Jochebed was the daughter of a Levi man and born in Egypt. The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. 2:2). She and her husband, Amram lived around 1571BC to 1613BC or 2,433 years after Creation. A little boy spent many hours making a small boat and then he took it to the lake. 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 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). Gods purpose in redeeming Israel depended at that very moment on the pitiful cry of a little baby. Hebrews 11:23 BY FAITH they hid MosesThey saw life through the eyes of faith. I want to be sure to add, even if this sounds like heresy in our health, wealth, prosperity theology culture: When you let go and trust God not all babies in baskets are rescued, not all illnesses are healed, not all jobs are restored, not all relationships are mended but this is True: when you let go and trust Him God is glorified and He will work it out for ultimate good. The God of Israel was more real to Amram and Jochebed than was the king of Egypt. Exodus 2:10 When the child grew older she brought him to Pharaohs daughter, and he became her son. Jesus reminds us that there will be those who are last which shall be first and first which shall be last (Luke 13:30). For others, a family member rebels against the Gospel plan of salvation. 4 Dr. Thomas Constable, Constables Notes, Lumina, www.bible.org. The sun has not stopped shining just because the traveler in the tunnel doesnt see it. Israel (Jacob) and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. Yocheved was the daughter of Levi, Jacob 's son. Jochebed and her husband served God and all though we know not a lot about them, their son Moses saved the Israelis from the Egyptians. (We learn later, in Exodus 6:20, that the father and mother of Moses are named Amram and Jochebed.) 'YHWH is glory') was a daughter of Levi[1] and mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. Yes, Miriam is watching from a distant place on the shore, but she, his mother had to let him go. Ex. [17][18] Biblical scholars have instead simply proposed that the discrepancy in the enumeration of Leah's children is due to the list not originally having included Dinah, who was added by a later editor to introduce consistency with the story of the Rape of Dinah. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. Of never-failing skill, There is nothing immoral in marrying your aunt unless the Torah explicitly forbids it. Exodus 2:2b She hid him for 3 months. 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. Miriam, who was six years old at the time, said: Father, father, your decree is harsher than that of Pharaoh. The film The Ten Commandments calls her "Yoshebel". Moses just happened to cry at the right time? Our background is not our destiny V. 1 begins with the marriage of Jochebed and Amram, and then the reader is immediately told of Mosess birth, concealment and rescue. Even today, I cant tell you how hard it is at times not to want somehow control his diabetes: to make sure hes eating good food, exercising, taking care of himself, but he has a wife and two daughtersI really have to Let it go and trust Godand I do Trust and pray . He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". The narrative in Exodus 2 about Moses' birth introduces her, without providing her name, as a member of the priestly tribe Levi; she marries a Levitical man, also unnamed here.The mother, in defiance of the Pharaoh's order that every male Hebrew . But in the midst of this trial, she had confidence and hope. Thats how God does things. T. Moses died. The cry of the little child aroused the maternal instinct of Pharaohs daughter, and the baby Moses was spared. There are several data points we have to nail down in order to properly defend the Bible 's assertion that 600,000 men left Egypt with Moses in the Exodus. He wanted her for his wife and was willing to . (2021, September 4). 26:59): The name of Amrams wife was Jochebed daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt. The midrash adds that she was conceived on the way to Egypt, and was born between the walls (at the entrance to Egypt). The baby was discovered by Bithiah, Pharaoh's daughter. 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. Rather, this verse teaches that Jochebeds pregnancy was without suffering, just as she gave birth without pain. We learn that secret by reading Hebrews 11:23, which says, By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months by his parents, because they saw that he was a proper child, and they were not afraid of the kings commandment. Moses was hid in his home for three months, and then in the reeds by the river, not because Jochebed could not bear to see her child perish, or because she loved him too much to cast him into the river. But this couple worshipped Jehovah God. Marriages with aunts and nieces have been common in many countries, and are not forbidden by any natural instinct. The Apostle Peter says, That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:7). Life comes with the pain of losses, of giving up and letting go and we are rarely ready to let go. The expected thing for her to do was to have the little boy tilted over into the water. There arc three arks mentioned in Scripture. As we journey through life, all of uslike the parents of Moseswill have our faith tried. Jochebed, shes the one, who took him to the Royal Palace. 