Motherhood & Having Faith in God

Bible, Women & Bathrobes, Episode 36

Bible Women: Jochebed, Moses’ Mother

Summary

Tamara, Wendi, and Amy discussed Exodus 2 the story of Jochebed, Moses’ mother, highlighting the role of faith and motherly instincts in shaping decisions and actions. They emphasized the importance of trusting in God's plan and laying our burdens on Him, and demonstrating remarkable faith and intuition in her role as mother. Later, they shared personal experiences and insights on trusting God in parenting, emphasizing the importance of surrendering their children to God's guidance and protection, even in difficult moments.

Main Takeaways

• From Amy, “Remember what God does, have faith to follow him, and then stay out of his way. And literally stand still and watch what he does, because he is such a good God. And he really, he really does do great things.”
• From Wendi, “God is very aware of you and that your faith does matter. And that you may not see the complete picture of what's happening in your life, but God does. He sees the picture. He sees the direction he knows what's going to what's going to bless you and help you. And if you just put your trust in Him, He will take that basket, whatever offering you give whatever you're giving with your heart, your full heart, he will take it and he will multiply it and bless it to be in your favor..”
• From Tamara, “She literally followed her impressions to put him in the ark, and to build it the way it needs to be built and then entrusted him as he flowed down the river that God would provide would provide the best solution for her son. And, as a mother of now, all adults, that is the point-- I'm at is trusting that God will provide for my children as I send them down the river. It is an act of faith, right? Just that, okay, you've got them for good or bad. You've got them. My influence now is more touch points and love and encouragement and stuff like that. But it is trusting God with those we love for good or ill.”

Today’s Podcast Hosts & Guests

Tamara K. Anderson

Tamara, founder of Women Warriors of Light, is a dynamic speaker, award winning author, and a podcaster. She is driven by her Christian faith to inspire faith in Jesus Christ. Alongside her husband, Justin, she navigates the joys and challenges of parenting four children with autism, ADHD, and mental health hurdles. You can find out more about Tamara on her website: https://www.tamarakanderson.com/

Wendi Christensen, LCSW

Wendi is the co-founder of Women Warriors of Light. In addition to being a wife and mother, she is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 28 years of experience. Wendi is an intuitive counselor helping individuals release pain, renew hope, and restore light through forgiveness. You can find out more about Wendi on her website: https://wendichristensencounseling.com/

Amy Johnson

Amy is a member of our Women Warriors of Light Advisory Board. She is a leader of women, a homemaker, and a licensed cosmetologist. Amy enjoys nurturing women through betrayal trauma to becoming a beacon of support and inspiration.

Transcript

If you’d like to read the transcript of today’s episode, you can find it on our Women Warriors of Light website blog.

Tamara Anderson  0:01 

Can following motherly instincts or inspiration, change your child's life. We're here to talk about an amazing Old Testament woman who did just this and not only changed her child's life but the life of an entire nation because of that, so stay tuned.

Tamara Anderson  0:23 

Welcome to Bible, Women & Bathrobes the podcast where faith meets comfort. Join us Tuesday and Thursday morning. As the gals from Women Warriors of Light and their guests, don bathrobes and dive into the inspiring stories of women in the Bible, and the teachings of Jesus Christ. From Esther's bravery to the Sermon on the Mount. We explore it all with warmth, laughter, sisterhood, and maybe even a few sleepy eyed moments. tune in live or at your leisure as we learn lessons from scripture which empower women today.

Tamara Anderson  1:05 

Hello, and welcome to another episode of Bible Women & Bathrobes. I'm your host, Tamara K. Anderson. And joining me today are my wonderful co founder of Women Warriors of Light, Wendi Christensen. Wendi. Thanks for being here.

Wendi Christensen  1:17 

Thank you. Glad to be here.

Tamara Anderson  1:20 

And Amy Johnson. Amy. Thanks for being here. Again.

Amy Johnson  1:24 

Thanks for having me again.

