904 Motherhood (Gen.3.16-24)
Notes
Transcript
Happy Mother’s Day
- Population growth in secular countries has slowed to the point of barely replacing the current levels of people
- The way countries have helped combat this is through immigration
- In one of the world’s most prestigious journals, “The Lancet” and published less than a year ago, they are reporting on projected population growth
- By 2100 they predict that there will be twice as many people over 80 as under 5 (ft1)
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- It has been accepted that religious families have more children than secular ones which means that religions of Muslim or Christian will have greater numbers of representation in the community than secular
- The Pew Research Center has highlighted that in 2050 the demographic share of atheists & agnostics – those who have no religious affiliation – will decline in world population
- Christians are projected to rise by the same rate as the global overall population – about 25% - but Muslims are expected to increase in number by 73% and match the total number of Christians by 2070 (ft2)
- What we might be seeing then is that during the 2100’s there will be a considerably greater religious population than we have at present
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- Currently it is said that a population needs the birth of 2.1 children per woman as the minimum number to sustain a stable population.(fn3)
- Now we are talking here about the general trends because not all women will have children & there may be a number of reasons why they don’t or can’t have children
- So we need to look at this from an overall/generalised perspective
- Some will have large families & some smaller ones
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Q. What would God think of how things are tracking?
- I think we can speak authoritatively on the subject because the Scriptures have much to say on the subject of Motherhood
1. Be Fruitful & Multiply
1. Be Fruitful & Multiply
- This is the first cab off the rank
- God spoke these words to Adam & then to Noah so it was an important command
- Some may say, “Well the population was minuscule so it was important to continue to “breed” & to spread out over the face of the earth”, but surely now, that can’t be a concern
- That might be a fair enough observation to make
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Q. However, is there more to this command than meets the eye?
- I think there is
- We know from that foundational book, the book of Genesis, that the foundation of society is the family
- It may come as a surprise to some education departments, but the government was never the heart, centre nor foundation of society
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- It starts here: “a man will leave his father & mother & cleave to his wife & the two will become one flesh” (Gen. 2:24)
- This union is not the union of 2 distinctively different creatures
- Nor was Eve created in toto as was Adam
– God created Adam fresh from the start, but Eve was created through a rib of Adam which means that she did not have a separate start as did Adam - This should not be seen through the lens of modern, western, secular, egalitarian society
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- It is so important to see how this creation of Eve is a creation “out of man”
- This is the essence of how a “one flesh relationship” is understood
- She is from him, out of him, sourced from him
- When God brings the woman to Adam, he says, “bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called ishshah for she was taken out of ish” – called woman for she was taken out of man
- This is the basis for why the woman would take the last name of her husband
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- This is not tyranny, but unity – a unity so remarkable that it has no equal
- It is this foundation that binds a husband & wife together
- It is divine – it is of God - & why marriage is understood as a divine institution
3 Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate.”
- Jesus says that the first union becomes a template for all subsequent unions
- Those unions are based upon the truth that the two become one flesh
2. The Mother of All the Living
2. The Mother of All the Living
- Adam gives generic names to all the animals (like dog, cat, cow) as God brings them before him to name
- But none was found to be a suitable helper for him
- So God creates the woman out of Adam & he gives her the generic name of woman
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- Now I’ve mentioned this before but its worth amplifying again
- Adam was given a level of responsibility by God
- He alone was given the command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good & evil
- He alone was called upon to give account of their transgression of eating from that tree
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- When God calls on the man for an answer, he points to Eve & says...
12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
- It’s not my fault, I’m the innocent party here
- She took the fruit & gave it to me
- Besides, this person who did this is the one You gave to me
- I am not responsible for a defective model – I demand an upgrade!
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- Adam received the command but abdicated his responsibility
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.
Q. What reason could he have for letting Eve take of the fruit & eat?
- The Scripture doesn’t say this & I’m speculating but, is it possible that he was using her as a guinea pig
- Standing back, seeing if she drops dead after eating – and when she didn’t he could then know that it was safe for him to then eat – that’s reading between the lines
- I bring this up because men have & continue to do this to there wives
- That is certainly not watching over her with love - but throwing her to the wolves
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- He stood there, while Eve took & ate the fruit - why would he do that? Is he just a passive, inept, leader or was there something more
- Either way, instead of protecting their relationship with God, he let her take the lead in defying God’s word
- He abdicated his responsibility toward God & his wife
- God gave him the command & He called on him to give account
- Now, God expels him from the garden
- Did you notice that God does not mention Eve in all of this
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and now, he might stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— 23 therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden, to cultivate the ground from which he was taken. 24 So He drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life.
