But we tonight, certainly, we're going to be carrying on our series, Woman of the Bible. We've been working our way through alphabetically. And last week, if you missed it, we did Mrs. Job.And I think that was a real eye opener for all of us here. And this week, we're still on the Jays and we are over to Jechobed. I think that's the way you say her name, given the phonetics that we've been given here. Jechobed. She appears in scripture in Exodus chapter two verse one to 10. She's also in chapter six verse 20. She's in numbers chapter 26 and verse 59. Our study guide says she her name, Jechobed, means Yahweh is glory.That's a beautiful name.
A major contribution it says here, she's the mother and nurse of Moses. She taught him to love God and be loyal to his own people. Moses's mother may have intentionally placed her baby where Pharaoh's daughter would find him when she came to the river to bathe. This is her role in scripture.Jochebed is named only in two genealogies where she is identified as the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. Undoubtedly, her most significant role was in the early shaping of her son, Moses, a dominant figure through throughout Old Testament. Jochebed was a Hebrew woman in Egypt, a member of a slave race where she bore Moses. Pharaoh had commanded that all boys born to Hebrews should be thrown into the Nile. When Jechobed could no longer hide her child, she made a boat of papyrus weeds and concealed him in the river, where Pharoah intended that such children would meet their doom.Jochebed set her daughter to watch the baby and see that no harm came to him. We know the familiar story of how Moses was discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and adopted by her. Then the princess unknowingly placed Moses in charge of his own mother to be nursed.
Bible background about Papyrus boats. Papyrus reeds grew in marshy areas and were used in constructing large boats as well as the basket boat in which Moses survived.Bundled together and tied, the reeds floated high in the water and were capable of bearing heavy loads. It was common in Egypt in Egypt as in most ancient societies for upper class women to have wet nurses who would nurse their children. This relieves the mothers of a tiresome task and help them keep their figures. So it was natural for pharaoh's daughter to employ a Hebrew wet nurse. In biblical times, children were not weaned until the age of three or even four.We can assume that the first three to four years of Moses' life were spent with his mother rather than with the princess. Exodus chapter two verse nine and verse 10. And they were among the most important of his life. So these years were among the most important of his life. Jechobed's influence during these years was critical in giving Moses a strong sense of identity with the Hebrew people as well as a basic knowledge of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Exploring her relationships. The relationship of Jochebed and her husband. Jochebed was of the family of Levi, the third son of Leah and Jacob. She married her brother, Kohath's oldest son, Amram. They had three children, Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, all of whom distinguished themselves amongst God's chosen people.
Jechobed's relationship with God. Jechobed, like most mothers, loved her children and did what she could to protect them. It's difficult to imagine living in a society where the government would order all boys, all boy babies to be killed. Jechobed, like the midwives, Puah and Shifra, was a God fearing woman who took desperate measures to protect her infant son.
Jechobed's relationship with Miriam. We don't know if Miriam was the oldest of Jechobed's children, but she may have been since she was given the important responsibility of watching over her baby brother while he floated in a basket on the Nile. Some scholars have assumed that Miriam may have been around eight to 10 years of age when she watched over her baby brother. While today we might consider this child neglect, we must remember that 13 was viewed as marriageable age in bible times. Miriam, whatever her age, obeyed her mother and spent her time keeping close watch over the baby.Scripture does not reveal if the baby was found the first day afloat or if days or weeks went by while Miriam acted a sentinel. However long it was, Miriam honored her mother by being a responsible daughter and sister. Jechobed must have had a strong bond of trust with her daughter to give her this important responsibility.
Jechobed's relationship with Moses. Jechobed saw that Moses was a beautiful child and hid him for three months.When she realized it would be too difficult to conceal him any longer, she devised a plan to hide him in a floating basket. Exodus two and verse two and three. It is likely she knew that Pharaoh's daughter and her handmaidens frequented a spot on the Nile. Perhaps, Jechobed thought if she could just get Pharaoh's daughter to see her beautiful son, she would want to protect him too. Her plan succeeded, and thanks to quick thinking Miriam, Jochebed was able to continue nursing and nurturing her son and was even paid for it.Exodus two verse nine. She was his primary caregiver and influenced Moses for the first three to four years of his life. During these years, Jechobed infused a lasting sense of identity with God's people in her son. Then she brought him to Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. The princess called his name Moses saying, because I drew him out of water.Exodus two verse 10. To save his life, had to give up Moses to foster to a foster mother. He became a murderer and a fugitive, escaping to the wilderness and away from everything familiar to him. He lived in exile for forty years before God's time to use him arrived. It is probable that Jochebed was living with Moses was living when Moses fled to the wilderness.If so, she waited, wandered and prayed for her son but never knew what special plans God had for him. Moses was 80 when God spoke to him from the burning bush. It is almost certain that Jechobed had died before Moses came out of exile. But God in his grace and in his time had an intimate and special relationship with Moses as he had him lead his people out of bondage and through the wilderness for forty years before finally bringing them to the edge of the promised land.
