A Mother Named Jehocabed
Hebrews 11:23
5-10-09
Intro
I found some interesting titles for books about motherhood. Whoever wrote these books must have been mothers because they seem to grasp the job description quite well.
We begin with this one:
Motherhood is Not for Wimps. How many moms out there could say, “Amen”?
Dirty Little Secrets from Otherwise Perfect Moms.
Naptime is the New Happy Hour.
I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids.
My favorite: It Gets Easier and Other Lies We Tell New Mothers.
A Junior High science teacher lectured on the properties of magnets for an entire class. The next day he gave his students a quiz. The first question read like this: “My name begins with an “M,” has six letters, and I pick things up. What am I?” Half the kids in the class wrote, “Mother.”
This morning I want us to look at a mother in the Bible who demonstrated an amazing faith in God. She is an example for all of us. But before we do that I want to talk about a crisis going on in our nation. There is a lot of news about the economic crisis. It’s hard to flip through the channels without seeing several commentaries on the subject. Newspapers, magazines are all covering it. But the crisis I’m talking about is really more serious than the economic crisis. It’s a Motherhood Crisis.
What do I mean by Motherhood Crisis?
I’m talking about a sociological problem that will bring this nation down if it’s not addressed. The economic crisis that we’re in did not happen overnight. What’s bringing Chrysler and GM down? Years of promises that now have to be paid. Years of buildup in pension debt. The key difference between American manufactures and Foreign is the pension debt. It happened slowly; but one day it could no longer be ignored. There’s another crisis building as well.
Slowly the strength of this nation is declining in a way that people don’t seem to notice. We notice when its money. We notice when 40% of our IRA balance disappears. But I’m talking about a far more precious resource: people. We are now at an all-time low birthrate. In fact, as of 2004 the rate is not even at the replacement level. The fertility rate in this country is 43% less than it was in 1960. That shocking reality can’t be adequately depicted on a chart but there is one to let you see the trend.
Why is that so alarming? It’s alarming if you believe the Bible. Ps 127:3-5
Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them;
They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.
What does that passage say about a nation’s ability to defend itself? It says you better have some strong young men and women to do the fighting or you’re going to be in big trouble. In contrast to our decline in population, it’s estimated that by the year 2000 the proportion of world’s Moslem population will rise to 22.4% as compared with 18.3% in 1975. The problem is in the trends. While our enemies are gaining strength, we are losing strength. It’s also happening to some of our closest allies. The Moslem growth rate in Israel is 2.4 times what it is among Jews—all due to higher birth rates.
When we look into the first chapter of Exodus, we find that Pharaoh understood this issue of population growth all too well. Ex 1:7-10 “But the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, multiplied and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them. 8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, "Look, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we; 10 come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and it happen, in the event of war, that they also join our enemies and fight against us, and so go up out of the land." He eventually issued an order to kill all the male Hebrew babies. We’ll talk about that some more in a moment. But do you see the principle? Increased birth rate means increased strength; decreased birth rate means decreased strength.
What accounts for this lower fertility rate in the United States? Are there atomic particles floating around making it harder for people to get pregnant? Have the terrorists managed to put something in our water that will slowly diminish our strength as a nation? Is there some kind of virus that is damaging women’s ability to get pregnant? No, but there is an epidemic causing it. It is an epidemic of selfishness.
Glen Stanton says it is driven by a sharp decline in selflessness, sacrifice and maturity—all of which are required to raise the next generation. Stanton goes on to say a contributing factor to this is—and I quote “the emergence of ‘delayed adolescence’ among young adults...many twenty- and thirty-somethings seem to view life as ‘all about me’ as they pursue gadgets, fun, money, and peer approval. This is at cross-purposes to the self-sacrifice and commitment necessary for marriage and child-rearing.”
The epidemic is about a mindset that brings sterility. It’s a mindset in complete contradiction to Ps 127:3 Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. It’s an upside down value system that views babies as an inconvenience rather than a blessing from God. And we have national organizations like Planned Parenthood promoting the sterility. Listen to the way they entice unsuspecting souls into their web of lies. I quote from their website, “Abortion is a safe and legal way for women to choose to end pregnancy. Abortions are very common. In fact, more than 1 out of 3 women in the U.S. have an abortion by the time they are 45 years old.” That sounds like a pretty blatant way of promoting the murder of unborn children. They make it sound so innocent. Everybody’s doing it; one out of three do it; it’s safe and legal. Regardless of the secular laws of our land, in the eyes of God, murder is never legal.
I almost apologize for exposing the dark side of all this. Yet, in Eph. 5:11 Paul tells us to reprove or expose the unfruitful works of darkness. It’s not OK to just go along with the culture—when the culture is not going along with God.
Does parenthood involve a sacrifice? You had better believe it. In addition to all the hard work and lack of sleep, there are financial costs. A Department of Agriculture study estimates the cost to raise one child to be ¼ million dollars. And that does not include college costs. But there are some things more valuable than money.
Now I want to talk about a mom in the Bible who felt the same way.
Her name was Jehocabed (pronounced Jahk-uh-bed). The name alone is intriguing. It’s the first person in Scripture with a name that’s a compound with Jehovah. It means “Jehovah is our glory” or possibly “Jehovah is her glory”. Jehocabed is Moses’ mother. She was born long before Moses challenged Pharaoh to let God’s people go. Yet during that time God said to Moses, (Ex 6:3) And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them. But here is Moses’ mother with the name meaning “Jehovah is her glory”. Maybe God had revealed Himself by that name by the time she was born. Or its possible Moses gave her that name as recorded by him when he wrote this account. Alexander Whyte posed this question. “Was God-thy-glory the remarkable name that Moses gave his mother as often as he looked back at all that he owned to her....?”
