A Mother’s Faithful Trust: Lessons from the Life of Jochebed

Mother’s Day is a time to reflect on and honor the incredible impact of mothers—their devotion, sacrifice, and strength of character. While the Bible features many godly women, few display a clearer example of quiet courage and steadfast trust than Jochebed, the mother of Moses. Though her story is told in only a few verses, the impact of her faith reverberates through Scripture and history.

The example of Jochebed offers powerful lessons not only for mothers but for all believers. Her life reveals what it means to walk by faith in the most difficult circumstances and to entrust the next generation to the sovereign hand of God.

This reflection explores three truths from Jochebed’s life:

I. She Faithfully Trusted God

(Exodus 2:1–2; Hebrews 11:23)

In a time of oppression and fear, Pharaoh commanded that every newborn Hebrew boy be cast into the Nile. Yet Exodus 2:2 records:

“And the woman conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.”

The writer of Hebrews expands on this courageous act:

“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.” (Hebrews 11:23)

Jochebed and her husband were not driven by fear but by faith. They saw something in their son—not merely physical beauty, but a sense of divine purpose—and believed that God would preserve his life for something greater. Obedience to God meant defying Pharaoh’s order, trusting that God's power was mightier than the king’s decree.

Psalm 139:13–16 speaks to this kind of trust in God’s purpose for every child. Each life is knit together in the womb with intention and love. Trusting God means believing that even in dark times, He is working for good.

Faithful mothers have always stood against fear. Like Jochebed, they walk forward in confidence—not because they see the outcome, but because they know the One who holds the future.

II. She Willingly Entrusted Her Children to God

(Exodus 2:3–9)

Eventually, Jochebed could no longer hide the child. Rather than allow the enemy to take him, she took a bold and faithful step:

“And when she could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes… and put the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river’s brink.” (Exodus 2:3)

This act was not abandonment—it was surrender. Jochebed placed her child into an ark, into the waters, and ultimately into God’s care. What followed is one of the most remarkable examples of divine providence. Pharaoh’s daughter found the child, had compassion on him, and unknowingly hired Jochebed herself to nurse and raise the very son she had released.

This kind of surrender echoes the prayer of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:11, who vowed to give her child to the Lord all the days of his life. Entrusting a child to God does not mean passive indifference; it is an act of worship and trust that God’s plan is always better.

Romans 8:28 remains true in every season:

“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.”

The Christian life calls for surrender—of plans, of fears, and even of the people most deeply loved. Jochebed teaches that placing a child in God’s hands is not an act of despair, but one of deep and abiding faith.

III. She Happily Raised Her Children in the Lord

(Exodus 2:9–10; Proverbs 22:6)

After entrusting her son to God, Jochebed was blessed to be given the opportunity to nurse and raise him during his earliest and most formative years:

“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 child grew…” (Exodus 2:9–10)

Though Moses would later be educated in all the wisdom of Egypt, the spiritual foundation laid in his early years was lasting. It was under Jochebed’s care that he would first learn of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. That early training shaped the convictions that would later lead him to forsake the treasures of Egypt and suffer affliction with the people of God (Hebrews 11:24–25).

Proverbs 22:6 affirms the importance of such a foundation:

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

Faithful parenting involves more than physical provision—it means teaching children the truth of God’s Word, living out faith in daily life, and modeling obedience, prayer, and love. Deuteronomy 11:19 exhorts God’s people to teach His commandments diligently to their children, both in word and in daily example.

In the New Testament, Paul reminds Timothy that from childhood he had known the holy Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:15), largely due to the influence of his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Jochebed's legacy is part of a long line of godly women who have poured truth into the next generation.

Godly motherhood is one of the most sacred and powerful ministries in the world. It is a calling that echoes into eternity.

A Mother's Faithful Trust

A mother's heart, so pure and kind
In God's loving arms, her children she'll find
She trusts in Him, her faith unwavering
To guide her family, she'll follow His leading

In Exodus, we read of Jochebed's faith
She trusted in God, as she layeth
Her precious baby in a basket of reed
And watched as God met every need

She willingly entrusted her child to God
Knowing His care was the perfect rod
She had faith in His purpose for her family
And trusted Him, rather than man's frailty

She raised her child in the fear of the Lord
Teaching him God’s truth and His word
She brought him up in fellowship and prayer
Asked God to bless him with loving care

Oh, mothers, follow her lead
In God's loving arms, He’ll meet your need
With faithful trust, raise your children
In the fear of the Lord, and with love unhidden

For in your faithful trust, you'll find
God's love and grace, ever so kind
And your children, in His loving arms they'll rest
For you have faithfully trusted God, who knows best.

— Stephen Monroe