Today is Mother’s day, 2018. Let me show you a couple of slides that depict motherhood a bit.
- Four generations of women
- A mother and baby
- Psalm 131
- Mom with shouting son
- Mom and finger pointing daughter
- Mom pointing finger at teenage son
- Mom and dad arguing with child covering ears
- Mom, did you ever get “the look”? Kids with eyes rolled back
When God made Adam and Eve He blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply and “plenish” or fill the earth…”
God’s blessing upon man and woman was first of all parenthood. Think of it. God gave us the ability to procreate in His image, to bring new lives into the world and spread the image of God all over the planet. How does that strike you? Do we even believe that today? We live in the days of planned parenthood, where childbirth is managed medically and where children are not seen as a heritage of the Lord so much as a responsibility to be manipulated and planned and managed. But where does God’s word fit into the planning? Our culture has whole heartedly bought into this management concept. The Bible says that children are a heritage from the Lord. But planned parenthood has distorted the meaning of motherhood to the point of exterminating the unwanted unborn in the name of women’s rights or healthcare. Yes, pregnancy is seen in terms of a healthcare issue rather than a reflection of God’s gracious blessing to spread His image. If you want it, it’s a precious baby; if you don’t, it’s a disposable fetus.
We do live in a fallen world… and yet, one of the loveliest human images is still that of a mother and her baby. Is that not true? God’s blessing is seen there and it is hard to hush. In spite of all the enemy can muster against it, God has made motherhood for His glory and it remains a blessing in the world.
God designed motherhood. His plan for motherhood is still the best one. No one can improve on it, though many have certainly tried. Since today is Mother’s Day, it seems appropriate to look a little bit at God’s plan for mothers. What we learn is something more than a mother’s heart. We also see something of the heart of God our creator and His love for us.
Isaiah refers to or compares God’s love and a mother’s love twice. Let’s look at two of God’s plans for mothers.
Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her nursing child, and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you.
Isaiah 66:7-13 “Before she travailed, she brought forth;
Before her pain came, she gave birth to a boy.
8 “Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things?
Can a land be born in one day?
Can a nation be brought forth all at once?
As soon as Zion travailed, she also brought forth her sons.
9 “Shall I bring to the point of birth and not give delivery?” says the Lord.
“Or shall I who gives delivery shut the womb?” says your God.
10 “Be joyful with Jerusalem and rejoice for her, all you who love her;
Be exceedingly glad with her, all you who mourn over her,
11 That you may nurse and be satisfied with her comforting breasts,
That you may drink deeply and be delighted with her bountiful bosom.”
12 For thus says the Lord, “Behold, I extend peace to her like a river,
And the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream;
And you will be nursed, you will be carried on the hip and fondled on the knees.
13 “As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you;
And you will be comforted in Jerusalem.”
One of God’s purposes and plans for creating motherhood is to reveal His own love toward His people.
A few years ago I was a bus captain for Inner City Outreach. I remember once asking the kids, “Does your daddy love you?” A few hands went up, but not even half. Then I asked them, “Does your momma love you?” and every hand went up.
God says, “Can a mother forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb?”
God knows that this image will bring most people into a reminder of the closeness they felt with their mothers. But God also knows that this image is sometimes marred by sin. Sometimes, some mothers don’t act like mothers. So God says, “Even if these forget, I will not forget you!”
God’s love is deeper, richer, longer, higher, stronger, fuller, wider, older, fresher, newer, truer, lovelier, kinder, firmer, wiser, purer, costlier, freer, better… than your mother’s love.
God is the very source from which a mother loves. He does it first and best. And a mother is made by God to reveal God’s love as she loves. The bond of a human mother with her children is not simply a biological accident that evolved. It is a divine design with evidences of the eternal within it. There’s not a mother who has ever lived that can honestly say, “I’ve done everything exactly right.” There are no perfect mothers, even though many of us may think ours is perfect. If you have been blessed with a good godly mother who loves you, you have been blessed indeed. Do you love your mother? Then thank God for her. But even if your mother didn’t love you as she should, remember God’s words, “Even if these forget, I will not forget you.” God’s will is that you have a loving mother who shows you His love and brings you up to know and love Him. That is the most loving thing any mother can offer.
Number one plan for motherhood is to reveal and instill God’s love in her children.
Number two plan for motherhood is to bring forth the Savior of the world.
Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
And you shall bruise him on the heel.”
God’s curse on the serpent after Adam and Eve sinned in the garden reveals this plan. Her seed would one day deal a death blow to the serpent’s head. The seed’s heal would be bruised, and the serpent’s head would be crushed.
Isaiah again in chapter 7:14 A virgin shall conceive and bear a son and she will call His name Immanuel. 9:6-7
6 For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David’s throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the Lord Almighty
will accomplish this.
God’s greatest plan for motherhood is Jesus coming. The Word of God, which was with God and was God. God’s word became flesh, born of a woman, just like you and me.
Jesus is the greatest reason for the creation of motherhood. He is indeed God’s love demonstrated to us in humility and obedience as a sacrifice. Motherhood was designed to accomplish something so wonderful and amazing that only God would have thought of it. And He did. God took the simple, beautiful image of motherhood and placed within it the greatest accomplishment of all time and eternity, the incarnation of God the Son, who is our Lord and Savior.