What Does God Want Moms to Do Today?
Exodus 1,2
March 10, 2024 Mother’s Day
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church of Ballincollig
www.biblebc.com
I. Introduction (Hebrews 6:10)
A. I want to talk to the Moms This Morning…
1. Hebrews 6:10 For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
2. God sees you ladies – knows your battles and defeats and struggles
3. But He will never forget all your labour of love for your family
4. The Bible is full of David’s and Gideon’s and Paul’s and Samsons
5. But God honours the Moms of these great men throughout Scripture – they are not ignored
6. They stand out on purpose
7. God takes almost two entire chapters in Exodus to honour the Mother of a baby named Moses
8. By showing what Christian Moms need to do when the world is going after their children!
B. A bit of history (Exodus 1:8-16,22)
1. It is 1,500 years before the birth of Christ
a. That's 3,500 years ago
b. Egypt had been a nation, and the great pyramids of Giza had already been standing for 1,000 years when Exodus chapter 2 was written
2. A small group of Hebrew-speaking people, descendants of a man named ‘Israel’ had been invited to live in the nation of Egypt during its heyday – Israel’s son Joseph had saved Egypt from a deadly 7 year famine, and all his family was invited to live in the best lands of Egypt next to the Nile River
3. That small group grew! After just 350 years it had grown to over 1,500,000 Jews
4. And they were seen as a threat to the new Pharaoh over Egypt - at least that is how they were viewed
a. Exodus 1:8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
b. Exodus 1:9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
c. Exodus 1:10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
d. Exodus 1:11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.
e. Exodus 1:12 But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel.
f. Exodus 1:13 And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
g. Exodus 1:14 And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.
h. Exodus 1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
i. Exodus 1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
j. And it is amazing to me that they still are seen as a threat to the world
5. So Pharaoh and his government made a law – post-birth abortion
a. Exodus 1:22 And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
b. Post birth abortion was enforced throughout Egypt against one race of people
c. All Hebrew children, and especially male Hebrew children would not be allowed to live – they must be drowned at birth in the Nile River
d. Girls were okay to have – not seen as being a threat (normally people across the world kill their girl babies and down syndrome children)
e. By-the-way, the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger created the organization for the limiting of the numbers of the negro race
f. Abortion is the result of the deepest racism
g. And post-birth abortions are becoming more and more acceptable again today!
6. It was in that kind of a culture and in the midst of that environment that three women honoured motherhood, and children, and God
II. Message
A. God Honours Marriage (Exodus 2:1)
1. Exodus 2:1 And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
2. Amram and Jochebed got married
a. A young couple, living in Egypt as slaves of the Egyptian empire, got married!
b. Num 26:59 And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bare to Levi in Egypt: and she bare unto Amram Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.
c. They actually loved one another, and were committed to each other in their marriage
d. The joining of one man and one woman together for life
e. It has been that way from the beginning (Genesis 2:24)
f. Marriage is a good thing - even when times were hard and harsh, God honoured people who got married instead of just getting in bed together
g. Marriage is honourable – it is right - it is something to strive for – something to praise and get excited about
h. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
i. It is Christ-honouring to be married ladies and gentlemen
j. You can be single and honour the Lord, but marriage is a perfect picture of Christ’s love and commitment for us, and our love and submission to Him!
3. And they had a family
a. Miriam was the firstborn, and so was the oldest
b. Followed by Aaron
c. And lastly Jochebed became the Mother of a very special baby boy named MOSES
4. Jochebed is only mentioned by name twice in the Bible, but her influence on Moses was eternal! And HIS influence is felt still today, in every court of law throughout the western world where the laws of Moses are the foundation of every right free men and women enjoy still today!
5. Moms, your influence can be just as much as hers, if you want it to be!
B. A Dangerous Pregnancy (Exodus 2:2)
1. Exodus 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
2. Not dangerous to herself, but to the new baby
3. This was her third child – nothing wrong with that
4. But this baby was illegal
a. Born when it was mandatory to kill it – like it was in China just a few years back
b. Remember, this was a time when laws were:
1) AGAINST Specific races of people – the Jews – not other races
2) Against Specific genders – male babies
3) Against BABIES, of all things!
