'YHWH is glory') was a daughter of Levi[1] and mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Amram and Jochebed committed Moses to the ark, and the ark would come between Moses and death. Perhaps there would be some shade too from the sun in the reeds. According to the Book of Numbers, Jochebed was born to Levi when he lived in Egypt. According to tradition, Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed (whose other children were Aaron and Miriam), hid him for three months and then set him afloat on the Nile in a reed basket daubed with pitch. Amram and the Levite from Egypt, Jochebed were related by blood though their affinity was not that clear. Jochebed was Amram's aunt, strangely enough; she was his father's sister. However, when Amram married his aunt, this was before the Torah had been goven on Mount Sinai, soits laws didn't apply yet. The sage, who wanted to awaken them, said: A single woman in Egypt gave birth to sixty myriads from a single stomach. There was a pupil there named R. Ishmael son of R. Yose, who asked him: Was this really so? He [Rabbi] replied: This is Jochebed, who bore Moses, who is deemed the equivalent of sixty myriads of Israel (Song of Songs Rabbah 1:15:3). That Jochebed could still be bearing children at the age of forty-eight might seem unlikely by modern standards. Can you fill in the blank _____ Lord I hear You saying Let it go and trust Me with it, Women of Influence, women who are affecting their world, their family, their workplace, their friends for good for God have open hands. Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. Sometimes we need to slow down and learn to see Him and His presence in our circumstances and thank Him for His care. Jochebed was paid to nurse and care for the boy, her own son until he grew. Jochebed Mother of Moses. Jochebed knew also that God had foretold the bondage in Egypt which they were now experiencing. Exodus 2:1-2. and The Pharaoh had decreed that all their baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile, because he feared that they might become too powerful. Soon, Moses got word that Pharaoh knew what he had done and was going to kill him, so he fled from Egypt to the land of Midian to avoid prosecution. His sister stationed herself at a distance to find out what would happen to him. She had feelings just like you and I have. Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible - Jochebed. The God of Israel was more real to Amram and Jochebed than was the king of Egypt. (NET), Exodus 6:20 Amram married his fathers sister Jochebed, and she bore him Aaron and Moses. His older sister, Miriam (15 years his senior), and his brother 3-year old Aaron were safe from Pharaoh's edict since they were born before it was enacted. What strong faith this woman had, but also what courage. 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. Shalvi/Hyman Encyclopedia of Jewish Women. Whats the Definition of faith? V. 1 begins with the marriage of Jochebed and Amram, and then the reader is immediately told of Mosess birth, concealment and rescue. Perhaps he learned what it means to have faith in God and fearless courage. Answer: According to tradition, Yocheved lived long enough to enter the Holy Land with the Israelites.. Hebrews 11:23 BY FAITH they hid MosesThey saw life through the eyes of faith. With tears running down his cheek, he appealed to an older brother for help, and the brother picked up big stones and threw them out toward the boat. A summary of his forty years in Midian is given ( Exodus 2:12-22 ), and the last three verses ( Exodus 2:23-25) set the stage for Exodus 3. And rides upon the storm. To save her son's life, she waterproofed a basket and put the child in it. 4 Then his sister positioned herself some distance away in order to find out what would happen to him. Rabbah 1:26). 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. Question we have to ask is: What do you do when you cant do anything more? All her choices were difficult. She did . First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. 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). JOCHEBED. Hugs and kisses and then she turned away and went home. Hebrews 11:23 and Exodus 2:1-2 and 6:20. Lesson two study group Questions (Click Here). She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. According to tradition, Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed . She is praised for her faith in the Epistle to the Hebrews. An Impossible Problem Solver. The mother of Moses is famous in the eyes of God, not because she bore the baby Moses, but because of her faitha faith that knew no defeat. She also gave birth to Aaron, a high priest of Israel. After many hardships, Moses was used by God as his servant to free the Hebrew people from slavery and lead them to the edge of the promised land. Like Jochebed, we won't always foresee God's purpose in letting go, but we can trust that his plan is even better. God always honors such faith as theirs. The Apostle Paul exhorts in Ephesians 6 that the Christian should have on the belt of truth and the coat of righteousness; our feet should be shod with the readiness of the gospel of peace. The name Jochebed is the earliest known compounded with Jah, or Jehovah. 