In Exodus 2, Jehocabed and her husband, Amram, found themselves in a difficult situation. They were slaves in Egypt; she was pregnant with her third child. Not only did she have no money, she also had no liberty. The king, Pharaoh, had passed new legislation so to speak. The law now was that every male child born of a Hebrew was to be thrown into the crocodile- infested Nile River. Think about the emotional turmoil these parents must have experienced. They were godly people of the tribe of Levi. If they disobeyed, they not only risked their own lives but the lives of their other two children, Miriam and Aaron. Miriam was about 10 and Aaron was about 3. But maybe this new baby would be a little girl. That would solve their problem. How many know that God is not always looking to solve our problem the simplest way? His purposes usually go beyond quick solutions. It was not a girl; it was a beautiful little boy. The Bible tells us Jehocabed and her husband were aware of a special call on this little fella’s life (see margin of text).
Now think about their dilemma. To save the child’s life means civil disobedience. Sitting here today, we might think that was a no-brainer. But should they have risked the other children’s lives? Maybe they should at least protect them. It’s not hard to see how they might have talked themselves into going along with the system even though they immediately loved this little newcomer to the family.
In general the Bible teaches us to be subject to civil authority. Romans 13 makes that very clear. But, is there a time and place for civil disobedience? Yes. When the authorities told the apostles they could not preach in Jesus’ name, did they submit to that? No, their answer was, “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). When Daniel was told not to pray, he defied the king’s order; and God vindicated him. There are a number of other biblical examples. When Rome made it mandatory to worship Caesar, Christians sacrificed their lives rather than betray their loyalty to God. Here is a life and death situation. With great courage, Jehocabed and Amram disobeyed the law; and God commended them for doing it. In fact, that is the main thing they are commended for in the Bible. Heb 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command. Their faith overcame their fear.
I think their next step was after much prayer and after hearing guidance from the Lord. After 3 months it became obvious they could no longer hide little Moses. So they made a little waterproof basket and sent his 10 year old sister to place him in the Nile River. Think about poor Miriam—a ten year old girl with that kind of responsibility. What was going through her mind the second she dropped that little package into the river?
And then we see God rewarding their faith. The sovereign God who directed them to do this was also directing Pharaoh’s daughter down to that river. She didn’t know the Lord. She just thought she was coming down there for a bath. But God had her right where he wanted her. The moment she heard little Moses crying, God softened her heart. She sent her maid to get the baby and she knew immediately it was a Hebrew boy. Her own father had ordered that baby’s death. Without God’s intervention she would have been the first to have the baby drowned in the river. But God—those are beautiful words in the history of the world. Those are beautiful words in our own lives. But God put compassion in this woman’s heart. She looked into the eyes of baby Moses and made a decision. Her decision was also to disobey the law. There she is wondering what to do next; and here comes Miriam. God is giving this little 10 year old girl wisdom for the moment. Ex 2:7-10 Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, "Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?" 8 And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Go." So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. 9 Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, "Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages." So the woman took the child and nursed him. 10 And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, "Because I drew him out of the water."
God had everything under control when it had looked like He had nothing under control. Don’t you think Jehocabed and her husband might have been tempted early on to get angry with God? Here we Hebrews have all these great promises from God that came down through Abraham. We’re going to be blessed and be a blessing. Yet here we are slaves to the ungodly Egyptians. They seem to be the ones blessed. We’ve got nothing. And if that weren’t bad enough, now they’re killing our baby boys. What if Jehocabed and her husband and thought that way? That kind of thinking would have killed their faith. We would not be reading their story today, if they had gone down that path.
Why do I bring that up? Because your situation may bring similar temptations. I doubt any of us here are in as bad of situation as they were. But maybe you’re tempted to wonder why God’s running your life the way He is. That’s when we have to remember the God we serve. He is full of goodness and wisdom. He will never, never do us wrong. We can trust Him.
Jehocabed had to trust God with her baby boy when she sent him to be placed in the Nile River. Any number of things could have gone wrong. The basket could have sunk and the baby drowned. An Egyptian could have seen him and murdered him on the spot. A vicious crocodile could have risen up out of the water and eaten him. But that’s now what Jehocabed dwelt on. Those are not faith-building thoughts. Feeding fear does not build faith. And Hebrews 11 clearly tells us, she was acting in faith.
Here is our lesson from Jehocabed. Learn to trust God with your kids. Yes, obey God every step of the way. But ultimately that child’s wellbeing rests with God. God took care of Moses in the worst of circumstances. He can take care of you and your kids no matter what happens.
In fact, look at how well God took care of the situation. Pharaoh’s daughter paid Jehocabed to take care of Moses. That’s God’s financial program for His people. He can rain manna from heaven; He can bring water out of a rock; and He can have an unsaved king’s daughter paying mom to raise her own child. This was the daughter of the king who had ordered the babies killed. Nothing is too hard for God. He can give you and me favor just exactly where we need it. Amen?
We know that Jehocabed used that time to teach Moses about God. That took faith. That was risky. But this mother wanted he son to know the Lord. So she took the risk of getting caught and getting executed. By the time Moses left her care he was well established in the Hebrew faith. How do we know that? Heb 11:24-26 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. Who taught him about that reward? Jehocabed did. Her faith got into the heart of her son. Faith is more caught than taught; but it comes with teaching. I’m sure she told Moses over and over about the promises God had given to Abraham concerning them.
Conclusion
Moms, keep your eye on the reward. Every dollar spent, every sleepless night is worth it. Your investment in those precious children is an investment in eternity.
Pray for Moms
For FOOTNOTES/SOURCES to to www.GatewayNixa.org
Richard Tow
Gateway Church
Nixa, Missouri
