INTRODUCTION
Today is a day when we take the time to honor the one human being who unselfishly gives herself to her children time and time again, without asking for anything in return.
If your life has been blessed by the touch of a godly mother, then you have enjoyed one of this world's greatest treasures and blessings. Not everyone has enjoyed this great blessing but those who have will go to their grave remembering the love of their mother.
We set aside one day a year to honor mothers. The majority of them deserve it, and they truly are VIPs.
In our passage today, we are introduced to a woman named Jochebed. She stands out as one of the greatest mothers revealed in the pages of Scripture. Her selfless love and sacrifice made possible the exodus of God's people from Egypt and literally changed the course of history.
It would do us well this morning to look at the life of this great mother. As we do, we find characteristics that stand as reminders to all of our mothers teaching them what they should be as well.
Yet, please do not think that I am speaking only to mothers today. In this passage about this woman Jochebed, there are lessons that speak to every person here, whether they be male or female, young or old, saved or lost.
God has a word for you this morning. Join me as we look together at “The Sacrificial Life of a Godly Mother: An Example of Jochebed.”
Factors that revealed that Jochebed was a good example of a sacrificial mother
1. HER CREDENTIALS–v. 1
A. Jochebed was an Israelite, one of God's chosen people. She was also a member of the tribe of Levi from which would come the priests and those who would carry out the duties of the Tabernacle and later of the Temple. She, and her husband Amram, were evidently very dedicated and religious people. They were willing to defy the order of Pharaoh and keep the commandments of God.
Every mother needs a relationship with the Lord. May I say that every child deserves a saved, sold out, dedicated mother? Nothing would make more difference in the lives of our children than having good, godly examples in the home.
There is a need for godly fathers too! In fact, everyone in the home needs a relationship with the Lord. God give us godly mothers and fathers!
While we are one the subject, allow me to insert the truth that every person needs the Lord Jesus Christ! My friend, more than you need your next breath or your next heartbeat, you need Jesus and His salvation. It is the one credential you need to miss hell and enter into heaven when you die - Acts 4:12; John 3:3, 7. (1. We See Her Credentials)
2. HER COURAGE - v. 2
In The Decree of Pharaoh - Ex. 1:15-22. Joshebed refused to give in to a godless system that would have cost her the life of her son.
God give us parents who aren't afraid to take a stand for that which is right in these dark, sinful days! Men and women who demand more for their children than the world can give them.
Parents who are willing to say, "Enough is enough, my child is going to learn the way of the Lord!" People who will declare the same thing Joshua declared for His family, Josh. 24:15. We need some courageous people in these times!
Once a little boy asked his father what a Christian was. For a long time, the father sat with the son explaining in great detail exactly what a Christian was supposed to be. When he was finished, he felt like he had done a pretty good job of describing a Christian, as well as himself. His illusions, however, were shattered when his son asked, "Dad, have I ever met one?"
I. We See Her Credentials
II. We See Her Courage
3. HER CONFIDENCE- v. 3, 9-10
By confidence, I am referring to faith. Jochebed was a woman motivated by a strong faith in the will of a Sovereign God! Her faith was so strong that she was named, along with her husband, to God's Hall of the Faithful in Hebrews 11:23.
She needed this kind of faith to accomplish what she did for the Lord and for her son. She needed faith to:
Resist The World - V. 2. The world was crying out for the death of her son, but this mother stood strong in the face of this attack and placed her son above the will of the world! So it is today! The world demands that parents hand over their children and allow them to be trained and taught the ways of the world. But, our children need and deserve better than that! We need some parents who will teach their children the ways of God and steer them clear of the world and its devises. Prov. 6:22; Deut. 6:4-9. It takes faith to go against the grain and raise your children for the Lord, but God will bless you, and them, for it!
Release The Child - V. 3b. It took faith to place the child in the river. This was the same instrument which was being used to destroy the other babies, Ex. 1:22. It took faith for this mother to take her hands off the life of this child and leave him to the will of God.
It takes faith for us to let our children go, but that day is coming. Some parents live in denial and try to hold on to their children far too long, but the day is coming, sooner or later, when that child must be allowed to become an adult. It takes faith to just leave them in the had of God, but the child who has a praying mother, a past filled with the Bible and training in the way of the Lord has the advantage and will do well.
When I talk about giving them up to be adults, I do not mean that we are to stop praying for them and that we are to turn on them. There are too many parents who can't wait for the day when they won't have to put up with their children anymore!
Raise The Child - V. 9-10. After Moses had been found by Pharaoh's daughter, Miriam and Jochebed were able to work things out to where Jochebed became the nurse for her own son.
It took great faith for her to raise this child under those conditions. However, she was given the opportunity to teach Moses about Jehovah, about true worship and about right living. She had the opportunity to do her best by her son.
We are required to do the same thing! All we can do is our best by our children.
May I say that they need love, acceptance, Bible teaching, preaching, church, godly examples to emulate and especially, they need a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ!
If you give your children to God and then give them all the God you can, you have done your best. They then have a foundation from which they can grow and mature into healthy saints of God.
I. We See Her Credentials.
II. We See Her Courage.
III. We See Her Confidence
4. HER CHARITY - V. 9-10
This refers to the wonderful way in which she gave out of her life.
She Gave of Her Self - V. 2-3, 9-10. She poured out her life into the life of her son. Isn't that what every good mother does for her children? It is important that children give their mother's the honor they deserve, Ex. 20:12. (Ill. In a very real spiritual sense this is what the heavenly Father has done for each of us! God gave His Own darling Son to save sinful man. God gave Heaven's best for earth's worse! He did that simply because He loves you!)
She Gave Her Son - V. 10. Very literally, Jochebed was raising her son to give him to the Lord. She gave up her son to save her nation, even though she didn't realize all that she was doing. (Ill. According to the Bible, God gave His son for us! When He did, God knew exactly what He was doing. In fact, when Jesus came and died for our sins at Calvary, that was the greatest expression of love the world would ever see, Rom. 5:8. Jochebed gave her son for Israel. God gave His Son for the world, John 3:16, 2 Cor. 5:15 - He died for all! He died for you!)
I. We See Her Credentials;
II. We See Her Courage;
III. We See Her Confidence
IV. We See Her Charity
5. HER COMPENSATION
A. Her son became a great man of God. He was the one man whom God had chosen to be the deliverer of the people of God and the one who was destined to be known as the Great Lawgiver Of Israel.
I would imagine that Jochebed never realized his potential when he was a baby. I suppose that she lived the remainder of her life and never knew what God did with the life of Moses. In her own way, Jochebed rises as high as any mother in the Bible. I am sure that her reward in Heaven will be great. This mother's love and sacrifice were vindicated in the way God greatly used her son!
Parents, you never know who you are raising! Therefore, give them the best you have while you have them and turn out God fearing, God following young men and women who will live for the glory of the Lord!
Conclusion
Jochebed stands, even after all these years, as a true portrait of a sacrificial godly mother. Perhaps there have been those who have heard this morning that have had their hearts stirred by the Lord.
Maybe He has spoken to you about your soul and you know you ought to come and be saved this morning.
Maybe He has spoken to you about your relationship with Him and how things aren't like they used to be or like they should be, and you want to come and do something about it.
Maybe He has spoken to you as a parent and has shown you areas in your life that are less than what they ought to be and you want to come and determine today that you are going to strive to be all God wants you to be.
Maybe you just need to come and pray for your children. Maybe there are some children here who would like to come and pray for your parents. You know they have tried, but you haven't tried like you could have.