4) No one could just walk through town with a baby pram containing a baby Jewish boy in it!
5) Having a baby boy was against the law!
6) Now you see why Christians get involved in government and lawmaking? Because otherwise laws like this are enacted!
5. Jochebed was afraid – you couldn’t blame her
6. She was so afraid that she couldn't even name him
a. She never named him – did you know that?
b. THAT is how stressful her life was trying to hold onto the life of her new baby!
c. She had no idea who this baby would become
d. Just knew his life was worth saving – this one tiny life!
C. What a Godly Mom Does (Exodus 2:3,4)
1. Listen to what Jochebed did
2. Exodus 2:2-4 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
3. #1 She Hid Him From the Authorities
a. Exodus 2:2 And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.
b. THAT was big!
c. Hid them from their grip, from their reach – she was Mom, not them!
d. She hid him for three months
1) Like the Ten Boons did at the beginning of World War II in Holland – hiding and protecting the lives of Jews during German Nazi occupation of Holland!
2) Jochebed didn’t know what else to do
3) So, SHE hides him, just like a hen does her chicks from danger!
4) Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!
5) And SHE covers him, and protects him from a world that wanted him dead!
e. That was very hard to do... Because they lived in crowded spaces and everyone had to work for Pharaoh every day – couldn’t just stay home – had to juggle the baby around her schedule
f. And yet she did it!
g. Faith does the hard thing, because it is RIGHT to do
h. Listen to God praise Jochebed and Amram in Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king's commandment.
i. Please understand, both Moses’ parents were working together to save their son’s life
j. But God chose to honour mainly the Mom, Jochebed, to encourage us to do the same today!
4. #2 She entrusted her child to another woman
a. Exodus 2:3-4 And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
b. That is even harder to do than hiding a baby
c. She could not keep hiding this growing baby boy
d. She thought long and hard, and prayed long and hard about what to do
e. And this was the only thing that she could do... trust her baby to another woman’s care
f. To the care of the daughter of the very man who had ordered the death of her newborn son! THINK ABOUT THAT!
g. Constructing a waterproof basket called an ark, and placing her 3 month old baby in it and then letting go of that little basket was probably the hardest thing any mother could ever do
h. Yet Jochebed did it! And God was pleased!
5. Just think about all that Jochebed was doing – didn’t just sit around…
a. Somehow, Jochebed got the idea to touch the heart of another woman – a powerful woman, who would have the same maternal insticts and compassion that SHE had
b. I believe GOD gave her to idea…
c. She knew about Pharaoh’s daughter (everyone did – most popular person), and knew her schedule, and she counted on Pharaoh’s daughter having the same maternal instinct in nature that she had
d. Carefully made a floating basket – an ark – same as Noah’s Ark, only very small!
e. Wrapped her 3 month old baby in plain strips of cloth
f. And then set him in that basket
g. And then closed the lid…
h. And pushed it out into the gentle flow of the Nile River at just the right time when Pharaoh’s daughter would appear with her servants for a bath
6. That was a big risk
a. What if Pharaoh’s daughter did not see the basket and it just floated away?
b. What if a crocodile came upon that basket with a living baby inside?
c. What if Pharaoh’s daughter rejected her baby’s life and drowned it right there?
d. So this was a big leap of faith - a well thought-out leap of faith
e. She was taking this risk because of the great value of one child’s life – her baby!
f. Sometimes you just have to do things by faith without knowing for sure the result
