All Israel saw this, and in consequence they also divorced their wives. Or would it be wise to just distance herself from this baby and let someone else throw him in the Nile? Jewish Women's Archive. 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. They had faith that God had made promises to them through Abraham that they would be a nation, a people with land, their land. How do we know? The life of Jochebed is an amazing demonstration of the walk by faith. We are thinking of faith in this lesson, not as saving faith, but as sustaining faith. The Exodus Rabbah argues that when the Pharaoh instructed midwives to throw male children into the Nile, Amram divorced Jochebed, who was three months pregnant with Moses at the time, but Miriam soon persuaded him to marry Jochebed again;[10] it goes on to argue that the Egyptians estimated the date that Moses would be due to be born by counting nine months from the start of this marriage, hence allowing Jochebed to hide him for the three months that were overestimated. She also was a descendant of Levi, born among the Levites in the land of Egypt. "Jochebed: Mother of Moses." Jochebed's name is given various allegorical interpretations;[12][13] the Leviticus Rabbah identifies her as the person named in the Book of Chronicles as Jehudijah,[14] by arguing that the name should be interpreted as meaning the Jewess, in reference to her founding the Jewish nation by disobeying the Pharaoh's order to dispose of the firstborn males. Those must have been precious years. As she raised her children, she implanted the seeds of hope in their hearts. 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 . Jacob, too, married two sisters t. Jack Zavada is a writer who covers the Bible, theology, and other Christianity topics. Jochebed, his biological mother, loved her son and kept him as long as she could after he was born. Jochebed hid Moses because he was in danger of being killed since he was a Hebrew boy. A compilation of the commentary and discussions of the amora'im on the Mishnah. We don't know but we hope that she too was alive to see the Exodus. It is doubtful whether the decree of the wicked Pharaoh will be fulfilled, but you are righteous, and your decree will undoubtedly be fulfilled. Amram heeded his daughter, and returned to his wife, whom he remarried in a public celebration with all possible pomp and ceremony: he sat her in a palanquin, Aaron and Miriam danced before her, and the ministering angels proclaimed (Ps. Just so, when we get beyond our depths, and when we get in deep water, we cry out to God for help. Moses was tov, beautiful, fine, good, and not ordinary. Moses was a prophet during biblical times. (We learn later, in Exodus 6:20, that the father and mother of Moses are named Amram and Jochebed.) [15], Some rabbinic literature attempts to resolve the textual discrepancy in which the Torah lists 34 children of Leah born in Mesopotamia, stating that two were dead, and then immediately states that there were 33 in total,[16] by arguing that the figure referred only to the surviving children, and that Jochebed was the 33rd;[17][18] however, since the Book of Numbers describes Jochebed's birth as occurring in Egypt,[1] this necessitated the further rabbinic argument that Jochebed was born exactly on the border of Egypt, in the gateway of the city. It was at this time that Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed. The basket fell in the hands of the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing in the river. Rabbah 1:16). After you had given birth, held that baby, nursed, rocked and stayed up all night trying to ease his crying and then to give him up? There is nothing immoral in marrying your aunt unless the Torah explicitly forbids it. Born into a Levite family, Moses' natural parents, Jochebed (mother) and Amram (father) reared Moses until he was about 3 months old. Trials are of many kinds and they change from day to dayand vary from person to person. Scripture does not tell us when Jochebed died but it is possible she was still living when the Law of Moses was given. Jochebed was married to Amram. 