Amram and Jochebed were strong in their faith during a time where many Israelites had become idolatrous. Amram married Jochebed who was also from the tribe of Levi, one of Jacobs 12 sons. Here then, we have Moses' own parents, living in a relationship clearly condemned as abomination under the Law of Moses. Jochebed was given the name Shiphrah because she would cleanse (meshaperet) the newborn, by washing it and cleaning it after birth; another etymological explanation is that, by merit of her deeds, the Israelites were fruitful [she-paru] and multiplied in her time (Sifrei on Numbers, para. To protect Moses from Pharaoh's command that every male Hebrew child be killed, she placed him in an ark of bulrushes on the river. ), and which, consequently, knew not the God of Joseph. 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). And rides upon the storm. He wanted her for his wife and was willing to . So we know some of the Jews had compromised. The God of Israel was more real to Amram and Jochebed than was the king of Egypt. If the Pharaoh here is Rameses (RAM uh sees) II, he had over 60 daughters.3 We dont know, but whoever she was, she had enough influence to kill Moses or keep him alive. If you want to read the first two Bible studies check out: Zarephath Widow Bible Study - A lesson in courage and surrender. The Bible records, "She gave birth to a son, and . Leah and Rachel: The Mothers Who Had to Share. Perhaps he learned what it means to have faith in God and fearless courage. Jochebed was a daughter of Levi (Exodus 2:1), and the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam (Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59). Rabbi (Judah ha-Nasi) would sit and expound, and the public was drowsing. The choice to hid the baby put the whole family at risk. 3:31) (Seder Eliyahu Rabbah 29). Robert Lehigh, Editor Jochebed showed great trust in God's faithfulness. Born shortly after the decree to throw Hebrew newborn boys in the Nile, Moses escaped death through adoption by pharaoh's daughter. One of the arguments advanced by Moses was his mothers suffering. Jewish Women's Archive. According to the Book of Numbers, Jochebed was born to Levi when he lived in Egypt. Jochebed succeeded in concealing Moses for three months (Ex. Devorah and her husband Maurice Sklar ran Maurice Sklar Ministries, founded by Maurice Sklar, which has about 10,000 followers online. = Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Thus it was easy for Amram and Jochebed to add up the years of Israels stay in Egypt, and see that the time of deliverance which God had promised had almost come. Hebrews 11:23, 2:1 A man of the family of Levi married the daughter of a descendant of Levi. She did . Amram and Jochebed had a daughter, Miriam, and two sons, Aaron and Moses. Pharaoh only decreed against the males, but you have decreed against both the males and the females [since all the Israelites withdrew from their wives, neither sons nor daughters would come into the world]. That was in the year 2238 after Creation. She was curious, what could be in it? Jochebed was the daughter of a Levi man and born in Egypt. She put the child in it and set it among the reeds along the edge of the Nile. 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. (Amram lived to be 137 years old).". God saw to it that the baby should weep at this very moment. At just this moment, Miriam steps forward and approaches the daughter and volunteers her service to find a Hebrew woman to nurse the child, and whom did she bring back? She found herself in a terrible. [18][21], According to Josephus Flavius the birth of Moses was an extraordinary event because Jochebed was spared the pain of child-bearing due to both her and Amram's piety. Moses, the great law-giver, was born within what would soon be seen as an unlawful union. After Pharaohs daughter discovered the baby, Jochebed became his nurse. I have called Thee Abba Father; 4. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. Yocheved was the youngest member of the seventy souls who made up Jacob's household. Jochebed lived in a critical time. Would he forget me? In his gracious way, God gives us himself, the most desirable dream we could ever imagine. Lesson two Handout (Click Here). Then she put the baby in it and set it among the reeds on the bank of the Nile River. There, Moses stood up for seven young women who were drawing water who were being driven away from the well by shepherds. The Torah relates that the midwives did not fulfill Pharaohs command because they feared God, who rewarded them for their actions: He established households [battim] for them (Ex. The outcome of this brave action of defying the King of Egypt is now known to all. Also read Numbers 26:58-59. In the Rabbinic exegesis, Jochebed was already pregnant with Moses before Amram divorced her, and the fetus in her womb was three months old when he remarried her. Growing up, we wanted him to have all the normal experiences of childhood, sleepovers, soccer, basketball, baseball, and football, field trips, then dates, eventually college and marriage: without me. Someone is always crying. She was portrayed by Martha Scott. The parents of Moses knew that the Children of Israel could never perish, for that would be denying the very promise that God had given to their father Abraham (Genesis 12:3). Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. When she saw that he was a healthy child, she hid him for three months. First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. Moses, in the wilderness, instructed them to put away pagan gods. The name Jochebed is the earliest known compounded with Jah, or Jehovah. By letting go and trusting God, an even greater dream was fulfilled. Exodus 1:10-14 describes the hardships placed upon the Hebrew people. Then verse 18 shows that Kohath's sons were Amram, Izhar, Hebron and Uzziel. When you let go, when you released that person or that thing, did you feel like part of you was breaking; now there was some new emptiness in your life? God, who is the great Architect of our destinies, allows nothing to come into our lives except that which is for our ultimate good and blessing (Romans 8:28). Like Jochebed, they trust God to find a loving home for their child. In 2433 AM, Jochebed gave birth to . Rabbah 1:25; for the identification of Jochebed with Shiphrah, see above). This brings us to the influence one mother had on history - not only the history of her family, but the entire history of the children of Israel. Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. God returned her child to her, thus granting her a part of her reward for keeping alive the Hebrew boys (Ex. Perhaps there would be some shade too from the sun in the reeds. The Pharaoh in the opening of the book of Exodus was afraid of the Jews because there were so many of them. Miriam, the baby's sister, watched to see what would happen. Jochebed was a daughter of Levi ( Exodus 2:1 ), and the mother of Aaron, Moses, and Miriam ( Exodus 6:20; Numbers 26:59 ). The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah also designates Jochebed as the daughter of Levi (Num. Jochebed was aware, when she was expecting a new arrival in the family, that if the child should be a boythe decree was that the male baby would have to perish in the Nile Riverand if the parents disobeyed, they too were subject to death. Maybe you need to let go of a dream that is not going to come true; yet, the idea of letting it go seems too painful. The wording she placed it among the reeds (ibid.) For some, there is a lack of the assurance of the forgiveness of past sins. She was so scared of losing her son that she placed him in a basket in one of the most dangerous places imaginable. Nile was considered emanation (em uh ney shun) THE SOURCE of the pagan god Osiris( O sigh rus) and the waters had magical properties. They took the urine sample and when the doctor came back he coldly said I think your son has diabetes and I want you to go immediately to the Juvenile Diabetes clinic, Ive already called them to tell them youre on your way. Why did she do this? [6] In the Apocryphal Testament of Levi, it is stated that Jochebed was born, as a daughter of Levi, when Levi was 64 years old. Rabbah 1:25). Jochebed's story is the third part of our eight-week Bible study - Ordinary Parents with Extraordinary Faith. Sometimes sorrows crowd in, and troubles pile up, and it seems like God is throwing rocks. 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. Moses just happened to cry at the right time? Amram and Jochebed were strong in their faith during a time where many Israelites had become idolatrous. Further study: He went from her arms to the arms of Pharaohs daughter. 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. To adopt a child means someone has to give up a child. He said: Master of the Universe! He said, for example, I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth (Job 19:25). Miriam fetched her mother, Jochebed -- who was also the baby's mother -- and brought her back. She chose bulrushes, a soft and flexible material that is capable of withstanding contact with both soft and hard objects. In 2014 film Exodus: Gods and Kings, she was portrayed by British Actress Anna Savva. With Thy favorloss is gain. Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:24, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jochebed&oldid=1140850169, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 02:24. Assisted by - Quoted sourceThese are my personal research notes gleaned from over 50 plus years of being a bible student - assisted by the following information which . By faith, Jochebed placed her son, Moses, in a papyrus basket and placed it in the Nile River where the Pharaohs daughter found the basket and child. 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