Motherhood through the eyes of God

Introduction

How the world view motherhood.

324.3 million — the number of cut flowers (including alstroemeria, chrysanthemums, daffodils, freesia, gerberas, iris, roses, snapdragons, tulips, lilies, lisianthus and other cut flowers) produced by greenhouses in Canada in 2015.

The following are from Census Canada:

Stay-at-home mothers

444,700 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 2016.

467,700 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 2006.

467,700 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 2006.577,900 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 1996.826,800 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 1986.1,465,700 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 1976.

577,900 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 1996.

826,800 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 1986.

1,465,700 — the number of stay-at-home mothers with at least one child under 16 in 1976.

Number of children per woman then and now

Number of children per woman then and now

The bible affirms and celebrate motherhood.

Introduction

1.61 — the estimated total fertility rate in 2011 (number of children per woman)1.54 — the estimated total fertility rate in 2001

1.71 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1991

1.65 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1981

2.13 — the estimated total fertility rate in 19713.86 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1961

3.49 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1951

2.83 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1941

3.20 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1931

6.56 — the estimated total fertility rate in 1851.

Source: Canadian Megatrends, "Fertility: Fewer children, older moms," released Thursday, November 13, 2014.

The Associated Press Published Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Published Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Births to unwed moms rising sharply in U.S., Canada

ATLANTA - The percentage of births to unmarried women in both the United States and Canada has been rising sharply, but the rates are way behind northern European countries, a new U.S. report on births shows.

Iceland is the leader with six in 10 births occurring among unmarried women. About half of all births in Sweden and Norway are to unwed moms, while in the U.S., it's about 40 per cent.

In Canada, the percentage of births to unmarried women was 30 per cent, said the report, which compiled previously released figures from a number of countries for comparison purposes.

Japan had the lowest percentage of unmarried births, with two per cent in 2007, up from one per cent in 1980.

Increases were much more dramatic in Canada from 13 to 30 per cent

"The values surrounding family formation are changing and women are more independent than they used to be. And young people don't feel they have to live under the same social rules that their parents once did," said Carl Haub, a demographer at the Population Reference Bureau in Washington, D.C.

The bible affirms and celebrate motherhood.

In the storyline of the bible, behind every great leader there is a great mother/grandmother that played a great part in shaping their destiny.

Behind every great leader there is a great mother/grandmother that played a great part in shaping their destiny.

Moses,

· the first and preeminent leader of the Israelites,

· who led the people out of Egypt to the threshold of the promised land;

· he is also the lawgiver and the archetypical prophet.

Jochebed, a Levite woman: Legacy: She raised Moses with a strong sense of identity – an Israelites

· Born in secret, to an unnamed Levite couple ().

· First hidden by his mother and then cast adrift on the Nile in a watertight container.

· Nothing is known of Moses’childhood.

· He reemerges as a young man who identified himself with his brethren, the enslaved Israelites. In an attempt to protect one of them he killed an Egyptian and was forced to flee Egypt.

Isaac (ī´zuhk),

· Born to the hundred-year-old Abraham () and the ninety-year-old Sarah (17:17),

· Isaac was the fulfillment of the Divine promise of an heir to Abraham with whom God would establish his eternal covenant

· The major event of Isaac’s life in the biblical narration must surely have been ‘the binding of Isaac’ Abraham’s loyalty to God above all else was tested by a divine command to sacrifice his beloved son and sole heir (after the expulsion of Ishmael) on a mountain in the land of Moriah (vv. 1-2).

Sarah (sairʹuh). Legacy: Protected Isaac’s inheritance as the legitimate son of Abraham

· Who shared his journey to the Promised Land and his sojournings there.

· God promised to Abraham numerous descendants, to whom the land of Canaan would belong.

· For this promise to be fulfilled, the patriarch’s wife had a necessary and crucial role.

· stresses her great beauty, though if the placement of these chapters is taken into account, Sarah should be quite old

· Another obstacle to the fulfillment of the promise of numerous progeny was Sarah’s barrenness

· When Abraham and Sarah were too old for childbearing, God reiterated the promise, changing Sarai’s name to Sarah.