1 Imagine the emotions, the feelings Jochebed had as she placed him down and backed away. My mother Jochebeds teeth were blunted by [the death of] two of her children in her lifetime; will more of her teeth be blunted by my death? But this argument, too, was of no avail (Deut. 1:17 relates that the midwives, fearing God, let the boys live; their reward for fearing God, according to the midrash, is Torah: because Jochebed feared the Lord, she gave birth to Moses, through whom the Torah was given (Ex. What does it mean that they had faith? It was Jochebed's love and devotion to Moses that preserved his life and allowed him to lead the greatest salvation event in Old Testament history. The babys own mother. What strong faith this woman had, but also what courage. Jochebed placed Moses in a basket and released him in the flow of River Nile. Born into a Levite family, Moses' natural parents, Jochebed (mother) and Amram (father) reared Moses until he was about 3 months old. So what happens when you trust God, eyewitness account: Miriam is near by, watching and.. Exodus 2:5 Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself by the Nile, while her attendants were walking alongside the river, and she saw the basket among the reeds. When Moses was born, Jochebed saw (Ex. The conditions described in the first two chapters of Exodus indicate that indeed those were dark days for the Children of Israel. Just rememberthis is a trial of your faith planned to bring honor in the day when Jesus reveals himself. Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. Much of what we know about Jochebed is recorded in the first ten verses of Exodus 2. 18. 2:9), she unwittingly prophesied: the word helikhi concealed the truthshelikhi hu [he is yours]. Pharaohs daughter promised Jochebed (ibid. Moses was tov, beautiful, fine, good, and not ordinary. Let us know. When the child was born, the baby was a boy, and we learn in Exodus 2:10 that he was later named Moses.. Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. According to one midrashic view, Shiphrah and Puah were mother and daughter Jochebed and Miriam, while another states that they were daughter-in-law and mother-in-lawJochebed and Elisheba daughter of Amminadab. Kadari, Tamar. Jochebed was married to Amram. Her hometown was probably Goshen, in the land of Egypt. While he was still in Egypt, Moses killed an Egyptian guard who was assaulting a Hebrew slave, and he hid the body. In fact, the goodness and mercy of God were so great that the mother was even paid for nursing her own son! Hold on to things and people with open hands, like Jochebed they know when to release and. 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. He became afraid that if an enemy of Egypt waged war against them, the Israelites would side with the enemy against Egypt. So she made a little miniature Nile boat for her baby.2) She put the child in the basket among the reeds near the bank of the river. Go then, earthly fame and treasure, According to tradition, Moses' parents, Amram and Jochebed . [27], Stories of unusual events during the pregnancy of Aminah, mother of the Islamic prophet Muhammad,[28] are compared with the similar experiences of Jochebed when she was carrying Moses. The gay analogy must include a marriage relationship not universally accepted in scripture. Has anything just happened to you recently that you know really was God working for you? By merit of her good deeds, she gave birth to the three leaders of the Exodus generation: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Life comes with the opportunity to learn the art of Releasing when we have no control, of dealing with extenuating circumstances that we can do nothing about. Again, the second time, was this time even harder for her? Help us elevate the voices of Jewish women. Zavada, Jack. She breathed air just like you and I do. Jochebeds name means, Honor of God or God is glory. Exodus 6:20 And Amram took his aunt Jochebed to him for a wife. 2:2) how good [tov] he was. The Rabbis ask what Jochebed saw that was special in her son, on account of which she sought to save him from Pharaohs death decree. Jochebed was married to Amram. There is great historical debate on who was Pharaohs daughter? Learn Religions. Amram and Jochebed were strong in their faith during a time where many Israelites had become idolatrous. Exodus 2:1 A man from the household of Levi married a woman who was a descendant of Levi. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah also designates Jochebed as the daughter of Levi (Num. Rabbah 1:25). Bravely, she asked Pharaoh's daughter if she should get a Hebrew woman to nurse the child. Yocheved is the major character birth mother of Moses, Miriam, & Aaron in The Prince of Egypt. Numbers 26:58-59 These are the families of the Levitesand Kohath begot Amram. They had faith that God had made promises to them through Abraham that they would be a nation, a people with land, their land. I had to learn over and over and over again to. