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Thursday, May 25, 2023

20 Special Mothers from the Holy Bible (20 Mother's Day Lessons) - Part I

 MOTHER'S DAY

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSONS LIST

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           Mother's Day is celebrated to honour the mother of the family. Mothers have a great influence in the Church and in society. The following special mothers from the Holy Bible teach us valuable lessons from their own lives.

20 SPECIAL MOTHERS FROM THE HOLY BIBLE - PART I

Please click this link for Part - II of this lesson

1. Eve - Mother of all the living

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Eve was the first woman created by God and she was also the first mother. Eve experienced pure undefiled fellowship with the creator God before sin and the downfall of man. Eve and Adam, the first man to be created lived in the Garden of Eden. But they had to leave the beautiful garden when they disobeyed God and ate the fruit of the “Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” They had to farm the land and work very hard to make their living. Soon they had children. Cain and Abel were the first two sons born to Adam and Eve. Later they had many other sons and daughters also. Eve was the first woman ever to have experienced all the pain and emotions of motherhood. Eve did not have any role model or examples to follow in bringing forth or bringing up her children, but with God's care and guidance, she became the "Mother of All the Living."

Bible Reference: Genesis 2 – 4 

2. Sarah - Mother of Isaac

Sarah was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac, through whom the nation of Israel was born. Her earlier name was Sarai, and it was changed into Sarah. Sarah was unable to have a child for many years. God appeared to Abraham when he was 75 years old and made a covenant with him. God told Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, with descendants more numerous than the stars in the sky. After waiting for about ten years, Sarah decided to have a child through her servant maid Hagar, since she could not have a child herself! But this was not how God intended to give Abraham and Sarah an heir. It was a mistake. Hagar started to despise Sarah. In return, Sarah dealt harshly with her handmaid.

Once Hagar had her son Ishmael, she was sent away from home. Years passed and Sarah still remained childless. Finally, when she was 90 years old, God once again reminded Abraham of his promise. Sarah was standing behind the tent door, when God spoke to Abraham and she laughed. God chided her and declared that at the appointed time, according to the time of life Sarah should have a son. Miraculously, Sarah conceived a child in her old age, and gave birth to Isaac, the son of promise. Even though she struggled with disbelief at times, she along with Abraham in hope believed, against all hope, and so became the mother of Isaac, the son of promise and through him the “Mother of many nations.”

Bible Reference: Genesis 11:26 – 23rd Chapter 

3. Hagar - Mother of Ishmael

Hagar was an Egyptian slave and a maidservant to Sarah, the wife of Abraham. Sarah did not any children for a long time, and she decided to get a child through Hagar. It was Sarah's idea and not God's plan. Enmity developed between Sarah and Hagar, when Hagar was about to have a child and Hagar fled into the wilderness. An angel of the LORD met her and told her to return to her mistress Sarah. He also promised her numerous descendants through her son whom she was to name Ishmael. Many years after Ishmael was born, Sarah too had a son, Isaac.

One day Sarah found Ishmael making fun of Isaac and she got angry. So, Hagar and Ishmael had to leave home. They travelled to the desert and soon the water they had brought got over. Hagar was desperate because she did not want to see her son die of thirst. God heard the voice of the child. Hagar heard a voice speaking to her from heaven. God told her not to be afraid. God promised her that Ishmael would not die and he would become a great man. God opened Hagar's eyes and she saw a well of water. She got water for them, and they survived. Ishmael grew up and his descendants became a great nation of people. Hagar was a destitute mother who struggled to provide for her child. But God kept a watch over her, cared and provided for her and fulfilled his promises.

Bible Reference: Genesis 16, 21 

4. Rebekah - Mother of Jacob and Esau

Rebekah is one of the matriarchs of the nation of Israel. Rebekah lived with her father Bethuel and brother Laban in the town of Nahor. One day some visitors arrived in her hometown in a big caravan. They were her father's relatives. She met them near a well she was drawing water from. She immediately drew water from the well for them to drink and for their camels also. She also showed hospitality and generosity by taking them home to stay. One of the visitors was a man named Eliezer. He was the chief servant of Abraham. He wanted to take Rebekah as a bride for his master Abraham's son Isaac. Rebekah agreed and went with Eliezer to become Isaac's wife. Rebekah did not have a child for a long time and when Isaac prayed for her, she conceived and gave birth to twin sons, Esau and Jacob. When the babies were still in the womb, she could feel the babies jostling within her. When she asked the LORD why this was happening, He told her that two nations were there in her womb. One people would be stronger than the other, and the older would serve the younger.

