Women in the Word – Jochebed

 

The Woman Whose Children Became Great

Scripture References—Exodus 1; 2:1-11; 6:20; Numbers 26:59; Hebrews 11:23

Name Meaning—Jochebed implies, “glory of Jehovah” or, “Jehovah (is her or our) glory.” It is plain from this name of the mother of Moses, that the announcement of Jehovah, as the name of God, was not made for the first time when God revealed Himself in a special manner under that title to Moses in the burning bush. Jochebed is the first person in Scripture to have a name compounded with Jah—or Jehovah. According to the Bible, Jochebed was a daughter of Levi and mother of Aaron, Miriam and Moses. She was the wife of Amram, as well as his aunt. No details are given concerning her life. According to Jewish legend, Moses’s Mother is buried in the Tomb of the Matriarchs, in Tiberias. She is praised for her faith in God

It is very tantalizing to be told her remarkable name and to be told no more. Was Godthy-glory the remarkable name that Moses gave to his mother as often as he looked back at all that he owed to her, and as often as he rose up and called her blessed? Or was her very remarkable name her own invention? Was her striking name her own seal that she had set to her own vow which she made to her own God after some great grace and goodness of her own God? Or, again did the angel of the Lord visit that daughter of the house of Levi or some Jabbok-like or Annunciation-night, and so name her as the sun rose upon her prayer?

 

—Jochebed is spoken of as a daughter of Levi who married a man of the house of Levi (Exodus 2:1; Numbers 26:59), whose name was Amram. Strange though it may seem, she married her nephew, and was thus both the wife and aunt of Amram, seeing his wife was his father’s sister (Exodus 6:20). Marriages with aunts and nieces were not unlawful before the giving of the law by Moses. They were very common throughout the East.

To Amram and Jochebed were born three children each of whom became renowned in their own sphere (Numbers 26:59). She bore and suckled all three on the same strong milk, till she weaned them from milk and put them on the marrow of lions. The oak has its roots around the rock, and the children of Jochebed had their roots around their godly mother.

There was Moses, who became one of the greatest national leaders and legislators the world has ever known.

There was Aaron, who became Israel’s first high priest and the founder of the Aaronic priesthood.

There was Miriam, the gifted poetess and musician, who was intimately associated with her two brothers in the history of Israel.

Jochebed’s prominent place in the divine gallery is secure, then, and the aspect of her career especially emphasized in Scripture is that of her clever design to preserve the life of her baby boy. It was for her courage and trust in such an act that had far-reaching consequences for the nation that she is placed among the heroines of faith in Hebrews 11:23. Let us recall the circumstances of the preservation of Moses which caused his mother to be included among that “great cloud of witnesses” whose lives and labors testified of their faith in God’s providential care and goodness.

At the time of Pharaoh, the Hebrews had multiplied so greatly as to cause the monarch to fear lest they should outnumber the Egyptians and take over the nation. Thus he commanded that all newly-born Hebrew boys be thrown into the Nile—a most dastardly edict! Jochebed was heavy with child. Already there were Miriam, about ten years of age at the time, and Aaron, possibly about three, in the home. Now another child was on the way. Knowing of Pharaoh’s command and that, as a rigid executive, he closely checked up on all male births, Jochebed must have had intense suspense as she awaited her third child. Would it be a boy that would be wrenched from her and thrown into the Nile? What were her feelings when the child was born and the midwife told her it was a boy? What maternal grief must have been hers!

But the horror of that crocodile-infested Nile transforms Jochebed into a heroine and the preserver of a boy who became one of the world’s greatest figures. The moment she saw her baby, she was determined to fight for his life. Three times over we read that “she saw that he was a goodly child” (Exodus 2:2; Acts 7:20; Hebrews 11:23). This means that Moses was not only a lovely child to look at, but also, as the margin explains, he was “fair to God,” implying that there was something other-worldly or angelic about his features. As the little one lay in her lap, Jochebed felt that he had been sent from God, and that He, along with her mingled faith and love, would somehow preserve the child.

How Jochebed managed to hide her baby, who doubtless cried as lustily as other babies, in some secret place where he could not be seen or heard, is a mystery! When she was unable to conceal him any longer, “God through the intensity of her faith caused her to inherit a vision of what He had appointed for Moses.” She made a little cradle of plaited reeds which were believed to be protection against crocodiles, then placed the cradle with its treasure secretly among the rushes at the river’s bank, and told Miriam her young daughter to stand near to watch over the small craft. The brief but vivid account of what happened is given by the historian, even by Moses himself who, in his latter years, by divine inspiration, wrote the first five books of the Bible.

