Anytime you see this phrase, I would like you to remember Moses' mother, Jocheved.
Jocheved, from the Hebrew Yh (Lord) and kavod (glory).
Jocheved gave birth to Miriam and Aaron and Moses. And after Pharaoh's evil decree came that all male babies born to the Hebrews were to be thrown into the Nile, Jocheved hid her lastborn for three months. I don't doubt that other Hebrew mothers hid their baby boys as well. Their stories are not recorded because the story of Exodus focuses on Moses.
And Jocheved made a little ark and lined it with pitch and placed her infant son in it. I use the word 'ark' deliberately. Most English translations render the word tevah as basket. An unfortunate translation. The only other time this word is used is in Genesis with the story of Noah and the flood. Just as a remnant of humanity and the animal species were saved from destruction by getting onto the ark, so too was Moses saved from death by being placed in an ark.
Did Jocheved hear the voice of the Lord telling her to build an ark? Did the Lord tell her that in so many days that Pharaoh's soldiers would come looking for Hebrew male babies to throw into the Nile? I don't know. But her work was blessed by God. And because of her efforts, Moses survived.
And after Moses was rescued from the Nile by Pharaoh's daughter (whom the rabbis named Bityah (daughter of the Lord) ), Miriam, his sister, got his mother to be his wetnurse.
And once again Jocheved was reunited with her son. And she nursed him until he was weaned. How old would Moses have been then? 3? 4? I wonder what Jocheved told Moses about his people while she had him. Did she tell him the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph and his brothers? Did she tell of Sarah, Rebekah, Leach, Rachel, Bilhah, Zilpah, and Tamar? Hagar and Ishmael? Esau? I wonder if she instilled in Moses a love for God and His ways of justice and righteousness of mercy and compassion. For we see that all that is evident in Moses' later years as he leads the Israelites out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land.
Praise the Lord for Jocheved, God's glory, which was revealed in her actions and in her son Moses.
"And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed. And all flesh shall see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it." Isaiah 40:5
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4 comments:
PTL for His great and glorious Word! :D
Question: How do you pronounce Jocheved?
Amen!
Jocheved
"Jo" rhymes with "Yo" And some pronounce the J like a Y since there's no "J" sound in Hebrew.
The 'ch' sounds like the 'ch' in "Bach" or "Loch"
The 'e' is a short e as in "phlegm" :)
"ved" rhymes with "sled"
Jo-che-ved
Thanks, Nathan! Ain't it grand how Bible study comes together?
Jocheved was not named in the opening parsha of Exodus.
Agreed that that's a rather interesting fact since the opening portion of Exodus (and in fact the whole book) is named Shemot (names). A book concerned with names does not initially name Moses or his family.
She is named in this week's parsha, at Exodus 6:20
Yeah, I dunno how old Moses was when he was weaned either. The Torah doesn't tell us.
Appreciate your comments, as always.
heh, it's all good. No worries, homie. :)
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