The first painting in The Surrender Collection has to begin where all life begins, with the mother. 

Did you know Moses' mother's name was Jochebed? What's peculiar is that her name isn't mentioned in the Old Testament until after Moses frees the Hebrews. In the Movie, her name isn't mentioned at all. Why? 

The Book and the Movie paint Jochebed in two different lights. In the Movie, she only appears at the very beginning, singing a lullaby to baby Moses as she closes the lid on the woven basket, gently releasing it to the river. In the Book, she is reunited with Moses when he delivers the Hebrews to the promise land, and their relationship comes full circle: She delivers him to the world, and he delivers a new world to her and their people. 

Jochebed exemplifies and embodies Faith, and I wanted to capture this in my painting of her. In this moment, she understands she has to part ways with Moses in order to save him. It's uncertain to me whether or not she knew that in saving Moses, she will save her people. I think in order for it to be truly an act of Faith, she wouldn't have known the extent of her sacrifice. 

You see that she is bathing in light, a light so blinding, she has to close her eyes when she tilts her head. This is not meant to represent blind faith, but instead, a different kind of "seeing." She is wrapped in a golden linen as well, like a tangible sunlight, symbolizing not only that her heart is aligned with divinity, but so are her body and her actions. 

Her palm faces the light as well, open to receiving guidance. Notice that her raised hand does not cast a shadow on her face, for she doesn't cower or hide from the Truth. 

I mentioned earlier that this painting shows the moment of recognizing the sacrifice she needs to make, and I am instantly reminded of Abraham and Isaac. G-d told Abraham that he must sacrifice his son Isaac after decades of Abraham and Sarah not being able to have children. 

Abraham was instructed to go to the top of Mount Moriah, and as he lifted the dagger with which he would sacrifice his son, G-d brought forth a ram for Abraham to sacrifice instead. Abraham passed G-d's test, proving his Faith in G-d and returning home with Isaac. 

The story of Jochebed is similar in the sense that a sacrifice was inevitable, but the sacrifice itself was much different. Abraham prepared to sacrifice Isaac with a knife. Jochebed wrapped Moses in a blanket and carefully, lovingly, put him into a basket. In the Movie, Moses grips her index finger before he peacefully falls asleep, with the soothing sound of his mother singing a final lullaby. He is then rocked gently by the currents of the river, as Jochebed watches her son float away from her, not knowing if they will ever see each other again.

Isaac never left Abraham; Moses was separated from Jochebed for decades, and yet she never lost her faith. 

In the moment Jochebed realized the sacrifice that needs to be made, in the moment she released the woven basket from her hands, and in every single moment she was separated from Moses, there seemed to be no rationale for what she had done. Truly, it was illogical. But not in the negative sense; only by means of reason's insufficiency to justify what she had so bravely done. It was solely when Moses returned to free the Hebrews from Pharaoh's reign that one could say Jochebed did the "right" thing. 

We can never truly "know" the ripple effect our actions will have. Intentions are crucial. In my eyes, Jochebed should be looked upon as admirably, heroically and often as Abraham is, for without her selflessness, there would be no Moses in the way we learn about him today.