 Jochebed
was living at a very dangerous time in the land of Egypt. She was a slave
woman in the family of Jacob a descendent of the son Levi. She was a young
lady who had two children. When her second little son was born, they were
under a death decree. All baby boys were to be killed. Even relatives were
under command of the king to hunt out any baby boy and slaughter it. The
whole nation was under the edict of the most powerful ruler of the world
at that time to kill any baby boy. The reason for this terrible law was
that Satan knew it was just about time for God to deliver the Hebrew race
out of the land of Egypt and take them back to Canaan as He had promised.
Satan prompted this ugly law. Satan wanted to stop God's plans. |
| Now this little slave woman trusted and believed God's promise and refused to let her little boy be killed. She would rather risk death to herself to hide him. God gave her this brave spirit like He gave bravery to Corrie Ten Boom when she hid Jews who were under death threat in Holland. God has people everywhere who love and obey Him. It is a foolish thing to try to kill God's people. It only ends up in a show down. During every show down with God, He always wins. The people who were so cruel ended up loosing everything. God preserved Corrie Ten Boom to tell the story and the world found out how ugly and mean and foolish were those who hate God. God sees everything. Even things done in secret. |
Jochebed picked reeds from the Nile River where the crocodiles lived. She
wove a basket tighter than any basket she had ever made. Then she found
some pitch and smeared it all over the outside of that basket. The lid fit
on real tight. I think her mother heart trusted God would keep the
crocodiles away from her baby but she did all she could to make a little
basket for him that would float. That river Nile had seen hundreds of baby
boys thrown into it.
Brave little Jochebed, a slave woman trusted God. She gave her little boy up into the arms of God as she prayed and cried, she gently closed that lid. If I were her, I would have opened it one last time and kissed him again and again. Every breath she breathed was a prayer for her baby now three months old. She also sent her own daughter to watch that precious basket. |
  Angels
were sent in response to her prayer of faith. They watched over that
basket. No crocodile could get past those mighty strong angels. These
angels directed the steps of Pharaoh's daughter to the exact spot where
the baby floated. She spied the strange looking basket and sent out a maid
to get it. When the lid was opened, she saw the sweet baby boy. He cried
when he saw her and her heart melted. She knew her father had made a
terrible decree to kill all boys and her was one alive. She could tell he
was a loved baby. She knew some mother had tried this desperate way to
save her boy.
While she was thinking these thoughts, a little girl walked up and asked if the princess would like to have a lady to feed the crying baby. That was the right question. The princess did so much want the little boy to stop crying from hunger. She told little Miriam to run get her a lady to feed the baby and she would get pay her good money. |
| Soon Jochebed was there to feed her
little son. I am sure in her heart she believed God was doing something
great big in answer to her prayers for her baby. For her bravery,
God set it up so she could stay home with her son, instead of doing slave
work in the brick pits. She was paid to work directly for the royal
family. She was thrilled to get to home school her little son and raise
him till he was 12 years old. She was working for the royal family. She
was still a slave but she was a promoted slave. Her own son was to be
trained to be the next ruler in Egypt.
Imagine how this story traveled around in the homes of the Hebrews! There was hope of a deliverer. God was soon to deliver them. These thoughts were carefully trained into the heart of Moses before he left home to live in the palace. |
| Mother's during this time of the world are challenged as they see increasing crime. Money does not come easy and many mothers have to work outside the home. Some are longing to be able to do as Jochebed. I challenge you to pray like she did. I know that if you wait on the Lord and trust that God loves your child. When you dedicate them to Him, He will be faithful to work for them as He did for Jochebed. God will show you what to do. Jochebed moved in faith not knowing when she kissed Moses good bye, that soon she would have him back in her arms to train and get paid for it. |