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. The latter had spoken impudently to Pharaoh, who sought to kill her in his anger. The gay analogy must include a marriage relationship not universally accepted in scripture. Yocheved is the major character birth mother of Moses, Miriam, & Aaron in The Prince of Egypt. In 2433 AM, Jochebed gave birth to . Amram Remarries Jochebed His Name Bringing Heaven Down to Earth Sinless Amram Marries Jochebed Amram married his aunt Jochebed in Egypt. Jochebed succeeded in concealing Moses for three months (Ex. Maurice is a Messianic Jew who frequently channels God. Moses just happened to cry at the right time? 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). Surely Jochebed would have told little Moses stories of the faithfulness of the God of Israel. Jochebed was the mother of Moses, one of the major characters in the Old Testament. According to the Bible, Jochebed (/jkbd/; Biblical Hebrew: , romanized:Yee, lit. One of the most stimulating accounts in the Bible, pointing to great faith during trial, is that of Job. Yet the Bible reveals that Levi and his son and grandson all had very long life spans. https://www.learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165 (accessed March 2, 2023). Perhaps God might use him to fulfill the Promise. D. J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, Illinois: Intervarsity Press, 1973) 57. In the midrashic account, the daughter of Pharaoh saw that Moses was hungry when she drew him from the river. She breathed air just like you and I do. 11:23 By faith Moses was hidden by, Amram and Jochebed, his parents, for three months after he was born, because they saw that he was a beautiful child and were not afraid of the kings order. She was told to do that. Bravely, she asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. What some call fate or luck or it just happened is really Gods providential care. At any rate, Pharaohs daughter was determined to give protection to the baby. Moses was tov, beautiful, fine, good, and not ordinary. Then verse 18 shows that Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. The parents of Moses believed the simple promise of Gods Word, and the revelation that after 400 years Israel would be delivered, and that their son was a proper childand so, instead of casting baby Moses into the river, they hid him for three months, and then turned him over to God. Jochebed had such a deep abiding faith in the trustworthiness of Gods Word that it drove her to act. So Jochebed got her own child back, at least for a while. Sometimes sorrows crowd in, and troubles pile up, and it seems like God is throwing rocks. 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). This would be shallow water, away from the currents that would have carried him down the Nile. He became afraid that if an enemy of Egypt waged war against them, the Israelites would side with the enemy against Egypt. Some of you have lost children to divorce, some have run-away, and some have even died. This couple had great faith. Jochebed's story is the third part of our eight-week Bible study - Ordinary Parents with Extraordinary Faith. Imagine being her as she left him here alone in the water. Jochebed which in Hebrew means: The Honor of Jehovah. She sent one of her attendants, took it. Jochebed bore Amram three righteous offspring. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. The painting "The Mother of Moses" by Simeon Solomon depicts Jochebed and Miriam looking and holding Moses. On what was this confidence and hope based? Rabbah 7:3; Ex. F. Hebrew 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, and Numbers 26:59. Further study: But among all the poor Hebrew slaves, there was one couple who did not despair. Learn Religions, Sep. 4, 2021, learnreligions.com/jochebed-mother-of-moses-701165. Cain the first human murderer recorded in the Bible, Jephthah the Gileadite the tenth Judge of Israel, Samuel 15th Judge of Israel and also a Prophet, Background Information: For Hebrews Chapter 11. 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. 2:2). 26:59; cf. 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. She loved all of her children dearly and proved this when she risked her life to save her youngest child, Moses, from Pharaoh Seti I's soldiers. Verbs tell us that she herself opened it and saw Moses and at that very moment he cried. Women of Influence choose to: Truth: Let it go and trust God. It took faith to place the child in the river. [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). 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). Rabbah [ed. Where it didnt matter which decision you made, they all seemed risky? One of the explanations of this discrepancy is that Jochebed completed the number seventy; she was not included in the list because she was still in her mothers womb (Gen. Rabbah 94:9). One wonders why Pharaohs daughter wanted to bathe herself in the dirty waters of the Nile River. But Exodus 2:5 says that the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. 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. Would he forget our family? 