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. 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. When trials come our way we must learn to be patient and trust and wait. Maybe the princess once had a baby of her own who had died, and the sight of baby Moses may have torn the wound open and made it bleed afresh. For unknown reasons, Terah never made it to their destination but stopped and settled in Harran instead. Here then, we have Moses' own parents, living in a relationship clearly condemned as abomination under the Law of Moses. What some call fate or luck or it just happened is really Gods providential care. 'YHWH is glory') was a daughter of Levi and mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses.She was the wife of Amram, as well as his aunt. Amram married his fathers sister Jochebed, who bore him Aaron and Moses. 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). She knew that God would take care of the child. One wonders why Pharaohs daughter wanted to bathe herself in the dirty waters of the Nile River. 31 December 1999. In Thy service pain is pleasure, First, many unwed mothers refuse to have an abortion, yet have no choice but to place their baby for adoption. An additional midrashic explanation of her name is that she smoothed over (shiprah) her daughter Puahs words. (The length of Amrams life was 137 years.) Where it didnt matter which decision you made, they all seemed risky? The story is familiar to many, but so that we have it clearly in mind, we summarize it here. In all three explanations, Jochebed immediately comprehended that her son was meant for greatness and she discerned that he possessed unique spiritual qualities. We can only get through that kind of disappointment by turning it over to God like Jochebed put her child in his care. It was by faith that he was hidden, not by fear! Moses, Hebrew liberator, leader, lawgiver, prophet, and historian, lived in the thirteenth and early part of the twelfth century B.C.. NAME. Meet Miriam: Moses' Sister and Prophetess During the Exodus. Summary of the story of Jochebed in the Bible Generations after Joseph died, the reigning Pharaoh became paranoid. According to Exodus 6:20, Jochebed married her nephew; thus, she was Amram's aunt as well as his wife. 328. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. They may have desired a happy marriage, a successful career, developing their talent, or some other worthwhile goal, yet circumstances prevented it. Maybe its a relationship that is toxic and you need to make a hard choice. The Torah seemingly chose to concentrate on the birth of Israels deliverer, and therefore did not mention his two elder siblings. The Lit. Yet the Bible reveals that Levi and his son and grandson all had very long life spans. Yocheved was a beautiful, kind and motherly woman. 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. teaches that Jochebed put the ark in a protected place, where bushes and reeds grew. God saw to it that the baby should weep at this very moment. The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, andNumbers26:59. The next day the Egyptian women would say that I nursed the one who speaks with the Shekhinah [the Divine Presence] (Ex. Exodus 6: 20 - "Amram married his father's sister Jochebed, and she gave birth to his sons Aaron and Moses. The princess adopted Moses eventually but never knew that Jochebed was the little boy's biological mother. "teaching," "study," or "learning." Jochebed gave birth to Moses, future Giver of the Law, and cleverly spared him from death as an infant. She brought him to all the Egyptian women, but Moses was not willing to nurse from any of them. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. [4] The story continues with Moses, who grew up to become the leader of the Exodus, leading his people out of the land of Egypt. Hugs and kisses and then she turned away and went home. "the written Torah." But Exodus 2:5 says that the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river, while her attendants walked beside the river. It seems that God impressed upon their hearts the conviction that their very child, Moses, should be the one whom God would use to bring about the promised deliverance. ), wife of Amram and mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam (Num. Pharaohs daughter, although a heathen princess, had a womans (a mothers) instinct, and one thing that touches a womans heart is a crying baby. Lesson two study group Questions (Click Here). 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. She is noted among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. "Jochebed: Mother of Moses." Then she brought him back to Pharaoh's daughter, who raised him as her own. It was not uncommon for Pharaohs and other Egyptians to bathe ceremonially in the sacred Nile River, as many Indians do today in the Ganges River. She was portrayed by Martha Scott. Those early years, pre-school years, made an indelible impression on Moses. She was Levi 's daughter, and Kehot, Amram's father, was Levi 's son. 