Tamara Anderson  1:27 

We are so excited to dive into another story. Last week, we talked about the story of the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. And that story actually feeds into the story that we're going to be talking about today. And this is the story of a woman named Jochebed. And you might, you may or may not recognize that name. But I think you will recognize her more when I say she was Moses's mother. And so we're going to talk about her and some of the inspiration she had and some of the choices that she made that saved Moses and also ended up, which then, domino effect, ended up saving the Hebrew people, right?

Tamara Anderson  2:15 

So if you want to follow along, we're going to be at the beginning of Exodus chapter two. And we're going to cover kind of verses one through four, and then verses eight and nine, and there's a gap in there. And that's the story of Pharaoh's daughter. And we're actually going to cover her next week. Spoiler alert, okay. So um, but but we're today we're going to talk about Jochebed. Okay. So um, here's where we start. And we know that that was her name. It doesn't say so in the beginning of this chapter, but it does say so in Exodus chapter six. It gives us her name and her husband's name, her husband's name was Amaran. And I've kind of written it here in my paper scriptures. So just so you  remember, these are their names.

Tamara Anderson  2:58 

Okay. And it says in verse one, "And there went a man of the house of Levi and took to wife, a daughter of Levi. And the woman conceived and bear a son. And when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months." So going back to last week story of these midwives, and they were supposed to kill these sons, they weren't supposed to be having more sons, the sons were supposed to be killed. So here she has this baby boy, that we don't know if she called the midwife or not. But she saw that he was a good child, meaning he was probably a content baby. And we all know, content babies are awesome. I had some that were content and some that I'm sure weren't.

Tamara Anderson  3:44 

And so if you're trying to hide a baby, in a circumstance like this, it would certainly be easier if they didn't cry a whole bunch. And so he Moses was one of those. And I think God knew this is the kind of child he needed to be to fulfill His mission. And so it's interesting that she was blessed to know what to do to save Moses's life. And I'm just going to open that up. Before we dive into the next step she did to save his life, motherly intuition. Ladies, what are your thoughts? Amy, we'll start with you.

Amy Johnson  4:17 

I'm not really sure how to share my thoughts without going into the next verses because I'm kind of that way.

Tamara Anderson  4:23 

Well, why don't we Why don't we talk about those next verses? Because this really does follow motherly intuition.

Amy Johnson  4:28 

It really it really is awesome. So yeah,

Tamara Anderson  4:30 

such good problem solving skills, skills here guys, I'm sure she was inspired. Why don't you read Verse three there?

Amy Johnson  4:39 

Okay. But I'm also going to read verse 22. Because the previous chapter because I think, and Pharaoh charged all his people saying, Every son that is born, you shall cast into the river. And then you go to verse three, and when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bullrushes and basically cast him into the river, but in an ark. So she was sort of tricky. Because she's super obeyed, do you see? And so Okay, so "and daubed with slime and with pitch and put the child there in, and she laid it in the flags by the rivers brink."

Amy Johnson  5:19 

And I've never really thought of that before today. Butbecause in my brain after the midwives said, you know, deceived Pharoah little bit and Save the Children, he commands them to cast him into the river. And so in my brain, I guess my whole life growing up, he told him to drown them in the river, because that would be the outcome, if you cast a baby into a river, right.

Amy Johnson  5:46 

But then to see that today that she actually did cast him in the river, she just put an ark to protect him, which I love that word, ark. I love that word ark. And as a mother, that is I think what my sole desire has been for my children is that some sort of ark would protect them spiritually and physically, but mostly spiritually from the evils of the world. And so she puts him in the river in this ark that protects him from the evil that's going on all around. And I think that's beautiful. I think that's just awesome.

Tamara Anderson  6:28 

Yeah, that's such a great comparison. I love I love that comparison of the ark in it. It brings even more symbolism since a couple probably its been months ago now we've talked about Mrs. Noah and the symbolism of the ark and how it protects us and how that can even symbolize Christ, you know. How do we protect our kids? And that's with Jesus right, right teaching them about Jesus. Wendi?

