The Smart and Faithful Mother-Daughter Duo

Female infanticide—we’ve heard stories of families killing girl children in the womb. A girl is often seen as a burden, a liability many families do not want to bear. I’ve always wondered how difficult it must be for mothers to end the lives of their unborn daughters. Not only this—we also hear of pro-choice activists in the Western world fighting for a woman’s right to do whatever she wants with her body, even if it means taking the life in the womb. This so-called modern society fails to recognize life at conception and, in doing so, allows the murder of little children. Abortion is one of the great tragedies of our time—little boys and girls whose lives are snuffed out before they ever see the light of day.

We may think this is a modern phenomenon, but it’s not. The Bible recounts two major incidents of male infanticide. At the time of Jesus’ birth, Herod ordered all male children under the age of two to be killed. Similarly, in the Old Testament, Pharaoh ordered Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys:

“When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”
(Exodus 1:16)

The Israelites had lived in Egypt for around four hundred years. Initially, they were welcomed because of Joseph’s status in Egypt, but over time leadership changed. A new Pharaoh, who knew nothing of Joseph, grew fearful of the Israelites’ increasing population. To control their numbers, he sought to kill all male infants. But the midwives feared God and refused to obey:

“So God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.”
(Exodus 1:20–21)

God blesses and multiplies us when we remain faithful and do not bow to the pressures of the world. When Pharaoh’s first plan failed, he escalated to mass genocide—ordering that all Hebrew boys be drowned.

This was the world into which Moses was born, to Jochebed and Amram (cf. Exodus 6:20). Jochebed was a daughter of Levi, son of Jacob. In Hebrews 11:23, we read:

“By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict.”

It takes incredible courage to care for a newborn whose life is in danger. Jochebed must have gone to great lengths to keep Moses’ cries from being heard. She trusted God to protect her son. When hiding him was no longer possible, she made a basket of bulrushes, coated it with pitch, and placed it among the reeds at the river’s edge (cf. Exodus 2:3). In an act of desperate faith, she sent her child down the river, praying someone would find and care for him.

Miriam, Jochebed’s daughter, kept watch from a distance. Her faithfulness and quick thinking ensured that her mother could continue to care for Moses.

Exodus 2:5–6 tells us:

“Now the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river… she saw the basket… When she opened it, she saw the child, and lo, the baby was crying. She took pity on him and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrews’ children.’”

Though her father had ordered these children to be killed, Pharaoh’s daughter chose compassion over cruelty. Miriam bravely stepped forward and offered to find a Hebrew nurse—bringing Jochebed back into her son’s life. Pharaoh’s daughter not only accepted, but also paid Jochebed to nurse her own child. What a powerful testimony to God’s providence! But it must have been bittersweet for Jochebed—raising her son while knowing she would eventually have to return him to Pharaoh’s household. Still, she entrusted him to God.

Later, in Exodus 15:20, Miriam appears again—as a prophetess, leading Israelite women in joyful praise after the crossing of the Red Sea:

“Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her with timbrels and dancing.”

However, like many of us, Miriam’s story includes both triumph and failure. In Numbers 12, she and Aaron speak out against Moses, questioning his leadership. God becomes angry and affirms Moses’ unique relationship with Him—speaking to him face to face. As a result, Miriam is struck with leprosy and shut out of the camp for seven days. Moses intercedes for her, and after her time of purification, she is brought back. Later, we read of her death in Numbers 20.

Miriam was once the brave sister who saved her brother, a prophetess who led praise, and later a cautionary example of pride and envy. Deuteronomy 24:9 reminds us:

“Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam along the way after you came out of Egypt.”

She teaches us the importance of humility and obedience to God’s anointed leaders, as echoed in Psalm 105:15:

“Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”

Lessons from Jochebed and Miriam

• Faith in action: Jochebed trusted God with her child’s life—first in hiding, then in releasing him. Her strength and courage mark her as a true heroine.
• Wisdom and boldness: Miriam used her voice to protect her brother and support her mother. But later, her pride brought consequences. Praise lifts us up, but pride can bring us down.

These women remind us that God works through faith, courage, and humility—even when the world is unjust and dangerous. May we learn from their lives to trust God more deeply, speak wisely, and walk in humility.