It’s Mothers Day and the perfect time to think about some of the other mothers in the Bible. When you think of mothers in the Bible who do you think of first? Mary or maybe Eve?
Eve may best be remembered for being duped by Satan, in this we can learn the importance of obedience and community. Satan got to Eve when she was alone and while time alone to read or reflect is nice this shows us the importance of our church and women’s groups we can join within the church and our local community.
Mary the Mother of Jesus. Mary was a virgin pledged to a man named Joseph when the Angel Gabriel visited her and told her that she was to become the mother of Jesus.
Luke 1:26-38 Birth of Jesus Foretold
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary said, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” And the angel departed from her.
There are many tales in the Bible of women waiting to conceive:
Sarah who waited 15 years for God to renew his promise and another 10 years before Sarah gave Abraham a son Issac. Although Sarah was impatient and even laughed at God He kept His word, this shows us again to always have faith for God knows when.
Rachel who although she was loved and Jacob worked hard to marry her was unable to bear children until God listened to her and helped her conceive.
There is also Hannah who kept her promise to God after praying for so long to have a son who became Samuel and who lived a life dedicated to the Lord, ‘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. For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. Therefore I have lent him to the Lord. As long as he lives, he is lent to the Lord.”
And then there are mothers like Jochebed who would do anything to protect their child. The terrible order had been given to hurl male children into the Nile and Jochebed like all mothers wanted to protect her son. After hiding him for three months she then made a papyrus basket and covered it with pitch and tar making it waterproof. When she could hide him no longer she took him down to the Nile in his basket and set him upon the water hoping for his life to be spared and a happy home to be found. Luckily he was found by a Pharaohs daughter who went to bathe and taking pity on the infant she hired a Hebrew women to nurse him (and it was really Jochebed) and raised him, naming him Moses. God blessed Jochebed and saved her son. And as we all know Moses went on to free the people of Egypt according to God’s plan.
The Bible is truly an amazing book. We’d love to know your favorite Mother from the Bible.