At her usual time Pharaoh’s daughter came to the feathery greenness edging the ancient Nile to wash herself, and her maidens walking by the river side saw the cradle among the rushes. When the royal lady saw the beautiful baby and heard his cry she had compassion on him. A Hebrew woman must be found to nurse the child. Jochebed was fearfully watching the fate of that precious child she had borne and the rough cradle she had fashioned. Young Miriam was also near at hand, and quite naively said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?”

Pharaoh’s daughter said, “Go!” Miriam was not long in calling her mother and presenting her as a nurse. Pharaoh’s daughter asked her to nurse the child for her at a given wage. Thus Jochebed’s baby was not only saved, but Jochebed was paid to care for him until he was weaned. Pharaoh’s daughter must have loved the child for she brought him up as her son. However, Moses later refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, even though she had given him her name, Moses, which means “drawn out of the water” (Exodus 2:10). If Jochebed was guided by God to make that small cradle and place her three-month old baby in it, and hide him among the rushes, surely the steps of Pharaoh’s daughter were ordered by the same God, even though she was an idolater. It was to her that Jochebed owed the saving of her son, as well as the royal protection and all the advantages of Pharaoh’s palace as his home for the first forty years of his life.

How long Jochebed lived after her delivered child no longer required her nursing, we are not told. Doubtless she was dead by the time Moses fled into the wilderness when he was forty years of age. Although she did not live to see how famous her children became, dead, she yet spake again in their utter devotion to God. She had lived her life as unto Him, and her sons and daughter lit their torches at her flame. Jochebed was the chief influence unto God in their preparation for the great tasks they were to accomplish in leading His people out of Egyptian bondage. It was Jochebed’s love, faith and courage that saved her child from a cruel death and preserved him to bless the world. A mother who loves the Saviour, and who has a more severe anguish when she knows that, not the life of her child is at stake, but its soul, can rest in the assurance that Jochebed’s God still lives, and is able to save her dear one from eternal death.

Taking Credit for God’s Blessings

With the advent of the religion of Humanism mankind has set himself up as a god by taking credit for the good things that happen in his life.The Bible specifically states that all good things come from above as stated in James 1:17.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above………….  Our skills and our talents are given to us by our Creator.  They are His gifts to us to mold us into the person that He wants us to be.

View from the Mountaintop

The view that one gets as they gaze the panoramic scene from the top of a mountain is somewhat breathtaking to say the least.  Miles and miles of a picturesque images filter into the mind as one takes in the vast scope of sightings available through the tapestry of reality that lays before them.  Not withstanding, this scenario cannot compare to the visual one gets after coming up out of an horrible pit.

We all have had those mountaintop experiences when the Lord has blessed us, sometimes beyond measure, after we have gone through a time of testing.  How wonderful it is when our spiritual eyes gaze upon the reality of new lessons learned.  For many this is a time of spiritual growth, drawing us closer to the Lord.  Sightings of new opened doors of opportunity to serve, witness and minister bring joy and anticipation into our heart. It is indeed a welcome relief from the valley of despair from whence we just came.  Unfortunately this is a time when we are often most vulnerable to attacks from the Devil.  With a humble heart it is good for us to take a quick look down into the valley from whence we came to remind us of God’s hand in delivering us from our hour of testing.

Although is it not good to dwell on past sins, testing, and disappointments, we need to keep in mind that those very things were the instruments by which we were chiseled into becoming more Christ-like.  Once the abrasiveness of sin is tempered with the soothing lotion of forgiveness, our fellowship with the Heavenly Father is restored and it becomes easier for us to see that all testing comes from above and is meant for our good.  Those disappointments were roadblocks preventing us from turning away from the will of God our life.  Perhaps the most humbling site that pricks our soul is the evidence of God’s working in our life while floundering in the valley.

As we look closer into the pit we can see dredged into the sinking sand are drag marks from the time when the Lord had to literally drag us away from temptation and sin.  Further down the path can be seen only one set of footprints when we were being carried by our Savior.  There at the cool spring waters, Christ refreshed us, providing us with the strength to keep going. As our eyes look upon the side of the mountain we can see Jesus climbing upward carrying someone upon his back…………….  Oh, how he loves us.