But in the ancient days, according to the culture, the older would have never served the younger, and the firstborn son would have inherited double portion of his father's inheritance as a special blessing. Esau and Jacob grew up. Isaac, their father who was old in age, told Esau to hunt and prepare food so that he could receive his blessing. But Rebekah overheard this and told Jacob to take the food she had prepared to Isaac first and receive Esau's special blessings for himself. Jacob was unsure about deceiving his father, but Rebekah encouraged her son. Even though Jacob took his brother Esau's blessings, he had to face the consequences of his choices. He was cheated ten times by his uncle Laban. He was not truly blessed until he learnt some hard lessons after many years. Rebekah too had to face the consequence for her actions. She never saw her favourite son, Jacob again. She passed away before he returned twenty years later. It is not God who instigated Rebekah to deceive, Rebekah may have remembered what God told her when the babies were jostling. God is sovereign despite the good or bad choices we may make, and His plans and purposes will stand. Rebekah is an example of that and became one of the matriarchs of Israel through her son Jacob.

Bible Reference: Genesis 24 – 27 

5. Leah & Rachel - Mothers of the 12 Tribes of Israel

Leah and Rachel were the daughters of Laban, the brother of Sarah. When Jacob, son of Isaac went to stay with his uncle Laban, he met Leah and Rachel. Jacob loved Rachel and wanted to marry her and was willing to work seven years to marry her. She was the younger of the two sisters. After completing his seven years of work, Jacob was disappointed when Laban tricked Jacob by giving him his older daughter Leah in marriage. A week later, Rachel was given in marriage to Jacob, but he had to work another seven years for Rachel. Despite all the love and affection she got from Jacob, Rachel did not have any children for many years and this caused her a lot of sorrow. Leah had 7 children, 6 sons and one daughter, named Dinah. After many years, Rachel had two sons, Joseph and Benjamin. However, she was in great pain and died in childbirth when her second and youngest son Benjamin was born. Even though their pain, sorrows and struggles were different, Leah and Rachel’s life is so intertwined that it is difficult to tell one without the other. Leah’s life was tough, she was given away in marriage by her father through deception and she also knew that she was not favoured by her husband Jacob. But she found favour with God. One of her sons Levi became the priestly tribe of Israel and another son Judah became the royal tribe, from where many generations later, kings would be born. Through Judah, she became the ancestor of King David and Jesus Christ, the Messiah also. Rachel too had a role in the eternal plans of God. Her son Joseph was used by God to save the lives of many including his brothers during the great famine (Genesis 50: 20), so that the line of Messiah would continue. Leah and Rachel’s sons formed the 12 tribes of Israel. Thus, they became the mothers of the 12 tribes of Israel.

Bible Reference: Genesis 29 – 36 

6. Jochebed - Mother of Moses, one of the great prophets and leaders of Israel.

Once when the Israelites were living in Egypt, Jochebed, a Levite woman gave birth to a son. A new pharaoh had come to power in Egypt who did not like the Israelites. The Pharaoh was worried about the Hebrews outnumbering and overtaking the Egyptians, so he made them slaves. He also commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill Hebrew baby boys when they were born, but the Hebrew midwives were God-fearing, so they did not kill the baby boys. Then Pharaoh made another law. The Israelites had to throw their baby boys into the Nile River. Jochebed decided to protect her baby boy from the cruel Pharaoh. So Jochebed hid her baby for three months and when she could no longer hide him, she thought of a plan. She coated a bulrush basket with tar and pitch, placed the baby in it, then she set it in the reeds along the bank of the Nile River. Jochebed’s daughter, Miriam, watched to see what would happen. Pharaoh’s daughter came there to bathe. When Pharaoh’s daughter saw the basket, she took it and looked inside. She found the baby crying. She felt sorry for him. Miriam, the sister of the baby asked Pharaoh’s daughter if she would like her to fetch a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby. Pharaoh’s daughter agreed. Miriam brought her mother Jochebed to Pharaoh’s daughter. Pharaoh’s daughter told Jochebed to nurse and raise the baby until he was old enough to come live with her. She was even given a pay to do that.

