Please turn in your Bibles this morning to Exodus chapter 1 as we look at the faith of a mother on this Mother’s Day. And let me say this before we get any further.  All you mom’s and even grandma’s out there, you don’t realize how important your role in the family is. Our society tends to look down upon women who are proud to be moms, like that is any kind of accomplishment!  You bet it is and we are very thankful for your love and commitment to your children, to your family and most of all, to your God! My prayer this morning is that you would leave here encouraged in the work God has called you to and folks, these lessons can obviously be applied to all of our lives.

            Before we get to our text this morning, let me share this story with you that will help set the stage for what we will be looking at. We are told:

            When we arrived at the mountain cabin, the sun was low in the west.  We unpacked the station wagon, and my husband left with the girls to buy groceries while I got things ready in the kitchen. But our two boys could not resist the outdoors, especially the small lake nearby that was brimming from recent rains.

            After a while I stepped over to close a window against the cold air, and I thought I heard someone yelling. It took me just a moment to tell that the familiar voice of my son was screaming, “Help! Help! Mom!”

            Outside, I stumbled through the underbrush to the edge of the lake where Bob and Bill, hardly discernible in the dusky shadows, were attempting to navigate an old raft that was in the process of breaking up. They were awkwardly wielding makeshift paddles, but they were still some thirty yards from shore. What had been a kids’ lark had turned into a potential tragedy.

            I quickly assessed the situation and knew that I could not swim out to help, and it seemed too risky to suggest having them take off their heavy coats and swim in the frigid water.  My assistance had to be verbal. “You’ll make it! Keep paddling,” I shouted, knowing full well the odds were against them.

            “No! We’re sinking!” they yelled back. I could see panic in the wild gesturing of my ten-year-old. I knew if one jumped off, the other would try to help him, and both of them might be lost.  My own sense of helplessness turned to fierce determination. I decided I simply had to keep them paddling with coordinated rhythm.

            “Bill, pull in long sweeps! Keep going, Bob, you’ll make it!” I elongated the words in a pattern for them to follow.  “Pull! Good! Pull! You’re coming!” At fourteen, Bob was strong, but he was obviously stiff with fright. “You’re gonna make it! You’re almost here!” I reassured them.

            The water had already covered their shoes, and I expected the old wreck to plummet to the bottom at any second. The wooden planks kept splitting off under the strain, and those horrible moments seemed like hours until they reached the shallows and clawed their way up the slippery bank.

            What goes through a mother’s mind when her child is teetering on the brink of disaster? Fear, to be sure; but fear that can be harnessed. Are you running scared? Is the world preying upon your child? You need to learn from Jochebed. She and her family lived in an Egyptian slave camp, and the tyrannical Pharaoh continually threatened their very existence. She had every reason to be overwhelmed by fear, but she did not allow that emotion to dominate her life.

- Jeanne Hendricks, A Mother’s Legacy, pp. 40-41

            This morning we are going to be looking at Jochebed, the mother of Moses, Aaron and Miriam and the faith she had even when her family faced difficult situations, a faith we need to have as we go through the storms of life. You see, we must remember that as we are going through these storms of life, that Jesus is on board with us, seeing us through them. With that said, let’s begin reading in Exodus chapter 1, starting in verse 1 and see what the Lord has for us as we look at the life of Jochebed on this Mother’s Day!

            Here is just some background information leading up to Jochebed and the birth of Moses.  Back in Genesis the brother’s of Joseph sell him into slavery and he is taken to Egypt and through a series of situations, through false accusations, through being thrown into prison, over many years, he is placed as second in command over all of Egypt.  And it was Joseph who interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams telling him that there will be 7 years of bountiful harvest followed by 7 years of severe famine.  It is during this time that Jacob and his sons, living in Canaan, also experience this famine and through another set of circumstances, they go to Egypt, where there was food and Joseph reveals himself to them and Joseph tells them to go and bring their dad and their families to Egypt to be spared from this famine. Obviously that is a condensed version of what took place, but just so you get an idea of what is taking place here, how they got to this point. And that is exactly what they do, 70 people go down to Egypt and then, some 430 years later they will leave Egypt with over 2 to 3 million people! God was going to birth a nation!