Out of an Horrible Pit

“I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.”—Psalm 40:1-3.

There are times in a Christian walk when the Believer finds himself deep down in an horrible pit. Whether it happens because of sin, illness, financial woes,  the condition of the world or a multitude of other reasons, the person suffers from a myriad of spiritual and emotional turmoil.  Perhaps it is a combination of these culprits or even all of them, nevertheless  it leaves one with the feeling of desolation to the point that they feel forsaken by God.

Plagued by self pity, depression and sorrow, one of the first things that tempts the flailing soul is whether to trust in self or to trust in God.  Sadly many choose the former.  Prayer and Scripture reading is forgotten and even church attendance suffers because of the circumstances thrust upon the backslidden saint.  Floundering around in the mire and dirt, the bruised Christian neglects to look up to the hills from whence cometh their help.  Psalm 121 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help

Sadly, the tendency exists to blame God for the sad state of affairs that one finds themselves in.  Psalm 10:1  Why standest thou afar off, O Lord? why hidest thou thyself in times of trouble  Granted, God does allow testing to come into ones life, but it is up to the Believer as to the proper way to respond.  

All the while that the Saint is wallowing in the mire of their afflictions, the Holy Spirit is wooing them back into the fold and prompting them to cry unto the Lord in their distress to deliver them out of their troubles.  God never gives up on His sheep even if they give up on Him.  He knows their foolishness and their sins are not hid from Him.  Without calling upon the Heavenly Father to deliver them from their troublesome circumstances they continue to plunge deeper and deeper into despair.

Thankfully the Lord is patient and longsuffering and has promised that He will never leave of forsake His own.  He continues to woo them until the day that they call upon Him to “turn unto me, and have mercy upon me; for I am desolate and afflicted.  The troubles of my heart are enlarged………..bring me out of my distresses and look upon my affliction and pain and forgive all my sins.  And hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble.  Thou knowest my foolishness and my sins are not hid from thee:

The ‘ME-bola’ of Christianity

 There seems to be an epidemic affecting Christians.  The average person claiming to be a Christian is actually embracing and following unbiblical and contradictory ideas to the gospel.  This epidemic is the subconscious ingrained and errant belief that the Christian life is about “me.”  It’s about what Christ can give me.  It’s about the church accommodating me.  It’s about the worship programs being catered to me.  It’s about the worship style suiting me.  It’s about saving myself from hell in that Jesus is my eternal life insurance, so as long as I go to church and half-heartedly read my Bible every once in a while, I’ll be ok.

Many of us have been infected with the idea that the Christian life should be an easy life and therefore requires little to no effort and minimum obedience to God.  Some Saints believed that they can ease the symptoms of their indifference if they are faithful in church attendance and talk the walk.  This Laodicean approach to Christianity is the foundation on which apathy is built.  It is not the Church’s responsibility to ease the symptoms of carnal Christians, but instead to provide a prescription to worship God and be encouraged and instructed in the Word. When a church does its best to serve its people, it definitely makes the service a reservoir of blessing and instruction in righteousness.  ‘Cool’ music and fancy lighting and the beat of the drum is not what Christianity is about. The world’s music and theatrics are sensuous and feed the emotions and water down the scriptural basis for service.

The average Christian sitting is a worship service on Sunday morning most likely will hear something along the lines of  that God loves me and sent his Son to die for me.  As wonderful as this truth is, there is more to the story.  If we claim to be Christians, we should be following the call to spread the gospel and serve others. We should not allow the infection of our own selfish desires to hinder someone else’s salvation.

 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”  Mark 16:15 

Some Christians are self-centered, self-absorbed, and self-saturated people who really do not have the burden of  spreading the salvation message to others.  Worshipping and witnessing are the primary responsibilities of redeemed sinners. However, there is one more thing that is needful.  So, what do we do now that it’s been established that Christianity is not all about me? Where do we go from here?

While it is true that works cannot save us, it is a command that we are to work out our own salvation

  “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”  Philippians 2:12 .