When Moses was born, Jochebed knew he had a special purpose. We read in Hebrews 11:23, “By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.” And because Jochebed knew this she took the task of raising Moses quite seriously. Even though she had only a short time to prepare Moses before handing him over back to Pharaoh’s daughter, she taught him the significance of being a Hebrew, the suffering of fellow Hebrews as slaves and worshipping the God of Israel at an early age. Her words were so ingrained in Moses that he hated being called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, detested the treasures of Egypt and wanted to suffer along the children of God (Hebrews 11:24 – 26). God in his sovereignty allowed Jochebed to raise Moses herself and to teach him faith and godliness. Then, when he was older, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter, and he became her son. And this was all part of God’s plan to rescue the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Jochebed along with her husband are listed among the “heroes of faith” in Hebrews 11.

Bible Reference: Exodus 2 

7. Pharaoh's Daughter - adoptive mother of Moses

Once when the Israelites were living in Egypt, Jochebed, a Levite woman gave birth to a son. A new pharaoh had recently ascended the throne. He was worried about the Hebrews becoming numerous and stronger than the Egyptians. The Pharaoh decided to keep the Israelites under control. The Pharaoh made a law to throw every Hebrew boy that is born into the Nile River. Jochebed hid her baby for 3 months and when she could hide him no longer, she coated a bulrush basket with tar and pitch, placed the baby in it, then she set it in the reeds along the bank of the Nile. Jochebed’s daughter, Miriam, watched to see what would happen. Pharaoh’s daughter came to the Nile River to bathe. When Pharaoh’s daughter saw the basket and looked inside, she found the baby crying. She took pity on the child. Pharaoh’s daughter knew that it was a Hebrew child which had been thrown there because of the orders of her father. Yet she did not want the baby to die. Pharaoh’s daughter even though she was a heathen princess, had a motherly instinct when she saw the Hebrew baby crying. The baby's sister Miriam asked her if she would like her to fetch a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby; Pharaoh's daughter agreed.

Miriam brought Jochebed who took the baby with her to nurse him. Pharaoh’s daughter paid Jochebed to nurse and raise the baby until he was old enough to come live with her in the Egyptian palace. She then adopted him as her son and named him Moses. She gave him the best of education that was available in Egypt at that time and trained him in all the skills required to be a leader. Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and deeds (Acts 7:22). Pharaoh’s daughter saved Moses from certain death from both the Nile river and from the Pharaoh. According to the eternal plans and purposes of God, Moses brought Israelites out of Egypt. Just like King Cyrus, a heathen king who was used by God to rebuild the Temple of God many centuries later, Pharaoh’s daughter was used as an adoptive mother for Moses by God to keep him safe and train him to be a leader to lead the Israelites into the land of promise.  

Bible Reference: Exodus 2 

8. Samson's mother - who gave birth to the strongest man in the history of the world

Samson’s mother, although unnamed in the Holy Bible, played an important role in Samson’s life especially his Nazirite vow. Her husband's name was Manoah, and she was from Zorah, a village in the tribe of Dan. She did not have a child for a long time. One day an angel appeared to her and told her that she would have a son and he was to be a Nazirite for life. Because the boy was to be a Nazirite from the womb, Samson's mother also had to follow the vow until he was weaned. Nazirites must abstain from wine and all other products of the wine, they must not allow the hair of their head to be cut by a razor, and they should not go near a dead body. After the visit from the Angel of the LORD, she told her husband all about it. Manoah was quite moved by what he heard, but he wanted to hear it for himself again. The Man of God did return again and reiterated what He had told Manoah’s wife. After Manoah listened to the Man, Manoah and his wife offered a sacrifice. The Angel ascended in the flame of the offering and didn’t appear to them again. Manoah realised that he had seen God. Manoah knew that that no one can see God and live, and so he told his wife that they are doomed.