D. The Daughter of Pharaoh Steps Up (Exodus 2:5)
1. Exodus 2:5 And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it.
2. Who was Pharaoh's daughter?
a. Pharaoh was the most powerful man in the world at that day
b. He was a very dangerous man, especially towards the Hebrew people - the Jewish people – he feared them, and hated them
c. But Pharaoh’s daughter was unique – a special gift to Jochebed
1) She was not the son of Pharaoh – he would have been useless
2) She was loved by Pharaoh and had great power in Egypt and in Pharaoh’s palace
3) She was a princess of Egypt
4) She had great wealth and great ability to make things happen
5) And she was evidently barren - unable to have any children of her own
6) And that was an opening that only a Mother could have noticed and used
7) And so Jochebed used that one slim glimmer of chance to save her child
3. That basket caught her attention
a. When Pharaoh’s daughter appeared at the river and went out into the river to bathe, she discovered a curious little basket in the river – stuck in the rushes and weeds
b. There was no sound from that ark yet – just a novelty out there – shouldn’t be there
c. She could have ignored it, but she didn't
1) I have found that most women like things in their place and have a certain curiosity about unusual things
2) Men are not like that. We don't notice new haircuts, or new colours of paint on the wall, or new outfits
3) But women notice things!
4) Thank God Pharaoh’s daughter noticed this tiny little covered basket in that river
4. She was instantly transformed
a. Exodus 2:6 And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews' children.
b. She opened the basket and found a tiny three-month-old baby who gently began to cry
c. And the daughter instantly transformed into a mother herself!
1) I think she began to cry
2) To her, the baby in that basket was beautiful – not messy, troublesome, a distraction, a bother – just beautiful
3) And not only as beautiful, but innocent and not worthy of death – she had great compassion
4) Her heart moved her to have compassion on a baby that was not an Egyptian baby
5) And Pharaoh’s daughter instantly, emotionally adopted that baby into her home – into Pharaoh’s house!
6) If only more women who are seeking abortion could see the face of their babies even at 12 weeks, I don't think that they would go through with the abortion, do you?
E. One More Young Woman Stepped Up to Save this Baby – Miriam (Exodus 2:6-9)
1. Her name was Miriam
2. She was the older sister of that baby in Pharaoh’s daughter’s arms
3. She saw a miracle – God’s hand
a. Remember how she had followed that basket alongside the river to see what would happen to her little baby brother? (Exodus 2:4) … And his sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him.
b. Well, she got to see the miracle of her baby brother being saved out of that river and saved from certain death and taken into the arms of one of the most powerful women in the world and loved and accepted!
4. She helped save her brother
a. Miriam was only 12 years old at this point, but she was very wise
1) Exodus 2:7-9 Then said his sister 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? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto 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.
2) She carefully asked if she could go and find a Hebrew woman to nurse that Hebrew baby and care for that baby, for Pharaohs daughter
3) She never revealed WHO she was going to go and find! Ha ha ha
4) Guess who Miriam had in mind to ask to be the baby’s nurse? Jochebed!
5) And that little girl, with flying feet hurried to her mother with the good news. "Mother, Mother”, she screams. “Pharaoh’s daughter found Little Brother, and they are not going to kill him. The Princess found him and loved him, and I told her that I would get somebody to nurse him for her. Come, Mother, come see your son!” Whew!
b. Thus by the grace and sovereignty of God, the life of baby Moses was spared!
c. And a mother’s faith was rewarded! Pharaoh's daughter agreed to pay Jochebed to be a stay at home mom and raise this baby boy for her!
5. And So, this baby boy would be raised by TWO powerful women:
a. First, during the most formative years, By Jochebed – she didn’t just FEED him and play with him, but she taught Moses the Bible, and about right and wrong, and about his people Israel, and all of God’s promises!
b. And by Pharaoh’s daughter – she made sure he was taught all the wisdom of Egypt
1) Exodus 2:10 And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
2) Acts 7:20-23 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months: And when he was cast out [INTO THE RIVER], Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son. And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds. And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
3) Who do you think taught Moses the Jewish slaves were his own people?
c. He was pulled by two worlds
d. Which woman was more important in the life of Moses? His MOTHER!
e. Moms, you still have more power than this world – use it for good!
F. Let's see if we can draw some strong conclusions about motherhood from these three women
III. Application
A. #1 Mom’s and Future Mom’s, Reject the World’s Culture – Jochebed did
1. I know it is not popular to talk about marriage in this day and age, but make a home, get married, have kids, grow old together with your man!
