot save our little boy from the forces of death,"Moses' parents decided, "but God can.". Israel (Jacob) and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. Doing nothing would have condemned Moses to death at the hands of the Egyptian death squads. The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. For some, poverty comes, friends disappoint, children bring heartaches, and feelings of inferiority torment. 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). Then she brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him as her own. Marriages with aunts and nieces have been common in many countries, and are not forbidden by any natural instinct. He wanted her for his wife and was willing to . Can you imagine trying to hide a newborn baby? Epstein-Melamed], p. 6; BT Sotah 12a; Pesikta Rabbati 43). Scripture does not tell us when Jochebed died but it is possible she was still living when the Law of Moses was given. Devorah was as active an anti-vaxxer as you'll see on this site. Zavada, Jack. [23] According to biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants, is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the Levites the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronids;[24] Aaron the eponymous ancestor of the Aaronids couldn't be portrayed as a brother to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, as the narrative about the birth of Moses (brother of Aaron), which textual scholars attribute to the earlier Elohist source, mentions only that both his parents were Levites (without identifying their names). Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. 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. 2 R. Alan Cole, Exodus, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, ed. Moses' sister, Miriam, accompanied her younger brother when he led the Hebrew people in their escape from slavery in Egypt. for a little while. Whats the Definition of faith? The Rabbis resolve this abbreviated chronology by stating that Jochebed and Amram divorced, and Ex. 2:1 portrays their remarriage. Lieberman], pp. Ex. Pharaohs daughter just happened to see the basket? Jesus reminds us that there will be those who are last which shall be first and first which shall be last (Luke 13:30). The narrative of her pregnancy with Moses is amusingly incorporated in an exegesis relating to the time of the Rabbis. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Jochebed was able to use her amazing creativity and courage to solve an impossible problem. But soon he noticed that the stones were going beyond the boat and forming huge circular waves in the waterand those waves were bringing his boat toward the shore. Jochebed nursed Moses for twenty-four months (Ex. 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. The cry of the little child aroused the maternal instinct of Pharaohs daughter, and the baby Moses was spared. The second lesson is for heartbroken people who have to turn their dreams over to God. 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. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. Text says she went to bathe in the Nile. According to social media posts written by Gov. Ofra sang the lullaby in 18 languages for the film's dubbing (including her native Hebrew). All three point to Christ. Just so, the Son of Righteousness is still shining, although in the dark tunnels of our trials and afflictions, sometimes we fail to see Him. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. She was told to do that. Jochebed knew as long as she trusted Jehovah, she had nothing to fear. She was convinced that her son would be used for an important work. What strong faith this woman had, but also what courage. Jochebed had faith in God's protection of her baby. 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. Exodus 2:10 When the child grew older she brought him to Pharaohs daughter, and he became her son. Yet the Bible reveals that Levi and his son and grandson all had very long life spans. 4. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. The Pharaoh in the opening of the book of Exodus was afraid of the Jews because there were so many of them. Lesson two study group Questions (Click Here). Why to Trust? 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. One of the most stimulating accounts in the Bible, pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job. Deep in unfathomable mines 18. I have stayed my heart on Thee. One of the great hymns of the church says: God moves in a mysterious way According to the Bible, Jochebed (/ j k b d /; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized: Yee, lit. Im curious, how many here are either adopted, have adopted children or someone in your family has been adopted? The life of Jochebed is an amazing demonstration of the walk by faith. For others, health deteriorates, death takes a loved one, and plans for the future are shattered. She chose bulrushes, a soft and flexible material that is capable of withstanding contact with both soft and hard objects. 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. Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. She knew that God would take care of the child. Rabbah [ed. When Jacob went to stay with his uncle Laban, he met one of his daughters, Rachel, and loved her. ): I will pay your wages, from which the Rabbis learned of Jochebeds righteousness: like the righteous, she merited the return of what she had lost (her son), and in addition received reward for it (for having nursed him) (Ex. 