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. Pharaohs daughter just happened to see the basket? [23] According to biblical scholars, the Torah's genealogy for Levi's descendants, is actually an aetiological myth reflecting the fact that there were four different groups among the Levites the Gershonites, Kohathites, Merarites, and Aaronids;[24] Aaron the eponymous ancestor of the Aaronids couldn't be portrayed as a brother to Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, as the narrative about the birth of Moses (brother of Aaron), which textual scholars attribute to the earlier Elohist source, mentions only that both his parents were Levites (without identifying their names). She took leave of her baby with a heavy heart, and tried with all her might to protect him and ensure that he remain alive. Jochebed his father's sister. Numbers 26:58-59 These are the families of the Levitesand Kohath begot Amram. Faith and trust in God knows that God often works behind the scenes of our lives. Perhaps there would be some shade too from the sun in the reeds. He went from her arms to the arms of Pharaohs daughter. Moses fled to Midian, which is in modern-day Saudi Arabia. For some, poverty comes, friends disappoint, children bring heartaches, and feelings of inferiority torment. Although the Torah asserts that Jacobs household who came to Egypt numbered seventy souls, the Rabbis noted that only sixty-nine individuals are listed in Gen. 46. Exodus 6: 20 She named him Moses. The Pharaoh had decreed that all their baby boys were to be thrown into the Nile, because he feared that they might become too powerful. 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. The Bible; the Pentateuch; Tanakh (the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographia)Torah also designates Jochebed as the daughter of Levi (Num. 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. Can you imagine what it would be like to give away your 3-month-old baby, not knowing what would happen to him? Terah coordinated the journey, intending to go to this new land, but stopped in the city of Haran along the way, where he died at the age of 205. . I learned to give injections, to plan meals, to test blood, to watch for highs and lows, and I learned to trust God in a new, powerful way. Robert Lehigh, Editor The mother of Miriam, Aaron and Moses. 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. During the few years, Jochebed was permitted to nurse her son, she would have had a profound influence upon him. Ex. Jochebed's name means, "Honor of God" or "God is glory". A desperate measure. His wonders to perform; Cain the first human murderer recorded in the Bible, Jephthah the Gileadite the tenth Judge of Israel, Samuel 15th Judge of Israel and also a Prophet, Background Information: For Hebrews Chapter 11. If so, then why does Ex. All three point to Christ. We know from history that all the kings in Pharaohs day had bath houses, such as even the wealthiest do not possess in our day. Rabbah 1:13). The new Pharaoh reduced the Hebrews to slavery, he robbed them of their liberties, and he put them to work in the brick yards under cruel taskmasters. His older sister, Miriam (15 years his senior), and his brother 3-year old Aaron were safe from Pharaoh's edict since they were born before it was enacted. Here then, we have Moses' own parents, living in a relationship clearly condemned as abomination under the Law of Moses. Rabbah 1:26). Devorah was as active an anti-vaxxer as you'll see on this site. Features thousands of biographic and thematic essays on Jewish women around the world. The latest date that Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM (1620 BC), the year her father died. The Lit. All her choices were difficult. He does them in a big way if we dare to trust Him. She had feelings just like you and I have. 6:20). Someone has said mothers begin saying good-bye to their children from the moment they are born.1 And we dont want to forget there is also a pain that comes from wanting a child and yet not having one, perhaps even having to give up that possibility. Thus Jochebed nursed her son until he was old enough and brought him to the Pharaoh's daughter, who adopted him as her son. Israel (Jacob) and his family had gone into Egypt to escape the famine in Palestine. [25] Biblical scholars suspect that the Elohist account offers both matrilinial and patrilinial descent from Levites in order to magnify the religious credentials of Moses. Another midrash has Jochebed building a little canopy for Moses inside the ark, for she said to herself: Perhaps I will not see him under his wedding canopy (BT Sotah 12ab). Moved with compassion when she discovered the child, she decided to adopt him. Further study: Her appearance is short and we are not told much about her, but one trait stands out: trust in God. She was told to do that. Some, its likely all of us, know the pain of giving up, letting go of someone, or something precious to you: A relationship, a job, a dream. She caulked it with bitumen and pitch (Ex. Joseph had saved the country from a famine, but eventually, he was forgotten by the Egyptian rulers, the Pharaohs. The Haggadah extends this miraculous nature to Moses' conception by marking as 120 the age of Jochebed at conception. Rather, this verse teaches that Jochebeds pregnancy was without suffering, just as she gave birth without pain. JOCHEBED. 