In his Mother's Day sermon, Eric Bechler reflects on the significant role and impact of mothers throughout biblical history, discussing figures like Eve, Mary, Hannah, and Penina. He examines the challenges they faced and the faith they exhibited. Eve's story is linked to the promise of a savior, while Mary's experience with Jesus highlights the fulfillment of that promise. The contrasting tales of Hannah and Penina illustrate the importance of humility, gratitude, and prayer. The sermon encourages mothers to rely on God's grace, emphasizing that perfection is not the standard, but faithfulness and nurturing are. It reassures mothers of their vital role in God's kingdom and the importance of trust and perseverance in their journey.

Happy Mother's Day. Let's begin in prayer. Gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you for the moms here today. We thank you for our own mothers and we Thank you for mothers all over the world. You've given them a high place of honor, whether in the most impoverished and destitute or in the wealthiest and most powerful of families, or like most of us, somewhere in between.

We thank you for the powerful impact they can have in shaping families, communities, and nations. Lord, we pray that you would bless them, Heavenly Father, strengthen and equip them for your great service and the furthering of your kingdom in the name of our risen Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. I was looking online this week to figure out how many moms are mentioned in the Bible Or how many times how many how many times you think mom is mentioned in the Bible? There's 53 I Wouldn't have guessed 53 But there are 53 moms either listed explicitly or with a descriptor That may or may not be perfectly accurate, but there's quite a few.

But I'm thankful for each one that's there and in them there are lessons to learn. There are encouragements that we can take hold of and there are warnings and cautions that we should heed. Like all other characters in scripture, we don't find a lot of perfect moms. We find a very broad range of mothers. You could even say the good, bad, and the ugly.

But it would take too long to go through each one. So today I would like to present some mothers in contrast, a couple of them. I'll start at the beginning with the first woman, Eve. In Genesis 320 we read, Adam called his wife's name Eve because she was the mother of all living and yet this isn't the first occurrence where we find the word mother in Scripture. We find that in Genesis 2 24 where the institution of marriage is presented.

You will leave your father and mother. And it's not the first instance of the idea of motherhood that goes back to the sixth day of creation where God said be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it in Genesis 1 28. But neither Adam and Eve had a mother. They had no real understanding of what was before them. And as a consequence of the fall, God said to Eve, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing.

In pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you." Genesis 3 16. And just before this God spoke to the serpent, and I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her seed he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel." The words here from Genesis 315 some call it the proto evangelum evangelium Some would say that they mark the beginning of the covenant of grace. It tells of a seed of the woman who would rise to crush the head of the serpent, a final defeat of the devil and death. It gives a promise for the reconciliation of man with God.

Promise giving hope to a fallen world. It was in this context that Eve had her first child, Cain. From Genesis 4.1 we read, "'Now Adam knew Eve his wife and she conceived and bore Cane and said I have acquired a man from the Lord. Mothers can you imagine the fears and confusion she experienced the changes in her body. All the while, God's words echoing in her mind, I will surely multiply your pain and childbearing.

What was about to happen had never happened. No midwives or hospitals, just Adam to help her. No one to console her, to encourage her during this first birth of all humanity that had experienced it. And yet what joy she must have felt when he was born, what hopes she had in this her first child. Would he be the one to crush the head of the serpent?

Would through him they return to the garden of Eden? Would through him they be allowed once again to walk in the garden with God and have fellowship with him? Then a second son came, Abel, in verse 2, another blessing from the Lord. We don't know exactly how much time went by, but it was long enough for Cain to be a worker of the ground of the soil and Abel a keeper of the sheep. They had also been taught to worship God from the fact that they were bringing offerings and sacrifice to the Lord.

But at this particular time recorded for us, God looked with favor upon Abel in his offering, but he did not accept or have regard for Cain in his offering and this made Cain angry and God even warned him that sin was crouching at the door and yet he rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Mothers can you imagine the depth of grief and pain and the disappointment Eve experienced? Of these first two sons born of Eve who were of the seed of a woman who might have been the one to crush the head of the serpent. One was now dead which was in itself a new thing for them and the other was now a murderer. Can we ever begin to imagine how she felt?

