Beth-El Baptist Church

9/4/05

Greg Tomlinson

What is a mother supposed to do?

There is often confusion and misapplication of scripture in the realm of relationships whether between parents and children or husband and wife. The most important of institutional relationships will be evaluated over the next several weeks to buildup a picture of what these relationships are supposed to look like. This week the relationship between mothers and their children will be evaluated.

1. What examples of mothers should we follow?

Genesis 24:53-55 – Mother of Rebekah

Exodus 2 – Mother of Moses

1 Samuel 1:19-22 – Mother of Samuel

1 Kings 1:11-21 – Mother of Solomon

2 Kings 22:1-2 – Mother of Josiah

Luke 1:27-38 – Mother of Jesus

Galatians 4:26 – The church

Revelation 12:17 – The Church

There are many mothers in the Bible that are worthy of emulating, women who were willing to sacrifice all for the sake of their children and loved them dearly. The best picture of a mother is the church of Jesus Christ, the body of Jesus, the bride of Jesus. We are her seed (Revelation 12:17) and her offspring.

2. What examples of mothers should be careful about not following?

Genesis 25:28; 27:8-17 – Rebekah loved Jacob the most, taught/used deception

Leviticus 24:10-11 – Did not teach the fear of God

Judges 17:1-4 – Led away from God

1 Kings 14:21-31 – Mother of Rehoboam

1 Kings 15:10-13 – Idolater

2 Kings 11:1 – Mother of Ahaziah killed her grandchildren

2 Kings 21:1-2 – Mother of Manasseh

Isaiah 50:1 – Israel itself

Most of the kings have their mother’s identified. Some of the kings had evil fathers, but did right. Others had both mother and father were evil but did right anyway. In the majority of the cases, the implication is that doing evil or doing right in the eyes of God was associated with who their mother was. Israel is called the mother of the people of Israel and was condemned for her lack of proper training and teaching of her children, the Israelites.

3. What does a mother do for her children?

Genesis 4:1-2 – gives birth

Numbers 12:12 – gives birth

Deuteronomy 21:18-19 – Discipline the children with the father

Judges 5:28 – Has concern for their well being

Judges 14:2-3 – Counsels them from the word of God

Ruth 3:1 – Seeks prosperous future

1 Samuel 2:19 – Looks after their needs

1 Kings 3:26-27 – Sacrifices of themselves for their needs

2 Kings 4:18-25 – Pursues God on their behalf

Psalm 22:9-10 – Feeds them

Proverbs 1:8-9 – Instructs them with their father

Proverbs 10:1 – Mourns over their disobedience

Proverbs 23:24-25 – Rejoices over their successes

Proverbs 29:15 – Guides their upbringing

Proverbs 31:1-9 – Trains them in righteousness

Ezekiel 16:44-45 – Loves her husband and her children

Ezekiel 19:1-6 – Trains them

Luke 2:43-46 – Seeks to keep them safe

Luke 2:51 – Remembers their past for later honor

John 2:3-5 – Honors them

Galatians 6:1-2 – Helps restore them in fellowship

2 Timothy 1:5 – Teaches them the faith in God

The work of the mother is very important. It is often the teaching of the mother that the children keep and remember longer. It is important that she, as the primary care giver, continually teaches them about the righteousness of God and their need to be obedient. It is also necessary that she love her husband, their father, so that they learn to respect and honor him.

4. Since the true church is identified as being the mother of the believer, what else about her actions towards us should mother’s take heed?

Matthew 18:15-18 – Corrects them

Acts 9:31 – Walk in the fear of God, Comfort

Acts 11:21-22; 14:27; 15:3-4 – Keeps track of where they are and what they do

Acts 11:26 – Teach

Acts 12:5 – Pray

Acts 14:23 – Follow the proper authority

Acts 15:6-11 – Provides counsel, even to those in authority

Romans 16:1 – Be a servant

1 Corinthians 4:17 – Provides proper teachers

1 Corinthians 6:4 – Properly judges matters

Like their father, the mother is to seek the best for her children. This includes teaching, praying for, and even disciplining. She is to be a shining example of a servant who teaches the children to be servants as well. This means that she will need to encourage and provide opportunities for her children to serve others.

Summary

In order to be a good mother, it is essential that she work with their father to train them in the things of God. She will be the one to train them to be servants and to remember the past and to honor them with it.