· Sarah is a variant of Sarai, both forms having the same meaning, ‘princess,’ but as with Abraham (), the name change is symbolic, representing a special destiny: ‘I will bless her,…and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her’ ().

· Sarah protected Isaac’s inheritance by having Hagar and her son Ishmael sent away.

· Though Abraham was displeased, God supported Sarah’s decision, instructing Abraham, ‘Whatever Sarah says to you, do as she tells you, for through Isaac shall your descendants be named’ ().

Samuel

· a prophet who ruled Israel at the end of the period of the judges and anointed the first two kings.

· He is the dominant figure at the beginning of the first of the two books of the Bible that bear his name.

· Samuel’s mother, who was barren before his birth, had prayed for a child during a visit to the temple

· at Shiloh, promising to devote him to the service of Yahweh ().

· The young Samuel, therefore, grew up in Shiloh under the tutelage of Eli, the chief priest.

· The last judge and the first prophet.

Hannah (Heb., ‘grace’), Legacy: Passion for God’s service

Legacy: Passion for God’s service

· Wife of Elkanah and mother of the prophet Samuel (, ).

· On an annual pilgrimage to God’s shrine at Shiloh, Hannah vowed that if she bore a son, she would dedicate him to God.

· This granted, she named him Samuel, and when she had weaned him, she fulfilled her vow. Hannah later bore three sons and two daughters ().

· To Hannah is attributed a prayer () whose words constitute a song of praise to God, who metes out justice to all the world in accordance with his unique wisdom: abasement of the mighty and exaltation of the lowly, death and life God alone dispenses; his enemies are doomed, but his faithful ones are protected.

· The theme, the reversal of human fortunes, is encountered in other Psalms and in Wisdom literature

David – Israel greatest king

· the most powerful king of biblical Israel, David ruled from ca. 1010 to 970 b.c.

· God called him “a man after His won heart”

· United the whole Israel as one

· He is the father of King Solomon

· He is a warrior, musician, song writer

Grandmother - Ruth, Legacy: Passion for God

· a Moabite who married Mahlon of the Judahite family of Elimelech.

· Widowed and childless, she abandoned her family, country, and faith to accompany her mother-in-law Naomi to Bethlehem.

· Her radical actions continued as she secured food for herself and Naomi and summoned the relative Boaz to be their redeemer.

· Boaz married her. She bore a son who became the grandfather of David.

· The women of Bethlehem exalted Ruth as the loving daughter-in-law who meant more to Naomi than seven sons, the ideal number

· Her name appears later in the Matthean genealogy of Jesus

John the Baptist, or John the Baptizer,

· an important figure in each of the four Gospels.

· He is identified with the beginning of Jesus’ ministry and understood as the forerunner to Jesus the Messiah.

Elizabeth, Legacy: Prepared JTB for his calling as a forerunner for Jesus Christ

· The wife of Zechariah the priest.

· Luke describes her as coming from a priestly family.

· Her long period of barrenness connects her with earlier women in Israel such as Sarah and Hannah

· Who gave birth to children who would be important for new eras in Israel’s history.

· After Elizabeth’s five-month period of seclusion, the news that she would have a child was given to her ‘kinswoman’ Mary at the annunciation.

· Mary then visited Elizabeth. Although, according to Luke, it was Mary who visited Elizabeth, it was also Mary who was honored by Elizabeth’s prophecy that she would be the mother of the Lord.

Jesus Christ

Mary, the Virgin, Carried Jesus in her womb

· The wife of Joseph, known as ‘the Virgin’ because of her reported virginal conception of Jesus and perpetual virginity according to post-nt Mariology.

· Raised the Savior of the world

· She was present at the cross

Timothy

Paul’s ‘beloved and faithful child in the Lord’

He is otherwise mentioned as an associate and helper of Paul in four of the Letters

From we learn that a special responsibility for ministry to the beleaguered Thessalonians was entrusted to Timothy, ‘our brother and God’s servant in the gospel of Christ.’

Mother and daughter: Legacy: Faith in God

Eunice (yo̅o̅ʹnis),

Timothy’s mother, who was born Jewish but became a Christian, the wife of a Gentile

Influenced by her mother, Lois, Eunice gave Timothy religious instruction, but he was not circumcised until he joined Paul’s mission

Lois, Timothy’s maternal grandmother, a woman of faith

Summary statements for the mothers mentioned above.

Ages: 13 to 90 years old

Situations: Young & inexperienced, widows, barren for a long time

Times they lived: uncertainty, hostility, prosperity

Child: Some of them the central character others supporting

Things in common: Mother’s heart, love for God,

MOTHERHOOD,THROUGH THE EYES OF GOD

Mention women who ran for the highest office in the land.

1. MOTHERS, YOU ARE VALUABLE IN GOD’S EYES

Just like man, “You are created in the image of God”

(NIV) So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Man is not superior to woman but they are equal but given different roles. God created both with uniqueness, with different roles but equally bears the image of God.

Apostle Paul wrote, In Christ, there is “neither Jews, Greek, or Romans, slaves or free, male or female”. Each will be judge in the end how they lived their life.

2. MOTHERS, YOUR CALLING COMES FROM GOD

(ESV) And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

Motherhood is not a hobby IT IS A CALLING. It is not something to do if you can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for. Neil Anderson

Motherhood is a higher calling.

You have a God given role that is unique from man.

You are the designated person to bear children.

The calling of motherhood belongs to you

Childbearing I believe is the most demanding & challenging job in the world.

Imagine a world without women, without mothers, caring and loving mothers

What Average Housewife Does

It was brought out at a recent Northwestern University psychology class that during an average housewife’s lifetime she performs these tasks: Cooks 35,000 meals, makes from 10,000 to 40,000 beds, vacuums a rug a mile long and a tenth of a mile wide and cleans 7,000 plumbing fixtures.

—Indianapolis News

Wives Outlive Husbands

In most families the wife outlives her husband. Widows today outnumber widowers almost four-to-one in this country. The chances are almost three-in-five that the wife will survive her husband when both are the same age.

When the husband is five years older, the chances are seven- in-ten that this wife will outlive him; and when he is ten years older, the chances rise to eight-in-ten. Only when the husband is around four years younger than his wife are the chances of survival about the same for both.

3. MOTHERS, YOU ARE PART OF GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN

(ESV) I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

(ESV) But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Look, the women I mentioned in the introduction are critical in the fulfillment of God’s plan.

Jochebed, Sarah, Hannah, Ruth, Elizabeth, Lois & Eunice

You moms have a special place in the plan of God.

Closing:

Read

… wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 11Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

She is worth far more than rubies.

11Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value.

Who Is Worth More?

Economists from the Chase Manhattan Bank have attempted to settle the argument about who is worth more around the house, the husband or the wife.

The economists estimate that the typical American housewife spends 99.6 hours each week in work around the house. Labor value is based on the going rate for services performed.

The bank concludes that a wife is worth $159.34 per week or $8,285.68 a year. This is what it would cost the husband to hire special workers to perform the services to the home.

The American husband’s wages in house work, if paid, would total only $51.01 per week, less than one-third the wages of his wife. This is for such duties as garbage man, lawn mower, night watchman, accountant, fashion consultant, youth counselor, etc.

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

12She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.

13She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands.

14She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

15She gets up while it is still night; she provides food for her family and portions for her female servants.

16She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

18She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

19In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

21When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

26She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

27She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:

29“Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.”

30Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

(The Message)

29“Many women have done wonderful things, but you’ve outclassed them all!”

30Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.

31Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

What matter most after all is the “fear of the Lord”.

The “excellent wife” is characterized by her fear of the Lord.

Mothers, wives – here is an excellent thing you can pursue the rest of your life. “the fear of the Lord”.

It all start by surrendering your life to Jesus Christ. Starting a relationship with Him. The Bible calls it “being born again”.

Admit that you are sinner,

Believe in the Lord Jesus,

Commit yourself to God.

Prayer of inviting Christ into your life

Prayer for the Mothers

vv. verses

Heb. Hebrew

Heb. Hebrew

nt New Testament