A Mother’s Faith
Hebrews 11:23-27 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, 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 pleasures of sin for a season; 26 Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.
Moses
Moses is one of the greatest men God ever made. His shadow falls across the pages of our Bible. He is mentioned in 261 verses in Exodus, 80 verses in Leviticus, 216 verses in Numbers, 35 verses in Deuteronomy, 51 verses in Joshua, and 47 verses in the other historical books. The book of Psalms and the Prophets also refer to him. He is mentioned in 37 verses in the Gospels, 19 verses in Acts, and 22 verses in the Epistles. The book of Revelation also refers to him. Altogether he is mentioned in 784 verses in the Bible.
Those verses draw a picture of a mighty man of God that was mightily used by God. We see him, in the context of those verses, as the emancipator and lawgiver of Israel. He was also a scholar, a soldier, and a statesman. He was one of the two men who stood with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration. He wrote the first Psalm that was recorded in scripture in Exodus 15:11, and, according to Rev. 15:3, they still sing the song of Moses in glory. Moses was, undoubtedly, a great man of God, a hero of the faith and one of the most accomplished leaders this world has ever known. However, much of the credit for what Moses became must be given to his mother.
On Mother’s Day, 2010, there are a lot of different subjects that we might choose from for a Mother’s Day address. But if you will lend me your ear, for just a few moments of time, I want to talk to you about a mother’s faith. If there was a single defining element in the life of Moses, outside of the calling and providence of God, that helped shape him into the great man that he became, that element was the faith of his mother.
Moses was born at a pivotal time in history. A Pharaoh had ascended to the throne that no longer remembered, or had any respect for, Joseph. That ancient world leader surveyed his kingdom one day and saw something that struck fear in his heart. Living in the land of Goshen, as guests of Egypt, the Hebrews were mightily blessed of God. Everything they did prospered. Their homes were blessed, their families were blessed, their children were strong and healthy and taken together they were a mighty multitude. The Pharaoh was frightened because, in his own words, the Hebrews were “more and mightier” than the Egyptians.
Egyptian Bondage
What followed was a sordid tale. Pharaoh, in his effort to subdue and conquer the Hebrews, devised a plan to systematically entrap them in slavery. However, we quickly learn from the narrative of scripture that his diabolical plot appeared to work against him. The more labor he placed on the Hebrews, the more they grew and prospered. Finally, in desperation, he sought to curtail their growth by demanding the death of every Hebrew male child that was born. When the midwives rebelled and failed to carry out his orders he revised the plan and demanded that every male child, born to a Hebrew woman, was to be thrown into the Nile river.
It is a passage of scripture that mirrors, in many ways, the birth of our savior. No doubt the same force is at work in Egypt, influencing the Pharaoh, that influenced Herod in an attempt to destroy Jesus while he was yet a child. Satan has spent much time and energy, in this world, attempting to thwart the plans and purpose of God, however his best efforts come to naught because God in his wonderful foresight, takes what Satan intended to be evil, and makes it work for His good. This was the case in Egypt so many years ago.
Moses was born to Amram and Jochebed, both of whom were Levites. The scripture isn’t entirely clear on how it was that Amram and Jochebed knew that there was something special about Moses, but the writers of both Hebrews and Acts, as well as the account of Genesis, let us know that they recognized that this child, Moses, was a child of promise, destined for great things in God. So, in an act of faith, Amram and Jochebed hid their child, not fearing the commandment of Pharaoh. The wording of Hebrews is interesting because, the Genesis account really doesn’t mention the father but, instead focuses on the mother. What makes the account of Genesis even more interesting is the fact that it was written, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, by Moses. When Moses shared his tale for future generations to read, he placed the focus on the faith of his Mother.
Jochebed, recognized that there was a Godly purpose upon the life of her child and determined to hide him for as long as she could. For three months that mother concealed her baby boy. You can just imagine how difficult that would have been. If you’ve ever had young children then you know just how unpredictable and unavoidable there can be. Yet, somehow she managed o keep him concealed, somehow she managed to hide him from her oppressors. Until the time came, when it was no longer possible to conceal the child.