2:2). The woman became pregnant and gave birth to a son. PO Box 391 Mike Huckabee, Devorah Sklar (still trying to get her exact age) has died of COVID. All Israel saw this, and they, too, remarried their wives (Mekhilta de-Rabbi Simeon bar Yohai [ed. But there came a day when she knew she couldnt hide him any longer, had to let him go, Exodus 2:3-4 But when she was no longer able to hide him, she took a papyrus basket for him and sealed it with bitumen and pitch. He plants His footsteps in the sea, Print copies of this booklet may be obtained from: BIBLE HELPS . Pharaohs daughter, although a heathen princess, had a womans (a mothers) instinct, and one thing that touches a womans heart is a crying baby. In Ex., ii, 10, a derivation from the Hebrew Mashah (to draw) is implied. 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. The story of his birth ( Exodus 2:1-10) is followed by an account of his killing of an Egyptian and the flight to Midian ( Exodus 2:11-16 ). She had hard problems to face just like you and I have. Yet the Bible reveals that Levi and his son and grandson all had very long life spans. It is interesting to consider that, in Leviticus 18:12, such marriages were forbidden, but this was before that injunction. Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. He said: Master of the Universe! The story of Moses' mother is found in chapter two of Exodus, Exodus 6:20, and Numbers 26:59. Amram and Jochebed were strong in their faith during a time where many Israelites had become idolatrous. (2021, September 4). Zavada, Jack. When trials come our way we must learn to be patient and trust and wait. He is the author "Hope for Hurting Singles: A Christian Guide to Overcoming Life's Challenges.". Rabbi (Judah ha-Nasi) would sit and expound, and the public was drowsing. Two lessons emerge from her story. And the princess told the little slave girl to go and get a nurse of the Hebrew womenand when she came back with their own mother, Pharaohs daughter said to her, Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. To save her son's, Moses' life, she made a wooden . In verse 16 we find that Levi's sons were Gershon, Kohath and Merari. The Rabbis deduced from this that righteous women are not subject to the decree passed on Eve (that is, the curse of in pain shall you bear children [Gen. 3:16] does not apply to them) (BT Sotah 12a). This portrayal emphasizes the painstaking attention that Jochebed paid to every detail in the ark. The Pharaoh's daughter agreed and so Miriam called her mother, who was appointed to take care of him. Although she is mentioned only twice in the Bible, Jochebed has a lasting place as one of the immortal mothers of Israel. Surely the words of Hebrews 11:6, Without faith it is impossible to please God, include the concept of sustaining faith. She lived in Egypt, where the descendants of Israel were being oppressed. Resources Lockyer's All the Women of the Bible Chapter 2. What to do? (NET). Answering:, "Jochebed couldn't have gone to the Holy land because God killed off the entire generation that left Egypt except for Caleb and Joshua as punishment. Jochebed: Mother of Moses. She hid Moses for a period of time, but as the childs lungs developed it became impossible to hide him. Tellings of the birth of Moses story often overlook Jochebed's role in the story from beginning to end. When a womans heart and a babys tears meet, something happens. There is great historical debate on who was Pharaohs daughter? We often think of this passage as the story of Moses, but it might be more appropriate to call it the story of Jochebeda woman who is relatively unknown to many Christians. The mother of Moses is famous in the eyes of God, not because she bore the baby Moses, but because of her faitha faith that knew no defeat. The parents of Moses believed the simple promise of Gods Word, and the revelation that after 400 years Israel would be delivered, and that their son was a proper childand so, instead of casting baby Moses into the river, they hid him for three months, and then turned him over to God. The prophecy of 400 years of bondage (Gen 15:13) was coming to a close. 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). That Jochebed could have been born was 2385 AM ( 1620 BC ), year... To please God, include the concept of sustaining faith from day to dayand vary from to! At this time that Moses was given, a derivation from the Hebrew Mashah to... 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