The Blessing of a Fierce Mother
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Introduction:
Mothers day is often celebrated in such a way as to recognize the caring, sensitive, and tender aspects of motherhood.
Mothers day is often celebrated in such a way as to recognize the caring, sensitive, and tender aspects of motherhood.
Cards with flowers cute sayings such as,
Sending Mother’s Day wishes filled with warm hugs and sweet kisses! xoxo
Moms are like flowers in the garden of life. Bloom on!
Mom, you’re nothing short of amazing. I’m lucky you’re mine!
Mom is a title higher than queen. So today be sure to wear your crown high.
I’ve always believed in superheroes because you’ve always been Supermom!
For everything I am, I have you to thank. I love you, mom!
Examples of Fierce Mothers
I think these sentiments are nice, and deserving, but they only communicate a small fraction of what it is to be a mother. To be a godly mother is far more than just being sweet and kind.
To be a godly mother is to be a woman who is bold, strong, fearless, devoted, and fierce. I was thinking about these sort of mothers day notes or texts and thought how might it be different if notes were written to the mothers of the bible from their children....
Moses’ son could say to his mother, “Mom, thanks for always being willing to step in when your family needed you. Like that time you saved Dad’s life, and our family’s life, by taking a knife, circumcising me in order to satisfy God’s wrath. XOXO”
Or Moses to his mother, “My dearest mother, thank you for being such a sweet anarchist. Thank you for defying the laws of the land and plotting together with the midwives to deceive Pharaoh so that I might live. You’re the best!”
Jael daughter might write, “My lovely mother, you have shown me how to be a hard worker, you have taught me not to be afraid to get my hands dirty. I still remember the time you took the tent peg and hammered it through the skull of the evil king Sisera and saved our village. You are truly an inspiration! Lots of love.”
Definition of Fierce
You see, the bible not only celebrates the tender aspects of motherhood, but also the fierce, strong and powerful attributes of a Godly mother.
This morning we are going to see how the story of Rebekah is an example of a godly mother who’s fierce commitment to God saved her family from making a huge mistake.
The Blessing of a Fierce Mother
The Blessing of a Fierce Mother
Tell the story:
Isaac and Rebekah were divinely appointed to be marry each other.
God provided Rebekah to be Isaac’s wife when Abraham, Isaac’s father, sent a servant to find a wife for his son Isaac.
Isaac and Rebekah loved each other very much.
Isaac and Rebekah were unable to have kids because she was barren.
Isaac prayed that God would provide them with children and God answered that prayer and Rebekah
21 And Isaac prayed to the Lord for his wife, because she was barren. And the Lord granted his prayer, and Rebekah his wife conceived.
22 The children struggled together within her, and she said, “If it is thus, why is this happening to me?” So she went to inquire of the Lord.
23 And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger.”
24 When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb.
25 The first came out red, all his body like a hairy cloak, so they called his name Esau.
26 Afterward his brother came out with his hand holding Esau’s heel, so his name was called Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Genesis 25.21-
The story jumps ahead about 40 years after Jacob and Esau’s birth
We come to the story where Esau trades his birthright to Jacob for some stew
We find that God promises Isaac that his offspring will continue the Abrahamic promise. And that that offspring, would be Jacob, not Esau.
And then in chapter 27 we come to the passage where we see Rebekah’s strength and fierceness put on full display.
Isaac is old and he is ready to hand out the blessing to his son.
The blessing is the blessing that God had given to Abraham, and to Isaac, and now it is about to be given to Isaac’s favorite son, Esau.
Isaac calls Esau into his tent and tells him to go hunt game and prepare a delicious meal for him. And he tells Esau that when he comes back he will bless him.
Esau leaves the tent to go hunt, but Rebekah overheard what Isaac said to Esau.
