Jochabed
Moses’ mother Jochabed is special, a heroic woman of faith who is a great portrait of a woman who did not follow in Eve’s sandals. She gave up her illusions of control and security.
Exodus 2:1 Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months. 3 But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him. 5 Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it. 6 She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said. 7 Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?" 8 "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother. 9 Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him.”
This is a lot of fun. Moses’ mom had virtually the same decision to make as the midwives. Would she obey Pharaoh and toss Moses into the Nile--- or would she rebel? She obeyed—and tossed Moses into the Nile—but wisely before she through him in she surrounded him with a floating basket—a very creative disobedience. Very shrewd.
Unlike the midwives, she chose to obey—but this too was wise and from God. So much for formula theology. This too required wisdom.
In her case, like the midwives, her heroic choice brought life to the community. She—too was a mother of life—and brought life to the savior of God’s people.
The Serpent’s head crushed again. By the way, ironically, did you notice that there is absolutely no mention of Moses’ father. This was a battle between Satan and the woman, the daughter of Eve. The glory for the victory largely goes to a woman.
Her faith ends up crushing Satan’s head. She gives birth to the seed that will humiliate Satan. She enters into another redemptive motif—out of the death of the son, comes life.
Want to hear more? In my weekly podcast, Gospel Rant, I am going through the Song of Songs. I call it Kisses of God. The Song of Songs is the greatest gospel presentation in the Old Testament. It is about the Dance between God and his people. It’s the good stuff. Check it out.
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Take heart, child of God.
