Modern-Day Motherhood

TEXT: Genesis 21:14-21

TOPIC: Modern-Day Motherhood

Pastor Bobby Earls, Northgate Baptist Church, Florence, SC

Mother’s Day, May 14, 2023

Mother’s Day has long been one of the sweetest days of the year. For many of us, Mother’s Day conjures up images of a Norman Rockwell painting where life is simple, and everyone lives happily ever after.

It frames a picture of a nice home in a neatly trimmed yard with a white picket fence. Life is filled with family fun and picnics.

But Mother’s Day in the 21st Century world is a far cry from the Norman Rockwell world.

While God’s word still declares God’s ideal for the family and home which by the way, includes one man and one woman for a lifetime; a father and a mother who love their children and provide a safe, nurturing home for them, much has changed in our modern society.

While God’s standards and God’s ideals must consistently be lifted up, we also must face the facts that we live in a real world where few families exist that have not been touched by the battle scars of divorce, abandonment, and abuse of every order.

Ours is a world where two out of every three mothers work outside the home. Four out of five have school-aged children. The real tragedy is that many of our churches today ignore the plight of modern-day mothers and continue to minister to mom and families the way we did in generations gone by.

Like many of you, I didn’t grow up watching MTV or the Simpsons. I remember Leave It to Beaver, and Father Knows Best. The Andy Griffith Show featured another strong single father in Andy Taylor.

But today it’s the moms in many of our families who need to be singled out as the true heroes. Many Christian mothers are being both mom and dad to their children. Some of them are working two jobs while at the same time going to ball games, driving car pools, cleaning houses, mowing yards and trying to keep their kids in church.

There are a lot of moms in the Bible we could choose to hold up as role models this Mother’s Day. There’s the virtuous woman of Proverbs 31. There’s Naomi, Hannah, Ruth, and Mary, the mother of our Lord. But on this Mother’s Day I want to introduce to you an unlikely candidate as the star mother for this Modern-Day Mother’s message. Her name? Hagar.

When we read her story, I think you’ll agree with me that this determined young mother deserves our praise. She teaches us a lot about overcoming, especially in the world of single motherhood. She was young and attractive. She was hardworking. She got pregnant before she was ready. Her husband abandoned her and her son. She lost her job. She had no friends and her family was a long way away. But God came to her side and to her rescue.

14So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

15And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs. 16Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept. 17And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is. 18“Arise, lift up the lad and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.” 19Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad a drink. 20So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer. 21He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

In Hagar, we will see the plight of many modern-day mothers, the fight of many modern mothers and the might of many modern mothers. In Hagar, mothers, we will learn how to overcome the most difficult of the challenges mothers face in our world today.

THE PLIGHT OF MANY MODERN MOTHERS, 14-16

In Genesis 21:14 we see this young mother hurting.

A. Hurting Mothers, v. 14, So Abraham rose early in the morning, and took bread and a skin of water; and putting it on her shoulder, he gave it and the boy to Hagar, and sent her away. Then she departed and wandered in the Wilderness of Beersheba.

I realize it is difficult, perhaps even impossible for us to fully grasp the historical background of this Old Testament passage. The scene here takes place thousands of years ago and thousands of miles away. It was truly a different time and place culturally from our day.

But one thing is clear in this story. This young mother is hurting. Hagar is the victim in this scene. It was Abraham and Sarah that made the mistakes.

The bible simply says, he sent her away. These are tough words. She knew how it felt to be rejected, kicked out. And so did the boy. Ishmael loved his father, but his father sent him away. Talk about hurting.

ILLUSTRATION: Dennis Rodman running as a little boy running after his father.

B. Hungry Mothers, v. 15, And the water in the skin was used up, and she placed the boy under one of the shrubs.

She is hurting without protection and hungry without provision.

ILLUSTRATION: I read about a young Hispanic mother who was nearly arrested in the Miami, Dade County area. She attempted to steal food for her hungry children. But instead of being arrested the female police officer gave her $100 of her own money for food for the young woman’s children. When the story got out, other caring citizens collected another $700 for the family. One man even invited this mother for a job interview and gave her the job right away. Now that’s a good story that ended well!

Hagar was hurting. She was hungry but she was also hopeless.

C. Hopeless Mothers, v. 16, Then she went and sat down across from him at a distance of about a bowshot; for she said to herself, “Let me not see the death of the boy.” So she sat opposite him, and lifted her voice and wept.

Hagar reaches a point where she can do nothing else for herself or her son. She does what most mothers have done often in their lives, she cries.

This was no silent sob. She wailed aloud. She cried bitter, hot tears, that touched the heart of her Creator. God allowed Hagar and Ishmael to reach this state of hopelessness in order to reveal His might and power to them.

T/S – Not only do we see Hagar’s Plight in this story, but we also see her Fight!

THE FIGHT OF MANY MODERN MOTHERS, 17-18

In these verses we see Hagar’s expectation.

Expecting Mothers, v. 17, And God heard the voice of the lad. Then the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said to her, “What ails you, Hagar? Fear not, for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is.

Many believe this angel of God was a Christophany. The Lord has a way of showing up when all hope seems to be lost. He will never leave you or forsake you.

Next, we see her encouragement.

Encouraging Mothers, v. 18, “Arise, lift up the lad…….., for I will make him a great nation.”

The Lord told her to get up and hold the boy in her arms. How many mothers today are fighting to lift up their children? So many children today feel so worthless. Too many do not have a mother or a father that lifts them up.

Next, we see her example.

Exemplary Mothers, v. 18, and hold him with your hand, for I will make him a great nation.”

She takes her son by the hand and walks with him. She leads him, teaches him and trains him to survive in the wilderness.

Before there was ever a Sarah Conner to fight off the Terminator for her son, there was Hagar!

T/S-We looked at Hagar’s Plight, and we saw her Flight, her resolve, finally see her Might.

THE MIGHT OF MANY MODERN MOTHERS, 19-21

We see here in Genesis 21:19 Hagar’s provision.

Providing Mothers, v. 19, Then God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water. And she went and filled the skin with water and gave the lad a drink.

God provided for Hagar here.

1. God opened her eyes

2. God showed her a well of water, but Hagar also had a responsibility as a mother:

a. Hagar had to draw from the well

b. Hagar had to drink from the well

c. Hagar had to deliver the water to her son

Now I want you to see the promise that Hagar held on to.

Promising Mothers, v. 20, So God was with the lad; and he grew and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

(Reference back to Genesis 21:18, …….., for I will make him a great nation.”

Finally, see her persistence.

Persistent Mothers, v. 21, He dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran; and his mother took a wife for him from the land of Egypt.

Hagar never stopped being a mother. When Ishmael was older, according to the customs of her time, she finds a wife for him from her homeland. Remember Hagar was Egyptian.

Moms, you never stop being a mother. Until the Lord calls you home, you will always be mom.

I pray each of you mothers have a most blessed Mother’s Day. Enjoy time with your children, grandchildren even great grandchildren.

Let’s pray.