Happy Mother’s Day to all of the moms. (Exodus 20:12 ¶ Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.) God commands us in the fifth commandment to honour our father and mother. God will give longer life for those who obey him. This is the only commandment that gives this promise. This commandment separates the ten commanments into two parts. The first four commandments have to do with man’s relationship with God and the last six starting with this one have to do with man’s relationship to man. God realizes that for man to get along with each other, it must start in the home which is why I believe this is why this commandment is first among those related to man. The relationship to one’s parents often tends to affect how people think about God. God commands us to honour our mother always and not just on Mother’s Day. Moms are special. They gave birth to us and have tended to us when we were hurt. Moms have cooked our meals and washed our clothes and gave us love when no one else did except God. The best mom is always your own mom even if the person does not realize it. She is the one God gave to you.
Julia Ward Howe had pushed for Mother’s Day in 1870. Mother’s Day was first celebrated in the United States of America in modern times in 1907 in Grafton, West Virginia at St. Andrews Methodist Church by Anna Jarvis. She pushed to make this a national holiday. By 1911 all U.S. states celebrated Mother’s Day and in 1914 it was made a national holiday on the second Sunday in May. The day soon became commercialized and Anna Jarvis opposed this by saying the day was intended to honour one’s mom with personal letters and other ways of love and was not to be exploited commercially. People should celebrate Mother’s Day to honour the Lord and his commandment and not just because it is a holiday that is on the calendar and we are expected to observe it because it is on the calendar. Mother’s Day is also celebrated in other nations. This day helps us to remember and obey the fifth commandment. This day is set aside for moms who are females from birth, not trasgendered males who think they are moms or the female version of homosexual males who have adopted a child and think they are moms.
Scripture has much to say about mothers, especially for those who dishonour her. Proverbs 29:15 says a child not disciplined brings his mom shame. (Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.) Proverbs 1:8 says not to forsake the law of your mother. (Proverbs 1:8 My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:) A foolish son is the heaviness of his mom. (Proverbs 10:1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.) God makes moms to be joyful of her children. (Psalm 113:9 He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD.) God says a foolish man despises his mom. (Proverbs 15:20 A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother.) God will take the life of those who curse their mom. Even if your mom was not always there for you or showed you little love, she is still your mom and God commands us to honour them. (Proverbs 20:20 Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.) A son that chaseth away his mom brings her shame. (Proverbs 19:26 He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach.) God says a generation will come that does not honour their mother. This is seen much today as people disobey God in all ways, including their moms. (Proverbs 30:11 There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.) We are to honour our moms even when they get old. (Proverbs 23:22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.) Micah 7:6 tells us what happens when there is no honour of parents in a house. (Micah 7:6 For the son dishonoureth the father, the daughter riseth up against her mother, the daughter in law against her mother in law; a man’s enemies are the men of his own house.) Scripture says to honour older women as you would your mom. (I Timothy 5:1-2 1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;
2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.) Jesus himself spoke of the fifth commandment when he rebuked the Pharisees who try to find a loophole in not honouring their parents by saying people who give money to the treasury, do not have to take care of their parents since the money is for God. This was a manmade tradition that Jesus condemned. (Matthew 15:4-6 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.) Jesus again repeated the commandment to honour your mother. (Mark 10:19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.) Jesus followed through with this commandment himself when he made sure his mom Mary would be taken care of by John after his death on the cross. (John 19:25-27 25 ¶ Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene.
26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son!
27 Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home.) Paul reminds us to obey this commandment and get extended life by God. (Ephesians 6:1-3 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.) Proverbs speaks of a virtuous woman and some of her attributes. (Proverbs 31:25-28 25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.
26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.
27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.
28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.) All moms should strive to be like this woman. Isaiah 66:13 says God will comfort like a mother. (Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.)
Scripture mentions some mothers who had a bad influence on their children. One such mother was Jezebel. This wicked woman not only influenced her husband king Ahab, but also her children especially her son Joram who became king. Jezebel herself was into witchcraft and influenced her children. (II Kings 9:22 And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, Is it peace, Jehu? And he answered, What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?) Another wicked mom was Athaliah. When Athaliah saw that her son, the king was dead, she tried to kill off all of her children and any other royal seed so that she could be queen. (II Kings 11:1-3 1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
3 And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.) How wicked a mom that could kill her own children. Let these women be a warning to moms everywhere to be godly as all moms will influence their children either good or evil. Just like these wicked moms, some moms today forsake their children, but God the Father will never forsake you. (Isaiah 49:15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.)
