Mothers Make The Difference

A teacher gave her K2 class a lesson on the magnet and what it does.

• The next day in a written test, she included this question: My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I pick up things. What am I?

• When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the children answered the question with the word MOTHER.

A teacher asked a boy this question: Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were 7 of you - your parents and 5 children. What part of the pie would you get?

• A sixth, replied the boy.

• I’m afraid you don’t know your fractions, said the teacher, Remember, there are seven of you.

• Yes, teacher, said the boy, but you don’t know my mother. She would say she didn’t want any pie.

A little boy forgot his lines in a Sunday school presentation. His mother was in the front row to prompt him.

• She gestured and formed the words silently with her lips, but it did not help. Her son was playing the role of Jesus but his mind was blank.

• Finally, she leaned forward and whispered the cue, ‘I am the light of the world.’

• The child was delighted and with a loud voice said, ‘My mother is the light of the world.’

Mothers make the difference in our lives.

• It will not be too far-fetched to say, without them, we may not be what we are today, or who we are today.

• Mothers are a gift from God. We are blessed because of them. We thank God for them!

We want to take a look at Moses’ mother today.

• She is not as well known, but like all mothers, she did what many mothers would do – to love, protect and nurtures their children in God’s ways.

• Few might have noticed her efforts or knew much of what she had done, but the fruit of her labours testifies to her greatness and contribution.

Let’s read Exodus 2:1-10

By all human standards, Moses never had a chance.

• Not only was he born to a slave, but there was already a death sentence upon him.

• Had he been born a girl he would have been allowed to live, but as a boy he had no life expectancy.

Exo 1:22 set the context: “Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: ‘Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.”

• Moses was a Hebrew, born in the cruel culture of ancient Egypt where Pharaoh had declared that all the Hebrew boys that were born were to be exterminated. Throw them into the river (to the crocodiles – that’s what the Nile was famous for).

• Pharaoh became one of a long line of lunatics who have attempted to exterminate the Jews.

What caused this attempt to eradicate an entire race? Exodus 1 gives us the background.

• 1:7 “the Israelites became exceedingly numerous, so that the land was filled with them.”

• 1:10 “…and if war breaks out, [they] will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”

• It has always been Satan’s passion to exterminate the Jewish race. He knew that through them would come the Saviour of the world.

• So, he has used men and women throughout human history to reach his goal, even today.

Into this situation Moses was born! You can say he was born at the wrong time (only in the eyes of man!).

• But one young woman was determined to do things God’s way. Her name was Jochebed (not even mentioned here).

• She was only in passing, in 6:20 when they listed the family record, and in Num 26:59 when they listed the census.

• No one noticed her. People know Moses, but few if any, knows Moses’ mother.

Jochebed was determined to honour God’s gift to her. While everyone bowed to this new order, she would not submit.

• No one, not even mighty Pharaoh could lay his hands on her God-given child.

Her courage saved a child. Let’s put it in another way, her bravery saved a nation!

• For child was Moses, the great deliverer of Israel.

• Only eternity will show the greatness of this mother. Only the Lord knows the full extent of her contribution in God’s kingdom.

In fact, Moses was her third child.

• Her first born was Miriam, the sister who was stationed near the river to watch over him and suggested to Pharoah’s daughter to let one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby.

• Miriam led the victory chorus after their crossing of the Red Sea [see Exodus 15:20-21]. She was the first one identified with prophetic and musical gifts.