Motherhood in the Grand Design
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Motherhood is a high calling, though you wouldn’t know that from our culture today.
1 There was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim whose name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, son of Elihu, son of Tohu, son of Zuph, an Ephrathite. 2 He had two wives. The name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other, Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. 3 Now this man used to go up year by year from his city to worship and to sacrifice to the Lord of hosts at Shiloh, where the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were priests of the Lord. 4 On the day when Elkanah sacrificed, he would give portions to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and daughters. 5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb. 6 And her rival used to provoke her grievously to irritate her, because the Lord had closed her womb. 7 So it went on year by year. As often as she went up to the house of the Lord, she used to provoke her. Therefore Hannah wept and would not eat. 8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?” 9 After they had eaten and drunk in Shiloh, Hannah rose. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat beside the doorpost of the temple of the Lord. 10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.” 12 As she continued praying before the Lord, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was speaking in her heart; only her lips moved, and her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli took her to be a drunken woman. 14 And Eli said to her, “How long will you go on being drunk? Put your wine away from you.” 15 But Hannah answered, “No, my lord, I am a woman troubled in spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have been pouring out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.” 17 Then Eli answered, “Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition that you have made to him.” 18 And she said, “Let your servant find favor in your eyes.” Then the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. 19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.” 21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there.
God is the giver of motherhood
God is the giver of motherhood
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
God sovereignly grants motherhood to some women, but not others.
God sovereignly grants motherhood to some women, but not others.
Infertility and miscarriages are extremely common
“Infertility means not being able to get pregnant after one year of trying (or six months if a woman is 35 or older). Women who can get pregnant but are unable to stay pregnant may also be infertile. About 10 percent of women (6.1 million) in the United States ages 15-44 have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).” --Infertility | Office on Women's Health (womenshealth.gov)
“Miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week. About 10 to 20 percent of known pregnancies end in miscarriage. But the actual number is likely higher because many miscarriages occur so early in pregnancy that a woman doesn't realize she's pregnant.” --Miscarriage - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic
Like other kinds of suffering, God doesn’t always tell us why he withholds certain blessings. Ultimately, we have to trust him and rest in the assurance that it is part of his plan and in the knowledge that he knows what is best for us.
God is the source of the desire for motherhood.
God is the source of the desire for motherhood.
No, Elkanah, you are not better to her than ten sons!
8 And Elkanah, her husband, said to her, “Hannah, why do you weep? And why do you not eat? And why is your heart sad? Am I not more to you than ten sons?”
He meant well, but simply didn’t understand how deep his wife’s desire for children was.
For many women—perhaps even most—their identity as a woman is uniquely tied up in their children. Most men cannot fathom the shame that often accompanies infertility for women, especially in the time and culture of Ancient Israel.
Bearing children was a source of great honor
Being childless was seen as a mark of God’s disapproval or judgement and brought shame. It meant being left out in conversations with other women, it meant not having someone to care for you in your old age, it meant being less of a woman than others.
It’s hard for us to imagine the kind of shame that would come with being childless in that context, especially for men.
For many men, identity is wrapped up in their job. Imagine working hard each day at your job, only to constantly fall short of the mark and incur your boss’s disapproval. Then, to be publicly fired and humiliated. Even that doesn’t do justice to the pain and shame of barrenness that Hannah would have felt, and many women today still feel when they struggle with infertility.
But Hannah’s desire for a baby wasn’t just something implanted in her by her culture...
God has planted a desire deep in the heart of (most) women to have children. They are uniquely created for that purpose!
A woman’s body is uniquely designed for conceiving, carrying, growing, delivering, and nurturing children.
In fact, this is part of the fundamental purpose for God’s creation of women in the very beginning! After the first mention of God’s creation of women, this is his first command:
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 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.”
We’ll come back to this later and see how this fits with God’s greater plan for motherhood, but for now, just note:
A husband can’t replace the deep, God-given desire for a child. He wasn’t meant to. That desire was purposefully built-in to your wife by God himself. It’s part of who she is.
But neither can children replace the even deeper desire we all have for God. While a husband can’t fill the desire women have for children, God can. So, to those women for whom God has withheld the blessing of motherhood, lean in to him. Your husband can’t fill that void, but God can and he has a purpose in it.
...But today we are focusing on honoring mothers!
Motherhood is a great gift! A blessing from God!
Motherhood is a great gift! A blessing from God!
In an age of excessive egalitarianism and feminism, there’s a profound irony in our culture. The one thing that women can do that men simply CANNOT do—bearing children—is somehow disparaged as being weak or undesirable.
Most of the comic book Superhero movies—just like many other movies today—bear the influence of feminism pretty strongly. There’s been quite a few new female superheroes featured in the movies in recent years: Black Widow, Captain Marvel, Wonder Woman, and many more.
What is interesting is that NONE of them have children. Some of the male superheroes do, but none of the women superheroes. The not-so-subtle message of these movies is that strong women spend their time out fighting bad guys, “don’t need no man,” and don’t get weighed down by children and domestic life. The job comes first, and children just get in the way of true fulfillment.
