The Nurturing Mother

 

Growing a Great Family: (Part II)

THE NURTURING MOTHER

Exodus 2:1-10

1) Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman,

2) and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.

3) But when she could hide him no longer, she got a papyrus basket for him and coated it with tar and pitch. Then she placed the child in it and put it among the reeds along the bank of the Nile.

4) His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.

5) Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank. She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it.

6) She opened it and saw the baby. He was crying, and she felt sorry for him. "This is one of the Hebrew babies," she said.

7) Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?"

8) "Yes, go," she answered. And the girl went and got the baby's mother.

9) Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you." So the woman took the baby and nursed him.

10) When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son. She named him Moses, saying, "I drew him out of the water."

            Motherhood is a special privilege and a sacred duty. Think about the role a mother plays in the nurture and development of a child. There is a South African proverb which states; "the hand which rocks the cradle rules the nation and its destiny." No wonder there are so many accomplished men and women who would often attribute their successes to their mothers:

  • Ø Charles Spurgeon, "I cannot tell how much I owe to the prayers of my good mother. I remember her once praying, ‘Now Lord, if my children go on in sin it will not be from ignorance that they perish, and my soul must bear swift witness against them at the day of judgment if they lay not hold on Christ and claim Him as their personal Savior."
  • Ø Lorne Sanny of The Navigators once wrote of his mother: "My mother gave birth to me in a frontier house on a Midwestern prairie. On the kitchen counter she placed a list of the ingredients necessary for my formula. At the top of the list was 'prayer,' and that remained at the top of her list for me throughout her life...I have her to thank for firmly establishing my spiritual roots."
  • Ø Timothy Dwight, former president of Yale, "All that I am and all that I shall be, I owe to my mother."
  • Ø Thomas A. Edison, "I did not have my mother long, but she cast over me an influence which has lasted all my life. The good effects of her early training I can never lose. If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me at a critical time in my experience, I should never likely have become an inventor. I was always a careless boy, and with a mother of different mental caliber, I should have turned out badly. But her firmness, her sweetness, her goodness, were potent powers to keep me in the right path. My mother was the making of me. The memory of her will always be a blessing to me."

 

Aside from these men, Moses did not fail to give credit to his mom when he was tasked to write the second book of the Bible, the book of Exodus. He ascribed greatness to her by recording her heroic acts in saving his life.

This morning, as we celebrate Mother's Day, I have chosen Jochebed, Moses' mother, to be the center of our study. Just like the mothers of many great individuals, their names will probably not become as prominent, but their contributions cannot be ignored. Allow me to highlight three ways she has nurtured her children:

 

I           SHE IMPLEMENTED PROTECTION:

            When Jochebed gave birth to Moses in Egypt, she recognized that his life was in great danger because of a decree from Pharaoh to kill all the Israelites newborn boys. Despite being a slave woman who had no rights, she has determined to protect the life of her son whatever the consequences. She was willing to risk even her own life to do what was right in the eyes of God.   

            Generally speaking, mothers are usually self-sacrificing. I remember reading a story about a teacher who asked a boy this question: "Suppose your mother baked a pie and there were seven of you--your parents and five children. What part of the pie would you get?" "A sixth," replied the boy. "I'm afraid you don't know your fractions," said the teacher. "Remember, there are seven of you." "Yes, teacher," said the boy, "but you don't know my mother. Mother would say she didn't want any pie" (Bits and Pieces, June, 1990, p. 10).

            To protect Moses, at first, Jochebed and her husband hid him until it was impossible to do so. Then they devised a creative plan to put him in a waterproofed basket and place him down the Nile River into the arms of Pharaoh's daughter. Imagine the pain she must have experienced in letting him go into the river. However, this is part of the sacrifice she was willing to take to protect her son's life. Her courage to defy Pharaoh, and save Moses will eventually save a nation because Moses will be the great deliverer of Israel. Her efforts together with her husband will earn them a spot in God's Hall of Faith:

Hebrews 11:23

23) By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict.

 

            Evidently, it took great faith on her part to protect her child from the destructive intents of Pharaoh. In the same way, children today can be in grave danger because of the destructive works of the devil in our world. I hope and pray that just like Jochebed all our mothers will do whatever it takes to protect their children from them. Listen to Paul's reminder to Timothy how he could thrive against the growing ungodliness in the world:

2 Timothy 3:12-15

12) In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,

13) while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.

14) But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it,

15) and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.

 

            Paul makes it clear that if you want to protect your children, don't fail in giving them the Word of God.

 

II         SHE INSTILLED PURPOSE:

            After Moses was found by the princess, Miriam, Moses' sister, who stood from a distance to watch her little baby brother, persuaded the princess to get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the infant. Miriam, of course, got her mother, who was then able to raise her own son until he was weaned and brought back to the palace to be adopted by the princess.

            No one knows how long Jochebed nurtured Moses before she released her to be educated in Egypt. But, it was long enough for the mother of Moses to firmly instill knowledge of God and a love for his heritage and people. She was able to train and taught him promises from God that they were to inherit the land of Canaan and be a great nation and bless the world. This early influence on Moses would not be erased by close to 40 years he spent in the court of Pharaoh. Notice the reference in Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:24-26

24) By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter.

25) He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.

26) He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

 

            Moses experience reinforces what many experts today are saying that half of everything an individual learns they learn in the first four years of their life. Therefore, in teaching our children about the things of God, we should begin as early as possible. I read a statistic saying that 85% of born again believers accepted the Lord between the ages of 5 and 10. This is exactly what Proverbs 22:6 faithfully reminds us with:

Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.

  

            For Jochebed, she was able to instill purpose not only in the life Moses, but also with Aaron and Miriam. All of them rose up to be leaders for God as well. Mothers, are you raising the next leaders for God? Don't fail to instill the purpose of following God in the lives of your children.    

               

III        SHE INSPIRED PARTNERSHIP:

            Lastly, Jochebed has also inspired partnership with God in the life of her children. The mother who was strong in her faith helped build the same faith in Moses. Notice again in Hebrews 11: 23-26:  

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king's edict. By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.  He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward.

            Looking at the passage, it is quite obvious that the extraordinary faith of Moses was not by accident. He caught it through the example of Jochebed.

How can mothers today demonstrate faith to their children? I believe one of the best ways we show our kids that our faith is real is through prayers. Notice Hebrews 11:6:           

6) And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

            This verse clearly says that we must "come to God." Our faith in God becomes very visible when we pray. Are you a praying mom? Are your children convinced that you pray for them regularly?

Did you know that over 30,000 groups of mothers worldwide meet on a weekly basis to pray for their children? It all started in 1984 when Fern Nichols, then a Canadian, grew concerned about her sons, who were about to enter junior high school. Nichols found another mother to join her in weekly prayer sessions for their kids and their kids' schools. And so the ministry "Moms in Touch" was born. The prayers sounded like this:

  • "May our children see the importance of working hard for the Lord"
  • "Help our children to remain sexually pure."
  • "Help me know when to push my kids, and when to hold back. It's so hard for me sometimes to know when to do what."
  • "Help them to stay on track."

Surely, prayers can express our deep dependence on God - our faith. And this is an activity mothers should never neglect.

Mothers, how are you nurturing your children today? If you desire to raise great sons or daughters, follow the example of Jochebed. Protect your children from the destructive attacks of the world, instill the purpose in them to live for God, and continue to inspire faith in God. When you do all these, I'm sure your children will be eternally grateful to you for being a great mom.