Wendi Christensen  6:53 

Well, and I can't even imagine, you know, I've shared on previous podcasts of dealing with infertility, but I, my heart just breaks like, I couldn't even imagine getting rid of my child's let alone knowing that you would have to put them in the river, and just trusting God, because that's really what she had to do. She had to just trust God that I'm going to turn him over to God, and he can do what he needs to I'm obeying the law in a way she was. But just that she had to have a strong bond being hiding, just hiding him for three months, and making sure he was quiet and he wasn't hurt. And I that would just stress me out to make sure that nobody could hear my baby for three months.

Wendi Christensen  7:41 

And it doesn't seem like a long time. But it is and you do a lot of bonding with the baby in those first three months, a lot. You get to know them, you know, and understand she would have had to really know his cry and comfort him quickly. Just constantly be there for him to be able to hide him for three months, she must have had a really strong bond with him, I would think for hiding him for three months as a newborn, and to just have that huge bond and just what a minute are sent him off down the river. My heart would be ripped out as a mom, it really would, I would my heart would be in that basket with him.

Wendi Christensen  8:20 

That had to be so hard, so hard for her to play, she really, you would have to trust God to do that and just put everything, all your whole heart into trusting him trusting that God's got him. And I know we're going to talk a little bit more, I'm sure it helped, that she understood a few things about Moses. Right? We're going to talk about that. So I'm sure that that helped her and she put him in that ark. But still, like I said, ripping your heart out as a mom, send your little baby, that you have a super strong bond with that you have protected with all your mind for three months. And just to send them off and not quite not be quite sure what was going to happen to them. Yeah.

Tamara Anderson  8:59 

Oh, my goodness. And I would almost think that there was probably some requirements for her as a slave that she had to get some work done, you know, and that's probably why she had to do this, like, Dear God, I've got to go and fulfill my job. How do I send my baby in today's language to daycare, you know, but probably worse than daycare because you don't literally at the out into the elements, you know, I mean, how can I do these things? How can I do this and obviously she had her daughter, Mariam watch him.

Tamara Anderson  9:33 

That was part of the inspiration was to put him in, first of all, make the basket, insulate the basket, put your baby in the basket. Pray that it will work. You know, I'm sure she tested it out first. But pray that it worked that he'll be okay that he'll be safe, that he'll be taken care of while you go off to labor. You know so, so hard so so hard. I admire her for trusting God to inspire her to make the right decisions for her child.

Tamara Anderson  10:12 

And I know I've seen that in my own life where sometimes I'm faced with a situation where I can't seem to find, I mean, I can find answers in books or in the internet, but which is the right answer for my kid? Do you know what I mean? And sometimes after reading all these things, you know, I go to God and say, Okay, I've got some stuff here. I've got some ideas, but what is right for my child? And waiting and listening. And she didn't have the internet back then. So she had to figure it out without that. And so she really had to say, what is the right solution for my son, and Heavenly Father inspired her? Have you guys ever had a situation where God inspired you to do something for your child when you weren't sure what to do?

Amy Johnson  11:04 

She didn't have the internet though?

Tamara Anderson  11:07 

I know, right?

Amy Johnson  11:10 

It gets in our way, don't you think?

Tamara Anderson  11:12 

Yeah, in some ways that your can. Alright, Wendi you are smiling like you had a story?

Wendi Christensen  11:19 

Oh, no, I just I just little things. They're not big things. But even the the little things as far as, you know, sending them off to I remember sending my daughter off to a week long camp that she didn't really want to go to. She didn't really know anyone. And she was so she was so scared and so nervous to go. And like I said, it's not it wasn't a big thing. But it was to her. It was a big deal to her. And it was really hard. The first night, they had a huge, they had to camp out on the first night, they had a major storm, like a huge squall happened to be and it really was a squall that happened with the weather that night.

