Jochebed's Baby

By Mary Vee
Exodus 2: 1-2

"Amram, never have I heard a baby quiet at the perfect time."

"I know. It's as if God comforts the child whenever a guard passes in hearing range." Amram stroked his baby's face.  "He has your eyes, Jochebed."

"And your chin." Jochebed laid her sweet baby in his cradle, hidden behind her clay jars.  She drew his blanket up to his chin. 

As she picked up a jar of oil to make supper, the front door blasted open.  Jochebed set the oil down and brushed her hands together. Amram stepped forward.

Two Egyptian guards scanned the room and sneered.  "We're looking for babies.  Especially Israelite baby boys."

Amram waved his arm to the side. "You see our home."

One guard huffed.  "I see it all right."  He looked closer at a chair and in the sleeping area.  "I've also seen homes that hide their babies."

The other laughed.  "They think they can hide their babies from us.  No such luck.  Those little noisemakers always give themselves away."  He shoved a pile of blankets over onto the floor.


"No use wasting our time here; I don't see a baby." The first guard turned back to the door.


"Why would their God give them another child?  They already have these two scrawny kids."

Jochebed gently shook her head toward young Aaron and Miriam, warning them not to cry.  The guards barreled out the door.

"Momma."  Miriam edged close to her mother's dress.  Tears stained her face.

Jochebed pulled Aaron and Miram close and gave them a hug.  "Listen my children. Yahweh will take care of us." She stroke their hair. 


That night after the fires were cooled Jochebed turned to Aaram.  She pressed her fingers against her lips and glanced at the children.  "We can't hide the baby any longer. He will be found, maybe the next time the guards come."


Amram crawled over to their little son. "He's only three months old."  Amram held him close to his chest. The baby cuddled into the grooves of his father's body and softly snored.


"I have an idea.  With Yahweh's blessing, our baby will be safe tomorrow night."


Amram cuddled his son for a few more minutes then set him back in his cradle. He crawled back to bed and pulled his blanket over his legs.  "What do you plan to do?"


***

What could Jochebed do?  The guards watch with eagle eyes waiting to kill any boy baby they found.  How could Jochebed save her baby? 

Jochebed talked about Yahweh.  She was referring to God the Father.  What did she trust God the Father to do?


The painting in today's story is called "Moses in His Mother's Arms" by Simeon Solomon (1840-1905)