            The problem for the children of Israel is that after the death of Joseph, the succeeding Pharaoh’s came against them and placed them in slavery. And this went on for 400 years before they were delivered out of Egypt. The problem for Pharaoh was how fast the children of Israel were growing in numbers, so he put them in hard labor thinking this would help, but it didn’t, they still grew!  He was concerned that they could revolt and join forces with their enemies and defeat the Egyptians!

            But the more they were afflicted the more they grew in numbers!  Thus, Pharaoh tells the Hebrew midwives that when they go to deliver one of their children, if it is a boy, they are to kill him and if it is a girl, they are to be spared. When this didn’t work, Pharaoh makes the decree that all male baby boys that are born to the children of Israel will be killed, they were to be drowned and the girls will be spared. Not a great time to bring forth a child and yet, by faith they did!

            As chapter 2 opens up we are told that a couple from the tribe of Levi got married, and according to Exodus 6:20 their names were Amram and Jochebed.  And in Exodus 2:2-10 there are five main points I would like to expound on. They are: BY FAITH SHE HAD A CHILD – EXODUS 2:2a. BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN GOD’S PROMISE – EXODUS 2:2b. BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE PLAN OF GOD – EXODUS 2:3-6. BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE PROVISION OF GOD – EXODUS 2:7-9. And, BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE WORK OF GOD – EXODUS 2:10.  Thus, with the remainder of our time this morning we will be looking at these areas and see the faith of this mother, Jochebed, and see what we can glean from it and apply it to our own lives.

1.  BY FAITH SHE HAD A CHILD – EXODUS 2:2a

            When you look at the kind of world she was living in, you would be a fool to have any children.  Not only were they under heavy burdens serving as slaves in a hostile environment, serving with rigor but all the male children born to these Hebrew women were to be drowned in the Nile River, they were to be put to death! I believe Jochebed had faith in the Lord and in spite of the outward circumstances, she trusted Him!

            As you look at the world we are living in, it may not be as bad as it was for the children of Israel, but it truly is not good.  We see the violence, the abuse, the perversion against children today and many wonder why anyone would ever have children. Apart from the Lord, I really can’t give you a good answer to that but in the Lord, it is what He has called us to do and thus, by faith we obey, as we trust in Him that He will watch over our children!

            I see that here with Jochebed. She had a 50% chance of having a boy and yet, even with those odds, she knew God was bigger than that and she walked by faith.  Folks, I can’t imagine bringing a child into this world apart from faith, apart from knowing that our loving God is watching over them. But when you have the correct perspective, you can truly walk by faith as Jochebed did!

2.  BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN GOD’S PROMISE – EXODUS 2:2b

Now it says that Moses was a beautiful child. Folks, I can’t imagine Moses writing that he was an ugly child.  In fact, babies are cute; they are beautiful, some more than others. But I think something else is going on here. In Hebrews 11:23 we are told, “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.” 

The Living Bible puts this verse like this, “Moses' parents had faith too. When they saw that God had given them an unusual child, they trusted that God would save him from the death the king commanded, and they hid him for three months and were not afraid.” Also, in Acts 7:20 we are told, “At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father's house for three months.”

            I believe God spoke to them showing that this child was going to be used mightily by God, that there was something special about him. Thus, they hid this little boy for 3 months.  Remember in Hebrews 11:23 we were told that it was “By faith” that they did this. Paul, in Romans 10:17 tells us, “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  If you want your faith to grow, dig into the Word of God and apply it to your life. This family, by faith, hid their little son for 3 months, based only on what God told them to do!

            Now mom’s, maybe God did not speak to you specifically like this, but I truly believe children are important to God and God has given to us promises regarding them. David said in Psalm 139:13-16, “For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them.”

In these verses David speaks of the omnipotence of God, that He is all-powerful, and He does this by looking at the creation of human life. And we must understand this truth, that God is all-powerful, that Satan himself is a created being and has no power over God. It is as Psalm 115:3 says "But our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases."

David is saying that the all-powerful God loves us so much, cares for us so deeply, that He is involved in our creation, as the 23 chromosomes from the sperm unite with the 23 chromosomes of the egg, bringing all the information together that is needed for us to grow, all encoded in the DNA.