We must not succumb to the Moses syndrome of worthless excuses: ” but I am slow of speech, and of a slow tongue;” for the Lord will say , “What is that in thine hand?”  Each of us has talents given to us by God, that can be used for his service.  In bringing together a fellowship of Believers God was not amiss in providing workers for the ministry.  Some are called to teach, some are called to clean, others are called to tend to wee ones in the Nursery.  Lest we forget, there is the landscaping, church dinners, organizers, planners and greeters.  For those Senior Saints the needful service of prayer is needful for the influence of any ministry. This is far from being an all inclusive list of available ministries in the Church.  Yes, cleaning is a ministry!

As we life for Christ, we must not do so in our own strength  God did not give you new life so that you could run around and fulfill your own selfish desires. There’s a greater purpose here to live your life to serve God whole-heartedly and strive to be Christ-like. It is hard to model Jesus every second of the day, in fact, it is probably impossible to do it. Instead of relying on yourself, let God guide you throughout your day.

“And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”  Romans 12:2 

 Serve others! This is a huge commandment in the Bible. Your life is no longer about your convenience, comfort, or accommodation. Go into the world and serve others thereby pointing everyone you meet to Christ.

The Lord is the Great Physician who can deliver us from the spiritual ‘Ebola’ of Christianity. As we draw nearer to God and come to know Him more, He imparts unto us the antibiotic of selfless service that we might  a workman that needeth not to be ashamed………………………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In the Valley

In the Valley.

http://faithful4him.wordpress.com.

There are those times in our Christian walk when we need a “hug from Heaven.”  These are those scenarios when only one set of footprints are in the sand.  May you be encouraged as you read this article on being in the Valley of discouragement.

What does it mean to “put off the old man?”

What does it mean to “put off the old man?”.

http://rickroehm.wordpress.com.

Before we were saved many of us were likened unto an old tire.  Our lives were lived that the tread was worn away by sinful living.  Once saved, God was able to take our thread bare lives and turn them into something useful.  The Master-craftsman may have had to clean us up and remove the tar of worldliness that had accumulated over a lifespan;  He definitely gave us a new covering – His robe of righteousness;  and we became a new creation, fit for the Master’s use.  Perhaps the following visual illustration can best exemplify the ‘putting off of the old man and letting Christ don us with the garment of a new man.

 

Prayer Of Supplication

Prayer Of Supplication.

A very convicting article; one which needs to be added to my daily walk with the Lord!.  I trust that you will be blessed likewise.

 

Cupid is a What?

Even as the last remnants of the Christmas merchandise is being removed from the store shelves, the nations proprietors are stocking cards, candy and cute little dainties for the annual celebration of Valentines day.  As a child I can remember my Mom buying packages of little Valentine cards to give out to our classmates. Those little embossed heart shaped candy confections are still a favorite of children today.  Over the years, like many other events, the merchandise of Valentine’s Day has evolved into an art of sorts.  Gourmet delicacies, designer cards, and fantastic floral arrangements entice the lovelorn as they seek to purchase that one special gift that will express their love and adoration to the recipient of their affection, making this a 14 billion dollar annual enterprize.  So, where and when did all of this seemingly harmless celebration originate.  For some, this will come as an absolute shock!

The researching of the origin of Valentines day was enlightening to say the least.  The stories and or legends literally go from one extreme to the other with an intertwining of fact and fiction that almost boggles the mind.  There are certain facts that have allowed me to conclude that this yearly event originated from pagan worship.  Since the reference to this truth is none other than the Word of God, I am inclined to believe that the origin of Valentines celebration does have its roots in paganism.   In Genesis 10:9 we are introduced to Nimrod, the first full-time disciple of Satan.  His name means ‘rebel’ and justifiably so for he rebelled against God.  You will recall that it was Nimrod who led the building of the Tower of Babel. After God scattered the people by instituting the various languages, the name Nimrod also became known as Tammuz, Adonis, Baal, Lupercus, and even Cupid.

The meaning of the word valentine comes from the Latin Valentinus, meaning to be strong, powerful and mighty – like Nimrod is depicted in the Bible.  Lupercus, the Roman god for ‘Nimrod’, was a heathen hero, their strong man, their valentine.   ST Valentines day was set aside by Roman pagans to worship him.  So, we can conclude that Nimrod/Lupercus, a heathen god known for being strong and powerful with his bow and arrow, a disciple of Satan, was the original St Valentine.   In fact, they were called St Valentine.