The first mom was Eve who is the mother of all living as all people who have ever lived have descended from her and Adam. (Genesis 3:20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.) Eve was the first mom who had to deal with the heartache of losing a child, after her son Abel was murdered by her other son Cain. She then lost Cain as well when God sent him away. (Genesis 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.)
Scripture mentions many godly women that all moms today can emulate. Timothy’s mother Eunice taught him faith which she was taught by her godly mom Lois. If only all moms would be like these two ladies and teach their children about Jesus. May this be a goal for all moms. (II Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.) Mary the mother of Jesus, the man, was willing to believe the Holy Ghost would conceive a child in her without a man being involved. Mary encouraged people to obey whatever Jesus told them to do. (John 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.) [This was at the wedding in Cana when Jesus turned water into wine.] Mary by faith trusted the angel who told her that her Son would be the Messiah and she endured the mocking of her Son Jesus, but never doubted Jesus at any time despite all of this. Mary was called blessed since she had the honour of giving birth to the Messiah in Jesus Christ. (Luke 1:28 And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.) Women in biblical days were considered blessed if they had children and the more the better. A woman was considered cursed if she could not have children. This shows how it was considered by women an honour to be a mom. All Jewish women were wanting to be the one who gave birth to the Messiah. Mary was the one chosen by God for this honour. Sarah had faith that she could have a child at an old age. She conceived Isaac at age 90. (Hebrews 11:11 Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised.) Elizabeth the mother of John the Baptist also through faith conceived in her old age. (Luke 1:36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.) Hannah was a great mom who was barren for a long time, but she never gave up on God, but kept praying for a son and told God that if he would give her a son, she would dedicate him and give him to the LORD. God honoured the request of Hannah with the birth of Samuel who was given to the LORD just as she had promised. Samuel became the last judge of Israel and Israel’s first prophet and was a great man of God. Hannah was blessed by God for her willingness to give up Samuel that she was blessed with three more sons and two daughters after Samuel. This is told in I Samuel 2:21. (I Samuel 2:21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.) Rebekah trusted God in her barrenness and was blessed with twins Jacob and Esau. Rebekah was a hard worker and was very hospitable to strangers. Rebekah was willing to leave her dad and family in order by faith to marry Isaac whom she had never met and go into a new land. Rebekah also was willing to be cursed in order to protect her son Jacob. (Genesis 27:13 And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.) Deborah was a mother that was not afraid to stand up for what was right and for God. She was a judge and prophetess of Israel and a military leader who helped deliver Israel from her enemies as well as a mother. Ruth is another great mom of scripture. Ruth was a Moabitess and daughter in law of Naomi. After her husband died, she followed Naomi back to Israel and worshipped her God Jehovah, the true God and stopped worshipping her false gods of Moab and gave up her people. (Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:)Ruth trusted her mother in law and worked hard to support her. She married Boaz and would become the great grandmother of king David and a part of the genealogy of Jesus. Jochebed was the mother of Moses. By faith she and her husband hid Moses from pharaoh who ordered Hebrew male children to death. She refused to allow her child to be put to death even if it meant disobedience. (Hebrews 11:23 By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment.) Moses would go on to lead Israel out of Egypt and would receive the ten commandments from God. Rachel the mother of Joseph and Benjamin was willing to support her husband Jacob even after she was denied being allowed to marry him after Jacob was deceived into marrying Leah when Rachel had been promised to him. Rachel was a hard worker who took care of the sheep. Samson’s mom’s name is not mentioned in scripture, but she wanted a son and had been praying. The angel of the LORD appeared to her and she was willing to trust him and his word and she told her husband Manoah to come and hear him. Samson went on to be a Nazarite and judge Israel. There are other godly women in scripture as well.
May all moms strive to be godly and raise their children in a godly home. A mother never knows what her child may become so she always needs to raise him right. Some moms will be blessed enough to have children like some of these moms. Moms need to set the example along with dads by reading and studying scripture and keeping their children away from evil. May no mothers be like the wicked moms mentioned earlier. May all people strive to remember their moms not only on this Mother’s Day, but always and to always honour them as God has commanded us. God bless moms.