An example for today. Jechobed's experiences show us that mothers need to be flexible and creative especially during difficult circumstances. Jechobed stands as a reminder to parents never to lose faith that god will work in the lives of their children. Most parents live to see this but some, like Jechobed, don't. How wonderful it is to understand that even after we aren't here to pray for our children, God continues to answer our prayers. Jechobed, like many mothers today, lovingly gave her child up for another to raise.God honored her by using her son for his godly purposes. And God used all of Moses' circumstances to make him into the man he needed him to be.
Wow. That's powerful. What a love. That's touching, actually. I think sometimes Moses is so forefront of his own story that we kinda forget his mom and the role she had to play for him to be who he was. And that's not an unfamiliar tale for mothers, isn't it? I think sometimes we see all these prominent figures throughout history and all these prominent men around the world. Perhaps maybe not so prominent. But we kinda forget the the mothers that raised them and birthed them and nursed them and nurtured them certainly in infancy.
I mean, just reading Jechobed's story and her perspective shining a limelight on her, what stood out for you in this account?
First of all, I didn't know her. So that's the number one thing. I've never you kind of know of Moses's mother, but I never knew her name because I may have heard it.So that's the first thing to actually put a name to this woman. I didn't realize she was actually named. So that's number one. And then number two, she was just a really quiet force. Right?You kind of she probably didn't even know that all the things that she was doing were going to amount to this big moment in history. Right? I guess she was just a woman doing what any mother would do. Do whatever it takes to save your son. So for example, the you know, there was this edict part in the land.Right? But she literally defies Pharaoh by trying to keep her child. And I think this is the love of her mother. It's defiant of everything. In many ways, people would have probably said, you know, what are you doing?This is futile. You know, this boy will grow. People will know that he's here. But she doesn't care, you know, that she she she did something that kinda didn't make sense because eventually, you lose the child.Right? But she did everything to hold on to him. The whole thing about putting him down the re you know, in the basket to send him, you just think what was she thinking? But maybe she knew something that we did. But I just think that her love for for for Moses shines through the story.And I think she's like many mothers I know. They will sacrifice anything for their children. So I I imagine that this story is relatable for many mothers.
And it's interesting because it's it's in the sometimes, I mean, speaking as a mom, sometimes we wanna hold on to our children. And that's, you know, for me anyway, that this story.And really throughout the Bible, you know, when you think of Mary and Jesus, it's it's wrong to hold on to your children. They're not yours. Sometimes it's in the letting go that God can really use them when you surrender them to God and you always surrender them to God and his will for them. That God can really Use them for his purposes. I mean, you know, this we think of Moses's mother.We think of, Jesus's mother Mary. You know, she obviously raised a little boy. And then he gets to about, I think it's 12 and he's sitting in the temple and they're like, you know, your mom's looking for you. And she and he's like, well, my family's in here with me and type of thing. He's given her cheek.Obviously, not like, you know, we would call it today cheek. But then she realizes that he's doing his father's work and she realizes that this is essentially God's will for him. And this is why he's been, you know, because like we've often said, she was a Hebrew Hebrew girl. So she understood, you know, who he was and what he had come to do. And so, you know, like like Jechobed is almost like in the letting go.Jechobed lets go of her baby. She surrenders him to God when she's placing him in that, you know, papyrus boat or papyrus basket. She's essentially, letting him go you know, surrendering him to God and saying, well, I know you'll look after my baby. You're the God of the Hebrews.You're the God of my people. And you're his God, and you're the God of this baby. And I know you will look after him. And you know, like like the guide says, it's not we're not told whether it was days or weeks, but God does look after him. Yeah.And God does make Pharaoh's daughter. And God orchestrates everything so beautifully that he's actually raised in in Pharaoh's household underneath Pharaoh's nose by Pharaoh's daughter. But being breastfed and nurtured by his own mother. Like, only God could do that.
But I mean,G she's now when when you read of this woman's courage and almost like daring to defy, you know, to defy pharaoh. What do you think we can learn from that as Christians?
Before you start, I think Grace has got a question for us.
Sorry. I've not been in this meeting for us.I'm not clear enough about whether or not I'm allowed to talk. I don't want to get in the way. I was just thinking about, how we're told of the importance of faith of, various Old Testament characters, you know. And and by faith, Abraham trusted God. And I feel like, yeah, she she's got courage.She's also got faith. She she knows that God can somehow work things out. I think that's an important part of what we might learn from her.