Wendi Christensen  11:57 

And I remember praying and just like, I hope she's okay, I hope she's okay. And later on when she came home and shared the story. She wasn't, she was bawling. She was so scared. And she was so sad. But trusting God, you know,  praying and trusting God, I remember that night just praying for her. And I pray that she'll find comfort and peace. And she did. She was able to find comfort and peace through that night, even though it was a really hard, difficult night for her.

Wendi Christensen  12:23 

But she was able to find some answers and be guided to you know, they took her to the next they let her go to this other camp where she had a neighbor that was a good friend of hers, and she was able to, you know, commiserate with her and be comforted. And then she's been able to refer back to that time in her life. Now, it was probably about four years ago, with, with understanding that God knew her. Because he was able to comfort her that night, and just the beauty of trusting she's going to be okay. And just trusting that God's got her in his hands. And he did. He had her and now she uses that story to to as a faith promoting experience for her where she she sees Oh, that was so hard for me and so scary. But God had me. And I didn't have anyone else around me that I knew. But he led me to comfort he let he comforted me, he helped me through that night.

Wendi Christensen  13:17 

And it's such a faith promoting experience for her that I'm so grateful that she had, you know, because when she's having a hard or difficult moment, she can reflect back on that experience. And remember that he had her so yeah, definitely, if sometimes it is really hard to let our kids have those really tough experiences to go through those trials and challenges that we see them go through but but we have to trust God that he's going to give them the experiences that they need. And it's not up to us. He needs to their his, their his child to and first and foremost, their his before their hours, right. They were given an entrusted to us, but it's really children and he gets to be the one that gives them the experiences that they need. And we just have to trust that.

Tamara Anderson  14:01 

Oh, and that's hard. It is hard. I think especially as our kids get older and start leaving in the house. I remember when my first son left the house and was just after he graduated from high school and he wanted to serve a mission and, you know, sending them out into the world like that. I was a missionary but it's totally different perspective as a mom. And as a kid, you're just like, I can do anything, you know. And as a as a Mom I'm Like, did I teach him enough? Do they know enough? Is he going to be okay? Is he going to get the support he needs?

Tamara Anderson  14:36 

And it really is that leap of faith to trust that. Okay, I can't help him every day. Mike I used to. It's now between you and him. You know, and that is a hard thing to do. You know, even though if even if they're going off to do something good. Or maybe they're going through something really hard and trusting God has gotten them. You know that story of the prodigal son. Ah, brutal, right. Brutal. So, so hard. Amy, any thoughts on this before we move forward?

Amy Johnson  15:11 

I'm sure that she knew that the houses of Pharaoh were downriver. I can't see that she didn't know where he was headed. I and an in verse two when she said, it says that she saw he was a goodly child. She knew he was strong. Mortality rate for the boys was much higher than for the girls. And so even without the interference of wicked men. But I had I she had to know that he was going down river. And so you think about when you send your children away, and they're adults, how scary that is, but yet to send a three month old down the river toward the houses of Pharaoh, not knowing whether he his life would be spared first off. Second of all, if his life was spared, now he's going to be raised in the land of idols. And he won't be worshipping the God you worship.

Amy Johnson  16:13 

And that's messy. So there's a lot going on here. That she just had to say, well, if I continue to hold on to this child I do, he will be killed, because they will find out. But if I sent him away, now we maybe have a chance that he can be whatever God needs him to be. And I think that's our job. We need to get out of God's way. That's my point. We need to get out of God's way and send our babies downriver, whatever it looks like just get out of God's way.

Tamara Anderson  16:48 

So much easier to say than to do. Oh, my goodness. Well, let's, let's continue with this story. So he was Moses was in the ark. Miriam in verse four, it says "his sister stood afar off to wit what would be done to him." I'm sure. I'm sure mom said, please watch him. I want to know the outcome of this, right.