That is NOT the biblical view of womanhood! Being a mother is not just what you resort to if you’re not strong enough, smart enough, or ambitious enough to be a working mom or superhero.
In fact, being a mother is the highest calling that any woman could aspire to.
It takes far more strength and perseverance than fighting bad guys
It takes greater passion and dedication than serving your country
It takes the humility of Moses
The real superheroes are the moms who sacrificially love their children and families day in and day out, without recognition or praise. They are truly SuperMoms.
None of this is to disparage women who are not called to be mothers or who are called to be working mothers. It’s just to say this: “Being a mom is hard work and it’s not for wimps!”
God grants motherhood to further His Kingdom.
God grants motherhood to further His Kingdom.
10 She was deeply distressed and prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she vowed a vow and said, “O Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head.”
Two main ways that motherhood furthers the kingdom:
The Kingdom of God is advanced through the children born to godly mothers
The Kingdom of God is advanced through the children born to godly mothers
Like all gifts that God gives, God doesn’t give you children merely for your enjoyment. God does delight in giving his children good gifts, and children are a great gift! But they have a greater purpose in God’s plan than just meeting your personal happiness...
Children belong to God.
God sometimes uses infertility to work about a change in a woman’s heart.
Did God change his mind between v. 5 and v. 20? No! Of course not!
5 But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her, though the Lord had closed her womb.
20 And in due time Hannah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Samuel, for she said, “I have asked for him from the Lord.”
So, why did God allow Hannah to go childless for so long?
God needed Hannah to come to a place of complete surrender, where she was willing to surrender the thing that was most precious to her in all the world—her baby—over to God willingly and joyfully.
God went on to use that baby in powerful ways:
To confront wicked kings, to teach a nation to honor him, to encourage and rebuke good kings, to pave the way for the Messiah.
God used other moms to bring about men and women who have had an impact on the Kingdom:
Mary—Jesus
Lois—Eunice—Timothy
5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, a faith that dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice and now, I am sure, dwells in you as well.
One of the most common reasons that people don’t enter the ministry or missions is because of parents who disapprove or are unwilling to let go.
We are both blessed to have godly moms who have sacrificially embraced our calling to missions because they understand that motherhood is a gift from God and is designed to further the Kingdom of God.
The Kingdom of God is advanced through the hearts of mothers as they are refined and sanctified through childbearing and child-rearing.
The Kingdom of God is advanced through the hearts of mothers as they are refined and sanctified through childbearing and child-rearing.
There is nothing more sanctifying than having children!
Children are like holy sandpaper…some are like holy jackhammers! They shape us and mold us, smoothing away our impatience, selfishness, and apathy until we look more and more like Christ.
Godly mothers honor God, and God honors godly mothers. (1:21-2:10)
Godly mothers honor God, and God honors godly mothers. (1:21-2:10)
21 The man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “As soon as the child is weaned, I will bring him, so that he may appear in the presence of the Lord and dwell there forever.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, along with a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine, and she brought him to the house of the Lord at Shiloh. And the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and they brought the child to Eli. 26 And she said, “Oh, my lord! As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the Lord. 27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. 28 Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. 1 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation. 2 “There is none holy like the Lord: for there is none besides you; there is no rock like our God. 3 Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty are broken, but the feeble bind on strength. 5 Those who were full have hired themselves out for bread, but those who were hungry have ceased to hunger. The barren has borne seven, but she who has many children is forlorn. 6 The Lord kills and brings to life; he brings down to Sheol and raises up. 7 The Lord makes poor and makes rich; he brings low and he exalts. 8 He raises up the poor from the dust; he lifts the needy from the ash heap to make them sit with princes and inherit a seat of honor. For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s, and on them he has set the world. 9 “He will guard the feet of his faithful ones, but the wicked shall be cut off in darkness, for not by might shall a man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king and exalt the horn of his anointed.”
God honors godly mothers.
God honors godly mothers.
19 They rose early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord; then they went back to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her.
27 For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him.
God answers the prayers of godly mothers
3 Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. 4 Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.
God demands respect and honor for mothers.
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), 3 “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.
So children—you better honor your mother, because God does!
Speak to her respectfully.
Don’t criticize her or complain
Tell her how pretty she looks
Tell her you love her
Obey her the first time!
Make her a Mother’s Day card.
Give her hugs and kisses
Clean your room without her asking you to do it.
Ask her for advice when you’re making decisions, and carefully consider her wisdom.
Let her sleep in
Godly mothers honor God.
Godly mothers honor God.
Mothers, honor God with your motherhood!
The way you lovingly submit to your husband is a picture of Christ’s humble submission to the Father.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.
The way you show compassion is a picture of the compassion God has for his children.
The compassion of a mother is so innate that God uses this to demonstrate his compassion.
14 But Zion said, “The Lord has forsaken me; my Lord has forgotten me.” 15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you.
12 For thus says the Lord: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounced upon her knees. 13 As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem. 14 You shall see, and your heart shall rejoice; your bones shall flourish like the grass; and the hand of the Lord shall be known to his servants, and he shall show his indignation against his enemies.
37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 38 See, your house is left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again, until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’ ”