Last week I wrote about the two Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1 who used their abilities as midwives to impact their world. Another woman in that same chapter is Jochebed. Who is she??? The mother of Moses! As the mother of a newborn boy, Jochebed had a real predicament. Pharaoh had ordered every son born to Jew to be thrown into the Nile River. However, she knew she could not just let her son die. Motivated by her trust in God and love for her little son, Jochebed took a step of faith and hid Moses in a little basket. That one act of faith earned her a place in the clouds of witnesses whose lives testified of their faith in God. (cf. Hebrews 11:23) Only two other women are mentioned in that "hall of faith"--Sarah and Rahab. Jochebed's faith in God gave her the courage to make the decision to trust in God rather than obey Pharaoh's command. "She took an ark..and laid it...by the river's bank." (Ex. 2:3) She actually put her baby in a basket made from bulrushes covered with tar and mud, and set it in the Nile River. God was faithful to her in bringing Pharaoh's own daughter to the bank of the Nile River, finding the baby, and getting a Hebrew nursemaid for the baby) which happened to be his own mother, Jochebed). Now there is MUCH more to the story and if you have not read it recently, go back and read Exodus chapters 1 and 2. Application: Ask yourself and/or those in your women's ministry these questions: "What act of faith have I done lately that shows my faith in God to others? What would others point to in my life as evidence of my faith? What acts or 'works' might they notice (cf. James 2:22)?" As we set our goal to live lives of faith in order to be lights shining in a dark world, what challenge in your life do you need to risk having faith in God rather than giving in to fear or worry? Jochebed reaped the benefit of her faith and was allowed to be the nursemaid to Moses. You will be blessed because of your risk of faith in whatever situation you are in, and this in turn will be a testimony to others of the faithfulness of our God and Father!
by Sharon Beougher