Mhmm. Mhmm.Yeah. And and isn't it And that's one of the points I have to list. I've got four points. True to four. Sorry. Four points. No. Point number one that I get from this is faith and courage. She really does show faith and courage, so she does. And then two, she shows parental love.Three, she shows trust. God's plan, because she knew God had a plan, would keep it all right. And then number four is her perseverance. That's what I get. And Sharon's giggling associates.Oh, there's our Giselle associated with with all these different points. They all keep me going at services and things like that and Bible studies. Maggie said we asked Maggie to answer a question the other night, and she said, I would love one day to come up and say I've got five points, but I haven't. But when you say perseverance, Dee, what do you mean? Well, she was facing lots and lots and lots of different challenges.And to me, I believe she persevered wholeheartedly in everything to protect Moses. Mhmm. Throughout all the the laws that Yes. Sarah was within. Yep.Exactly. In her face of, her yeah. Her facing her problems, her mountain top, her deepest valley, everything. She persevered through it all. Mhmm.Well, and and and that combines the love as well, doesn't it not does it not for for the love of her child? Yes. Yeah. And as you said, just then God orchestrated it all that has natural mother became the wet nurse. And those who formed it of years, Moses was with his natural mother.And then he goes off and then and and brought up as, what the pharaoh's daughters, sisters, or whatever, child.
And there's a lesson there, isn't it? Iit's that thing of God will work everything out. And and, you know, I think perhaps also, like, for parents that are praying for perhaps children that are not yet believers. So for believing parents that are praying for children that are not yet believers, I think there's an encouragement here that it might happen, but it might not even be in your lifetime.Because, you know, by the time Moses comes to his purpose or the purpose that God has planned for him, he's 80. By which time his mom was probably long gone. And so if she were praying for him, because obviously, he was exiled as a murderer, so she's probably praying that he will come back and he would repent and he would, you you know, not turn his back away from God whilst he's in exile. And you know what a mother's languishing prayers can be like. You know?She's thinking, oh, my child has been exiled. He's out there in the wilderness, in the desert suffering alone. Just pray he won't turn his back from God, you know, with whom I raised him to believe in. And she she's she's petitioning and interceding for him whilst he's out there. But it doesn't sound in any way that she lives to see him come back.Doesn't sound like she lives to see him step into this purpose that God has for him.
And I think sometimes as parents, we can we can get discouraged if we're praying for our children. And it just feels like they're so far away from God or they're doing things. I mean, heaven forbid, none of our children, spiritual or otherwise, will be murderous. But sometimes it just feels like, you know, you could be praying for children or your loved ones or your family members that seem so far away from God.Like, they're actually killing like, they're they're killing people. Like, they're murderers. They're thieves. They're, you know, unbelievers. And sometimes it can feel like we're praying for for our loved ones that are so far away from God.And we can feel disheartened if we don't see that prayer answered in our lifetime. But we should take heart that God will do Yes. What he's got planned for them.
And just for a a point of encouragement for all those mothers out there praying for their children. A dear friend of mine, in Northern Ireland, and I met her in 2011 when I come back to live in Northern Ireland again.And so I've known since 2011, she'd been praying for her sons. But she's been praying for a lot, lot, lot longer than that. She's four sons. And she told me two days ago, the two youngest sons have now committed their lives to Christ. Wow.Wow. So That's amazing. Two out of four ain't bad. But that's for eleven years. I've known she's been praying.Maybe a lot lot lot lot longer because she's been a born again believer for maybe twenty five, maybe thirty years. So that could be as long as what she's been praying for her family for. And, so it does happen in God's timing.
It does. And and, obviously, God's mercy if we are to see it because, you know, the bible's clear that His time, you know, it's not our time.And so if we do live to see that works out and and answered in our lifetime that is a mercy that God's affording us.
That's a mercy that God's calling us today. You know I want you to see the answer to your prayers because oftentimes it will probably happen but we won't be we just have to trust God that he will do do it in your own time. Mhmm. And and and that's hard that's hard when you are a a finite mortal human with limited number of years here on earth to trust that even if you're not around to see it, it will happen and to put your trust and your faith in
God.
