Women of Welcome: Bold + BraveSýnishorn

Many of us grew up hearing the story over and over in church about how God protected Moses. I (Sarah) had hardly thought about Jochebed’s experience until I became a mother. Watching Prince of Egypt with my children, I listened to Jochebed sing and cry out to God as she placed her precious child in the basket. Any of us who has ever felt backed into a corner, or has been asked by God to give up something we love, knows how excruciating it is to release what we care about so deeply.

Scripture condenses this gut-wrenching scene into one sentence, but we see Jochebed’s preparation. We witness her fierceness. She was not giving up but doubling down in her commitment to protecting her baby and in her hope for his future. She creates safe transport for him with her hands and available resources. She assigns Miriam to follow him (Ex. 2:4). It is possible she was strategic in her release to deliver Moses to the palace in hopes he would be spared. She summons the strength of her motherhood to protect him until the final moments of her control.

Hebrews 11:1 sets the stage for “the faith chapter,” which honors heroes of the faith, including Jochebed and her husband. It reads, “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Jochebed’s faith and hope are fully displayed with her bold decision to release Moses into God’s care. She worked. She prepared. She released him.