Rebekah devises a plan to where Jacob will receive the blessing
Rebekah prepares a meal
She disguise Jacob as Esau by wrapping his arms and neck in animal fur so he would feel and smell the same way as Esau
She sends Jacob into the Isaac’s tent with the food and the disguise
And they trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing
When Esau finds out what had happened he wanted to kill Jacob
So Rebekah sends him away to her brothers house until Esau calms down.
Now this story, and Rebekah in-particular, has received a bad reputation of being a conniving, evil, sort of women. Jacob, likewise is seen as a antagonist in this story.
I want to look at five ways we see Rebekah as an example of a fierce mother.
A Fierce Mother Knows and Obeys God’s Word.
A Fierce Mother Knows and Obeys God’s Word.
The influence of a mother is life changing.
I can say with upmost confidence that I am who I am in large part because of my mothers influence on my life.
My kids are who they are in large part because of Mandee’s influence on their lives
And if any of you have lost your mother you know the void that has left on your life, because a mothers influence is truly life changing
God designed it this way, this is why the call to godly motherhood is such an important call.
And one of the main ways mothers are fierce and godly mothers is by knowing and obeying God’s word.
speaks to this...
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
For a mother to speak with wisdom and to teach kindness she must know the heart of God. And one way she learns the heart of God by soaking herself in scripture.
I am very sad by the bar that has been established for women in the church as it relates to knowing the word of God.
So many bible studies that are designed for women are so watered down that they become emotional sentiments of gnosticism.
What the church needs and what children need and what husbands need and what society needs is women and mothers who know the word of God so well that they are willing to risk everything to honor and obey God’s word.
And this is exactly what Rebekah did.
Rebekah’s choice to trick Isaac into blessing Jacob was not dishonoring to her husband as it was protecting her husbands honor by knowing and obeying God’s word.
Rebekah knew that God told them that Jacob was to be the one to receive the blessing.
That God chose Jacob to be blessed,
and that God chose Jacob to rule
and that it would be through Jacob that the promises given to Abraham would continue.
Rebekah knew God’s words and was not willing to sit ideally by and let her husband rebel against God. She moved into action protecting Isaac from making the biggest mistake of his life.
Primeval Saints: Studies in the Patriarchs of Genesis Righteous Rebekah
For seventy-seven years (Gen. 8) she had observed Esau’s sins and Jacob’s faithfulness. And she also recognized what her sinning husband intended to do, for Isaac intended nothing less than the total destruction of God’s covenant. Giving the covenant to Esau would eradicate everything that God had been doing. In God’s wonderful providence, Rebekah just happened to be nearby when Isaac announced his wicked plan to Esau. She determined to do something about it
For seventy-seven years she had observed Esau’s sins and Jacob’s faithfulness. And she also recognized what her sinning husband intended to do, for Isaac intended nothing less than the total destruction of God’s covenant. Giving the covenant to Esau would eradicate everything that God had been doing. In God’s wonderful providence, Rebekah just happened to be nearby when Isaac announced his wicked plan to Esau. She determined to do something about it
Rebekah would not have been able to save her family if she did not know and obey God’s word.
Mothers, don’t be afraid of the Bible. Read it, study it, memorize it, let your words drip with the language of the bible. And by doing so, you may save your family and honor God.
Its amazing how time in the bible truly forms us. Our thinking begins to change, our convictions begin to be formed, and our affections begin to be in line with the affections of God. As we read the bible more and more we begin to love the things that God loves.
This is the second point i want us to see… a fierce mother loves what God loves.
A Fierce Mother Loves What God Loves
A Fierce Mother Loves What God Loves
So often instead of recognizing that we are created in God’s image, we seek to create God in our image. And this comes into focus when we consider what God loves.
We so often think that God love the things that I love.
If I think something is lovely than God must think its lovely
When we consider what God’s love is really like, we tend to ponder what our love is like and then ascribe that to God.
However we should be a people who seek to love what God loves. And we learn what God loves by reading the bible.
A mothers love is something not only received by a child, but it is something observed by a child. A mothers love forms a child’s love.
And what we find in the story of Rebekah is that she is a woman who loves what God loves.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents.
