the boy babies in the river. Some have suggested that she put Moses in the princess' bathing place so she wou ld find Moses. Th is is doubtful, however, because under normal circumstances that would invite the destruction of the baby. Jochebed probably reasoned that no one would think of looking for the baby there. We are told that Jochebed made an ark of bulrushes and water proofed it with slime and pitch. Bulrushes, or papyrus reeds, grew along the riverbank 10 or 15 feet high. She probably wove a large basket out of these reeds and coat ed it with river mud and asphalt common to that region. Consider what this woman was up against. The life of her child was at stake. She did everything she knew to protect her child. But I am sure that she must have had a great deal of anxiety as she wove and water-proofed that basket. Would it leak? Would a water- snake slither into the basket? To avoid arousing suspicion she had little sister Miriam stand off at a distance and keep an eye on the basket. Would this little girl be trustworthy? Imagine putting your baby in a homemade basket in the water and having a little sister watch him! But this was all Joche bed could do. Having done all she could do, perilous as the circum stances were, she could commit the outcome to God. Jochebed stands as an example of a believ ing mother who must raise her child in troublesome times, who having done everything she is re sponsible for doing, before God, knows how to commit her child to the safekeeping of her God. I speak to mothers who worry
Jochebed was the mother of Moses. Mother, if you think you are raising your child in trouble some times, consider Jochebed's burden. According to Exodus 1 the household of Jacob, which settled in Egypt at Pharoah's request, mul- tip lie d at an a s ton ish in g rate. Years after the death of Jacob and Joseph there came to the throne a Pharoah who enslaved the Jews. He was determined not only to enslave them but also to control the birth rate of the Jew. He com manded that every male Jewish baby was to be thrown into the river, but the girl babies were to be saved. Evidently, Pharoah felt that the Jewish females would pro vide him slaves and be easy to control. In these circumstances, Moses was born (Exodus 2:1-4). The king's decree that all boy babies be killed was all the more burdensome to Jochebed because, according to verse 2, the child was "a goodly child." His very appear ance was so perfect and attractive it promised great things to come. This is probably the meaning of Hebrews 11:23, "By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child..." Jochebed hid the child three months, probably at home. By the time the child was three months old she found it difficult to hide him any longer. She did a strange thing. She made an ark — a little boat — out of bulrushes and put Moses in the river. This seems a strange p lace to h ide a three month old baby. I wonder if there is any connection between the hiding place and the command of the king in Exodus 1:22, to throw Page 16
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