And when you study life, you can't help but see how fearfully and wonderfully we are made! Our brains, which weigh some 3 pounds, is composed of 12 billion neurons each connected to about ten-thousand other neurons in the most complicated arrangement known to man. There are 120 trillion connections in the human brain, and not by random chance! If all the blood vessels in your body were laid end-to-end, they would reach some 60,000 miles! And it is amazing to watch live pictures of the human cell dividing, each cell knowing exactly what to do, for it has been encoded by our Master, the Lord. And then, at the end of 9 months, this child that has been developing in the womb takes his first breath out of the womb, and we see a miracle take place before our very eyes.

In a book called "A Child Is born" the author says, "How can the cells of a developing embryo know what they are going to be? How can the cells that have never seen a hand, let alone made one, know what to do? Nobody can give exact answers to these questions yet, but we are beginning to understand roughly what happens." I can tell you how it happens, God has formed us! David, not able to see what we see today, and yet he recognized that God put us together, his soul attests to this fact. It always amazes me how intelligent men and women that deal with the sciences and see the complexity of life, that there is design built into it, can just ignore the facts and say all life came about by random chance happenings! Paul was right when he said "Professing to be wise, they became fools." Romans 1:22.

            And please notice that David is saying that God was not only forming us in the womb but He was also preparing us for the work as well as preparing the work for us, just as He was doing with Moses.  Thus, mom’s can you, by faith, trust in the promises that God has for your children, that He not only formed them in the womb, but He also fashioned their days – preparing them for the work and as I have said, preparing the work for them to do in this life? God wants you to as Jochebed did – trusting in the promises of God!

3.  BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE PLAN OF GOD – EXODUS 2:3-6

            After Moses was 3 months old, she could no longer hide him and by faith, she places him in this little ark and floats him down the river. Can you imagine how hard that must have been for her to do that?  Her helpless little baby boy floating down the river and yet she did it by faith.

            Mom’s, how hard it is to see your children grow, even though it is what you want for them. And as they grow they become independent, they are learning to walk on their own and you need to do as Jochebed did. No, don’t send them down the river, but let them go as they are in the ark, as they are in Christ! You see, He is their protection and as they are in the ark, God will protect them, but you must let them go and spread their wings so they can fly!

An illustration of this is the way a mother eagle trains its young to fly. The eagle's nest is built on a very high place, up on the rocks and mountains. The mother eagle hovers over the nest and allows the eaglet to watch it in action. As the eaglet is fed and nurtured, it slowly grows bigger day by day. Now the nest is made up of prickly thorns pointing inward. As the eaglet grows bigger, it starts to bump into the thorns and gets poked by them. It gives the eaglet that feeling of wanting to get out of the nest.

After that, the mother eagle will take the eaglet and throw it off the nest, plunging down in terminal velocity only to catch it right before it hits the ground and places it back on the nest. The eaglet, scared from being so close to death, sits on the nest only to be thrown again. The mother eagle catches it again. The mother eagle does this over and over.

Until one day, the eaglet gets so sick and tired and angry at this cycle that in rage, it starts flapping its wings as it experiences free fall. And guess what, it discovers one thing -- it can fly!

            If you don’t let them go they will never learn to fly and as hard as it is for you, think about how hard it was for Jochebed to let her 3-month-old baby go!  For us, they are 16, 17, 18 years old and it is still hard but for them to fly, we must let them go!

Now look at how God orchestrates all of this. The daughter of Pharaoh, Sobekneferu feels she needs to take a bath and heads down to the Nile River. Interestingly enough, in this area of the Nile River there are no crocodiles, so it was safe to bath there and safe for Moses to float in that little ark. And maybe the child cried at the right moment for this princess to hear and she told her maid to go and get this basket. And as the princess saw this child she had compassion on him even though he was a Hebrew child!

            God has a plan for our children’s life and even when it may not look good, the situation is looking hopeless, God has a plan.  The hard part for us is trusting in God’s plan even though we might not understand it. I don’t think Jochebed knew how this would work out but I believe God gave her the plan and she, by faith went forward.