The let down, the hopelessness, even despair. Yet she still had God's promise that a Savior would come from the seed of a woman to reconcile God and man who would redeem God's people. Some 4, 000 years later we look to another woman, Mary. Mary was carrying a child but this child was not conceived like any other. Her son was conceived by the Holy Ghost.

Mary had never known a man and yet she was carrying a child, the Son of God. It was causing turmoil in her family and community. She was thought to be unfaithful. How could she have anticipated these struggles back when the angel Gabriel announced to her what was to happen. Didn't he say, blessed are you among women?

And then at the very end of her pregnancy a census was announced which forced Mary and Joseph to make a difficult journey to Bethlehem. Ninety miles away, it took about a week's walk. And then to top it all off, there was no place to stay when they got there. What troubles they faced, what difficulties they had to overcome. Perhaps Mary reminded herself of her answer to the angel Gabriel, behold the maid servants of the Lord let it be to me according to your word.

Mary had a humble and submissive Spirit despite all she went through and what joy and amazement she must have had Knowing that the Messiah was in her womb at the birth to have a multitude of the heavenly hosts praising God and saying glory to God in the highest and on earth peace goodwill toward men To have a multitude of shepherds rushing to see if what was told to them was true, that there is born to you this day in the city of David a savior who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you. You will find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger to have wise men of the East arrive bearing gifts. They would even fall down and worship this child. How amazing, how marvelous, what joy the Lord brought to her.

Here we have two women both giving birth to their first children, their first child, both looking at them with tears and a joy filled their heart in thinking perhaps here is the seed of the woman that would crush the head of the serpent that would redeem God's people. Years later we we find Mary weeping over the dead body of her son Jesus, tortured and crucified by wicked hands. Just as Eve wept over the dead body of Abel, her son. Though in Hebrews 12, 24, we read that the blood of Jesus speaks of better things than that of Abel. For the blood of Abel cried up to heaven for a curse, but the blood of Jesus cries for a blessing.

And oh, what a blessing it is. It is through the blood of Jesus that we receive forgiveness of our sins, that we are redeemed, that we are reconciled with God. This child Jesus, this man Jesus was the fulfillment of the promise made so long ago to Adam and Eve. The next pair of mothers I'd like to look at is Hannah and Penina from 1st Samuel. There was a man of Rataim Zophim of the mountain of Ephraim.

This is just north of Jerusalem. His name was Elkanah. He had two wives, Hannah, who was barren, and Penina, who had sons and daughters. Penina, we assume, was pleased that she had given her husband sons and daughters. Proud, maybe even too proud.

We see this based on verse 6 where we find her provoking Hannah severely and making her miserable because of her barrenness. No doubt with her first child, her and Elkanah rejoice greatly. Who wouldn't rejoice at such a precious gift of our Lord? And the joy didn't diminish with each child. Each one brought great joy to Penina and Elkanah.

But at some point as time passed and Hannah continued to be barren, it seemed that instead of having a humble and grateful heart For all these children, pride grew in the countenance of Penina as if she was better than Hannah. She had forgotten that it is the Lord who opens and closes wounds. She had forgotten that all Gifts come from God and not just gifts, but everything, even down to each breath. I think we can all fall into that trap, thinking that what we have comes from our efforts alone. I certainly have at times.

We must keep our focus on Christ and all that He has done for us. It's not about us. Penina used this circumstance to harass, torment, and abuse Hannah. But Elkanah was sympathetic towards Hannah. For when they went to Shiloh to worship and offer sacrifice to the Lord, he would give a double portion to her.

Scripture tells us he did this because he loved Hannah even though she had given him no children. He had even spoken to her, Hannah Why do you weep? Why do you not eat? And why is your heart grieved? Am I not better to you than ten sons?

I can't imagine how sad and how frustrated, how confused Hannah was during this time. Scripture tells us that she wept and wouldn't eat. It says she was in bitterness of soul, and she wept in anguish and had a sorrowful spirit. What is missing from this passage about Hannah? We find no evidence of anger or desire for vengeance or any hint of attacks towards Panina.

