A MOTHER WHO LIVED FOR GOD'S GLORY

Shepherd’s Guidance 12/2020

2 May 2020 

A Mother Who Lived For God’s Glory

(Scripture reference：Exodus 1:8 - 2:10) 

A baby boy was born in a dangerous time. His people were oppressed in Egypt. The King of Egypt wanted to kill all male babes born by the Hebrews. Such was the perilous time of history he was brought to the world. His father and mother were from the tribe of Levi. They were slaves in Egypt. It seemed that there was no future for this newborn. Nevertheless, he was born into the family that fears the Lord. “And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months” (Exodus 2:2). The Hebrew midwives during the time also feared the Lord. They did not follow the royal command to kill the newborn baby boys. God blessed them for this. 
 
Moses’ mother was Jochebed which means the Lord is my glory. Together with her husband, Amram (Exodus 6:2), they lived for God’s purpose though they were despised by the powerful Egyptians. They looked at the newborn baby boy and had the courage to keep him alive. What would happen if the Egyptians found out? The baby certainly would cry from time to time. The Bible said Moses was a beautiful baby, which made the parents all the more determined to keep him. Maybe he was sent by the Lord to deliver his people from the kingdom of darkness. Chapter 11 of the book of Hebrews said, "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.” We thank the Lord for such parents who risked their lives for God’s purpose. They only knew the new life was given to them for a purpose. They would not disobey God by throwing the boy into the river; that would have been shedding the innocent blood. After all, Moses had an elder brother Aaron and elder sister Miriam. 
 
When they could not keep the little Moses any longer at home, the mother took for him an ark of bulrushes, made it waterproof and put the little boy in, and she put it in the flags by the river’s brink. Miriam stood afar off to see what would happen. The innocent baby was on the river and the parents had committed his life to the Lord. They are waiting for God’s covenant promise to fulfill in their lives. Genesis 15:13-14 said, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also the nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.” Such precious promises were taught from generation to generation among the Hebrews. Though many Hebrews had been disheartened by the oppression they suffered day by day, there were faithful Hebrews like Moses’ parents and family members who remembered such promises and remained loyal to the Lord. 
 
The faithful pleaded with the Lord to save them and the Lord answered their prayers by sending a babe in due time to deliver them. Hardships in life should encourage us to plead with the Lord by praying. The divine promises stand the test of time. God issues no bounce cheque, he remembers what he had promised ages ago. His promise will not expire after centuries. Blessed are those who remember what the Lord had promised and ask Him to fulfill His promises. The Lord will intervene in due time and put the oppression to a stop. The wicked will be humbled, the high and mighty will realise there is an Almighty God who had been watching them from heaven. The judgment for their merciless deeds is ripening. The false gods will be put down by the Lord, their prolonged material prosperity will come to an end. The  Hebrew slaves will be freed by the Lord Himself in due time. They will be brought back to the Promised Land and learn to serve God. The Lord will sanctify them by His Word and purge them from idolatry. All the ungodly beliefs and practices should be forsaken and godly ways be learnt of approaching God and serving Him. What a glorious freedom. The Lord was pleased to use the tribe of Levi to bring forth a deliverer. He had chosen the weak to confound the strong in the world. He had chosen the despised people to defeat the mighty empire. God be praised. 

All these began from godly parents who held on to divine promises. Jochebed stood out as a woman of faith. She took divine revelation seriously. She helped to keep Moses, did something to preserve Moses on the river and probably assigned her daughter to keep an eye on the safety of Moses on the river. She had done everything within her strength to save her baby. Later she was blessed with the opportunity to take care of Moses for a few years for the Princess of Egypt. The Lord moved the Princess of Egypt to show pity on the baby Moses and allowed him to be cared for by a Hebrew woman until he was weaned. Again this is amazing, the daughter of Pharoah paid Moses’ mother to nurse her own son. Was Pharoah aware of such an arrangement? Moses’ mother used these few years to teach Moses about the Lord and His covenant with Hebrews and the godly patriarchs Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. This godly education laid the foundations for Moses to choose the way of the Lord later in life. 
 
Christian mothers, you have a special calling, and you are blessed with the privilege to influence your children for Christ. Our children stay with us under our influence for a limited time period. May we learn from the example of Jochebed to do our best to influence them for the Lord. They may not be a spiritual hero like Moses in the years to come, but they will be used by God to fulfill His purpose on earth. There are many anonymous men and women of God who labour silently due to the influence of their godly mother. No one can tell the tremendous influence of a godly mother until eternity.  

Rev. Lee Kim Shong