            David, in Psalm 34:1-7 shows how he dealt with his fears during some difficult times, lessons we can learn from. He said, “I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; The humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh, magnify the Lord with me, And let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, And delivered me from all my fears. They looked to Him and were radiant, And their faces were not ashamed. This poor man cried out, and the Lord heard him, And saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, And delivers them.”

He praised the Lord. He sought after the Lord. He trusted in the promises of the Lord. And he trusted in the plan of the Lord. Thus, he is able to say, “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him.”  Psalm 34:8-9.  You are a witness to others if you yourself have tasted and seen the goodness of God, trusted in His plans for your life!

4.  BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE PROVISION OF GOD – EXODUS 2:7-9

            And I love this. Miriam, the sister of Moses, sees what is happening and offers to get a nurse to take care of the child and she goes and gets her mom, the mother of this child and Sobekneferu pays Jochebed to raise him!  God has a great sense of humor, doesn’t He!

            As you are raising your children it can be very hard at times. Money, time, clothing, discipline and the list can go on-and-on. Here’s the thing folk’s. We need to learn to trust the Lord, that He will take care of things. It is not that we just sit back and do nothing, but as we live out our daily lives, God’s provision for the day will be sufficient for what we need!

            What are these provisions of God?  Listen carefully:

                        A love that can never be fathomed;

                        A life that can never die;

                        A righteousness that can never be tarnished;

                        A peace that can never be understood;

                        A rest that can never be disturbed;

                        A joy that can never be diminished;

                        A hope that can never be disappointed;

            A glory that can never be clouded;

            A light that can never be darkened;

            A happiness that can never be interrupted;

            A strength that can never be enfeebled;

            A purity that can never be defiled;

            A beauty that can never be marred;

            A wisdom that can never be baffled;

            Resources that can never be exhausted.

- Selected

            That should bring to us great comfort even during the darkest of times because God’s provisions will see us through. It may not be easy but God will see us through, there is not a doubt in my mind about that! He is always working with us as this story illustrates for us. We are told:

A mother, wishing to encourage her young son’s progress at the piano bought tickets for a performance by Ignace Paderewski, the famous Polish concert pianist. When the night arrived they found their seats near the front of the concert hall and eyed the majestic Steinway waiting on stage.

Soon the mother found a friend to talk to and the boy slipped away. When eight o’clock arrived, the spotlights came on, the audience quieted, and only then did they notice the boy up on the piano stool, innocently picking out "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."

His mother gasped, but before she could retrieve her son, the master appeared on stage and quickly moved to the piano.

"Don’t quit - keep playing" he whispered to the boy. Leaning over, Paderweski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around the other side, encircling the child, to add a running obligato. Together the old master and the young novice held the crowd mesmerized.

In our lives, unpolished though we may be, it is the Master who surrounds us and whispers in our ear, time and again, "Don’t quit - keep playing". And as we do he augments and supplements until a work of amazing beauty is created.

- Leadership Magazine, Spring 1983

            God is working in our children to produce a work of beauty just as He is doing in our own lives and He wants us to do as Jochebed did, to trust in the provision of God!

5.  BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE WORK OF GOD – EXODUS 2:10

Now we don’t know his Hebrew name but the princess calls him Moses or “drawn out” since he was drawn out of the Nile River!  And here’s the thing. Maybe Moses is now 3 or even 5 years old at this point and Jochebed has to give her back to Sobekneferu so he can be raised in the Egyptian culture. I have to believe that during those few years she had with Moses, she instilled in him the things of God.  Parent’s, grandparents, it is never too early to share the things of God with your child or grandchild!  Make an impression early on and it won’t leave them, as we will see with Moses!

Let’s look at a few verses that deal with training up our children, because, like I have said, it is important just as it was important in the life of Moses! And as you look at our nation today, it is a problem, the training up of our children. In Proverbs 13:24 we are told, “He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.” The Amplified Bible puts it like this; “He who spares his rod [of discipline] hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines diligently and punishes him early. [Prov 19:18; 22:15; 23:13; 29:15,17.]”

Now folks, this is not speaking of abusing your children or disciplining them in anger, as some may think.  But the idea here is that if you don’t discipline your children, you really don’t love them because you are training them up to be disrespectful and even dangerous!