But his wife replied that if God had meant to kill them, He would not have accepted a burnt offering and grain offering from their hands, nor shown them all these things. God had accepted their sacrifice, and so Manoah’s wife was confident that they would live. The words of the Man of God did come to pass. Samson’s mother abstained from foods and drinks forbidden to a Nazirite. After the child was born, his mother named him Samson. Samson’s mother is one of the few women in the Old Testament who named their sons at birth. The angel who announced the birth of Samson, had also told her that he would deliver the Israelites from the hand of the Philistines. Samson was supernaturally strong. His strength was unparalleled. However, Samson did not stand firm in his vows and consecrations. Instead of delivering Israelites from the Philistines, Samson was lured by Philistine women. He even wanted to marry a Philistine woman. Neither Samson’s mother nor his father was pleased with Samson’s choice of a Philistine woman for his wife, so they pleaded with him to marry one of the daughters of their own people meaning the Israelites. Samson did not heed his parent’s advice and kept going back to Philistine women. Samson didn't use the Spirit that was moving him, to subdue his desire. Samson’s choices ultimately caused his downfall and death. At the very end of his life, just before his death Samson repented, which helped him to deal a strong and final blow to his enemies, the Philistines which brought some respite for the Israelites. Samson’s choices did not make his mother proud or happy. However, we can learn many important lessons from her life as the mother of a consecrated son. Samson’s mother was a great woman of faith whose life of sacrifice, in being a part of the Nazirite vow for the sake of her son is an outstanding example of a godly mother. She was obedient in carrying out God’s will without questions. She was also a woman of conviction who tried to persuade her son from making wrong decisions.

Bible Reference: Judges 13 – 16

9. Hannah – Mother of Prophet Samuel

Hannah was the wife of a man named Elkanah. Hannah was distraught and in despair, because she was unable to bear children. She was often provoked by Peninnah, Elkanah’s other wife, who had many sons and daughters. Once when Hannah and her family had gone to the Tabernacle to worship the Lord, Hannah poured out her heart to the Lord. She made a vow and said that if God gave her a son, she would give him for the Lord’s service all the days of his life. After Hannah prayed, pouring out her burdens before the Lord, she was no longer sad. She fully trusted the Lord to answer her prayer. God answered her prayers and gave her a son. She named him Samuel. Hannah kept her promise. After she weaned Samuel, she brought him to the Tabernacle and left him there to serve God. She also brought a three-year-old bull, an ephah of flour, and a skin of wine as sacrifices. Immediately after giving her young son to the Lord, she praised God with a song and worshipped Him. She did not know that God would bless her with more children.

But Hannah did not stop caring about Samuel. Every year she stitched a new coat for Samuel and brought it to him when they came to worship God at the Tabernacle. Hannah was a dedicated mother and a woman of grace and humility. Hannah is recognized as the mother of Samuel—who was a prophet, judge, and also was given the privilege to anoint the first two kings of Israel. Hannah had Samuel with her only long enough to wean him, but her spiritual influence is reflected in his holy and righteous life.

Bible Reference: I Samuel 1, 2 

10. Naomi - Mother of Mahlon & Kilion and Grandmother of Obed (the Grandfather of King David) who brought him up along with his mother Ruth.

Naomi was the wife of Elimelech, a man who lived in Bethlehem. They had two sons Mahlon and Kilion. In those days there was a famine in Bethlehem. So Elimelech and Naomi went to live in a neighboring country called Moab along with their two sons. During the ten years the family lived in the land of Moab, Elimelech died leaving Naomi a widow. Her two sons grew up and married Moabite women named Orpah and Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died. Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband. Naomi heard that God had provided bread in Bethlehem and  decided to return to her homeland. She asked her two daughters-in-law to return to their families and she kissed them goodbye. They both wept aloud. Orpah went back to her family, but Ruth stayed with her.  Naomi returned to Bethlehem with Ruth the Moabite, her daughter-in-law. When the women of Bethlehem saw Naomi, they recognized her. Naomi told them to no longer call her Naomi which meant “pleasant” but "Mara," meaning "bitter." They came to Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. 

Ruth went to work in the field belonging to a man called Boaz, who was a kinsman redeemer. Later, Boaz married Ruth. Ruth gave birth to a son. Naomi was overjoyed, the women of the neighbourhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” His name was Obed, and he was the grandfather of King David and whose genealogy would come to our Saviour Jesus Christ. Naomi’s life teaches us many very important lessons. Naomi fully experienced the pain of loss and became destitute in a foreign land, yet she continued in her faith. True to her name Naomi had a sweet spirit and lived out God’s presence each day. Naomi, despite her poverty, opened her hand and advised her daughters-in-law to go back to their relatives, praying for the best of blessings for them. Her faith in God motivated her to seek a blessing for Ruth and Orpah. Naomi’s godliness was so attractive that Ruth was convicted and converted by it. Even though Naomi’s life seemed out of control and beyond restitution, God was still in control of her life.

Bible Reference: The Book of Ruth

 Go ahead and use these lessons to encourage and celebrate the mothers in your Church and community! 

Any day is a good day to celebrate godly and devoted mothers!

For Sunday School activities and stories in English https://jacobsladderactivity.blogspot.com/

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