Many of us know the story of baby Moses floating in a basket in the Nile. However, we might overlook the way Moses focuses the narrative on “daughters” — from his mother and sister to his adopted mother and wife. This Mother’s Day, we look to the two mothers of Moses and the many other women who protected him and supported God’s plan to deliver Israel. What do these ladies teach us about faith and parenting? How does God reveal himself in their lives — and ours?

A Hostile World

The book of Exodus begins with the brief story of Jacob’s family growing into a nation and becoming enslaved by Egypt. The conflict between Israel and Egypt looks one-sided — Egypt has all the power — but it quickly becomes clear that this is not a battle between Pharaoh and Israel, but between Pharaoh and God. Pharaoh will later utterly defeat Pharaoh in the plagues and the Red Sea (Exod. 7-15). For this lesson, we’ll see how God preserved a baby named Moses in the face of Egypt’s evil rule.

Let’s begin with a timeline of the conflict in the first two chapters of Exodus. After Joseph brought his father’s family to Egypt, God made them fruitful (Exod. 1:11), echoing the blessing he spoke to humanity in the beginning (Gen. 1:28), and fulfilling his promise to make Abraham’s family a great nation (Gen. 12:2). In his paranoid insecurity (Exod. 1:10), he set taskmasters over them to “afflict them with heavy burdens” which “ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves and made their lives bitter” (Exod. 1:11-14). In all this, his plan backfired as God multiplied them even more (Exod. 1:12)!

So Pharaoh enacted phase two of his plan, telling the two midwives of the Hebrews to kill all the sons (Exod. 1:15-18). But the midwives “feared God” and saved the babies rather than obey Pharaoh’s evil command (Exod. 1:17-21; cf. Acts 5:29). Finally, Pharaoh implements phase three — commanding all his people to throw any Hebrew baby boy they see into the Nile (Exod. 1:22).

Throughout all this, Pharaoh’s actions directly oppose God’s goodness. His paranoid cruelty to Israel and violence toward children highlight the dangerous world we must shepherd our children through and ultimately send them out into – with prayers for God’s care and all the preparation we can give. But watch what God does next (Exod. 2:1-10)!

The Hand of God

All of God’s people need to ponder stories like this (Exod. 2:1-20,23) so that we can grow in our trust in the Lord’s might and providential care. Waiting on the Lord takes patient faith, but he is “the God who hears” (Gen. 16). “During those many days the king of Egypt died, and the people of Israel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God” (Exod. 2:23). God answered their prayers by preserving and preparing a liberator — and he did it in his typical, magnificent and surprising fashion, using humble servants and turning evil actions to good (Gen. 50:20).

“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Heb. 11:23). A Christian can raise children no other way, but “by faith.” Dismissing the world’s priorities to cling to God’s wisdom will test our faith. So we pray for them specifically and regularly, keeping God’s will and role central to our parenting strategy. When it’s hard, we lean on strength beyond ourselves. We put God’s words in our hearts, then continually “talk of them” (Deut. 6:5-7), surrounding our kids with strong, Christ-centered relationships within the church.

Several times in this passage (Exod. 1-2), the Bible uses the language of Genesis, hinting that God is up to something big again — another work of new creation! The text draws on words from God’s blessing in the Bible’s first chapter, “be fruitful and multiply” (Hebrew: “Pereh” and “Rabah,” Gen. 1:28; Exod. 1:7, 10, 12). Throughout that first chapter, the text repeats, “God saw that it was good” (Gen. 1:10, 12, 18, 21, 25). Then those exact Hebrew words describe how Moses’ mother “saw that he was a fine child” (or “saw that he was good” – Hebrew: ki tob – Exod. 2:3).

And when she can’t hide him at home any longer, Moses’ mother puts him in a “basket” or “an ark” | Hebrew: tebah – the Bible only uses the word here and of Noah’s ark in Genesis 6-9). Here again, God uses an ark to deliver someone he will commission to save, protecting Moses (like Noah) through the dangerous chaos of the waters.

In all this, God was doing a mighty work in Israel and their deliverer, Moses. He created a new people through whom he will bless the whole world. By God’s providence, Moses’ mom even ended up getting paid to care for her baby at home (Exod. 2:7-9).

Heroic Heroines

God often uses underestimated servants for his glory (1 Cor. 1:28-31), and our account is no different. From the defiantly faithful midwives (Exod. 1:17) to Miriam and an Egyptian princess, throughout these chapters, God uses women to save the men. As Alec Motyer writes, “Embedded within the structure we see the pervasive hand of God turning events to his purposes. We see also the irony of the situation—Pharaoh’s plan of genocide include the preservation of daughters but, as things turned out, it was daughters who were its downfall.”

Motyer gives some help in mapping the chiastic flow of the chapter, from the command that people must cast every newborn son into the Nile (Exod. 1:22) to the safe birth of Moses’ son outside Egypt (Exod. 2:22). So after Pharaoh’s evil focus on “sons,”  “daughter” becomes the text’s ironic keyword — used in eleven times from Exodus 1:16 to 2:22. The Levite daughter, Jochebed (Exod. 2:1-3, 6:20), hides the baby, Moses (the word “daughter” is in Exod. 2:1, though the ESV doesn’t translate it). Then, Jochebed’s “daughter,” Miriam, watches over Moses (Exod. 2:4-9; see 15:20). Here’s a twist — Pharaoh’s “daughter” adopts Moses (Exod. 2:5-10). Later in the chapter, we see Jethro’s “daughters” take Moses into safety (Exod. 2:11-20).

So God used a mom’s courage, a sister’s initiative, and an adoptive mom’s instant compassion! He also used two women who didn’t have families of their own (the midwives) to protect and care for children. Such bonds have often blessed my kids. Douglas Stuart comments on the text, “One imagines, in fact, Moses’ adoptive mother telling him the story of his rescue many times—and how precious he seemed to her the first moment she set eyes on him.” Then, in a footnote, he adds, “The princess’s reaction is entirely realistic. The author’s family includes four adopted children. Any adoptive parent can testify to the almost instantaneous love that wells up inside us upon seeing a child who needs care, when we know that we are in a position to give it.”

This one story of God’s work illustrates the way he uses mothers to bless the world. In his wisdom, he created a unique bond of love between a mom and a child. Do you recognize the selfless, tireless care you required from birth? Do you realize how she wrestles with constant concern for her child’s future and wellbeing? Jochebed was special, but her maternal love exemplifies the daily business of motherhood. So I’ll tell kids and adults alike today what I say to my kids: “Honor your mother!” Treat her with the esteem God commands (Eph. 6:2). Praise God for such God-fearing women (Prov. 31:25ff).