Ngum I know you and I normally have a lot of conversations about the role of mothers in the formative years of a child. And how important it is and how sometimes, especially in the society that we live in and the culture that we live in, that can either be undermined, underappreciated, and and sometimes almost because because sometimes society cannot put a tangible monetary value on it.It's almost seen as negligence or negligible or that contribution isn't, you know, anything to write home about. But I I think what can we learn from this story? Because this woman I mean, cue this to Miriam. We'll probably talk about her in her own right at some point when we get to the letter m, that that that little girl is sharp. But she orchestrates all this, and God uses her to get her mom by her baby brother's side.But how how do you think that Hebrew woman raising that boy with Hebrew values in essentially what is a pagan state, an unbelieving Mhmm. Country, what importance and what significance do you think that those formative years and those ideas that were implanted in baby Moses's mind, how important do you think that is for for us as as mothers and as women as as we're looking around nurturing children today?
Oh, I think they're very important. They've always been, and I think Miriam is just. Right?That the things that mothers are saying today, the things that women are saying today are nothing new. If you look at it in most societies, right, just by the fact that mothers spend more time with the children, Given how society historically has been arranged, mothers tend to be the ones who breastfeed. Right? So especially in that time, there's probably no baby formula. There wasn't.So, you know, so babies crying every five minutes, you kinda need to be with that child. So I think just the proximity that children have with mothers, and we see this even till today. It just puts mothers in that teacher position whether they like it or not. They just make mothers like, mothers are the original influencers. Right?Because the child is learning yeah. Exactly. Because the child is learning everything. I think if I even think about my own parents, you know, my dad is hugely influential in my life. But if I think about, you know, the times that I spent with both parents, I spend more time with them.And I know that there are things that I learned from her. You know? And the thing with moms is it's just it's not this formal teaching. Right? It's doing by example.I mean, even in this modern era, a lot of us are introduced to spirituality by our mothers. I know I was. You know? So it would I imagine, you know, what's she called again? Yeah.Yeah. I wanna get the the pronunciation correctly. I can just imagine her singing songs to Moses, you know, teaching him to pray, you know, teaching him maybe, like, the basic daily prayers, going through you know, Jewish people have this culture who's teaching their children about God. So I can imagine her being the person who introduces Moses to this little you know, so these very basics of Jewish culture. Him seeing the family dynamics.
Those formative years, I mean, we know today, even scientific, but they're very important. I think it's something like the first five years of the child's life. And Moses, if we look at what they say here, gets to spend those really important years with his mom. So she must have imprinted something on him, you know, giving him that sense of identity that he could carry that could carry him through because imagine going to Pharaoh's palace. Right?Everything is huge. It's ornate. It's it's very rich in the right yet Moses doesn't get lost in all of that. So, yeah, she must have done an amazing job. And I think many mothers bring it back to today.Many mothers do that. You know? Like said, it is unfortunate that people don't necessarily recognize a mother's job. I think what I I I I like when I see many mothers is that there's that personal satisfaction. Right?Even if the world doesn't give you the award, you feel good that you've done the best you could for your children. And, of course, it's a joy when your children come back and appreciate you. They give you Mother's Day gifts or when they are older, they come back and buy you a house or whatever. But I think for most mothers, even if their children never did that I mean, I even dare say, even if those children didn't appreciate you, and, you know, deep in your hearts. Right?African mothers are superbly dramatic about this. They will tell you, this breath that I breastfed you with. But all that drama is used to say, I know that I take my best value. And deep down, I feel satisfied about that. So I think mothers should be very proud of themselves.It's not a role that should ever be underestimated. I think it's it's very important. Mhmm. Mhmm. Yeah.That's that's really, really important because I think sometimes, you know, when it and and you see it, these days, they made this this this sort of a movement to, like, a trad wife at the moment going on where, you know, the the the younger generations think that they're they're inventing something new, by calling themselves tradewives, which are literally just stay at home house moms. That's what they're calling tradewives. Like, do you know what's so funny? Many of those tradewives actually have channels. Right?