- See all the masculine pronouns – He drove him out of the garden
- Of course, Eve was going out with Adam, but the text focus’ on Adam because Adam had that leadership responsibility through which he also had to answer for
- So husbands, be careful in how you treat your wife & how you lead her & look after her
- Be careful that you aren’t using her to perhaps further your own aspirations
- She is one flesh with you - hurting her is hurting yourself, caring for her is caring for yourself as Paul puts it in Eph. 5
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- Along with Adam’s authority to name the animals & to name womankind, woman, he also names his wife Eve, which most scholars think means “life-giver”
- Besides, the Scripture actually defines its meaning for us
20 Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
- She has the unique role of being a mum
- We could say that she was designed & built for this purpose
- Men, don’t have a womb nor the necessary parts to carry & nurse children
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- Paul shows how there is a mutuality & dependency upon each other
7 For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. 8 For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; 9 for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.
11 However, in the Lord, neither is woman independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. 12 For as the woman originates from the man, so also the man has his birth through the woman; and all things originate from God.
- What is so sad today is the epidemic of gender confusion that exists among young people
- Our culture has swallowed a poisonous pill
- Women can be men & men can be women; men can marry men & women marry women
- This is promoted as strongly as a piece of propaganda can be
- Gender is clear in the Bible – He made them male & female
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- Furthermore, God is a God of order
- Against some of the chaos of gender role confusion among the Corinthian church, Paul writes that… “God is not a God of confusion (disorder) but of peace”
- God is not a God of disorder, but of shalom – wholeness, completeness, welfare
- Certainly without Shalom, ones life could be described as chaos or chaotic
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- I know that for us to hold to these things of God may see us ostracised from our worldly, anti-god society
- I’m not that silly – I full well realise that some of you were cringing as I said some of these things
- But you have to decide whether I am actually reflecting what the Scriptures are teaching or my own agenda
- You also have to decide on whether your possible objection is coming from your attachment to our culture & the thinking of the world
2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.
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- Often, we go along with the world & we bend to it almost until breaking point
- We want to fit in with the world; we want to get along with the world; we don’t want to be at odds with the world
- Yet, if we start to let out our Christian convictions, we soon find that the world does not want to get along with us
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- But we are coerced by the allurements that come with blending into the world
- Of having a name/reputation – no one wants their name/reputation dragged through the mud even though you have stated nothing but the truth – so we hide our Christianity
- There is a cost to family & friends – this is such a tough one – all we want to do is get on with life & live for the Lord
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- We love people because they are made in the image of God but for the world, they are not happy with that – you have to agree with their lifestyle & their thoughts or else, in their mind, you hate them
- Of course, that is so far from the truth
- The reality is that the world hates God
- What we believe is not what we have made up – we have not made these statements; we haven’t made these propositions – God has!
- We have decided, however, to agree with God
- When people reject you, it is not you they reject, but God
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- The apostle Paul makes this nice distinction between we who may offend & God who may offend
32 Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God;
- Christians can give unnecessary offence to the non-Christian & we should avoid that - an example would be to not serve pork up as a meal to your Jewish dinner guest - because Jews are forbidden to eat Pork
- Those things are not worth it, when it comes to sharing the Gospel
- Yet, no matter how many personal preferences we set aside for the sake of keeping the channels open for a person to want to consider belief in Christ, there comes a point when they are faced with the reality of Christ & His call on their life
- If in holding to the Gospel & the teaching of NT, you are rejected as offensive or whatever, then that person has not been offended by you, but by God
- This is the only legitimate offence that should take place
- I know Christians can be rude & exhibit unChristlike ways to the people of the world – those are personal offences which actual get in the road of the one & only offence that should front a non-Christian – Jesus Christ – His ways & His thoughts
4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, 5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.”
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” 8 and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
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Q. We have to determine what we believe?
- I know that seems strange for me to ask that
Q. But do we believe what Jesus says will happen if we believe in Him?
Q. Why are we even here if we can’t or don’t live out our faith?
34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.
- He goes on to say that there will be war within one’s family because some may follow Christ & others follow the world – follow Satan
- Persecution will come if we live faithfully to Christ
- I’m not happy about that – it grieves my heart - & it gives me no pleasure to remind you about that
- But these are not my sentiments, nor are they my words
38 “And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. 39 “He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.
- Sure, you can gain the whole world by going along with them in their ways & thoughts
- But we have a choice & this is where the rubber of faith hits the road of reality
- Choose this day whom you will serve” says Joshua to the Israelites (Josh, 24:15)
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- When it comes to motherhood, there is another front pushing back against God
- A push back against having too many children
- World over-population is now getting lumped in with climate change & cows emitting methane gas & the like
- Ros & I have had several occasions where a person asked how many children we had & when we tell them 4 children, they emphatically say… “Four” - & nearly fell off their chair!!!
