Mother’s Day has its origin in the spring celebrations of ancient Greece, in honour of Rhea, The Mother of the Gods. In the 1600’s, England celebrated “Mothering Sunday” on the 4th Sunday of Lent, to honour the mothers of England. During this time many of the England’s poor worked as servants for the wealthy. As most jobs were located far from their homes, the servants would live at the houses of their employers. On Mothering Sunday the servants would have the day off and were encouraged to return home and spend the day with their mothers. A special cake called a “Mothering Cake” was often brought to provide a festive touch.
By the end of the 1600’s the celebration had changed somewhat to honouring the “Mother Church” the spiritual power they thought to protected them and gave them life. Over time the church emphasis and the person emphasis blended, and people began honouring their mothers and the church and having a special service in church for the occasion.
In the United States Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe, who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Ms. Howe would hold Mother’s Day rallies for peace in Boston every spring. (You can see that the Howe family has been very involved all through history!) In 1907 Ann Jarvis, from Philidelphia, began a campaign to establish a National Mother’s Day. Mrs. Jarvis convinced members of her mothers church to celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May, the anniversary of her mother’s passing, and the tradition immediately spread to other churches in Pennslyvania. By 1911 Mother’s Day was celebrated in almost every state as well as in Canada. In 1914 President Woodrow Wilson made an official declaration that Mother’s Day was to be recognized on the second Sunday of May every year. Today we have chosen to honour the mother’s amongst us.
A Sunday school teacher teaching little children about the importance of what we choose to be close to or who we associate with. She had used magnets in the object lesson to help drive the point home. Part way through the lesson she thought she would check to see if the kids were understanding what magnets were. She said, “My name starts with M and I pick things up. What am I?” “A Mother” one boy shouted out immediately. Did anyone notice the sign on the Gas Station down at the corner of Lancaster and Bridgeport Road. “Free rose for mothers with gas.”
One day early in my married life before I was sensitised to the communications that are most fitting to marriage, I exclaimed to a friend who had complimented me, “Well, everything I am today I owe to my wonderful mother.” Jackie piped up from the other room, “Then give her two cents and call it square!”
This is also Grandmother’s Day! A mother loves and teaches, but a grandmother teaches love.
Grandchildren are God’s way of blessing mothers as they grow older
Gloria Gaither once shared: “What is a Grandmother?” written by a 3 year old.
A grandmother is a lady who has no children of her own. She likes other people’s little girls. A grandfather is a man grandmother. He goes for walks with boys and they talk about fishin’ and tractors and things like that. Grandmothers don’t have to anything, except just be there. They are so old they shouldn’t run. It is enough if they drive us to the market where the pretend horse is and have lots of quarters, or if they take us for a walk, and slow down past things like pretty leaves and caterpillars. They should never say, “Hurry up.” Usually they are fat, but not too fat to tie your shoes. They wear glasses and funny underwear. They can take their teeth and their gums off. They don’t have to be smart, . . . only answer questions like, “Why do dogs hate cats? and How come God isn’t married?” They don’t talk baby talk like visitors, ’cause it is too hard to understand. When they read to us they don’t skip over anything, and they don’t mind if it is the same story again. Everybody should try to have one, especially if you don’t have a television, because grandma’s are the only grownups who have got time.
Turn with me in your bibles to the book of Judges. Gen, Ex, Lev. Num. Deut. Joshua - Judges. Our text today is centred on the part of verse 7 of chapter 5. “Until that I Deborah arose, arose a mother in Israel.”
The bible is full of stories about women. Courageous women, caring women, women of great importance and high social standing, and women of disrepute and shame. There are stories of women who were leaders and women who were devoted followers.
Today we look at the life of one woman, who might well be described quite aptly by that most famous of “Mother’s Day” passages Proverbs 31. A few years ago as we approached Mother’s Day, I was together with a group of Christian ladies and the subject of “Mother’s Day” came up and one of the women in the group said to me, “You’re not going to make all the mothers feel bad by preaching on that Proverbs 31 are you?” Then she quipped, “Why don’t you preach about how wonderful mothers are to put up with the men in their lives!!”
Well I’m not going to do that! But, neither am I going to preach on that famous text talking about the virtuous woman. Today we want to look at the life of a mother in Israel. Deborah was her name. We are never told how many children she had, but it only takes one to qualify as a mother and she was indeed a mother. Her husbands name was Lappidoth, and we never learn any more than that about him. Allow me to set the scene for you as to where we are at when we pick up this bit of biblical history.