Look at some children today and how they talk, the things they say and do, the lack of respect for parents. A few weeks back I attended a Passover Seder at Calvary Chapel of Sheboygan and there was a Jewish believer there that Steve was talking to. And he told Steve that when he was younger he thought he was cool, thought he was tough and he hit his dad. But instead of feeling proud of what he did, instead of boasting in what he did, he cried because of the disrespect he showed to his father and he still feels bad today! Why did it bother him so much? Because God’s Word says that we are to respect our parents and he was not doing that at that time and because he knew God’s Word, it exposed his sin!

In Proverbs 19:18 we are told, “Chasten your son while there is hope, And do not set your heart on his destruction.” The Amplified Bible puts it like this, “Discipline your son while there is hope, but do not [indulge your angry resentments by undue chastisements and] set yourself to his ruin.”  In other words, don’t wait until a child is too old to be disciplined, do it when they are young, teach them these things early on in life. And once again, don’t do this in anger, but do it according to what God is saying!

What a precious promise of God. We are told to teach our children the things of God, but it doesn't end there. We are also to train them which is different than teaching. In training a child you are having them put into practice that which you have taught them. Practical application of those lessons which will stick with them. Then as they grow to be adults these truths will be in their hearts, and even though they may stray for a time, they will come back. Now of course there is always mans free will, he can chose what course he wants to take. Thus, this is a general principle, that will come to pass most of the time.

Jay Adams writes: "The verse stands not as a promise but as a warning to parents that if they allow a child to train himself after his own wishes (permissively), they should not expect him to want to change these patterns when he matures. Children are born sinners and, when allowed to follow their own wishes, will naturally develop sinful habit responses. The basic thought is that such habit patterns become deep-seated when they have been ingrained in the child from the earliest days."

            Folks, I have seen this happen. A child who was taught the things of God, but at one point in their life they walked away from God. But those truths are still there, they are working on their heart and at a point where they are tired of eating pig slop, tired of being in the world and taking in what the world has for them, they return to the Lord and all of heaven rejoices! You see, what they learned will never leave them!

Jochebed instilled in her young son the things of God and even though he was taken and raised in the home of Pharaoh, he never forgot those lessons of faith, the things of God that his mother taught him. All because by faith she trusted in the work of God, that what she was doing would be fruitful and it was in the life of Moses!

As I begin to close this morning, remember the faith of Jochebed. BY FAITH SHE HAD A CHILD.  BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN GOD’S PROMISE. BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE PLAN OF GOD. BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE PROVISION OF GOD. And, BY FAITH SHE TRUSTED IN THE WORK OF GOD.  Yes, it can be difficult but remember what Paul told us in Hebrews 4:14-16, “Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”  You see, we can bring all these things to the Lord and then walk by faith!

            Mom’s, thank you again for your hard work, your love, your patience, your care for your children and as I close let me leave you with these words to encourage you and all of us, knowing we are not alone. We are told:

In her poem “The Parable of Tomorrow,” Ruth Gibbs Zwall offers this description of the Savior’s leading:

“I looked at the mountain. ‘It is too hard, Lord,’ I said; ‘I cannot climb.’
‘Take My hand,’ He whispered; ‘I will be your strength.’
I saw the road, ‘It is too long, Lord,’ I said; ‘so rough and long.’
‘Take My love,’ He answered; ‘I will guard your feet.’

I looked at the sky. ‘The sun is gone,’ I said; ‘already the way grows dark.’
‘Take the lantern of My Word,’ He whispered; ‘that will be light enough.’
We climbed. The road was narrow and steep, but the way was bright.
And when the thorns reached out, they found His hand before they touched my own.

And when my path grew rough,
I knew it was His love that kept my feet from stumbling.
Then I grew very tired. ‘I can go no farther, Lord,’ I said.
He answered, ‘Night is gone.

Look up, My child.’ I looked and it was dawn. Green valleys stretched below.
‘I can go on alone now,’ I said—and then I saw the marks.
‘Lord, Thou art wounded. Thy hands are bleeding. Thy feet are bruised.
Was it for me?’

He whispered, ‘I did it gladly.’
Then I fell at His feet. ‘Lord, lead me on,’ I cried.
‘No road too long, no valley too deep, if Thou art with me.’
We walk together now and shall forever!”

- Daily Bread, Tuesday, June 18