stephen R Harrison

How 5 Moms of the Bible Affect All Moms Today

There are over 225 references to the word “mother” in the Bible. That means the Bible has a lot to say about moms! Of the fifteen moms I read about in Scripture this morning, I picked five to encourage moms this Mother’s Day.

Eve
The first woman was also the first mom. She shows us the two extremes of walking with God in relationship and walking without Him in rebellion. Eve reminds us of the intimate fellowship we can have with God and the tremendous distance sin can cause. She also suffered much loss in motherhood as one son murdered the other (Cain and Abel). What tragedy she faced! Oh, how sin robbed from her! Moms are much better with God, obeying His Word instead of without Him, ignoring His Words of life. Moms, trust God at His word and ignore the lies of Satan.

Sarah
Sarah was promised to be the mother of all nations (Genesis 17:16) but was barren. The miracle God provided paved the way for His promise to become a reality. Interestingly, before she became pregnant, she laughed at God in disbelief (Genesis 18:12) and then lied about it (verse 15). How could she be a good example of a mom? There’s good news here: Hebrews 11:11 tells us, “And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who made the promise.” At some point, her unbelief turned into great faith and God recognized it, being only one of the two women named in the “faith chapter” of the Bible (Hebrews 11). She shows us God demonstrates His great power, patience, faithfulness, and redemption through moms.

Jochabed
The mother of Moses may not have been directly named in Hebrews 11, but a reference of her great faith is clear. “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” (Hebrews 11:23). Jochabed shows us a godly mom will go to whatever length necessary to exercise faith over fear. She demonstrated her faith and displayed great grace under pressure and self-control in adversity. Every kid needs to see their mom model these these virtues to them!

Hannah
Hannah shows us how to deal with deep emotional pain through persistent prayer and trust in the Lord. In 1 Samuel 1:10, we see, “In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly”. She even shows us how to remain faithful to the Lord when those closest to you don’t understand your pain (Hebrews 11:8). Her response to God opening her womb was met with a promise to “give him (Samuel) to the Lord for all the days of his life” (v. 11). She was not a woman of empty promises or faith, dedicating Samuel to Lord for a lifetime of service (v. 28). Prayer, trust, courage, persistence…all lessons to be learned from this godly mom.

Mary
While there are a few women named Mary in the Bible, the mother of Jesus stands out among them. She shows us humility. While she could have attempted to steal the spotlight, she humbled herself. She teaches us we aren’t the point of worship, but how to point to the One we do worship – Jesus. She was submissive to the Lord. She said, “I am the Lord’s servant. May it happen to me according to your Word” (Luke 1:38). She trusted the Lord and His Word, even naming her Son Jesus at God’s command (He will save His people from their sins). Trusting, humble, worshipful…what a mom of moms to imitate.