Not all will recall the name of the woman who bore Aaron, Miriam, and Moses, but Jochebed is a mother for the ages. As we prepare to honor our mothers this week, consider three descriptions of this mother for ages and let us appreciate all mothers who strive to meet them.
A mother prepares for her children’s safety. Before the birth of Moses, the instruction was given for all newborn boys to be cast into the river (Exodus 1:22). The writer of Hebrews says this concerning the parents of Moses, “When he was born, (he) 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,” Hebrews 11:23). Jochebed prepared for the safety of Moses by making an ark of bulrushes and covering it with pitch and placing him on the river bank for another to find.
Let’s face it, if the safety of children were always left in the hands of fathers, some of us might not be here. God bless mothers and the protection they offer! Jesus compared the desire for protection He had for the city of Jerusalem to a mother hen desiring to protect her chicks (Matthew 23:37). That’s not to say fathers are unconcerned, but a mother offers special protection. Mother’s, please remember that the best protection you can provide is spiritual protection from the enemy seeking to devour the soul of your young one. The best protection you can offer is to remind them of being found in the Father’s care!
A mother sacrifices herself. There is no sacrifice quite like the sacrifice of a mother for her children! What did Jochebed sacrifice to keep her son alive? She sacrificed all she could – even with an understanding that another might be the one to raise him. She sacrificed watching him take his first steps, utter his first words, and hold him close each day.
A godly mother will continually put the needs of her children above her own to ensure they are cared for physically and especially spiritually. How many mothers keep a closet full of the same clothes and shoes to ensure their children don’t go without. How many mothers have sacrificed even career aspirations to be at home to raise her children (Titus 2:4-5)? Thank God for godly mothers who sacrifice themselves to help their children to be their best!
A mother continually places her trust in God. Once again, Hebrews 11:23 speaks to the faith of Moses, but even more to the faith of his parents.
By faith, Amram and Jochebed hid the infant for three months from the wrath of Egypt’s king. His parents were not afraid of the pagan king. In the providence of God, he was adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter and educated in Egypt. Clearly, his mother did not know what all would come of Moses, but her trust in God is shown in the pages of Scripture.
Oh yes, she is a mother for the ages! It seems the same can be said of so many godly mothers that are known and loved in the Westside family. Thank you for the preparation and investment you make in the lives of your children. Thank you for your sacrificial love and the trust you continually place in the God whom all will one day stand before. We honor you today and everyday – thank you for being a mother for the ages!
– Adam Orr
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