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. 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. . In verse 16 we find that Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. [1] Amram was the son of Kohath, who was a son of Levi. Although she is mentioned only twice in the Bible, Jochebed has a lasting place as one of the immortal mothers of Israel. The answer: It was based on the promises of Gods Word. Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. Would he forget our family? Jacob, too, married two sisters t. This couple had great faith. Hebrew: MSH Mosheh (M. T.), Greek: Mouses, Moses. The Haggadah extends this miraculous nature to Moses' conception by marking as 120 the age of Jochebed at conception. What if she kept the baby at home until eventually the authorities came? Amram married Jochebed who was also from the tribe of Levi, one of Jacobs 12 sons. Imagine the emotions, the feelings Jochebed had as she placed him down and backed away. God blessed Jochebed's obedience by making her Moses' nursemaid. Help JWA continue to lift up Jewish womens stories, this month and every month, by. She is praised for her faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Jochebed was married to Amram. Lit. But there came a day when he grew older When Jochebed had to let him go AGAINto let him go and trust God again. [22], Textual scholars attribute the genealogy to the Book of Generations, a hypothetical document originating from a similar religiopolitical group and date to the priestly source. 2 tells of the birth of Moses. The mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Her hometown was probably Goshen, in the land of Egypt. Who was the mother of kohath? She breathed air just like you and I do. 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. We will notice several aspects of Jochebeds faith-walk. Yocheved was a beautiful, kind and motherly woman. 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. 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. In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. Jochebed was paid to nurse and care for the boy, her own son until he grew. And when she could no longer hide him, she made a little basket, sealed it with pitch, and put the child in the basket, and laid it among the reeds by the rivers brink (Exodus 2:3). 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. Yocheved is the major character birth mother of Moses, Miriam, & Aaron in The Prince of Egypt. Just like today, true faith was mixed with pagan beliefs. What would she do if he was snatched out of her arms and taken to certain death? Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. 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. 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. Then verse 18 shows that Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. She was so scared of losing her son that she placed him in a basket in one of the most dangerous places imaginable. To save her son's life, she waterproofed a basket and put the child in it. I wonder. Or maybe the relationship has been too close, too controlling, or maybe the seasons of life have changed and its hard to let it go and move on. Hebrews 11:23 and Exodus 2:1-2 and 6:20. Her name in Hebrew means "bitterness." Miriam was the first woman in the Bible to be given the title prophetess. Resources Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible Chapter 2. The woman conceived and bore a son, since she conceived before this second marriage? The children of Israel were still in Egypt, but they were no longer honoured by the Egyptians as the people of their great deliverer, Joseph. Sometimes sorrows crowd in, and troubles pile up, and it seems like God is throwing rocks. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. To adopt a child means someone has to give up a child. She appears briefly in The Prince of Egypt under the name 'Yocheved', voiced by (and resembling) Israeli vocalist Ofra Haza. Pharaoh only decreed against the males, but you have decreed against both the males and the females [since all the Israelites withdrew from their wives, neither sons nor daughters would come into the world]. 2:3), lining the inside with bitumen, and coating it on the outside with pitch, so that Moses would not smell the bad odor given off by the latter. All her choices were difficult. Adoption is a wonderful way to unconditionally love someone but it comes with a painful price tag (as well see in our story). In the midrashic account, the daughter of Pharaoh saw that Moses was hungry when she drew him from the river. In Thy service pain is pleasure, The Scripture says, And, behold, the babe wept (Exodus 2:6). 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. But that was not the case. (Viewed on March 1, 2023) . Answer (1 of 15): Yes, it was forbidden in Lev. Although her jealously later in life led to . Amram and Jochebed were the parents of Aaron, the first high priest of the nation of Israel; Moses, who led . The Story Jochebed's story is one of trust, courage, and faith. 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. Zavada, Jack. Miriam, who was six years old at the time, said: Father, father, your decree is harsher than that of Pharaoh. 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. Here then, we have Moses' own parents, living in a relationship clearly condemned as abomination under the Law of Moses. 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