Lessons from Jochebed in the Bible: Who Was Moses’ Mother?
Who is Jochebed in the Bible? She was the mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, and she is an amazing example to moms today.
Being a mom in our modern times is challenging. The world is filled with sin and evil. If I could, I would take my boys, wrap them in a bubble, and keep them far away from all people.
However, that’s not only impossible, it would be pretty unhealthy for them.
Instead, my call as a Christian mother is to raise my boys to be in the world, but not of it. Thankfully, God didn’t just tell us that we need to raise our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, He gave us solid examples in His Word for how to do it.
The story of Jochebed inspires and encourages women and moms to be courageous. This brave woman of faith shows us that raising children who love God is possible even in the middle of a wicked world.
Let’s dig into this story and learn the powerful lessons Jochebed has for us.
Jochebed in the Bible
While Moses is one of the most popular characters in the Bible, there’s not a whole lot of information about his mother. She’s first introduced in Exodus chapter 2, but the Bible doesn’t give us her name.
And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
Exodus 2:1
In Exodus 6:20, the Bible tells us that Moses’ mother was named Jochebed, and his father was Amram. Jochebed was the sister of Kohath, who was also Amram’s father. (Weird, I know, but they did things like that back then!)
Since the lineage of the family passed through the males, Exodus 6 also tells us that Jochebed was the mother of Aaron. As the firstborn, Aaron gets top billing in the genealogy, and we learn about his children.
From reading Jochebed’s story, we know that she is also the mother of Miriam. The Bible does not say if Miriam or Aaron is the oldest child, but I’ve always had a sneaking suspicion that it was Miriam!
The only other mention of Jochebed by name comes in Numbers 26.
And the name of Amram’s wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
Numbers 26:59
While her name is only mentioned twice, there is at least one more reference to Jochebed in the New Testament. The writer of Hebrews praises her unwavering faith in the Hall of Faith.
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.
Hebrews 11:23
Meaning of Jochebed
In Hebrew, Jochebed’s name was yokheved. Jochebed’s name is the first in the Bible to use a shortened form of the word “Yahweh,” which is the Hebrew word for God.
Her name means, “Yahweh is glory.” A more modern translation would be “God’s glory.” We know that names are important to God, and one seems especially meaningful for this amazing woman!
Jochebed’s Story
You can read Jochebed’s story in the Bible in Exodus 2:1-10.
Jochebed’s time in Hebrew history happened when the children of Israel had been in Egypt for about four hundred years. The reigning Pharaoh did not know Joseph, and he had no respect for Israel’s descendants.
There were so many Israelites that Pharaoh feared they would rise up in rebellion, so he made them slaves. Still, they continued to grow. He instructed the Hebrew midwives to kill every male Hebrew child when they were born.
However, these Hebrew women did not obey Pharaoh’s command. They allowed all of the Hebrew babies to live.
When Jochebed gave birth to her third child, a Hebrew boy, she chose to obey God rather than Pharaoh’s edict. She hid her baby boy for three months.
By this time, he was getting too big–and probably too loud–to be hidden anymore. So, she took action.
Jochebed’s Act of Faith
This brave woman got to work. Jochebed wove a basket out of papyrus reeds. She covered it inside and out with pitch so that it would be waterproof and float.
She placed her little boy inside and took it down to the bank of the Nile River. Then, with a prayer for safety, she left him there.
He was not alone though! Jochebed’s daughter, Miriam, hid nearby to keep watch. Imagine her fear when the daughter of Pharaoh came down to the river bank to bathe.
Pharaoh’s daughter heard the baby’s cries and opened the basket. Rather than turn him over to her father’s soldiers, she had compassion for him.
Seizing the opportunity, young Miriam stepped out of her hiding place and offered to find a Hebrew nurse to take care of the baby.
Miriam went to fetch her mother, and Jochebed became a nurse, paid to care for her own child. She raised him until he was weaned, teaching him all about the God of Israel.
When he was old enough, she took him back to Pharaoh’s daughter. Pharaoh’s daughter named him “Moses” because she drew him out of the water.
Little Moses became her son.
Of course, we all know about the significant role Moses played in delivering the Hebrew slaves from bondage. He was a great man of faith who led God’s people to the Promised Land.