She just prayed to the Lord and we would do well to follow her example. When we lived in Livermore, California, we met a couple from the church we attended there whose hearts yearn to have children. But they only had one daughter. They called her their miracle baby. Over dinner one night, they explained, they had revealed to us that they had had 13 miscarriages and their daughter had been born in the middle of them.

I can't imagine the depths of pain and anguish they experienced. I can't imagine six or seven in a row and then to do that twice. Each and every miscarriage is a tragedy that causes great sorrow, and it creates a deep wound that really never goes away. But they trusted in God's will, and they were so thankful for the daughter He had given them. In fact, the joy and love that they had for this one daughter so surpassed all the sadness and the grief that they experienced from all of the miscarriages.

Back to Hannah and what she did from 1 Samuel 1, 9 through 11. So Hannah arose after they had finished eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the door post of the tabernacle of the Lord. And she was in bitterness of soul and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish. Then she made a vow and said, Oh, Lord of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant and and remember me and not forget your maidservant, but we'll give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life and no razor shall come upon his head." She prayed for a son and she offered him back to God in service to God, to the priest and the tabernacle, even taking a Nazarite vow for him.

And then Eli the priest of the Lord said, Go in peace and the Son of Israel grant you your petition which you have asked of him. Oh the joy and gladness she must have felt when Samuel was born. What love and what blessedness God granted Hannah that day. And other days too, for the Lord visited Hannah so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. How wonderful is the love of our Lord.

She asked for a son and received so much more. Do you sometimes forget to pray to God for help or for a blessing or even for a child? We all do. In James chapter 4 verse 2 reminds us that you do not have because you do not ask. Even Jesus tells us in Matthew 7-11, if you then who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him?

We have a good God. We have a faithful God who hears our prayers and answers them, but he answers them according to his will. Hannah prayed and vowed to return her son back to God and and God answered her prayer with a child but for some God's answer is no children and that's a hard place to be a place that can be filled with despair and hopelessness and grief and self-doubt If you are here cast your burden on the Lord and he shall sustain you. Psalm 55 22. He gives power to the weak and to those who have no might.

He increases strength. Even the youth shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary.

They shall walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40, 29 through 31. My great aunt and uncle were married over 70 years. They were in this situation. They never had children despite wanting children. I don't know the reasons why, but I look back over their lives and you can see how God used them in so many different ways.

And I would encourage anybody who's in this situation, God will use you too. You must look to Christ. To each of the mothers here today I say thank you. The Bible speaks of offering your bodies as a living sacrifice in Romans 12 one. This is motherhood.

You're offering your bodies as a living sacrifice. It's a noble and vital work that is set before you. There are times when you might question or doubt yourself. Maybe you're at a time when when nothing seems to be working and nothing seems to be going well. I would say don't give up Just like that.

Don't give up. Stay the course. Keep praying. Keep believing. And keep trusting.

Trusting God for you and your family. I found a comment in one of John Flavel's writings. I remember Augustine wrote of his mother, Monica, that she planted the precepts of life in his mind by her words, watered them with her tears, and nourished them with her example, a precious pattern for all mothers. Augustine wrote a book about his conversion called Confessions. It's an interesting book.

He converted around 31 years old and he had certainly given his mother much to cry over by his choices in his lifestyle. But this mom didn't give up. She didn't waver and again I say to you Don't give up and don't despair. Your labor is not in vain. God is surely working even if you don't see it on a particular day.

For those who question how they're doing as a mom, you don't have to be perfect. Don't put undue pressure on yourself. Perfect is not the standard. Rely on God's grace and His love. Your goal is to be faithful and nurturing.

Children need humble, real parents who show them how to rely on Jesus rather than parents who never make mistakes. If you feel overwhelmed or if you're feeling exhausted, find your rest in Christ. He is your source of peace. And God's power is made perfect in weakness. His grace is sufficient.

We sang earlier, how often grief had not be, how often grief had not he brought thee relief spreading his wings to shade thee. Praise to the Lord. Oh let all that is in me adore him. And I say let all that is in us adore him. Amen.

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