Social media channel. They're literally working. They're making money from social media. I know. I know.I know. I know. I know. I know. I know.I know. They're business women. If that's This is I find the whole page just hilarious. My grandmother was a third one. I started and she was working.We were really she had a problem. She had a business. I think I'm doing these things since, like, Jacobus time and and, you know, she may have been been doing it. But, gee, I'm gonna come over to you because I think it's important, that perhaps people that aren't biological moms that are listening to this. How important do you think?Because I know sometimes the church can often concentrate on biological mothers, but also forget that it takes a village. And so those biological moms are only able to raise those children because of the network of of spiritual moms and aunties and uncles and and grandmothers that they have around them. How, you know, how important do you think that is this support network? I mean, you know, I look I look at my own kids and I and I look at our church family, and we're incredibly blessed, to have such a diverse and loving church family. You know, to have people in there that they call nana nanny, who we ever see, like, children's ministries that aren't even related to them.These are, like, old white women. Like, you know, definitely not related to my kids, but my kids have such an affinity to them. And I think that's just such a blessing. But how do you think perhaps things that aren't biological moms that can sometimes feel left out of these kind of conversations? What encouragement do you think they can take from this?And also, how do you think they can help raise these, the Moseses of of of the next generations? Right. Well, what a brilliant question. Yeah. Yep.Oh, thank you. I do come up with one every now and again. You do. You do. You do, my dear.But yeah, as a woman who was never able to have her own children. And yes, back in the day, I did go through IVF treatment. I think I got onto the table and implanted five times and none of it ever worked. And I don't know why I was never blessed with children. But now, since I've been walking with God, since I became born again, I have hundreds of spiritual children.I think my oldest spiritual child is 61. And I'm only 72. So I don't I don't know how that happens. But anyway, It's a miracle. It is.It's it's it's an absolute miracle. Yes. Not not the immaculate conception or anything like that. But, I do believe that, churches especially, maybe not society as a whole, no it is, with women that don't have children. And they're they're they're not catered for.They're really not catered for. But you're a woman with no children, and your church group isn't catering for you and other women without children. Why don't you pray about it? And maybe take the first step of starting a group where you can identify those young mothers with children and maybe start a helping hand group. What kind of group?Yeah. I'm listening this one. Okay. I'll I'll I'll I'll let you in a minute. Just because I love you, and you these children could become you you don't have to be blood relative to be to love children.To to be to be like, an aunt or a grandma or something to them. Yeah? So let's step out. God has given you the resources. God has given you everything.
Mactually. And I would love I would love to have a poll in this too. How many churches do actually, run a service that if you don't show show up for the Sunday morning service, they get in touch with you. Are you okay?Oh, no. I have car problems. Well, if you'd like to come to tonight's service, we'll have someone pick you up. I think I think my I think my church does that. My church checks on the elderly.My church Oh, that's good. Formally and also informally. And we know that Sedona's church very soon is gonna have that, rent a granny, rent an auntie. It probably is. It it is.But do you know what do you know what you've just made me realize though? And and and this is this is perhaps I don't know. I don't know. Even if people who don't have children, even if you do this from a very a purely selfish reason that when you're old, those children that you look after when they're young will just naturally gravitate towards you. So I can imagine the scenario where I mean, we've been in a church we've been in now for, what, eleven, twelve years, and there are some there are some people there that my kids sort of grown up with, and it just naturally gravitates towards because they've just been there.You know, and and when they've maybe moved away and they come back to visit, you just see that natural affinity towards those people. But I can imagine the situation, say, say, we don't move away from the church we're in now, and we'd be there for, I don't know, twenty, thirty years. And the people that were there young when my kids were born, My kids are in their thirties and they have their own kids. I can imagine that relationship with those people who would probably be my age being very much like a parental one because they've seen those people week in, week out for thirty years. And so if they don't see auntie so and so, oh, I'll go check on auntie so and so or so and so's mom or drop someone's, you know, a text and say, you okay?
actually mean allow God to work his purposes out in the life of your children. I think we've learned that faith and and trust and courage and just knowing and just trusting that God will answer your prayers, and he might not necessarily be in your lifetime, but he will come through and and praying with that to us.So, with that in mind, shall we say a prayer before we say goodnight? Mhmm. Our heavenly father, we thank you so much for, the story of Jacob. Thank you for the trusting woman that she was. Thank you, Lord, because sometimes we take her for granted as as she seems a kind of behind the scenes character.But what powerful woman of faith she she must have been. What a dedicated woman she must have been to pass on her faith, and the Jewish faith to her young son. Thank you, Lord, because she ultimately understood, sacrifice. She ultimately understood that she had to give up her son in in order to save him. She might not have understood the plans that you had for her baby boy, but she knew that in your hands, he was okay, and he would be okay.Help us, Lord, to have that same faith and that same trust in your plan for us. For those that are praying for unbelieving children, Lord, help them to trust, Lord, in your plans for those children. Help them to pray knowing that they might not necessarily see the answers this side of heaven. But let them trust in your plans for their children, Lord, trusting that you would answer their prayers even after they may be long gone. We thank you for the lessons that we've learned.Help us to, encourage those who were perhaps childless. Help us to love those in our church family and and foster those bonds of love and unity, Lord. And let us understand that we are all one family, and we can all help each other along this this faith walk. Thank you, Lord. In Jesus' name, amen.Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you, ladies, and good night. Thank you.Thank you, everyone, for joining, Grace. Yes. Yes. Welcome. And Good night, yeah, good night, everyone, on Playbackland.Good night. Bye.