Mom to MomSampel

Imitating Jochebed

Surely Jochebed could not have imagined a scenario in which letting her baby go into God’s care in the basket in a crocodile-infested river would bring Moses right back into her arms!

Remember this scene from Exodus 2?

7 Then the baby’s sister approached the princess. “Should I go and find one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” she asked. 8 “Yes, do!” the princess replied. So the girl went and called the baby’s mother. 9 “Take this baby and nurse him for me,” the princess told the baby’s mother. “I will pay you for your help.” So the woman took her baby home and nursed him.

God not only delivered Jochebed's baby safely into her care, but He saw to it she was paid to do the job of mothering! All because she did not wait to get the whole plan before she acted on God's guidance.

This mama faced her fears with her trust in His promises. She acted with boldness and courage trusting His character. She used good judgment in recruiting her daughter; and she stayed attentive and prepared to respond as she saw God at work in her situation.

Every step of faith helped her to take the next one - even the next harder one.

READ

Exodus 2:10 NLT

Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.”

‌We don’t know exactly how long Jochebed got to care for her son, but it is speculated for two or three years. What we can be sure is that she made the most of every single moment she had to invest in her son’s life.

Even at a young age, she imparted to him the faith of his forefathers, his ethnic heritage, and the promises of God. We know this because of Moses' later years when he comes to the defense of a Hebrew, spurning his rights as Pharaoh’s adopted son to stand with God's people.

Such was the power of that fierce mama bear’s love and care.

REFLECT

We all have our children for only a brief time before we must let go.

• What are some of the lessons that you most want to impart to your child that will prepare him or her for a lifetime?
• In what ways are you being strategic in passing on those lessons?
• How are you seeing fruit from your efforts even today?