Questions and Answers | Paul's Letters From Prison

The biblical data on Moses’ parentage, especially his father, as you note, is sparse (Jochebed, wife of Amram and mother of Moses, Aaron, and Miriam, is mentioned by name only in Ex. 6:20 and Num. 26:59). We do know, however, that his mother was God’s instrument in preserving his life at a time of great threat to the emerging nation of Israel.

After Moses was rescued from the river, and because of Miriam’s timely suggestion, Pharaoh’s daughter sent for Moses’ mother Jochebed, and she returned to the palace to nurse Moses and even receive payment for his care (Ex. 2:1–8). This all happened, apparently, without Pharaoh’s daughter knowing who she was.

Some scholars say Jochebed cared for the boy till he was seven; others think he may have been approximately 10 to 12 years old before she went back home. That would have been plenty of time for Jochebed (and by extension Moses’ father) to shape his belief in God as the Creator of heaven, earth, man, and beast.

Those were formative years, and wonderfully, Jochebed did the right thing. Hebrews 11:23 notes that his 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.” I believe that if these parents were unafraid of the king’s orders, they would have also been completely fearless in teaching him. Furthermore, he had contact later with his sister Miriam. She served, one writer puts it, “as the deliverer of the national deliverer.” Clearly, Moses never forgot his heritage.

The fact that you asked this question implies that you have read the Bible carefully and noticed significant details. The passage you refer to, Genesis 3:14-19, narrates the events following God’s confrontation with Adam and Eve after they disobeyed Him by eating fruit from the forbidden tree.

In this passage the serpent and the ground are cursed but not Adam and Eve. In Genesis 3:14, God says plainly to the serpent, “Because you have done this, ‘Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!’” He continues, noting the hostility that will arise between the woman, her seed, and Satan. In Genesis 3:17–18, God tells Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you.” The ground will consequently produce “thorns and thistles,” implying it will be difficult to obtain food for survival.

The word “cursed” is used specifically for the serpent and the land and not in reference to Adam and Eve. Only the consequences of their sin are stated: Eve will suffer anguish in labor; Adam will have difficulty providing for his family. Important to note is that in Genesis 2:17 God said to Adam, “[B]ut you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Here Adam and Eve’s fate for disobedience was given forcefully.

While I don’t know what passages you have in mind, I resonate with your question. Certainly, children don’t need to be given graphic details, but they do need to understand the character of God and His dealings with sin in ways that make an impression and point to His expectations and holiness. I think we don’t take teaching children seriously enough. I have seen too much casual preparation of dull materials for children when they should be taught with the same care and theological understanding as in teaching adults.

If children are not engaged early, they may not choose Christianity later, finding it shallow, predictable, and less interesting than other things. My mother made the Old Testament come alive; we followed what kings did evil in the sight of the Lord and what kings did well and why. As another example, in 1 Samuel, Eli was not just a nice old priest who had bad luck with his children; he was passive, did not correct his son’s blasphemous behavior, and his lineage was cut off permanently. It’s a story about bad parenting and spiritual sloth. Hannah, in the same book, was utterly courageous, devout, and sacrificial. About her son it is said: “The LORD was with Samuel as he grew up, and he let none of Samuel’s words fall to the ground” (1 Sam. 3:19). Teaching children must be done with imagination, truth, and personal conviction.