The year was approximately 1125BC. The age of the patriarchs had come to a close with the death of Joseph and the Israelites when into slavery for 400 years in Egypt. In their misery, they cried out to God and he raised up a deliverer in the person of Moses. He led the children of Israel out of Egypt and wanted to lead them into the promised land. God wanted to test their hearts though and see if they would obey him after such a mighty deliverance so they went on a camp-out in the wilderness to provide that proving ground. Had they learned the lessons of obedience there and right attitudes the whole group would have passed GO, MISSED JAIL, and entered right into the promised land of blessing. But, instead they rebelled against the Lord and His chosen leaders and God extended the camp-out to a forty year circuit. In other words, they wandered in circles for forty years. Finally by God’s sovereign grace, and through the leadership of Joshua, the next generation of the children of Israel responded to God and He brought them out of the wilderness and into the promised land.
Right from the start though it was apparent that this wilderness pattern of going in circles was going to continue even though they were now in the promised land. God said, “Drive out all your enemies, and I’ll be there to help you do it.” They did not, so the enemies that were all around Israel became what God described as thorns in their side. When the children of Israel would seek God and repent, He would set them above their enemies and give them victory. When they would get proud, and forget God, or embrace foreign gods, the bible says that God would sell them into the hand of their enemies. Isn’t it interesting that the same God who has all through history provided redemption to those who would trust and obey Him, which means to buy them back, is the same God who sells people into the hands of the enemy who spurn His grace and love. That has not changed!
After the death of Joshua the Lord began to raise up judges in Israel who could be the voice of God to the people and who could sit in judgement to settle disputes. Othneil, Ehud and Shamgar were men that God raised up to judge Israel and each one experienced victory in delivering Israel in direct proportion to Israel’s repentance and willingness to turn back to God. It is still that way today friends. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way; the unrighteous man his thoughts, a and let him return to the Lord. For he will abundantly pardon.” Far too often even after returning to the Lord and experiencing his delivering hand, the victories were short lived and as a result of pride, rebellion, and deception, the cycle would continue and God would sell the Israelites back into slavery, and oppression.
In our text today we find the Israelites being sorely oppressed and unjustly ruled by their enemies the Canaanites. Look with me at chapter 4: (read verses 1-3)
Judges 4:1-4
And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the Lord, when Ehud was dead. [2] And the Lord sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, that reigned in Hazor; the captain of whose host was Sisera, which dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles. [3] And the children of Israel cried unto the Lord: for he had nine hundred chariots of iron; and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.
[4] And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
Notice in verse 4 that Deborah who judged Israel at this time is described as a prophetess. Friends I want you to be aware that that distinction was not available to everyone. It was reserved in fact for a few. Among the judges only Samuel was described as a prophet. This distinction was not enjoyed by Othneil, Ehud or Shamgar.
The prophetic gift had it’s source in the “Spirit of the Lord,” this, according to scriptures like Numbers 11:25, Deut.18:18-22, and Luke 2:36. Now friend I don’t know where your at this morning with regard to the role of women in culture, in the family and in the church, but at times through biblical history, and let me emphasis the word BIBLICAL history, God has chosen to rest His mantle for leadership on a woman. It is not the normative and it is true that most biblical leaders were men, but anyone who says a woman plain and simple can not ever be a leader and have God’s blessing is not in touch with God and hasn’t read his best-seller, the bible!
Deborah was not only accepted by the children of Israel as a judge, she was anointed by the Spirit of God so that He had it recorded for us that she was a prophetess. Well, I think it behoves us to examine a little further just where this woman came from to scale the lofty heights of a predominantly male dominated culture to be a woman revered for her leadership.
We get some of Deborah’s history out of the victory poem or song that makes up the 5th chapter of Judges. In verse 6 we see that after the days of Ehud and Shamgar, the Israelite caravans ceased and the people no longer went on the highways or main roads, but rather they chose the more out of the way byways in hope of evading the oppressive Canaanites. We get the picture here that it was not safe to go out on the streets. Lawlessness and immorality prevailed and everyone was a law unto themselves. Historical archaeologists tell us that sexual perversion and immorality was rampant in this society and the judicial system to deal with it was too corrupt to do anything about it.
