Mothers of the Bible

 

This Sunday is Mother’s Day. Due to the ravages of time both my mother and stepmother are no longer with us. I have been thinking about those mothers we read about in the Bible.

EVE: Eve is the first mother in the Bible. She and her husband, Adam, lived in paradise. God provided created them and gave them the Garden of Eden for their home. He gave them full access to the products of the garden, except the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Now, in the garden was a serpent that played on Eve’s curiosity. He twisted the truth and beguiled her into sampling that fruit. She shared it with her husband. Because of her curiosity, they had to leave paradise. Because of Eve’s curiosity, sin and its consequences entered our world.

SARAH: Sarah was married to Abraham, a patriarch of the faith. She became the mother of a nation. ¹. However, she became impatient as she waited for God to give Abraham a son. She took things into her own hands and concocted a plan to speed things along. She gave Abraham her maidservant. That servant produced a son. Because of Sarah’s impatience, our world experiences the consequences today.

Now, please don’t get the idea that all the mothers in the Bible are flawed. There are some who I find admirable.

HANNAH: When we first meet Hannah, she endures taunting from Peninnah, her husband’s other wife. Hannah was childless. In that time, this causes people to look on one without children as a failure^{. 2}. Hannah endured the harsh comments until she had to pray to God about her desire for a child. She told Him, if He would grant her request, she would give that child back to Him. God heard and honored her heartfelt plea. Hannah Kept her promise to God and, after Samuel was weaned, she presented her son to Eli the priest. Hanna’s fervency in worship, effectiveness in prayer and willingness to follow through on a commitment gives us the reward of having her and her son, Samuel’s story as a part of our heritage. God rewarded her with three other sons and two daughters. ^3.

ELIZABETH: Elizabeth, a relative of Mary’s, was the first one recognize the Lordship of Jesus. Elizabeth was of advanced age and was childless. Her husband Zechariah was a priest. During one of his tours of duty at the Temple, he ‘was chosen by lot’, went into the holiest part of the temple. While there, he heard God speak to him. Their baby was to be a Nazarite—one set apart for God’s service. He pointed the way to Jesus. She reminds me of steadfastness and obedience.

Mothers are not perfect. But they are mothers. I know one who is a new mother who had difficulty with her pregnancy, then some difficulty with getting back to health after the birth. She is new to all the things mothers do to care for their child or children. I know another mother who did not really know how to be a mother. However, her children are well behaved and wonderful to be around. One mother I know will turn 100 years old this fall, Lord willing. She is a joy to be around. She doesn’t talk much unless you talk to her. But I know she has wisdom about many different areas of life.

1.      Life Application Bible, Tyndale House Publisher, Wheaton, IL 60189, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, MI 49506. © 1991 page 39

2.      IBID page 434  

3.      IBID page 437