Jochebed was a brave, devout woman.
Public sphere
One of the most well-known characters in the Old Testament is Moses.Although Moses was selected to save his people, Abraham is referred to as the "Father of the Faithful" and was the recipient of God's unconditional covenant of grace. Moses was specifically chosen by God to lead the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into the Promised Land.
Moses is also known as the Law-giver and the Mediator of the Old Covenant. He is primarily responsible for the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible. His function in the Old Testament is comparable to Jesus' function in the New Testament, hence it is important to look at his biography. Amram and Jochebed, Moses' parents, kept him hidden from the time he was born until he was three months old. Let's explore the life of Jochebed, Moses' mother, in more detail.
Who is the mother of Moses?
Moses' mother, Jochebed, was a Hebrew woman and the Levite's daughter who was enslaved in Egypt. She wed Amram, a second Levite.Amram is Jochebed's nephew, making her his wife and his aunt, according to Exodus 6:20. Jochebed already had a daughter, Miriam, who was old enough to be a lookout throughout Moses' infancy, thus we know that Moses was born after they were married. Jochebed had at least three sons—Miriam, Moses, and Aaron.
Moses was born in Egypt during a difficult time for Israelites. The monarch instructed midwives to have all newborn Hebrew boys killed, leaving only girls to survive. According to Exodus 1:8–16, Pharoah issued this proclamation in an effort to restrict the Israelite population, which was expanding in Egypt. However, a lot of houses disobeyed this fatal order. The Hebrew midwives persuaded Pharaoh to spare the baby boys since they didn't want to take part in infanticide.
To save his life, Jochebed placed Moses in a bulrush-woven basket and helped him float in the Nile River. Even the daughter of the Pharoah broke the commandment when she found Moses in the basket and decided to adopt him as her own child out of compassion. She gave him the name Moses, and he was nurtured as the daughter of the pharaoh. Jochebed took on the role of Moses' nurse, and the king compensated her as a wonderful illustration of God's kindness and providence.
Jochebed is mentioned once more in the Bible in Numbers 26:59, but no further details are provided. Although there are a few minor differences from the biblical account, the Qur'an describes how Jochebed came to the decision to conceal Moses. However, the Qu'ran adds information regarding Jochebed's pregnancy that is unsupported by the Bible.
All of Moses' remaining life.
As Moses grew older, he began to understand the suffering of his people, and when he witnessed an Egyptian assaulting an elderly Hebrew slave, Moses intervened and killed the Egyptian. Moses attempted to break up a brawl between two Hebrews in another incident. According to Exodus 2:14, one of them chastised Moses, asking, "Will you kill me like you did the Egyptian?"
Moses fled to Midian after becoming aware of what he had done, where he once more stood up for Jethro's daughters and saved them from some bandits. Jethro permitted his daughter Zipporah to wed Moses as a token of gratitude. He would spend the next 40 years residing in Midian.
The encounter with God at the burning bush, described in Exodus 3–4, where God appointed him as His people's savior, was the next key event in Moses' life. Moses hesitated and asked God to send someone else before deciding to comply. God promised to send Aaron together with Moses.
The remainder of the tale is generally well-known. In God's name, Moses and Aaron demand that Pharoah permit the people to worship God. Ten plagues—including the death of the firstborn—fall upon Egypt and its inhabitants as a result of Pharoah's refusal. God gave Moses the order to begin the Passover festival before the final plague in order to honor His deliverance of His people from Egyptian slavery.
Following the Exodus, Moses took his people to the Red Sea, where God performed another miracle by dividing the water, allowing the Hebrews to cross while the Egyptian army was drowned. Moses transported them to Mount Sinai, where the Law was given and the Old Covenant was established between God and the nascent nation of Israel, as described in Exodus 19–24.
Moses addresses the people in a number of speeches throughout Deuteronomy to reaffirm God's trustworthiness and redemptive power. He prepares the following generation of Israelites to receive God's promises, while being barred from accessing the Promised Land because of a sin at Meribah. Moses ascends Mount Nebo at the conclusion of Deuteronomy in order to view the Promised Land. When he passed away at the age of 120, the Lord buried him, and Joshua succeeded him as the group's leader. The Bible states in Deuteronomy 34:7 that his "eye was undimmed and his vigor unabated."
Jochebed made a brave choice.
How on earth did Jochebed manage to send that basket tumbling down the Nile? She shown incredible bravery even though she knew she couldn't save her baby son's life as she watched the basket float away. Her choice required her to carry out a strategy for which there were no known solutions. She nevertheless sent her child away, out of her care and into the care of God. This degree of confidence can only be attained by someone who has developed a sincere faith in God. Jochebed's faith in God was evident in her deeds.
Jocebed would not have gone through what happened if she had kept Moses hidden and strengthened her hold. When Pharoah's daughter picked up Moses from the basket, God blessed her for her faith-filled obedience by performing a miracle. She sent Moses' sister to find Jochebed to be his nursemaid in addition to adopting Moses.
It must have been challenging for Jochebed to decide to put Moses in that basket and let him float down the Nile. She was aware that her son needed to be saved, nevertheless. Her selfless act allowed Moses to achieve great things in life. The word "Jochebed" in Hebrew means "Jehovah glorified." Gloried here means "to make glorious." The deeds of Jochebed were worthy of her name. Trusting in Jehovah brought glory to His name for countless generations.