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. When Jochebed gave birth to a son, she saw that he was a healthy baby. We go through many trials in our life, but Jochebed, a woman who feared God, had the one of the worst nightmares of any mother. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. Now if Jochebed was Levi's immediate daughter, than she would have been born sometime during Levi's lifetime. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. Moses was a prophet during biblical times. (2021, September 4). Jacob, his sons, and their families had gone into Egypt to live because there was a severe famine in their land, and they were able to find food in Egypt. Answering:, "Jochebed couldn't have gone to the Holy land because God killed off the entire generation that left Egypt except for Caleb and Joshua as punishment. Faith is one of the most frequently used words in the Christians vocabulary, but it may be one of the most misunderstood words. She caulked it with bitumen and pitch (Ex. The prophecy of 400 years of bondage (Gen 15:13) was coming to a close. Jochebed was a human being just as all of us are today. 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. She was convinced that her son would be used for an important work. Or would it be wise to just distance herself from this baby and let someone else throw him in the Nile? There is nothing immoral in marrying your aunt unless the Torah explicitly forbids it. Yet the Bible reveals that Levi and his son and grandson all had very long life spans. [15], Some rabbinic literature attempts to resolve the textual discrepancy in which the Torah lists 34 children of Leah born in Mesopotamia, stating that two were dead, and then immediately states that there were 33 in total,[16] by arguing that the figure referred only to the surviving children, and that Jochebed was the 33rd;[17][18] however, since the Book of Numbers describes Jochebed's birth as occurring in Egypt,[1] this necessitated the further rabbinic argument that Jochebed was born exactly on the border of Egypt, in the gateway of the city. Not only was Moses spared, but his older sister (later identified as Miriam in Exodus 15:20), who was standing somewhere within sight, offered the Egyptian princess her services. Jochebed was married to Amram. Exodus 6:20 And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years. What does it mean that they had faith? 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. When the child was born, the baby was a boy, and we learn in Exodus 2:10 that he was later named Moses.. Part of her reward was an extremely long life, living to witness the positions of leadership held by her children, and she was even one of the Israelites who entered the land of Canaan. Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. Maybe its something material, a possession you have? she took pity on the baby. You can never get them all quiet at the same time. Print copies of this booklet may be obtained from: BIBLE HELPS When Moses was about to die, he addressed God and begged for his life. What to do? She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. 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. Much of what we know about Jochebed is recorded in the first ten verses of Exodus 2. Kadari, Tamar. This is a huge part of the story Jewish Study Bible, The verb could be given a more colloquial translation such as she felt sorry for him. But the verb is stronger than that; it means to have compassion, to pity, to spare. What she felt for the baby was strong enough to prompt her to spare the child from the fate decreed for Hebrew boys. But who is she? A resolute faith and holy background were the foundation for her remarkable strength and trust in the promises of God. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. Amram married Jochebed for the sake of Heaven. When she placed little Moses in the Nile River that day, Jochebed could not have known that he would grow up to be one of God's greatest leaders, chosen to rescue the Hebrew people from slavery in Egypt. (NET). I have stayed my heart on Thee. Here there would be less danger from crocodiles than if she just put him down on the beach. Mike Huckabee, Devorah Sklar (still trying to get her exact age) has died of COVID. Pharaohs daughter just happened to see the basket? Jochebed was a daughter of Levi ( Exodus 2:1 ), and the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam ( Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59 ). 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. (The length of Amrams life was 137 years.) Also not to the tribe of Levi. 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. But that was not the case. The Apocrypha calls her Tharmuth, other names suggested are Merris, or Bityah, perhaps even the well-known Hatshepsut( HAT shep shoot). Alphabetical Exposition of Named Bible Women J Jochebed. The midrash apparently understands builds her house in a broad sense, because Jochebeds wisdom in the raising of her own children led to the building and firm establishment of the entire people of Israel. 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