- I don’t need to say much about this because many of you have already seen the rhetoric
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- I’m here to say to you mum’s that in spite of what the world says, you are doing God’s work & glorifying Him through your children
- I’m not saying anything against people who haven’t or can’t have children, but only against the notion that motherhood is somehow a second rate “career” or vocation
- Since as far as God is concerned, it is the greatest vocation a woman could ever have or aspire to
3. Being a Mum
3. Being a Mum
- I want to show you this video of a clever 8 year old girl who decided that she would make a video imitating her mum at work in the business which she runs from home
- It is her first & only take
VIDEO of 8 yrs old girl imitating her mum
- Oh dear, how our children pick up on our mannerisms
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3 Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward. 4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. 5 How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
- There are many gifts of the Lord and children are one of them
Q. Can you believe that Susanna Wesley had 19 children?
- Sadly, she lost nearly half her children to disease & all the other calamities associated with life 300 odd years ago
- At her death, only eight of her children were still alive.
- However, she was very pro-active with their education & their spiritual life having heart to heart discussions with each of them
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- Two of her children were spiritual giants that led many to Christ
- John & Charles Wesley
- John was an evangelist & was part of the great awakening
- He founded the Methodist church
- Charles was a great hymn writer who wrote many songs that you would have sung - He wrote 482 hymns
And Can It Be That I Should Gain?
"Christ the Lord Is Risen Today"
“Oh for a thousand tongues to sing”
“Love Divine All Loves Excelling”
Christmas Carols: Hark the Herald Angels Sing & Joy to the World
- Here is the impact of a mother & a Godly one at that
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- Her role as a mother may seem to some, wasted
- She had no career as judged by the world
- She merely accepted that, having children, God wanted her first of all to be a mother to those children
- This is not to say that she could have no outside activity
- The woman in Prov. 31 transacted financially with outsiders & ran her own business, if you could strictly call it that
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- But many people miss the preface of this passage
10 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. 11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. 12 She does him good and not evil All the days of her life.
14 She is like merchant ships; She brings her food from afar. 15 She rises also while it is still night And gives food to her household And portions to her maidens. 16 She considers a field and buys it; From her earnings she plants a vineyard.
- She has many activities, not just at home, but I want you to notice one very important facet that Christian feminists miss
- She is totally unselfish & what she does, she does for her family
- She is not an independent woman who does what she likes & pursues what she likes
- Everything she does goes to one object & one object alone – the welfare of her family - that is very different from what is being pushed today out there in the world
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21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.
28 Her children rise up and bless her; Her husband also, and he praises her, saying: 29 “Many daughters have done nobly, But you excel them all.” 30 Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. 31 Give her the product of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.
- Now, I can only imagine the heavy burden on wives & mothers trying to live up to the standard of the Prov. 31 woman
- Be comforted by the fact that there is probably a bit of hyperbole here – going beyond the point to make the point
- Yet, it shows how valuable is the work of mothers
- What an incredible, amazing blessing are our mothers
- Let us therefore honour our mothers as God’s gift to us
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- Mothers should see their work as motherhood as a holy endeavour
- Sadly a growing number of people are more than happy to malign women who want to be mothers – especially mothers of a large family
- Ros has had many occasions when people have asked her how many children she has, that they almost fall over backward, when she says 4
- Imagine what it is like for those of 5 or 6 or even greater!
- It is very sad that women who want to set their love on their husband & children before a career of their own are made to feel like they have chosen a second-rate path – that the world of today – all about self-fulfilment & it flies in the face of the one-flesh relationship
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- Some women are unable to have children & that is very sad, but the same is true for many people who have suffered the affects of the fall
- Some men cannot father children – it is a sad fact of life
- Paul actually tells the Corinthians that in the Holy Spirit’s workings that there is a variety of gifts He has given – even ranging from a gift for marriage & a gift for singleness
- In Christ, a woman may choose to remain single and not marry – but it is a choice, not a mandate
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- I guess I could say that motherhood is like my favourite type of Chinese food – sweet & sour
- The sour aspect is the greatly increased pain in child-birth - see James, he can help you with that
- The sweet is the joy of being a mum & in pouring your life into your husband & children
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.
- Happy Mother’s Day & thank you mums
1 https://ionainstitute.ie/the-religious-will-inherit-the-earth/
2 https://ionainstitute.ie/the-religious-will-inherit-the-earth/
3 https://ionainstitute.ie/the-religious-will-inherit-the-earth/