In England Mother’s Day will be celebrated on Sunday 15th March 2026. It will be a day when many people will set aside time to celebrate mothers and motherhood.
Simply put, the Cambridge dictionary defines motherhood as “the state or time of being a mother” Encapsulated in the idea of motherhood is a woman taking on a loving, nurturing, supportive and caring role for a child. For many women the love they give to children is sacrificial. This can look like staying up with a sick child all night or skipping a meal so the child can eat, or personal ambition is halted to care for a child. And it is well known that for many mothers caring, continues beyond the child becoming an adult.
There are many women who embody motherhood as they care for children, whether they are their own biological children, children within their extended families, or children in their communities. These women are known by titles such as aunt, sister, foster mum, step mum, adoptive mum, grandma or simply put mum.
Two remarkable women in the bible who demonstrate motherhood are Jochebed, a Hebrew woman, and Pharaoh’s daughter, an Egyptian woman. Both women were mothers to Moses. Jochebed was his biological (birth) mother and Pharaoh’s daughter was his adoptive mother.
Their story is found in the opening chapters of the book of Exodus and takes place amidst the backdrop of death, fear and anguish following the decree from Pharaoh to kill every Hebrew boy that was born. Can you imagine the heartbreak of the Hebrew people as their sons were taken and unceremoniously killed? This was the period into which Moses was born.
Following Moses birth, Jochebed demonstrated the nurturing and protective qualities of a mother as she set about hiding Moses to protect him from Pharaoh’s soldiers. After three months when she could no longer safely protect Moses Jochebed put her trust in the GOD of Abraham, Jacob, and Isaac and made the difficult decision not to have Moses in her care. Her motherly instinct was to keep Moses alive and safe no matter what the cost was to her.
The decision made, the narrative in Exodus chapter 2 tells us that Jochebed securely put Moses in a basket and placed him in the river Nile. From this action we can see that Jochebed was a woman who was truly trusting GOD. Through divine providence, as the basket made its way down the river, it was seen amongst the reeds by Pharaoh’s daughter. Thankfully she was curious enough to get hold of the basket and open it. The narrative tells us that, on seeing Moses she had compassion for him, recognising that he must be one of the Hebrew children.
We learn from the account that Moses was returned by Pharaoh’s daughter to the care of his birth mother, with an agreement that she would nurse and wean him. How incredible—GOD had a plan. GOD’s plan further unfolds as it was agreed that once the weaning period was over, Moses would be placed in the care of Pharaoh’s daughter and raised as her son. Imagine an Egyptian woman adopting a Hebrew boy and raising him as her own. Think about it: Pharaoh’s daughter would have had to be a very brave woman and have unconditional love for Moses. She defied her father and brought a Hebrew child into the royal household.
Ultimately Moses escaped death through both women demonstrating the positive qualities of motherhood. Moses was safely cared for by his birth mother and his adoptive mother in an extraordinary and remarkable way. As Moses’s life unfolds, in the book of Exodus, we see that Moses is the one GOD chose to deliver the Israelites from the bondage of Egyptian slavery. Both Jochebed and Pharaoh’s daughter were instrumental in fulling GOD’s ordained plan. This is wonderful to know.
So, as England celebrates Mother’s Day and motherhood a heartfelt thank you to all the women who are caring for and nurturing children, find encouragement knowing that children are a gift from the Lord. GOD has a purpose and plan for each of their lives and your input into their lives is invaluable.
Happy Mother’s Day