Tamara Anderson  17:18 

And and we can't help but touch on the story of what did happen. You know that Pharaoh's daughter found him and we'll talk more about that next week. But But here's here's one of the miracles right here that, that when Pharaoh's daughter found him, you know, Miriam came and said, Would you like me to have someone nurse this baby for you? And she said, Yes. And so basically, then Jochebed was paid to nurse her own son and raise him to when she was weaned, and then give him back Pharaoh's daughter.

Tamara Anderson  17:58 

So it was that act of faith. And so, so we'll just read those verses and verse nine, it says, "And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages, and the woman took the child and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses, as she said, Because I drew them out of the water." So here we have quite the turn of events. And you can imagine Jochebed, just being so humbled and thankful, I can now nurse my baby, and not with the fear that he's going to be taken from me because this woman who happens to be Pharaoh's daughter, oh, my goodness, is is going to raise him, but that would be hard to kind of like Amy was saying, thoughts here, Amy?

Amy Johnson  18:53 

I have a friend who adopted out her first child and that that child was raised in a different with different beliefs. Still with Christian but different beliefs then her other children that came later were raised in but she has a relationship with that child. And, and I think that's kind of in this kind of situation. With Moses, that's kind of what you can, the best you can hope for. Right? Is that, that that child grows up, you still have a relationship when they are grown, and, and that they believe in Jesus. I think that's the kind of the hope.

Amy Johnson  19:37 

And so but in Pharaoh's world, that wasn't really the case. They they really believed in idols, and then worshipping idols and that filtered into the civilization of the Israelites as we see later that they really, that was what they knew. And so, I think, for her to not know he was killed. That was probably her best case scenario. And then to know that she could nurture him for the first few years, because back then she probably nursed until he was two or three, right? That's probably the best she could have hoped for. And, and I think she would have had to have been so grateful that the best of the worst situation she could have hoped for came to be.

Tamara Anderson  20:27 

Absolutely, Wendi?

Wendi Christensen  20:31 

It makes you wonder, like how much she did know and understand. Because I would think that she must have had a lot of faith in God. And it makes me wonder what personal revelation she received about him, and knowing and understanding who he was going to be. And that she got to be a part of like, like Amy said, Those first few years. I just wonder, you know, what kind of influence did she have on him? Was there, you know, things that she even in those first very few developmental years, and understanding of who he was, she must have had so much faith to just have a connection with God, I would have, you know, ask God, what are they going to do? What are they going to be, you're going to take care of them, and pray for that peace and that comfort and that understanding.

Wendi Christensen  21:21 

And who knows, maybe she knew he would be a deliverer. And that's why she was doing what she was doing, because she felt those impressions and those promptings in her heart to help her to carry on because I think as moms, we do have a right to receive, you know, our own promptings our own Spirit telling us what we need to for our kids. And having prompting, I know, for me, I've had promptings with my own children, have things to do that might help them or guide them. And I'm sure she did, I'm sure she received those personal promptings and revelation that would help her to be able to keep doing what she was doing, and to do what she did in the river, and just realizing and hoping I just wonder if she knew he was going to deliver her people, and that she just had faith and trust in that. Yeah.

Tamara Anderson  22:13 

This is such a powerful story. And, and he must have had enough of a connection with his family. I mean, because he knew Miriam and Aaron, you know, later, go down in the story of Moses. So there must have been some connection still with the family. And he must have known she was his mother, and that she loved him and taught him who he really was as a son of God. And then these were his people. But you know, now you have to go and I don't know, I look at a young child, and how much would they understand of that? And did he get to go back and see her at all? I don't know. Do you know what I mean, as a prince of Egypt? I don't know. We don't know. A lot of those in between details of Moses's story.

Tamara Anderson  23:01 

But what a blessing that this mother this Jochebed by following her motherly intuition, what God was speaking to her heart, was blessed with such a miracle. That not only changed her life, but it eventually changed the lives of her entire people. And we don't know if she lived to see that she's not really mentioned much after this story. But what an incredible story it is, right? So, so powerful. All right. Well, let's wrap it up. Ladies, thoughts and takeaways from the story of Jochebed? Wendi, let's start with you.

