A Mother

Proverbs 31:10-31 “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her. So that he shall have no need of spoil. She will do him good and not evil. All the days of her life. She seeketh wool, and flax, And worketh willingly with her hands. She is like the merchants’ ships; She bringeth her food from afar. She riseth also while it is yet night, And giveth meat to her household, And a portion to her maidens. She considereth a field, and buyeth it: With the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard. She girdeth her loins with strength, And strengtheneth her arms. She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: Her candle goeth not out by night. She layeth her hands to the spindle, And her hands hold the distaff. She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; Yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household: For all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; Her clothing is silk and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, When he sitteth among the elders of the land. She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; And delivereth girdles unto the merchant. Strength and honour are her clothing; And she shall rejoice in time to come. She openeth her mouth with wisdom; And in her tongue is the law of kindness. She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness. Her children arise up, and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praiseth her. Many daughters have done virtuously, But thou excellest them all. Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: But a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; And let her own works praise her in the gates.”

I. Intro

It is Mother’s Day and all over the Christian world, pastors and preachers are pointing this morning to the mother we have come to call the “Proverbs 31 woman”. What a lady! This wonder woman gets up before dawn and stays busy until the early hours of the next morning. We have developed a mental image of her. She has the looks of a movie star, the domestic abilities of a master chef, the stamina of a world-class athlete, the intellect of a professor with a PhD, the tenacity of a political operative, the wisdom of a godly missionary, the sensitivity of Mother Teresa, the business sense of a Fortune 500 executive, the grace of an etiquette expert and the spiritually of the Virgin Mary. Wow! No wonder so many mothers leave church feeling discouraged, instead of encouraged on Mother’s Day.

Can any of us measure up to this standard of perfection? She is certainly a worthy goal for which to aim, but we are all in a process here. If it is our intent to reach our community for Christ, then we must begin to deal with people where they are, not where we think they should be. In preparation for this Mother’s Day message, I asked myself a question , “If our Lord Jesus Christ was in my pulpit this Sunday preaching to my congregation, what would He say?” I believe He would do exactly what He did in Scripture. He would leave the 99, and go after that one who is hurting and lost. Perhaps, it is the woman today who has never borne a child. Perhaps it is the woman who has lost a child. While the woman in Proverbs 31 is a worthy example to follow, she is not among those listed in the lineage our our Lord. But two women in Matthew 1:5 are listed for all of us to see. “And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;” Who are these two mother? They must be “Proverbs 31” women to be listed in the Bible in the lineage of Jesus Christ. Not really. One is Rahab, the prostitute of Jericho, and the other is Ruth, who was raised in an environment worshipping pagan gods and idols. But something wonderful happened to these two mother. Their experience of the Living God caused them to be converted into two of the godliest mothers in the Bible and they live on in history and in Heaven today.

Rahab and Ruth were mothers who overcame their circumstances. Like many modern moms they were torn between work and childcare. Many moms are divorced today; others may be remarried and they are dealing with incredible adjustments and the struggle of divided loyalties. Others live with all sorts of unspoken heartaches in the home and are making the best of very difficult situations. Rahab is listed here in the genealogy of Jesus to show us that there is hope for those who have been engaged in sinful pleasures. Ruth joins her in this list to show us that there is hope for those who have been engaged with societal pressures. Both of these women are remembered forever as virtuous women. Let’s look at them and learn from them on this Mother’s Day.

II. Rahab Shows us how we can overcome sinful pleasures

Who is this mother named Rahab listed here in Matthew 1 in the genealogy of Jesus? Her story is told in the second and sixth chapters of the book of Joshua. Here we find a lady with a reputation that was far from spotless. She was quite popular with the men who stopped in their caravans while journeying through the oasis city of Jericho. Everyone knew where her house was located. The local kids would point to it as they passed by. Five of the six times she is mentioned in Scripture, the word “harlot” is placed alongside her name as if it were glued to her. When her family members are listed in Joshua 2:13, there is no mention of a husband or children. She was a lady who was involved in sinful pleasures. When the Israelites sent spies into her city as they were about to begin their conquest of Canaan, she took them in. Interestingly, she had not heard what they had done for God during their march to the Promised Land, nor how well trained their armies had become, but what struck this harlot’s heart was what the Living God had done for them and through them (Josh. 2:10). “For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.”

She becomes a beautiful example of how one can overcome her sinful pleasures to become a godly mother. Listen to her testimony in front of the Israelite spies, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, that the terror of you has fallen on us and that all the inhabitants of the land are fainthearted because of you. For we have heard how the lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed. And as soon as we heard these things our hearts melted; neither did there remain any courage in anyone because of you, for the Lord your God, He is God in Heaven above and on Earth beneath.” (Josh. 2:9-11) Here are the words spoken by one with a repentant heart- “He is God in Heaven above and on Earth beneath.” There is an interesting insight found a few verses earlier.

There is ab interesting insight found a few verses earlier. She took the spies up on her roof and hid them under “the stalks of flax which she had laid in order on the roof”(Josh. 2:6). Why was there flax on this woman’s roof, neatly and orderly laid out? In the ancient world, flax was gathered by industrious women, dried out and used for spinning and weaving. The prescence of such a large quantity of it on her roof may well indicate she had experienced a change of vocation. Interestingly enough, it is said of the Proverbs 31 woman that “she seeks wool and flax and willingly works with her hands” ( Prov. 31:13). Not only did this woman of Jericho repent, but there is also good evidence that she placed her faith in the Living God. When the spies went on their way with a promise to return, they told her to hang a scarlet thread out the window of her home so that when they came to conquer her city, her home would be spared.

III. Conclusion

Rahab is listed in the lineage because to show all that there is hope for any and for all who put their trust in the Living God. What ever happened to her? Did she find a husband? I’ll say she did. She lived among the Israelites and fell in love with a prince by the name of Salmon. God blessed their union with a son whose name was Boaz, who became the kinsman-redeemer. This former harlot of Jericho became the mother of Boaz, the Lord of the harvest, who became the husband of Ruth. Look at Rahab! She is remembered today on this Mother’s Day to remind us there is hope for those who may have once lived in sinful pleasures of various types. And today, lives on in history and in Heaven as a good and godly mother who imparted the same qualities to her own family.