Jochebed For God's Glory
When I think about the sovereignty of God, I am in awe of how His plan transcends the confines of era. No matter how substantial or insubstantial a circumstance may seem, it is an encouragement to know that all things are always working for His ultimate glory. In coming across women of the Bible who are mentioned for their evident work in bringing glory to God’s name, I was particularly drawn to Jochebed. Not mentioned by name much in the Bible, besides recalling her lineage and familial connections (Exodus 6:20 and Numbers 26:59.), what can be learned from her faithful life brings a deep-seeded honor to a far greater name. Jochebed, meaning in the Hebrew language “God’s Glory,” is a true testament to the proclamations of God and the hand He has in the lives of those He so truly calls. I wonder if Levi, father of Jochebed, had any inkling that considering the name bestowed upon his daughter, she would someday come to play a great role in the glorification of God’s kingdom and birth such a son as Moses.
The more I learned about the faith of this woman of God, the more God unveiled to me a myriad of lessons inscribed in such few chapters that speak about her deep-rooted trust in God’s promises coming to pass. In Exodus, we learn that at the time Jochebed was carrying Moses, the Hebrews were under massive oppression in Egypt. With fear that the Hebrews would continue to multiply, the Pharaoh of Egypt gave strict demands to have all the baby boys birthed from Hebrew women slain. For women bearing male children, it was instructed that the infants be discarded into the Nile River. Not only do we read and learn of a godly woman like Jochebed who decided to enact a “faith over fear” mentality and truly honor her morality, but we also learn of what it truly means to relinquish control and rest in knowing things are working out to the glory of God.
Taming Fear of Uncertainty Through the Certainty of God
As Jochebed hid Moses for three months and built him a basket sealed with tar to ready him for uncertainty in the Nile, I can only imagine what fear might have overcome a woman going against the grains of an evil ruler’s orders. Yet what proved her faithful was her willingness to risk it all not merely in order that her child may live but to bring God glory through his preservation. We see referenced in Exodus 1:11-14 that the people of the time were living in such conditions that it would be seemingly absurd to bear a child into such a world. Today we see women in our society harboring a refusal to bear children into a fallen world that is seemingly declining at a rapid rate. I look at the courageousness of Jochebed and ask, “Where then is our trust in the God who orchestrates His own glory?”
I asked myself in the time of this study and the piecing together of instances where I could learn of Jochebed’s character through Scripture, “Was this woman ever aware of such a great call to preserve Moses?” As mothers, many of us know the value of preserving the children we bear and much of it begins with an innate desire to nurture our God-given creations. But I wondered, if there was ever a deeper inclination assuring her of that need, and Scripture gives us some visibility into such a comforting awareness. Acts 7:20 tells us that Moses was “no ordinary child” and Hebrews 11:23 lets us know that “by faith Moses’ parents hid him…”. So, we see in part that those who knew of Moses had some godly inclination he was different, and we can only expect that his parents must have reserved the kind of certitude at the time of his birth that we can only ascribe to our God. Jochebed must have had such an intimate relationship with the Lord to understand her call to glorify Him in a way that transcended a fear of famine, slavery, and even genocide.
“Jochebed must have had such an intimate relationship with the Lord to understand her call to glorify Him in a way that transcended a fear of famine, slavery, and even genocide.”
Surrender to God Further Reveals His Love and His Perfect Plan
Whether or not Jochebed knew that she would birth the child who would become the man to deliver God’s law to His people and lead the Exodus, it must be true that she trusted deeply enough in God’s plan to preserve Moses and relinquish all control. Jochebed was faithful and patient enough to watch God’s glory work amid such a tumultuous tribulation. Upon the Pharaoh's daughter finding Moses and taking him in, we learn that he is in turn given back to his mother in such a way that she is the woman chosen to nurse her very own child shortly after he is discovered. If that isn’t a prime example of God reminding His children to give up control and let Him work even amid our uncertainties, I am not sure what is. How glorious it is for us to see God gift back to Jochebed the very thing He needed to strip her of to preserve one of His chosen and bring an everlasting glory to His name.
Jochebed held such a sustaining faith that to read of her role in the Bible in today’s age even gives us more to think about in how we see our circumstances considering the glory of God. Is there something that God has stripped you of before that you can now see has brought about much glory to His name? Is there a circumstance that seems so heavy that you believe it cannot possibly be happening to glorify God, but better yet to bring you despair? Are there recent laws or is there current news in today’s world that brings you to believe the devil is winning the war and God can’t possibly get glory out of what is happening? Let Jochebed’s story assure you otherwise. That no matter the decree of the land, the decree of our Lord is greater. Let her faithfulness remind you, that a sustaining belief in the sovereignty of God brings a deepening awareness to the reality of His triumph in all situations. Let her life be a testament, that no matter the perils that come to test your faith in the Lord’s unwavering promises or your trust in His purpose for His people, God’s glory will always reign supreme.
Painting shown: “Moses Abandoned By His Mother” by Giuseppe Manicelli