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
Gen 25.
This sounds rough to our sensibilities. But lets remember this statement speaks of when they boys grew up. Rebekah is not despising her child in his youth, he has grown to be a wicked and evil man. while Jacob grew up to be a righteous and blameless man.
I find it interesting that our english bibles (ESV) describe Jacob as a quiet man.
I think this is a very misleading term for us today because picture Jacob as a quiet, yet deceiving, couch potato.
The word for quiet is the hebrew word tamim (ta-meem) and this word is most often translated as blameless, without blemish, or perfect.
In fact, this word is used in
1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; walk before me, and be blameless,
You see, Jacob was a righteous man, he was a man who feared God, and was blameless as he walked before God.
Esau on the other hand, was a rebel who did not submit to God. He brought pain on his parents by choosing Hittite woman to be his wife.
Looking back at genesis 25.27-28
27 When the boys grew up, Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field, while Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents. 28 Isaac loved Esau because he ate of his game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.
We see that the reason Isaac loved Esau is because he was a good hunter who made delicious food.
Interesting how once again in the bible misplaced love is influenced by food that looks good.
So it says that Isaac loved Esau, while Rebekah loved Jacob. We should also understand this love as preferential
Isaac and Rebekah loved both of their kids, but they preferred one over the other.
Well, if a fierce mother is to love what God loves was it right for her to love Jacob and not Esau?
The bible actually answers this for us.
12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.” 13 As it is written, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”
12 she was told, “The older will serve the younger.”
So here we see God himself loving Jacob more than Esau. So by Rebekah loving Jacob more than Esau is actually to love what god loves and to hate what god hates.
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Jacob was blameless 25:27 which is what God requires
A Fierce mother knows and obeys God’s word, by knowing and obeying God’s word a mother begins to love what God loves. And she forms her children likewise to love what God loves. And this brings us to our third characteristic of a fierce mother
A Fierce Mother Commands Her Children in the Way of The Lord
A Fierce Mother Commands Her Children in the Way of The Lord
One of the biggest struggles in parenting, and one of the most important struggles to engage in, is to train our children to be boys and girls under the right authority.
From the womb children want to be their own gods, their own masters, their own authorities.
And for a child to learn to be under right authority is to bless your children with
safety, security, joy, happiness, and stress free living. Kids who know how to be under the right authority are happy kids who are great to be around.
If I child thinks they are their own authority they are then given a burden they are unable to carry. This is why kids will end up unhappy, angry, mean, and overall unpleasant.
And though this is the responsibility of the parents, mom and dad, moms are the ones who do much of the heavy lifting in training children to be under her authority.
And the best authority a child could be under is under parents who are likewise under God’s authority.
And what we see here is that Rebekah has raised her son Jacob, who by this time is in his 70’s, to listen to her commands because she listens to God.
5 Now Rebekah was listening when Isaac spoke to his son Esau. So when Esau went to the field to hunt for game and bring it, 6 Rebekah said to her son Jacob, “I heard your father speak to your brother Esau, 7 ‘Bring me game and prepare for me delicious food, that I may eat it and bless you before the Lord before I die.’ 8 Now therefore, my son, obey my voice as I command you.
Gen 27:5-8
Rebekah then told Jacob what to do in order to receiving the blessing God had said was Jacobs.
You see, Rebekah’s command of Jacob was not for her own selfish gain. She commanded Jacob to obey her so that God would be obeyed.
It was glorifying to God for Rebekah to make these plans, and it was glorifying to God that Jacob obeyed his mother.
So a fierce mother commands her children in the way of the Lord.
Children need mothers who will guide them toward the Lord, mothers who will teach them the ways of the Lord, Mothers who will command them to follow Jesus in all things.
For as we walk in the way of the Lord, and we call our children to walk in the ways of the Lord we are formed more and more into the image of Christ.