Tell me mothers here today, what would you do? You know it is not safe to walk on the streets for fear of assault and victimization. (vs.6) People have fled from their villages into places of hiding for fear of their lives (vs. 7) And where are all the fearless men? Where are the Macho Men of Israel who won’t stand for this abuse and oppression? Notice vs. 7 - “Rulers ceased in the land.” All the leaders went wimpy and wimped out! Now stay with me here! Deborah is a daughter of Israel. She obviously sees what the national state is and she has within her a deep longing and cry for the deliverance of God. NOW, tie that together with the fact that God has always looked for someone who would be willing to stand in the gap. He always has, He always does, and He always will search for those who will trust Him so that He can show Himself strong on their behalf. Nahum 1:7 says that the Lord is a stronghold in the day of trouble and He knows those who will trust in him.
Friends, I believe that as God looked over this great group of oppressed Israelites many of whom were crying out to him because of their fear and oppression, he did not see any men who were willing to rise up and lead. The Canaanite king - Jabin had 900 chariots of steel and a well equipped standing army under the leadership of Sisera, that had all the Israelite men scared spitless!
But Deborah had neither her eyes, nor her expectations on the men of Israel. She didn’t see the might, power and majesty of the Canaanite army, but she saw past them to the towering figure of the Lord of Hosts. We read in chapter 5:7 that Deborah arose, arose a mother in Israel. She arose and according to chapter 4:5 she went to Ramah in Bethel and set up court under a palm tree. Not only did she arise, she moved out in faith, and people received her as a prophetess because the Spirit of the Lord was evidently upon her. People began to come to her for judgements and for wisdom. Notice with me some important insights about this mother in Israel.
1.) Deborah took action in response to God and what she saw around her. Mothers who please God do that. They don’t just watch what happens, or wonder what is happening. They make things happen. They look at the needs in their family, their community, their marriage, their home, their church and they do something about what they see. (or don’t see as the case may be!)
2.) She had her eyes on God. She was a prophetess who had a greater sensitivity to the greatness of her God, than to the greatness of her oppressors. What about you? Is your gaze stuck on the problems that surround you or are you lifting your head heavenward to the God who can overrule your problems?
3.) Deborah placed herself in a position where she could hear from God, and in verse 6 of chapter 4 we see her telling Barak that God had chosen him to go down to do battle with Sisera and that He would deliver Sisera into Barak’s hand. Isn’t it interesting that this woman of faith who has risen up to be a leader in Israel hears God saying that it is Barak who should - go - fight - conquer - and deliver Israel. Here we see a display of genuine humility and deference that are again part of the reason why God uses this mother so mightily. This reminds me of Billy Graham who in spite of all his fame and popularity has claimed for years, very humbly, that he was not God’s first choice. God’s first choice for a prophet to our age was Charles Templeton, but he rejected the God who had called him and Graham decided to walk a long straight line of obedience to the Lord. Well, Deborah says – Barak you’re the man! God has shown me he wants to use you, but how does Barak respond?
4.) In verse 8, Barak the wimp, is hiding behind Deborah’s skirt and he says, “I’ll go, if you’ll go with me.” Deborah again shows that in this instance she is God’s chosen and consummate leader. She immediately agrees to go but shares an insight she has from the throne room that was a rebuke from God to Barak, and is a rebuke to every man here this morning who will hear it. She says, “Alright Barak, I’ll go with you, but you won’t get the glory for this victory, it will go to a woman.” (vs.9)
Men, hear me very clearly here. Again, I’m not certain where any of you are at with women in ministry and perhaps I’m out on thin ice here, but men if you won’t respond to God’s ministry call. If you choose to abdicate your spiritual responsibility in the home, in the church and in world evangelization, God has, does and will use women of faith who will win powerful victories for the Lord because of the anointing of His Spirit upon them in response to their obedience and faith.
5.) Women of faith encourage other women to be courageous in their faith too. Notice in vs.18-24, after a great defeat by the Israelites, Sisera flees to the area controlled by King Hazor of the Kenites. (If your name is Ken, perhaps these were your ancestors!) Notice that a woman, Jael, the wife of Heber, accosts this fearful, retreating, Canaanite commander Sisera. He’s on the run from one woman and comes under the control of another woman. Sisera, from whom we get the name sissy! Jael convinces him to turn in to her tent and she agrees to hide him, at least that is what HE thinks. She even gives him milk (vs.19) and although it is not mentioned there was likely cookies and then she tucks sissy in bed (vs.19). Jael too, was a mother, just like Deborah. She displays here some of those motherly skills, but Jael, like Deborah was sick of seeing lawlessness and injustice all around her and for the sake of her family and for righteousness and in response to the prophetic voice of the earlier heroine, Deborah, she dispatches Sisera. Among those who speak of getting nailed or being hammered, no one had a better right to say that than Sisera. Jael took a sharpened tent peg, a hammer and she drove that tent peg through the temple of Sisera, pinning him to the ground and instantly ending his life.