The Babylonian’s name for Nimrod is Tammuz,  the illegitimate son of Queen Semiramis.  She claimed that Tammuz was Nimrod, reborn.  Queen Semiramis the goddess of immortality, lusted after her son, in an incestuous relationship.   This is further confirmed by the incestuous  relationship between Venus and Cupid, the Greek counterpart to Semiramis and Tammuz. Their twisted sexuality is the object of Valentines Day.

Semiramis became the Queen of heaven and her relationship with Tammuz, her son, became the basis for the fertility cults throughout the world.  She was worshipped as the goddess  “Ishtar”,  during the feast of Easter in Saxon times.   During these festivals, immorality ran rampant.  Women and men sent cards to those of whom they desired to have a sexual encounter, thus the origin of Valentine Cards; bringing men and women together for sexual purposes  Nudity was a common site during these festivals and folk ran through the streets virtually naked.    Did you ever see a cupid with clothes on?

The Roman Catholic church tried to ‘Christianize’ this sordid event for whatever reason, and promoted a more respectable celebration designed at minimizing the immorality.   They even came up with their own Saint Valentine as well as their own Semiramis/Tammuz’;  the Madonna and child.  Many of the traditions established by the church are still in practice today, such as the color red, the giving of  flowers and the heart, which originally was associated with Tammuz in that he was depicted with a heart-shaped fruit in his hand  Thus Tammuz  became known as the god of the heart.   Even though the more respectable Roman citizen was now able to participate in this religion-ized festival , the cultish practice of worshipping Ishtar continued and in fact is still practiced today in parts of the World, especially in Muslim countries.

When scholars dug into ancient ruins it was discovered that Nimrod of Babylon is the same god-symbol as Cupid.  It is not difficult to understand how Satan planted a diabolical trail throughout history of incorporating this pagan celebration into a socially acceptable practice by Christians.

As you consider your thoughts on this timely subject it may help to understand that Nimrod is depicted as Cupid, the god of love.  His followers believe that he was the seed of the woman, and that he had a divine birth.  Sound familiar?  Valentines day is not an innocent secular holiday;  it has its roots in the occult.  Would you be further surprised to learn that this pagan celebration was held yearly on February 14th?   What would Jesus want you to do?

Preachers for Profit

Millions of folk around the world satisfy their need for spiritual enlightenment by tuning in to their favorite television preacher.  Although there are a few men of God who fervently seek to proclaim the undiluted Gospel of Jesus Christ over the airways, more than likely, one will have their ears tickled by a self serving entertainer with a watered down social gospel of “I feel good and you should too! ” In reading a recent posting by Darrell Creswell, (http://darrellcreswell.wordpress.com)  I was astonished at the amount of wealth that some of these purveyors of spirituality have accumulated over the years from their unsuspecting viewers.  Perhaps the most disturbing fact for me is that many, many many of these blinded followers are Senior Saints who are oblivious to the underlying purpose of these  so-called Gospel ministries.  A couple of dollars from the millions of geriatric viewers soon mounts up to some might fancy steaks on the dinner plate.  All the while these pension-pinchin Senior Saints are indulging in soup, cereal and sandwiches.  Well, the old proverb that a picture sends a thousand words is most certainly true; so lets take a look at the lifestyle of some of the more prominent ‘Gospel” entertainers.

Now let us take a look at where Jesus laid down his hear to rest:   Quite a contrast to the multi-million dollar homes of these charlatans of the social gospel

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And if this does not mess with your mind then lets take a look at the method of transportation

Them:

Jesus:

It is needful that Christians adhere to the scriptural principle of providing for their Pastor, giving him a double portion even.   So many Godly men depend upon the Lord to provide and rightly so, however, God uses his people through tithes and offerings to support the man who has given his life to preaching the Gospel.  Scripture  admonishes us not to store up for ourselves treasures on earth, but to instead store up for ourselves treasures in heaven.  The preaching of the Gospel to fill ones own pockets is a sin; an abomination and a disgrace to everything that Jesus died for on Calvary.  Ministers of the Word should not be greedy of money nor use the gospel shamelessly to make money

These viscous wolves in the sheep’s clothing of a fundamental gospel preacher are twisting scripture so as to seduce people into supporting their ‘ministries’;  into following them and not Jesus. Their charismatic presentation seduces unsuspecting viewers to open their thin wallets and send a ‘dollar or two’ to ‘further the “gospel”.    O foolish generation, how carelessly are we taken away into captivity by these entrepeneurs of wealth through the exploiting of the Truth.