Easter has been celebrated and now we embark on the day that is celebrated on different days in May by Christians and non-Christians around the world. That special day is Mother’s Day. This year it will be celebrated on May 2nd in four countries, May 8th in three countries, May 9th in forty-five countries, May 10th in three countries, and May 30th in six countries. Sixty-one countries in the world have set aside a special date in May of each year to celebrate God’s creative partners, the daughters of Eve. The name “Eve” means “life giver.” Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. Gen 3:20 NIV. Although God doesn’t need help, Eve seems to view herself as a partner with God in Creation. Let me explain with scripture.
During the middle part of the eighties while studying the Israelites journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, Dr. Dave Wilcoxson challenged us to “Find ourselves in the wilderness.” For this year’s tribute to mom, I ask you to look to the scriptures and find your mother – God’s creative partner. I think you will be amazed to find that her love and commitment to God and her family is no less than the notable women of the Bible. Thus proving mom – today’s mom – is eternally linked to God and His Devine plan. Ponder on the following examples:
- Eve – God’s creative partner. Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.” Gen 4:1 NIV. The creative partnership – with the help of the Lord I – is recognized and begins.
- Sarah – God changed Abraham’s wife’s name from Sarai – meaning princess – to Sarah which means noblewoman or my princess. The name change emphasizes an exalted meaning to denote her upcoming stature among the Promised People. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Gen 17:16 KJV
- Ruth – The Hebrew meaning is friend, companion, compassionate. Ruth (a woman from Moab) lived up to the meaning of her name when after the death of her husband (an Israelite) chose to stay with and take care of her mother-in-law (Naomi) rather than return to her own people – the Moabites. But Ruth replied, Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me. Ruth 1:16-17. Chapter 4 of Ruth tells us she married eventually Boaz and unto them a son was born that they named Obed. Obed is the father of Jesse and Jesse is the father of David, the second King of Israel. Also, ref Matt 1:5-6.
- Hannah – Also spelled “Hanna” is of Hebrew origin and is derived from the root word meaning favor or grace. Some dictionaries attribute the name to a word meaning, He (God) has favoured me with a child. The Bible tells us in 1 Samuel that Hannah was in anguish and was being ridiculed because she didn’t have children. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head. 1 Sam 1:10-11 KJV. God answered Hannah’s prayer by blessing her with a son she named Samuel. Samuel means “God has heard.” He became the last of the ruling judges in the Old Testament.
There are several more powerful and courageous women/mothers – partners with God – in the Bible.
Remember Rahab who many manuscripts identify as a harlot. Regardless, she put her life on the line to save the two Israelites who came to spy out the land of Jericho. She only asked that she, along with her family, be spared. Ref Joshua 6:25. Little did she know that her faith in and unknowing partnership with God would result in her being in the lineage of Jesus. Rehab married Salmon, an Israelite from the tribe of Judah. Their marriage resulted in a son they named Boaz, the husband of Ruth. Ref Matt 1:4-6.
And how can we forget Queen Esther who saved the Israelites from genocide during the reign of the Persian King Ahasuerus (Xerxes I)!
Then when we reach the New Testament a young unmarried Jewish virgin girl named Mary partners with God to give birth to the Saviour of the world. A child born of the Holy Spirit.
But the biblical story that we embrace doesn’t end there. Scripture tells us of the numerous women/mothers who partnered with God to support the ministry of Christ and the apostles.
And the powerful, compassionate, loving mother we speak of in May 2021 has been transformed to someone other than just the biological mother. She is the stepmother, relative (grandmother, aunt, sister, cousin) mother-in-law, guardian, foster parent, family friend … and the list goes on. The women that partnered with God in the lineage of Jesus proved that the only thing excluded is race.
In 1991 Lucille Hopson went home to be with the Lord. I will always cherish the time that God gave me with her and give Him thanks for the man that I’ve become because of their partnership.
Written by Henry Hopson, Jr.