One close call after another had threatened her security until finally she reached the conclusion that, if this child is, indeed, destined to be used of God, then God is going to have to make provision for him. It was an act of fait that compelled Jochebed to gather the bulrushes and begin to fashion an ark and coat it with slime and pitch. Perhaps, as she crafted her floating treasure chest, she comforted herself by sharing with baby Moses, the only other story in her memory that involved an ark. I can just imagine the faith of that mother as she worked those reeds into an ark of safety, looking over to her precious baby son and sharing the story of Noah. I can just hear her faith proclaiming that, just like God delivered Noah, even so, by his mighty power, he’s going to watch over this small ark.
You just can’t say enough about the faith and influence of Jochebed. Few women in history have had to raise a family under more difficult circumstances. Even among her peers, few of them produced children whose names are known to us today. But Moses, Miriam, and Aaron were all raised in a slave’s hut in Goshen by a simple faith-filled mother named Jochebed. The legacy of her faith is declared by the heritage of her children. Jochebed was, indeed a great woman of faith. She had more respect for God than she did for Pharaoh. She was more in tune with the will of heaven than she was with the royal edicts of Egypt. And, because of her great faith, God’s plan for deliverance was set in motion. The great exodus finds its roots in the faith of Jochebed.
Deliverance
That’s what made Moses so special. The hour had come. God had heard the cries of his people and a prophecy that was given to Abraham and confirmed by Joseph nearly four hundred years ago was about to be fulfilled. The nation that Pharaoh was trying to destroy, was on the verge of casting off the chains of bondage and marching to their promised land. At that pivotal moment in history, God placed his entire plan into the hands of a faithful mother! That’s just the way my God works. When it came to the saving of the entire world, it was just another chapter in the same story. God placed his entre plan into the hands of an innocent young virgin girl who proved to be a faithful mother! Ladies, I can’t stress enough this morning, just how pivotal and important your faith is to the plan and purpose of God! There’s nothing quite like a mother’s faith.
Thankfully, the story doesn’t end there. The narrative of scripture says, “And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.” Here we see the faith of Jochebed in action. Can you imagine what it must have taken for Jochebed to put her precious son in that ark and leave it in the reeds along the rivers brink? There was no way she could know for sure that he would be safe. No doubt it was faith that compelled her, but her faith, just like ours, was a blind faith. She couldn’t tell what the next moment would hold, she only knew that she was trusting her child to the hands of God.
As a parent I know that trusting God for our children’s safety is not always easy, especially in this day and age. However, you can take courage today from the example of Jochebed. Faith compelled her to say to the Lord, I’ll trust you to keep my child where I cannot. I’ll trust you to watch over my children when my eyes can’t see him. God honors that kind of faith!
Psalm 78:12 contains an interesting passage that alludes to the scene where the deliverance of God met the faith of a mother. It says, “Marvellous things did he in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.” Zoan was the site of one of the ancient palaces of Egypt that was situated on the eastern boundary of Goshen. The scene is particularly interesting because it was situated on an arm of the Nile river which was historically reported to be the only portion of the Nile that was not infested by crocodiles. Which made it a safe place for the royal princess to bathe. Of all the "coincidences" that have changed the fortunes of this weary world, among the greatest are the events surrounding the discovery of the baby Moses in his ark. One must wonder though, if coincidence had much to do with it at all. Whether by her own keen insight, or by the direction of God, Jochebed chose to place Moses at the mercy of the river in the precise location where the Egyptian Princess would soon come to bathe.
When the Princess came, she caught sight of the Ark among the reeds. What followed was a scene that is as true to nature as you can get. She sent her maid to fetch it, and just when it was opened, the baby cried out! No woman's heart could have resisted the whimper of that lovely little boy. Perhaps he was hungry. Perhaps he was wet. Perhaps the sudden light startled him. Perhaps he was afraid of the strange hands that held him up for the princess to see. In any case, the tears that trickled down the cheek of that baby melted the heart of Pharaoh's proud daughter and changed the destiny of an empire and the fate of the world. "This is a Hebrew boy," she said. In effect she was saying, "He should be thrown into the Nile, but I'll adopt him instead."