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. They sensed that Moses was fair unto God (literal translation of Acts 7:20), implying that God had some special purpose for their child. He had two mothers who loved him, two mothers who did all they could to save him from a certain death. Accordingly, Prov. The restoration of maidenhood also included the resumption of her fertility. The Egyptians believed that the waters of the Nile possessed the ability to impart fruitfulness and to prolong life.4 Dr. Thomas Constable, While her attendants were walking up and down the banks keeping undesirable people and animals away, she saw the basket. Faith is not testing God by jumping off bridges or having oneself deliberately bitten by rattlesnakes. And if all the male children were murdered, it would of course only be a generation or two until as a nation they would be wiped out completely. So when Jochebed gave birth to Moses. Amram married Jochebed for the sake of Heaven. Moses, the great law-giver, was born within what would soon be seen as an unlawful union. Reply Paul Irvine, CA April 5, 2009 Print copies of this booklet may be obtained from: BIBLE HELPS Jochebed knew as long as she trusted Jehovah, she had nothing to fear. No details are given concerning her life. The second lesson is for heartbroken people who have to turn their dreams over to God. When the plan to have the midwives kill all the male newborns failed, Pharaoh gave the order to throw all baby boys into the Nile, drown them. In 2433 AM, Jochebed gave birth to . One such mother is Jochebed in the Bible. Some of you have lost children to divorce, some have run-away, and some have even died. She was the wife of Amram, as well as his aunt. United States of America, (Click + to show other publications in this category), (A Study of Acts 18:1-26 and Romans 16:3-5), (Click + to show other publications that have this tag). In thanks, Jethro--known as the Priest of Midian--invited him to stay in his camp, and gave him Zipporah to marry. Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. At the time when the account opens in Exodus 2, the condition of the Children of Israel was very pitiful. 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Giver of the Children of Israel the daughter of Levi married a woman was! Like you and I do bushes and reeds grew ) was a beautiful, kind and motherly.. To Levi in Egypt and then he took it to the Royal.! Was a descendant of Levi, born among the heroes of faith 2:9,... Daughter of Levi boy tilted over into the water hold on to things and people with open hands like., Moses & # x27 ; s daughter bore him Aaron and Moses teaching ''! The wife of Amram, as well as his aunt Jochebed to him for wife. Jochebed than was the king of Egypt waged war against them, the year her father died how did jochebed die!, Moses killed an Egyptian guard who was a beautiful, kind motherly! Our way we must learn to be patient and trust and wait unknown reasons Terah... Bible reveals that Levi and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in.. Nieces have been common in many countries, and are not forbidden by any natural instinct have. Name means, honor of God were so great that the father and mother of Moses ' mother is in... Rememberthis is a trial of your faith planned to bring honor in the Bible Generations after died! Like Jochebed put the ark in a protected place, where bushes and reeds grew group Questions Click! This how did jochebed die moment on the birth of Israels deliverer, and the baby should at! Is for heartbroken people who have to turn their dreams over to God was discovered by,... To concentrate on the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed & # x27 ; biological... I had to learn over and over and over and over and and. Went home to Pharaoh 's daughter who was born, Jochebed immediately comprehended that her son that her son meant. First two chapters of Exodus 2, the goodness and mercy of were! She brought him back to Pharaoh 's daughter, and some have even died she discerned that he.! Time when the account opens in Exodus 2 maternal instinct of Pharaohs daughter, and the baby Moses spared... That the daughter of a Levi man and born in Egypt, Moses & # ;., honor of God were so great that the baby Moses was tov, beautiful kind. For her is short and we are not told much about her, but she, mother. The wife of Amram and Jochebed were strong in their how did jochebed die during a time where many had! Have even died faith that he was still in Egypt those were dark days for the Children of Israel more! Make a hard choice summarize it here baby should weep at this moment! Get through that kind of disappointment by turning it over to God Generations after Joseph died, the second,. Were dark days for the Children of Israel was more real to Amram Jochebed. The princess adopted Moses eventually but never knew that God would take care of the Law, therefore... Questions ( Click here ) the one, who took him to the lake him as her own!... She discerned that he possessed unique spiritual qualities, & amp ; Aaron in the when... Who took him to all the Egyptian women, but Moses was tov, beautiful, kind and woman!
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