26
Daughters of God
“a goodly child”; and the parents, believing that the time of Israel’s
release was drawing near, and that God would raise up a deliverer for
His people, determined that their little one should not be sacrificed.
Faith in God strengthened their hearts, “and they were not afraid of
the king’s commandment.”
Hebrews 11:23
.—
Patriarchs and Prophets,
242 (1890)
.
When this cruel decree was in full force, Moses was born. His
mother hid him as long as she could with any safety, and then prepared
a little vessel of bulrushes, making it secure with pitch, that no water
might enter the little ark, and placed it at the edge of the water, while his
sister should be lingering around the water with apparent indifference.
She was anxiously watching to see what would become of her little
brother.
Angels were also watching that no harm should come to the help-
[32]
less infant, which had been placed there by an affectionate mother,
and committed to the care of God by her earnest prayers mingled with
tears. And these angels directed the footsteps of Pharaoh’s daughter to
the river, near the very spot where lay the innocent little stranger. Her
attention was attracted to the little strange vessel, and she sent one of
her waiting-maids to fetch it to her. And when she had removed the
cover of this singularly constructed little vessel, she saw a lovely babe,
“and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him.” She
knew that a tender Hebrew mother had taken this singular means to
preserve the life of her much-loved babe, and she decided at once that
it should be her son. The sister of Moses immediately came forward
and inquired, “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.”—
The Spirit of Prophecy 1:162, 163 (1870)
.
Jochebed was a woman and a slave. Her lot in life was humble, her
burden heavy. But through no other woman, save Mary of Nazareth,
has the world received greater blessing. Knowing that her child must
soon pass beyond her care, to the guardianship of those who knew not
God, she the more earnestly endeavored to link his soul with heaven.
She sought to implant in his heart love and loyalty to God. And
faithfully was the work accomplished. Those principles of truth that
were the burden of his mother’s teaching and the lesson of her life,
no after influence could induce Moses to renounce.—
Education, 61
(1903)
.