Moses’ sister Miriam was hidden in the rushes, watching over her baby brother and as soon as she saw what was happening, she came to the princess and said, "My lady, do you need a nurse for that child?" The princess had not thought of that. Of course she needed a nurse. The baby was not yet weaned. I can picture her commanding Miriam: "Fetch a Hebrew slave to nurse this child for me. Tell the woman that I will pay her." So Jochebed, because of her faith, received wages for raising her own son! Make no mistake about it, ladies, God honors faith!
Mother's Influence
We do not know how long the princess allowed Jochebed to nurse Moses. Often in those days a child was not weaned for several years. But we do know that for a lengthy period of time Jochebed was given the opportunity to share her faith with her son. No doubt this godly woman took full advantage of the few years she had. Before he went out into the world of the Pharaohs, she wanted to drill truth into his mind in a way that he would never forget. To find out what she taught him, we have only to look at the book of Genesis.
Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Exodus through Deuteronomy are drawn from his life experiences. However, in Genesis he recorded the truths his mother passed down to him — truths that were confirmed by the unction and anointing of the Holy Ghost as Moses recorded the history of the people of God all the way back to the very beginning when God created the heavens and the earth. Those histories had been preserved for generations in the oral traditions of the Hebrews. And there is no doubt that Jochebed shared the stories of her faith with her child.
She taught him the truth about creation, about Cain and Abel, and about Enoch, Noah and the Flood. She would have then taught him about the Tower of Babel, Abraham and the covenant, Sodom and Gomorrah, Lot and his wife, Ishmael and Isaac, Jacob and Esau, and the twelve patriarchs. Then Jochebed told Moses why the Hebrew people were slaves in Egypt and taught him about the prophecy that after four hundred years they would be delivered.
Above all, she taught him about Joseph, another young man who lived for God in the same royal courts to which Moses would soon be taken. She told him how Joseph was sold as a slave into Egypt; how in spite of his very impressionable, youthful age, he took his stand against the impurity and immorality of Potiphar's wife; how he suffered for his godliness; how God raised him up at last to a place at the right hand of Pharaoh himself. Jochebed’s emphasis here is almost sure — because Moses devoted one fourth of the book of Genesis to the story of Joseph.
Mothers, this is what I want you to see. Jochebed’s faith left an indelible impression on Moses. When the call finally came from the palace of Pharaoh to surrender the child to his destiny, he stepped into the court of Pharaoh with his a mind full of the promises made to the Patriarchs, and his heart heavy with the sorrows of his brethren. It is little wonder that the calling of God found fertile ground in his young faith-filled heart to give rise to the voice that would one day stand before Pharaoh and cry, “Let my people go!”
Mothers, many of our deepest purposes have their root in our earliest childhood, and the lessons that we learn then, and the thoughts that we conceive then are carried out to the very end of our lives. I recognize that today is Mother’s Day, and I know that your children and your husbands have set this day aside to honor you and give you gifts. But if I may, I want to remind you this morning of the most precious gift you can bestow upon your children. It is the gift of your faith. No power in this world compares to a mother’s faith. On this Mother’s Day, 2010, I simply want to encourage you to share your faith with your children. Let the generation that is coming behind us be molded by a Mother’s Faith.
CLOSE
The 11th chapter of Hebrews is an incredible record of the faithful throughout the ages. There is, at least, an entire year of sermon material contained within the confines of that chapter. However, for our purposes today I want to focus, briefly, on what it says about Moses. In particular I want to point out how the faith of Moses is connected to the faith of his mother as verse 23 leads into verse 24. By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment. 24 By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; The faith of Moses was the outgrowth of the faith of Jochebed. Where else did he learn that he was of the heritage of Abraham, not the lineage of Pharaoh?
But even more importantly I want to point out how Moses’ faith in verse 27 is the reflection of his mother’s faith in verse 23: 27 By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. Mothers, if you don’t get anything else, get this: Your children will manifest your faith in theirs. If they see you pray, they will pray. If you make church attendance a priority in your life, they will make it one in their life. If you show them that making heaven your home is the goal of your life, they will adopt that goal for themselves.
Every parent in this place, mothers and fathers alike, is going to come to the day, sooner or later, where you have to surrender your children to influences beyond your control. As much as we would like to keep them home and sheltered forever, that simply isn’t possible. On that day, when you send them out from your house to face the world, the most important thing in their life is going to be the faith that you have shared with them, a mother’s faith.
