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. Exodus 2:3 (NIV).
When I read the book of Exodus, I often focus on Moses. His life decisions teach us valuable lessons. Moses’ mistakes are recorded so we can learn from them, and his relationship with God exemplifies what intimacy with the Father looks like. He stands out as a shining model of leadership; when every Israelite looked to Moses, he turned his gaze to God.
In many instances, Moses witnessed the hand of God and the fulfillment of His prophecies firsthand. His faith was often rewarded with immediate results. Moses witnessed the plagues God promised, led the children of Egypt out of slavery, saw the sea split in two, and watched as the LORD sealed their enemies beneath it. Moses saw a pillar of smoke and fire, witnessed manna raining down from heaven, and he drank water from the rock.
Moses saw the LORD make good on his promises.
But what happens when you don’t?
What happens when you’ve been praying for healing for years, and you’re still sick?
What happens when you’re believing for a breakthrough, but you feel stuck?
What happens when you step out in faith but have no idea if it was even worth it?
What happens when it feels as though you’ve done everything right and you still haven’t heard from God?
At times like these, when I read the book of Exodus, I turn my focus to Jochebed.
Jochebed played a monumental role in the story in Exodus 2. However, her name isn’t mentioned until chapter 6, when the genealogy of Moses and Aaron is recounted. She was Moses’ mother.
In Exodus 2, the Pharaoh was killing young Israelite boys. To save Moses’ life, Jochebed placed him in a basket and let him float down the Nile River while his sister, Miriam, watched. Moses’ basket eventually washed ashore, where the Pharaoh’s daughter found him and took him as her own.
Jochebed had been living in slavery just like all the Israelites. She, too, longed to be free and for God to fulfill His promises to her people of having a land to call their own. In the midst of this, God used Jochebed to ensure the Israelites’ rescue from the Egyptians.
Because of Jochebed’s obedience, Moses survived. Yet, he was separated from his family for most of his life due to his adoption. When Moses grew up, he fled Egypt to escape a threat to his life.
I can imagine that this broke Jochebed’s heart. She had protected her son as an infant, but he grew up in another family, and he soon left the country. It wasn’t until Moses was about 80 years old that he returned to Egypt to free the Israelites.
We don’t know if Jochebed lived to see her son return home.
We don’t know if Jochebed lived to see her own children lead the children of Israel out of captivity.
We don’t know if Jochebed lived to see the promises of God come to fruition. But I did.
I’ve heard that Israel followed Moses out of Egypt, and that Joshua settled them in the Promised Land. I learned about how the LORD kept Israel safe through judges who protected the land, how Israel chose Saul as their king, how David was his successor, and how the line of David led to Jesus Christ.
Even though Jochebed could never have known the impact of surrendering her baby to God by placing him in the Nile River, God used her as part of His divine story of salvation.
The beauty of this story is that each character’s choices have the opportunity to make an impact – even if we never get a chance to experience it.
I am living in the obedience of prior generations who God used to bring about salvation. Perhaps the obedience we walk in today will be a blessing to the generations coming after us.
Maybe God is asking us to pray, even when we don’t see immediate results.
Perhaps He wants us to continue believing for breakthroughs even when we feel stuck.
Maybe God is calling us to step out of the boat, even when we are unsure.
Perhaps not seeing the fulfillment of the promise is a promise that those coming after you will.
