Mother’s day is right around the corner and as many of us will celebrate our wonderful hardworking moms, we need to acknowledge that there are many survivors of abuse who are moms and who have had to face unique challenges and make great sacrifices. This blog is dedicated to my mother, who has been a tremendous help in starting the organization and continues to be an inspiration to me. It’s also dedicated to the many other moms who have had to endure so much yet put their children first.
So today we’re looking at just a few of the greatest mothers in the Bible. We’re looking at their hard work, self-sacrificing love, and dedication to God.
Let’s start with Moses’ mother, Jochebed. I’ll be paraphrasing the scriptures, for the most part, so you can read the full version in Exodus 2:1-10.
It says that she hid her baby boy for three months. This was because the Egyptians were in dread of the Hebrews who had multiplied and pretty much overtaken the land of Egypt so the Egyptians decided to kill all the male children to control the population. Under the threat of the death of her child, Jochebed kept Moses hidden for three months, not an easy task for such a young child! The patience and vigilance that it must’ve taken! I can’t speak from experience, but it seems to me that having an infant under normal conditions is hard enough. You can just picture Jochebed, sleeping very lightly, if at all out of fear that if he cried, just for a few seconds, he may have been taken away from her.
But as the child grew, it became harder to hide him. I don’t know what Jochebed was thinking when she made the ark, but she knew it was his only hope, perhaps the Holy Spirit inspired her. At any rate, as the ark gently followed the Nile, Pharaoh’s daughter discovered it. It was Providence, as Pharaoh’s daughter fell in love with the baby at first sight. However, it wasn’t the end of Jochebed being a mother. It was just the beginning as Pharaoh’s daughter made Jochebed look after her own child! Jochebed not only saved her child’s life but now had the responsibility of raising Moses during the first several years of his life.
One Christian author tells of the importance of Jochebed’s work, “there is no other work that can equal this. To a very great extent the mother holds in her own hands the destiny of her children.”
So many mothers have exercised a heroic amount of patience with their children as they have brought them up and raised them. Even at great sacrifice to their own health and well-being.
Let’s go to Hannah, her story can be found in 1st Samuel 1,2.
Hannah had trouble becoming a mother, and she wanted nothing quite as bad as having a son. Her husband Elkanah also wanted children, and in a pure Abrahamic move, when Hannah couldn’t conceive, he married a second wife to bear children. Even though he demonstrated a lack of faith on his end by taking a second wife, he still loved Hannah. But this caused problems with his other wife. In 1:6,7 it tells of how the other wife provoked Hannah or harassed her. This drove Hannah to tears. It says that she was in bitterness of soul wept in anguish. She made a vow to the LORD to dedicate a son to His service.
Hannah did have a son, whom she named Samuel, which in Hebrew means “asked of God.”
She fulfilled her vow too, to dedicate him to the LORD’s service.
Hannah’s story resonates so well for so many because she was assaulted. Verbally, and Spiritually, yet she did not give up. She was in anguish and very sad and oppressed, even discouraged but she still turned to God. The LORD remembered Hannah, He answered her prayer and through Samuel, He did great things. All because of her love and sacrifice, and determination to ask God.
Of course, how could we forget Mary, the mother of Jesus? The angel called her, “highly favored one.” You can find the majority of her story in Luke 1:26-56.
She must have been pretty young when she was visited by the angel Gabriel and told that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. You can see in the story how nervous and afraid she must have been. She readily accepted the assignment, but I think, as is understandable, she was afraid. The Gospel of Matthew helps fill in the gaps. She faced the prospect of having to raise Jesus as a single mother as Joseph was thinking about calling off the engagement. Mary went to her relative Elizabeth, who was also pregnant with a miracle baby for some encouragement, perhaps guidance, and maybe even to see this miracle that the angel had referenced, to confirm that it was true. Almost as soon as Mary arrived, a miracle occurred to strengthen her faith.
So much can be said of Mary. The one I want to focus on was the fact that she faced losing everything. Her honor, her husband, someone who would provide a household and income, community shaming, and stigma, but she still took the task. Many mothers have faced similar sacrifices. A Bible character where this might be the most apparent is in Genesis 21:8-21.
Hagar became Abraham’s second wife after Sarah couldn’t conceive. She bore Ishmael. Now Hagar was a bondservant or maidservant or Sarah. I think this is an important note because, although servants were treated kindly, they were still considered very lowly, and sometimes treated harshly. This was especially true when Sarah became jealous of Hagar. So Abraham dismissed Hagar, gave some provisions, and sent her and Ishmael into the wilderness.
The provision were all used up and things seemed helpless. But God saw the scene, He heard the cries. And He opened her eyes to a well of water, right in front of her. How amazing! Hagar was a slave, the lowest of the low. She was sent wandering in the wilderness with next to nothing, and when that ran out and she had nothing, when she thought all was lost, that God called her by name. He asked, what is the matter, and He told her not to fear.
And so it is today. Do you feel tired, exhausted, like you’ve put everything into keeping your children safe? Have you been harassed and oppressed, is your soul bitter, are you in anguish? Or do you feel overwhelmed by the responsibility, by all of the unknowns? Or maybe you’ve felt and been treated like nothing, or as an object. Maybe you feel like you’re wandering with little or no help or you feel that you have nothing left. Look up. God knows your name. He knows what ails you, what you’re facing, and what you’ve been through. God will help you. He will provide for you. He looks favorably on you and you’re doing.
In Proverbs 31:28,29 Solomon says this “Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her; ‘many women have done excellently, but you surpass them all.’”
And here is another promise to treasure in your heart, it comes from Proverbs 31:25, “Strength and honor are her clothing; She shall rejoice in time to come.”
God is looking at you and smiling. Providing. And ready to assist. No matter what you’ve been through, you’re a mother. You are given strength and honor by God. He loves you most of all.
Have a great Mother’s day! God bless you.