MESSAGES FROM MOSES’ MOTHER!
Introduction: A. (Slide #2) “Happy Mother’s Day!
B. Name Some Of The GREATEST Men In The Bible! 1. Abraham
2. David
3. Elijah
4. Joseph
5. Paul
6. Peter
C. (Slide #3) Today: Study Of Moses -- His Mother -- “Messages From Moses’ Mother!” (“Jewels About Jochebed!”)
D. Interestingly We Are Introduced To Her And Learn A Lot About Her Before We Know Her Name! 1. We are introduced to her becoming a wife, becoming pregnant, to her new- born son, to her daughter, to her bravery, her ingenuity, and her refusal to obey a tyrannical ruler before we even know her name!
2. Finally we learn her name in Ex. 6:20 “Now Amram took for himself Jochebed, his father’s sister, as wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses. And the years of the life of Amram were one hundred and thirty-seven.”
1 3. One other time she is named: “The name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed the daughter of Levi, who was born to Levi in Egypt; and to Amram she bore Aaron and Moses and their sister Miriam.” Nu. 26:59
4. Almost 200 years after Joseph was sold into slavery and 65 years after Joseph’s death, a Pharaoh came to power who did not know Joseph. Ex. 1:7. a. He was terrified because of the explosion in number; the Pharaoh decided to enslave the Israelites; the more he afflicted them, the faster they grew! Ex. 1:6-14 b. He commanded the midwives to kill the Israelite boys at birth; they refused. Ex. 1:15-21 c. Then he commanded the Hebrew women to throw their own sons into the Nile River! Ex. 1:22
I. (Slide #4) Jochebed Was A Wife Who LONGED To Have A Son! A. She, A Levite, Married A Man Of The Tribe Of Levi. Later We Learn Their Names, Amram And Jochebed. Ex. 6:20
B. She Became A Wife; Then She Focused Upon Having A Family! 1. She got married first!
2. She respected God’s laws of morality and holiness.
C. She Respected Marriage; She Knew That Children Should Be Brought Up In A Stable Marriage!
II. (►) Jochebed Was A Woman Who Respected Life! A. She Perceived The Baby Growing In Her As Life!
B. She Respected Life BEFORE Birth; She Respected Life AFTER Birth!
C. She Saw Her Newborn Son As A Beautiful Baby! Ex. 2:2 “So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.” [“A fine child” ESV & NIV]
D. When Pharaoh Commanded The Israelite Women To Kill Their Newborns By Throwing Them In The Nile River And Drowning Them, Jochebed Refused!
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E. She Would Not Stoop To Murder Even If Commanded By The Pharaoh!
F. She Would “Buck The Government” To Do The Right Thing!
III. (►) Jochebed Was A Mother Who Had That Motherly Instinct -- PROTECT MY CHILD! A. For Three Months She Hid Her Son. Ex. 2:2
B. Heb. 11:23 “By faith Moses, when he was born, 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.”
C. As He Grew And She Could Not Hide Him, She Built A Small Ark Of Bulrushes And Placed Him In It Among The Reeds By The River’s Bank! 1. Ex. 2:3 “But when she could no longer hide him, she took an ark of bulrushes for him, daubed it with asphalt and pitch, put the child in it, and laid it in the reeds by the river’s bank.”
2. She also had her daughter on the lookout from a distance. Ex. 2:4 “And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him.”
D. She Seems To Have Planned For The Possible Finding Of Moses! 1. Pharaoh’s daughter found the baby when she came to bathe in the river. Ex. 2:5,6
2. Immediately Miriam asked if she could call a nurse from the Hebrew women to nurse the baby. Ex. 2:7
3. Pharaoh’s daughter asked her to get a nurse; Miriam called Jochebed. Ex. 2:8
4. Pharaoh’s daughter hired Jochebed to nurse and to raise the boy. Ex. 2:9
E. She Was A Woman Who Was FEARLESS When It Came To Saving The Life Of Her Son!!!
3 IV. (Slide #5) Jochebed Gave Her Children Responsibilities. A. She Gave Miriam The Responsibility Of Watching Moses Who Was Hidden In The Bulrushes.
B. It Is Evident They Had Rehearsed How Miriam Would Respond If The Baby Was Found! C. No Wonder Miriam And Moses Could Accept Significantly Important Responsibility Later In Life.
V. (►) Jochebed Was A Mother Who Prepared Her Son To Live For God In An Evil World! A. She Raised Her Son To Love God And To Believe In Him. 1. Ex. 2:10 “And the child grew, and she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. So she called his name Moses, saying, ‘Because I drew him out of the water.’”
2. She taught Him about the holy God of Israel!
B. His Values Taught Him To Despise Injustice And Unrighteousness. 1. He could not stand seeing an Egyptian beating one of his Hebrew brethren.
2. Ex. 2:11-15
VI. (►) Jochebed Rooted Moses In Faith! A. Heb. 11:24-29 “By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. 27By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. 28By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. 29By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned.”
B. Moses Made Amazingly Difficult Choices As An Adult! 1. He refused to be known as Pharaoh’s daughter!
2. He chose to suffer affliction as an Israelite instead of enjoying the passing pleasures of sin! a. Sin can be so tempting and addictive. 4 b. He did not seek sin; rather, He chose to suffer affliction with God’s people!
3. He led the people of Israel out of Egypt because he feared God much more than he feared the wrath of Pharaoh!
4. He brought the 10 Plagues upon Egypt; then He kept the Passover to honor the God who spared the firstborn of Israel!
5. And courageously he led Israel through the Red Sea on dry land; he led the furious Egyptians to their drowning.
C. The Impact Of Jochebed Upon Moses! Heb. 11 1. Is It ANY WONDER Why Moses Loved God?
2. Is It ANY WONDER Why Moses Was Fearless?
3. Is It ANY WONDER Why Moses Refused To Be Caught Up By The Wealth, Idolatry, And Immorality Of Egypt?
4. Is It ANY WONDER That He Had The Courage To Make Right Choices?
5. Is It ANY WONDER That He Had The Faith To Persevere When It Was Downright TOUGH? When He Often Felt Totally Alone? When He Was Constantly Putting Up With The Murmuring Of The Faithless Israelites?
6. Is It ANY WONDER That He Lived In View Of Heaven?
VII. Present-Day Applications: A. On This Mother’s Day, May All Of Us Appreciate Our Mothers!
B. Respect Mothers Who: 1. LONGED To Have Children!
2. Are Women Who Respect Life!
3. Have Motherly Instinct -- PROTECT MY CHILD!
4. Give Their Children Responsibilities.
5. Prepared Her Children To Live For God In An Evil World!
6. Rooted Her Children In Faith! 5
C. (Slide #6) Honor Your Mother; (Slide #7) Hold A Godly Mother Like Jochebed In Highest Esteem -- A RARE JEWEL; A REAL JEWEL!!!!!
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