Wendi Christensen  23:51 

I think looking at again, her faith, that her faith was rewarded by the intervention of Pharaoh's daughter, right? Her faith. I know my son will be taken care of she turned her faith over to God. And as I do that, in the face of the challenges that I might see with my own children, I don't care if if listeners if they don't have children, just in their own lives, that God is very aware of you and that your faith does matter. And that you may not see the complete picture of what's happening in your life, but God does. He sees the picture. He sees the direction he knows what's going to what's going to bless you and help you. And if you just put your trust in Him, He will take that basket, whatever offering you give whatever you're giving with your heart, your full heart, he will take it and he will multiply it and bless it to be in your favor. Whatever it is that you get.

Tamara Anderson  24:52 

Yeah. Oh, that's a very good analogy. I like that. Whatever you lay on that sacrificial altar, right? Yeah. Uh, yeah, because it is there, there's always a time when we have to do that, lay it on the altar, give it all to God. Amy?

Amy Johnson  25:11 

It just occurred to me that she would have known the story that Joseph was raised by the Egyptians and not in his own household. And, and or, you know, not raised necessarily he was an adult, but still lived in that household and stay true to God. And so I think my takeaways from that are, remember what God does. Have the faith to follow him. And stay out of his way. I think I think those are the things that I just keep thinking, remember what God does, have faith to follow him, and then stay out of his way. And literally stand still and watch what he does, because he is such a good God. And he really, he really does do great things, when we stay out of his way.

Amy Johnson  26:07 

I've seen that with my own children, the day that I realized that I wasn't going to be the greatest month. But I was going to be the exact moment that God needed my children to have for them to have the experiences they needed to have. I could then remember what God does have faith to do what I believe he wanted me to do, and watch the miracles as I stayed out this way.

Tamara Anderson  26:33 

Love that. I think my biggest takeaway is what you said, Amy, is that, you know, she literally put him in this ark, you know, felt followed her impressions to put him in the ark And to build it the way it needs to be built and then entrusted him as he flowed down the river that God would provide would provide the best solution for her son. And, as a mother of now, all adults, that is the point I'm at is trusting that God will provide for my children as I send them down the river. It is an act of faith, right? Just that, okay, you've got them--good or bad. You've got them. My influence now is more touch points and love and encouragement and stuff like that. But it is trusting God with those we love for good or ill. Really, truly that as for me that is that it. And it requires such tremendous faith, because I think I used to be much more of a control freak. And I think I still try to control as much as I can. But for me this is this has been a new learning experience sending my kids out to the world.

Amy Johnson  28:06 

Tamara, I'm gonna to just say something, you said sending them on their way, trusting God for good or for ill. I guess what I hear, really is that we send them on their way trusting them to whatever good God has in store for them. Because he makes whatever ill we see okay.

Tamara Anderson  28:28 

Yeah, as it says in Romans, that all things can work together for our good, you know, yeah, it's true. It's true. And all things can work together for our good. Well, thank you for joining us today. And for walking through the story of Jochebed with us. We were we admire her faith and courage to do what she felt was right. And thus, the ripple effect changed the lives of 1000s and 1000s and 1000s of people. So stay faithful, my friends.

Tamara Anderson  29:04 

Thanks for tuning in to Bible Women & Bathrobes hosted by Women Warriors of Light. We've loved exploring the stories of remarkable women or the teachings of the Savior God with you. If today's episode brought someone special to mind, be sure to spread the word. And don't forget to hit that subscribe button so you never miss a moment of inspiration and sisterhood. Just a friendly reminder, all opinions we share are entirely personal as we are trying to decipher and apply Bible teachings just like you are. Until next time, stay faithful. And may Your journey be blessed and illuminated by God's love.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai