The Strength of Mothers

The Measure of a Mom

(engage)

Outmatched

Every time the olympics is held there is a truth that can’t be masked no matter how politically inconvenient it is. More than anything it hit me during the snowboarding half pipe competition in the last winter olympics. My wife Kate and I had watched the women snowboarders and were amazed by the heights they were reaching and the tricks they were doing and found ourselves glued to the TV. But then it came time for the men snowboarding competitions. As amazed as we were by the strength and talent demonstrated by the women, the men consistently were faster and higher and had the strength to land much bigger tricks.

While I will continue to enjoy both women’s and men’s snowboarding when it comes around again, it would be devastating to the female athletes if the two competitions were combined and men and women were made to compete against each other. While there are certainly exceptions, women just weren’t created to have the physical strength of men, and wouldn’t stand much of a chance.

And there lies the problem. For some reason when our culture came to the understanding that it needed to resolve gender inequality, often what it did was to measure the strength of women against those things which are typically masculine strengths rather than focusing on and promoting the strengths that are characteristically feminine.

We see this in movies all of the time, the heroine who is physically able to compete with men in every way, even when sometimes the physics of the matchup just doesn’t make sense.

Unmatched

But there are many things that women are far and away better at than men and I think you could probably get that list quite handily from any mother. Studies have shown that women are better learners, are more hygienic, are better at investing even. Women are far better multi-taskers than men and are built better for long term survival.

The journal of pediatric health care conducted a study that looked at mothers and fathers and found that mothers tended to care for and address the immediate distresses of their children while fathers were more concerned about preventing future distresses.

Leveraging Strengths

If you turn your bible over to Judges chapter 5 we find “Deborah’s Song” and I want to start by looking at just a couple of verses, 6 and 7.

Judges 5:6–7 KJV 1900

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways. 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel.

Our message this morning is entitled “The Strength of Mothers”

Let’s Pray

A Sorry State

The Condition of Israel

(Tension)

Don’t read … just project

Judges 5:6–8 KJV 1900

6 In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, In the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, And the travellers walked through byways. 7 The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, Until that I Deborah arose, That I arose a mother in Israel. 8 They chose new gods; Then was war in the gates: Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel?

Israel had been left in a sorry state. In verse 8 we learn that

They chose new gods

and as a result

Then was war in the gates

and by the rhetorical question

Was there a shield or spear seen Among forty thousand in Israel

we can assume that Israel was so decimated by war at this point that they were no longer able to defend their own land.

Verse 6 tells us that people stopped using the public roads, presumably because it was too dangerous and in verse 7 we learn that it was so bad that people stopped gathering together to live in villages.

Until when? v7 says

Until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel

Why Deborah

But, why Deborah? A lot of speculation has been made that Deborah was selected by God to be a judge over Israel, because the men had become so pathetic that there was none that were qualified for the role. There is no biblical basis for that, only conjecture.

Complimentarianism

Let me stop here for just a minute or two. There are some clearly defined roles and responsibilities in the church and in the family reserved for men or reserved for women. And the teaching of this church is something called complimentarianism. That is to say, we don’t think that men have a greater value than women or that women have a greater value than men. But, men and women were designed differently to compliment each other. Men are strong where women are weak and women are strong where men are weak.

Now some might argue that complimentariansim isn’t fair: men are given roles in the church of leadership, the bible does in fact say in Ephesians 5:22

Ephesians 5:22 KJV 1900

22 Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.

But understand that this is almost in the same breath as Paul writing in v25:

Ephesians 5:25 KJV 1900

25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

And with the way our culture has rejected gender roles in general, I think the compliment here needs to be pointed out. The wife is instructed to “submit herself to her husband” for sure, but the husband is also instructed “To love his wife as Christ loved the church” in what way? as Christ “gave himself for it,.” So what we find in the biblical design of marriage are two people who have given their lives -to- the other. The command for that giving of self is just expressed in a way, to each gender, that cuts through their barriers to self-sacrifice. It exposes the heart of rebellion against God’s design at the points each are going to struggle with the most, in their sin nature. And if I may be so bold, for the woman it seems to be the barrier of wanting to get her own way, and for the man it is the barrier of selfishness.

But Deborah

But none of that has any bearing on Deborah’s situation. No, God made His prophet and his Judge over Deborah because it was Deborah who was needed in that time. What do we read in v7?

Until I arose; I Deborah, arose, as a mother in Israel.

Israel had had its fair share of fathers. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are even called the Patriarchs, the fathers of Israel. But later what do we find about the fathers of Israel? Take a look with me in Judges chapter 2:18-19

Judges 2:18–19 KJV 1900

18 And when the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was with the judge, and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge: for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them. 19 And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned, and corrupted themselves more than their fathers, in following other gods to serve them, and to bow down unto them; they ceased not from their own doings, nor from their stubborn way.

It was the fathers of Israel who became corrupted. And so God, in his compassion, when Israel had become decimated by war and the consequence of their sin, had raised up Deborah to be a mother for Israel. Because it was a mother that Israel needed.

The Strength of Mothers

(Truth)

I want to consider some things about mothers that we find in the Bible, things that are the very character of God being expressed through mothers

Law Giver

In Proverbs 1:8 we read:

Proverbs 1:8 KJV 1900

8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, And forsake not the law of thy mother:

And so we find that mothers are the law givers

Wisdom

Mothers are the conveyors of wisdom.

You are probably familiar with another passage commonly touched on in Mother’s day messages; Proverbs 31:10

Proverbs 31:10 KJV 1900

10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

But, what you might not realize is what we read at the beginning of the chapter

Proverbs 31:1 KJV 1900

1 The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.

This is the wisdom being given to a King, Lemuel, from his mother. A mother who wanted her son to marry a good woman who feared the Lord. In fact all of Proverbs 31 is the wisdom of Lemuel mother, from her instruction that Kings to be drunk; to judging righteously; and for pleading the case of the poor and needy. All of these things are the Wisdom of a mother being shared with her son.

A Picture of God

The Judge Deborah was a prophet. She spoke for God. In her role as a prophetess she communicated the nature of God to mankind. Hold that thought for just a minute.

If you remember, by the time we get to Genesis 2:18 we learn that God created man but we find out that -man on his own- alone -was the one thing in creation that we find wasn’t good. And so you know what Genesis 2:18 says

Genesis 2:18 KJV 1900

18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

I’m not implying that there aren’t God defined roles in a family, but I want to say that God creating a help meet for Adam does not imply that God made Adam a servant, it does not mean that God created Eve just because Adam was lonely and man was gifted this thing called woman.

What it does mean is that when man was created, he was created as the Imago Die, the Image of God. But man alone was an incomplete image. Man alone was inadequate for God’s purposes, for God’s self portrait.

And so God created a help for Adam to that end, who was meet to the purpose that man alone was inadequate for.

And so Deborah, as I began to say earlier, communicated part of the nature of God. Not just in the fact that she was a prophet but in that she was a mother to Israel.

We read of God’s nature in Isaiah 66:13 not as a Father, look with me:

Isaiah 66:13 KJV 1900

13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; And ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

In Deuteronomy 32:11-12 God is pictured as a mother Eagle, when we read

Deuteronomy 32:11–12 KJV 1900

11 As an eagle stirreth up her nest, Fluttereth over her young, Spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, Beareth them on her wings: 12 So the Lord alone did lead him, And there was no strange god with him.

God leads and guides and teaches like a mother teachers her young.

And in one one of the most tender moments of Jesus ministry we find him weeping over Israel in Luke 13:34

Luke 13:34 KJV 1900

34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

God offers the tender protection of a mother, that unfortunately is so often rejected. I am sure that there are mothers that have with heartache pleaded with their children for their own good, and have weeped over the rejection of care they are offering. And I tell you this morning that the heartache you have felt is nothing that isn’t known our Savior as he wept over Jerusalem and over all those who have rejected his salvation.

Motherhood

(Inspiration)

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations 3198 Mother Charges Nothing

A mother found under her place one morning at breakfast a bill made out by her small son, Bradley, aged eight—Mother owes Bradley: for running errands, 25 cents; for being good, 10 cents; for taking music lessons, 15 cents; for extras, 5 cents. Total, 55 cents.

Mother smiled but made no comment. At lunch Bradley found the bill under his plate with 55 cents and another piece of paper neatly folded like the first. Opening it he read—Bradley owes Mother: for nursing him through scarlet fever, nothing; for being good to him, nothing; for clothes, shoes and playthings, nothing; for his playroom, nothing; for his meals, nothing. Total: nothing.

Motherhood is a thankless giving of yourself day in, and day out. Its undeserved care and dedication. And its all done expecting nothing in return but love.

And really, as it should be, I couldn’t see this clearly with my own mom because I was still a child....but as an adult and as a father, I see it in my wife with our children and I see it in the other good mothers and I can appreciate it now....It is a picture of God

The state of man was as pitiful as the destroyed and desolate Israel when God sent them Deborah. But in His grace He gave of himself. Romans 5:8 says

Romans 5:8 KJV 1900

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

There are a few things I think you could take home with you from this mornings message:

An appreciation for mothers for sure, and if you are mother, maybe a great sense of the importance and duty of your role in the family.

I will risk a great assumption, being a man, saying this. But I think I could speak for the mothers I know well in this church: That they would want you to see their motherhood, and what we read in God’s word of motherhood as a demonstration of God’s love. And of that gift of salvation, and the sacrifice made expecting nothing in return except for this one thing. Your Love.

And so today, if you can’t say that you love God yith all your heart, soul and mind and that you haven’t given your life to Christ I invite you to do so before you ve. If yoyu have any questions, after we close in prayer I’d be happy to talk, it would be a blessing to stop for a few minutes and talk to you about Jesus, and if you are watching from home and send a direct message, and I will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

Let’s Pray