I still think Moses’ mom ranks right up there with the all-time mothers. If there were some kind of a Mother’s Hall of Fame there’s no doubt that Jochebed’s name would be firmly enshrined. The papyrus basket she put baby Moses in would be sitting on display, right next to the framed first coin she earned for nursing him.
If you’re not familiar with the story, it’s well worth reading. You’ll find this account in Exodus 2. You’ll also find Moses’ parents named in the great chapter of faith, Hebrews 11, where the Bible says: “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Heb. 11:23).
What makes Moses’ mother so special is the daring faith she demonstrated. Like every mother, Jochebed loved her children with a fierce love, but the order of the king of Egypt was to throw every male child born to Hebrew women into the Nile River. The Hebrews were living in slavery under the Egyptians at that time, and the king feared that they would continue to multiply and grow strong and turn against them in war. So he gave this horrendous command to kill the baby boys.
But Jochebed put her faith into action, and what God did from there is the stuff of biblical proportions, literally.
She demonstrated her faith by seeing the potential in her child. “She saw that he was no ordinary child.” I don’t know if Moses had a special coo or giggle, or maybe he slept all the way through the night or perhaps his diapers didn’t stink. Whatever it was, Jochebed saw something extraordinary about her child.
Mothers have a unique way of seeing the extraordinary in their children. They see the next great doctor, teacher, athlete, or musician when they look at their little one. They recognize their potential and they become their biggest fans. My, how kids need an encourager to spur them on! Be their cheerleader and help them to explore, to imagine and to achieve. Train them up in the way they should go. Cultivate their talents and interests and give them opportunities to excel, Mamas. Just don’t let your babies grow up to be cowboys.
Moses’ mother also demonstrated her faith by protecting him from harm. She fearlessly hid him from the Egyptian police for three months, risking her own life for the safe keeping of her baby. There was no way in the world they were getting their blood-stained hands on her little boy, and she feared God more than man.
That’s what hall-of-fame mothers do. They protect their children from the dangers that surround them and threaten to destroy them, and they do it fearlessly with faith in God. Now I know that you can’t completely shield your children from every possible evil in this world, but you don’t have to be overprotective to be protective. You don’t let them play on a busy street. You make sure they wear their hats and mittens in cold weather. You lather them in sunscreen in the summer.
And you also protect them from the spiritual dangers lurking around every corner. Just as you wouldn’t let them walk into a stranger’s house, you don’t let them wander into strange sites on the internet. You’d never invite a predator into your own home, so don’t let them enter through your media gates, either. Know where your children are at all times, what they’re watching, where they’re surfing and who they’re hanging out with in person or on-line. An all-star mother takes whatever measures necessary to protect her children from harm!
Moses’ mom also demonstrated her faith by entrusting him into the hands of God. There comes a day when it’s time to let go. Jochebed knew that she could hide him no longer. She had done all she could, but it was time to let him go, and she trusted that God would guard him, guide him and save him through whatever was to come.
And who but God could have orchestrated the events so perfectly like He did!
Mothers, put your faith in the Lord, who never leaves the righteous forsaken – even when life doesn’t work out as happily for you as it did for Jochebed. Sometimes you’ll be disappointed – maybe crushed – by what your children do or what happens to them, but remember that God has already demonstrated His unfailing love by sending His Son to die on the cross for sinners. There’s no greater love than this! Give your children an all-star love that dares to trust in the Almighty God whose way is perfect.
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