A Fierce Mother Is a Christ-like Mother
A Fierce Mother Is a Christ-like Mother
Perhaps the most important characteristics of a fierce mother is that she is Christ-like in all that she does.
This of course is not limited to mothers, but all women are to be Christ-like, all men are to be Christ-like and all children at to be Christ-like. To be an image bearer of God is to image Christ.
We see God like a nursing mother with his people
And for mothers to raise Christ-like children she must likewise be one who is committed to being formed into the image of Christ in all that she does.
We see God God like a nurturing mother with his people.
In the story of Isaac and Rebekah and Jacob and Esau, it is Rebekah who most images Christ.
These are metaphors used in the bible to help us understand God’s love for his children is like the love of a mother for her children.
Isaac images the first Adam when he longs for selfish pleasures such as forbidden food, while Rebekah is willing to even die for God’s covenant to be established.
Look with me at verses 9-13
9 Go to the flock and bring me two good young goats, so that I may prepare from them delicious food for your father, such as he loves.
10 And you shall bring it to your father to eat, so that he may bless you before he dies.”
11 But Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, “Behold, my brother Esau is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12 Perhaps my father will feel me, and I shall seem to be mocking him and bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing.”
13 His mother said to him, “Let your curse be on me, my son; only obey my voice, and go, bring them to me.”
Jacob knew that he would not be acceptable in his fathers sight
What we see later is that Rebekah clothes Jacob that he might be acceptable
Rebekah prepares food that Jacob can offer to his father
When Jacob is concerned that his father might find him unacceptable, and is afraid that his father might curse him rather than bless him Rebekah assures him by saying, “let your curse be on me, my son: only obey my voice”
You see here what Rebekah has done?
She knows Jacob will be rejected by his father
So she prepares an offering that is pleasing to the father - Jacob didn’t have to make the food, Rebekah made it
She knew that Jacob could not go into Isaacs presence without a covering, so she clothed him with the sacrifice that was killed to please the father.
And when Jacob is afraid of the curse that would come upon him, Rebekah assures him that she would take his curse upon herself. He only had to obey her voice.
Likewise we are not acceptable to come into the presence of our father, and we are not capable of presenting him with anything that is pleasing
So, like Rebekah, Jesus prepares for us an offering for the father
If we come into the presence of a holy God not clothed with someone else's sacrifice we will be cursed. So Jesus, like Rebekah, has clothed us with his righteousness, we come to the father washed by the blood of his sacrifice.
And like Rebekah Jesus has assured us that he has taken the curse upon himself so we now can go into the presence of the Lord with full confidence that Jesus has done all that there is to do to present us as a chosen child.
Rebekah is a model of a Christ-like mother who was willing to do whatever it took for Jacob to receiving the blessing, even to take the curse upon herself.
The final characteristic of a fierce mother is that she is one who blesses her family
A Fierce Mother Blesses Her Family
A Fierce Mother Blesses Her Family
A mother who
Knows and obeys the words of God
who loves what God loves
who commands her children in the way of the lord
and who is Christ-like is a mother who blesses her family
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:
You see, Rebekah’s fierce boldness to be a godly mother saved her whole family, and even to Isaac repenting and and blessing Jacob again. this time he blessed him knowing what he was doing.
3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
4 May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!”
1-4
1 Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him and directed him, “You must not take a wife from the Canaanite women.
2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father, and take as your wife from there one of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.
3 God Almighty bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may become a company of peoples.
4 May he give the blessing of Abraham to you and to your offspring with you, that you may take possession of the land of your sojournings that God gave to Abraham!”
Rebekah’s fierce mothering led to the covenant people of God being established according to God’s plan. She saved her husband, and saved her family. Rebekah is truly a model of what it looks like to be a fierce mother.
For mothers day we honor our mom. Husbands, love your wives well, let her receive honor and praise her well for all to hear.
Children, love and obey your mother like Jacob did Rebekah, for she will lead you toward Jesus.
And Moms, Look to Rebekah, let her be an example for you of what it looks like to put God first above all else
Lets pray