2. I know it’s not popular to talk about abortion, but it was wrong then, and it’s still wrong now
3. God has a different way for Christians to live
4. Get back to hiding your children from the grip of this world’s culture and sin
5. You can’t completely hide them, but you have to do more than we currently are
B. #2 Accept the Role God has Given You
1. Jochebed loved being a stay at home mom!
2. Moms, you are more important than all the Taoiseach’s and Tánaiste’s and presidents and prime ministers that this world has ever produced
3. YOU decide what the world is going to be like 30 and 50 years from now
4. No woman ever did a greater work than being a MOTHER!
5. Our world is constantly tinkering with life
a. It has been replacing fathers for the last 100 years
b. And now they are replacing mothers, by slowly eroding away their value
c. Making motherhood and the home and marriage dishonourable
6. God says a mom and a dad are heirs together of something marvellous called the grace / the gift of life
a. You have been given the gift of giving life
b. 1Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
c. That is awesome!
d. Machines don’t have that
e. AI doesn’t have that
f. Your career doesn’t have that ability
g. Your marriage and your home does
C. #3 Moms, you are moms by perfect design
1. You are built to be a Mom
2. Everything that is different about you than a man is for motherhood – by design
a. The hormones
b. The body changes
c. The difference in shape and muscles
3. And that is awesome!
4. Motherhood is not a limitation, or a burden, but something beautiful by design
5. The world doesn’t just need ‘women’ but mothers
6. Some women can’t be mothers, and some want to be mothers, but for those of you who are Moms, you are what this generation needs
7. You are God’s greatest influences of the next generation – if you want to be!
D. #4 You are moms with a high purpose
1. More than just having babies
2. But protecting them – YOU had better start protecting your children – they are being slowly taken from us
3. Your children have been entrusted to you on loan ladies
4. So, raise them – mould them - stop leaving it to Pharaoh alone to influence them
5. Believe in them – probably my Mom’s greatest blessing to me was her belief in me
6. Prepare them for whatever God has for them!
7. Remember… Jochebed had no idea who her baby would become – she just was determined to help him become what God meant for him to be – Moses!
8. And he turned out just fine!
E. #5 You are totally inadequate
1. Jochebed could not protect her baby forever
2. She could not fight Pharaoh or his laws or the culture
3. She needed HELP – lots of constant help! She needed GOD
4. Listen to the Apostle Paul… he was inadequate for life, and for ministry
a. 2Corinthians 3:5 Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;
b. 2Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
5. Moms, you need God too! You need to get up before everyone else, and kneel and pray and beg God for help for every day, and ask God for strength, wisdom, love, meekness
6. Because you were designed to be a Mom, but not to carry the weight of the world!
F. #6 So, Don't do things alone
1. Don't you dare do Motherhood alone
2. God created a team around you, a support team
3. Starting with Himself
a. Never forget that you have to have your own personal walk with God
b. Leaning upon him, praying for wisdom that He promises to give you if you ask
c. Praying for a right spirit
d. Depending upon miracle after miracle for your children to survive and succeed
e. For your marriage to grow and be strong
4. Lean upon your own parents, failed as they were – they are a gift from God. Honour YOUR Mom, talk with her, listen to her, thank her for sacrificing so much just for you
5. Then be a parent WITH your own husband - you need him, so talk to him, listen to him, pray with him, let him lead! Oh how God blesses faith instead of fighting!
6. Learn from God's people – a church is a group of people (men, women, Moms, Dads) who assembled together to minister to one another. Where older women teach younger women. Where every man and women learn from the pages of this timeless Book!
7. Don’t try and be a good Mom alone
8. Make church a priority. Make your parents a priority. Make your husband a priority
IV.Conclusion
A. Listen to what God promises Moms…
1. Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
2. Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
3. 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
4. Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
5. Romans 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
6. And a thousand more!
B. But all the promises of God are only for people who have:
1. Admitted they aren’t strong enough – that they are failures, sinful, broken failures
2. Who have learned that Jesus IS enough, and always will be
3. Who have called out to that name above every name to be converted, saved, born again
4. Oh that every Mom in this room were truly saved by faith in Jesus Christ
5. And would desire to do the hard things by faith, because they are right
6. And because God will always help you do the hard things