Jochebed’s Character Qualities
Her name is only written twice in the pages of Scripture, and her story is covered in only ten verses. But Jochebed displayed some powerful characteristics that modern followers of Jesus can emulate.
Brave
Jochebed didn’t shrink away from doing what she knew would honor God. She wasn’t afraid to defy Pharaoh’s order when she knew it was wrong. Jochebed knew that obeying God was more important than following men.
Resourceful
When she needed to save her son’s life from this new Pharoah and his wicked laws, Jochebed got creative. She used all her resources to make a papyrus basket to protect her precious baby, allowing him to float safely on top of the water. Sometimes God’s plan means using what you have to make the most of a difficult situation.
Prudent
A prudent person looks ahead to the future, and makes a plan to handle whatever happens. In the case of Jochebed, the Bible tells us that she saw that Moses was not an ordinary child. She chose to follow God’s divine plan rather than give in to Pharoah’s orders. She made a plan, and followed it, trusting in God’s care for her and for Moses’ life.
Wise
Jochebed’s wisdom is displayed throughout her life with her brave, faithful actions. She didn’t choose the easy way, but she chose the right way. Following God’s plan is always best, even if it seems weird to those around you.
Related: 10 Courageous Women in the Bible Who Inspire Us to Be Brave
A Legacy of Faith
If you look at Jochebed’s life as a whole, it seems rather unremarkable. She was not a great leader and didn’t make a mark on the world.
However, her great faith is reflected in the lives of her sons, Aaron and Moses, and her daughter, Miriam. The life of Jochebed shows us the power of a mother’s faith and influence in her children’s lives.
While the Bible isn’t clear about the timeline, we can see that her son, Moses, only lived in her home for a short time. But she used those formative years wisely, passing on a strong and lasting faith to her sons and her daughter.
Miriam was a supportive older sister who wrote a beautiful song of praise after the Hebrews crossed the Red Sea on dry ground. She never doubted God’s promises that He would set their people free.
Aaron stood with Moses before Pharaoh. It was his staff that turned into a serpent, and that changed the sea into blood. As a son of Levi, he became the first high priest and the priesthood passed through his lineage.
Jochebed’s legacy was the true, confident faith that she lived out every day. We think of Moses as a great man of faith. But the faith Moses’ parents taught him makes them the true heroes of faith.
3 Lessons to Learn from Jochebed
Motherhood is a daunting task in the best times, but it seems ever more difficult in our modern days. Faced with all the evil and wickedness around us, the prospect of raising good children is daunting.
But Jochebed shows us that is possible. Jochebed’s faith lives on as an example to moms that we can stand firm in the face of trials and tribulations. We can go against the grain and train our children to know and do what’s right.
Society was against her. The government hated her sons and didn’t want them to grow into adulthood.
But this one Hebrew woman was determined not to let her children go. She did more than hope and pray that her children could survive. She took action.
You and I can follow her example today. We don’t have to let our children go to the world, but we can take steps to help them develop their own faith in God.
Make a plan.
Jochebed didn’t just toss her son out into the river and hope all would be okay. She made a careful plan to see to Moses’ safety. She used her abilities to weave a strong basket that would keep her son safe.
She made sure that the basket wouldn’t leak, and that it would float peacefully on the water. It was no accident that the little basket floated safe and dry.
Be intentional.
Making a plan is only the beginning. If Jochebed had simply designed a basket for Moses, but never put him in it, her work would be pointless.
After she knew she was going to set her son to sail away in the Nile River, she intentionally followed through. Jochebed knew that her plan would never work if she didn’t do her part.
Pray.
All of the planning and working that Jochebed did still wasn’t enough without Divine intervention. As she sent her little boy floating away, I’m sure she prayed that God would keep an eye on her baby. And He did.
God’s plan for Moses depending on the unwavering, prayerful faith of his mother.
Live It Out
Who is Jochebed in the Bible? A woman of great faith, bravery, and purpose. The journey of Jochebed shows us what God can do with one woman who stands up for her children against all odds.
Modern mothers will never have to weave a basket to keep their little boys from being fed to crocodiles. But we will have to stand up for our children against a world that hates them.
It’s enough to strike fear into our hearts. But we can follow Jochebed’s example of intentional planning and prayer to raise our children. We can be resourceful, prudent, and wise in our homes and lives.
Use these lessons from Jochebed in your own home and life as you seek to honor God in motherhood!
