Mothers of Moses

"Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: 'Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live."

"Now a man of the house of Levi married a Levite woman, and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son.  When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.  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.  His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him." Exodus 1:22 & 2:1-4

When this woman saw that the child she birthed was a boy, what terror must have filled her.  As she was heard the words, "It's a boy" I wonder how big her tears were.  As she placed him in the basket I wonder what she prayed.  As the basket floated in the reeds of the river she likely wondered what might become of her son. 

"Then Pharaoh's daughter went down to the Nile to bathe, and her attendants were walking along the river bank.  She saw the basket among the reeds and sent her slave girl to get it.  She opened it and saw the baby.  He was crying, and she felt sorry for him.  'This is one of the Hebrew babies,' she said.

Then his sister asked Pharaoh's daughter, 'Shall I go and get one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?'

'Yes, go,' she answered.  And the girl went and got the baby's mother.  Pharaoh's daughter said to her, 'Take this baby and nurse him for me, and I will pay you.'  So the woman took the baby and nursed him.  When the child grew older, she took him to Pharaoh's daughter and he became her son.  She named him Moses, saying, 'I drew him out of the water." Exodus 2:5-10

How much love Moses' mother must have had for him.  She courageously hid her baby.  She, without any mention of help or the mere presence of her husband, came up with a bold plan to save her son.  Rather than selfishly thinking if she couldn't have him then no one would, she gave up her son to another mother, knowing that this was his salvation.

On Mothers' Day we recognize all kinds of mothers, but let's not forget the brave mothers who have sacrificed so much for their children.  These women that out of pure love for their children give them up.  We think of the mothers that willingly sign their rights to their child over to another family that is able to take care of them. 

On Mothers' Day I think of the courageous women that have given their children up for adoption rather than see them die.  These women that sent children packing from Nazi Germany.  The women in China that snuck their little girls out of their home.  The women that endure the pains of childbirth to give their baby to another rather than to an abortionists tools.  Many times we forget the selfless love and bravery that is evident in this, but Moses' mom won't let us forget it.  Too often the pro-abortion crowd claims the anti-abortion folks don't recognize how difficult decisions like this can be.  We must not dismiss the painful sacrifice of these women; we must celebrate them.

If you are a Mother of Moses then I pray God blesses you.  If you are a Mother of Moses I want you to know how impressed we are with your sacrificial love.  

On Mothers' Day let's not forget to celebrate the Mothers of Moses in our world because there are many of their children blessing our world today.