So what lessons does this obscure portion of scripture hold for us on this Mother’s Day, 2007?
1> Sin and sorrow are never far apart. When Israel sinned, the Lord sold them into oppression and their joy and peace departed. It is the same for you and me today. When we make wrong choices there are consequences to those choices that inevitably come.
2>When the Israelites cried out to God in their oppression and sorrow, He heard their cry and raised up Deborah, a mother in Israel to bring deliverance. When we cry out to the Lord to forgive us for our disregard of Him, He hears our cry and forgives us and delivers us from our sins.
3>Mothers have very special powers of observation that help them to be very aware of what is happening around them and especially of danger. Deborah was like that, and Deborah chose to do something about it. Perhaps God is calling some mothers among us this morning to rise up do something in God’s strength and power to deliver the ones they care about and love. Spiritual warfare is not masculine. In fact, if the truth were revealed to us today it would likely be true that in many cases women are the better spiritual warriors and within that great division, mothers are probably the most effective on the front lines.
The famous evangelist and his brother the songwriter, John and Charles Wesley spoke well of their father and his example, but they revelled in the love care and direction they received from their mother. In spite of 19 children being born to her, Suzanna Wesley, would throw her apron over her head for an hour a day and that was time out to pray for her children and her husband. Perhaps it was there that the Methodist revival really started!
Saint Augustine, born in 354 was not always a saint. He was a very wild rebellious young man. In spite of caring praying mother he left home by the time he was 18 and fathered an illegitimate child. He lived with his mistress for a while but soon gained a reputation as a hard drinking, lust filled, carousing man. He tried out several different cults for a few years and eventually moved in with a second mistress. One day while he was working in his garden he heard a voice saying, “Take up and read!” Over and over he heard the refrain until he knew it was the Lord and he was to take up the scriptures. He first read Romans 13:11-14 and saw that the only way to put of the deeds of the flesh was to be clothed with Christ, and right there Augustine became a saint. He was adopted into the heavenly family, but friends let’s not forget in his earthly family there was a mother who travailed long and hard in prayer for him, without any sign of influence for years. Augustine went on to be one of the greatest theologians of all time, regarded as such by Protestants and Catholics alike.
Let me close with some personal application here friends. As a teenager, living at Chesley Lake, near Sauble Beach, I got into a great deal of trouble. I’m not proud of that, but it is a fact. On more than one occasion I was brought home in a police cruiser and repeatedly broke my parents heart. My dad, and especially my mom observed what was happening with me and they were not content to throw their hands up in despair and leave me to my own destruction.
I recall many nights coming home in the wee hours of the morning and finding mom and dad on their knees beside the bed praying for me and my brother Wayne. Whatever faults they had in the area of disciplining us, they compensated for by persisting in prayer for us. Mom and Dad saw the battle for my soul and they became warriors in biblical sense of the word. Not only did they do battle in the spiritual realm with consistency and fervour, they took action in the things that they themselves could do.
I’m sure it was my conduct and the danger of losing me spiritually that drove mom and dad away from Chesley Lake Camp management, a job they loved. God has honoured their commitment to pray and do whatever it took to help us, and today amongst their children there is a great group of grandchildren, and even some great grandchildren who love nothing better than to get together and worship the Lord together. I know for certain that what God promises in Proverbs 31 to the virtuous mom has happened for my mom. Her children, their children and even their children after them have risen up and we call her BLESSED!
What joy to be a part of such a family!
I don’t want in any way to lay a guilt trip on any mother here today who has wayward children. I rather want to inspire you to have your eyes open. Look around you! What is happening in your family in the way of deliverance? Let’s learn from Deborah, a mother in Israel. Perhaps God is speaking to you today to rise up and do something new to enjoin the battle for the hearts and minds of those you love. Remember, in our age of grace we never ever are called to fight flesh and blood but we need to fight none the less, and fight in God’s prescribed strategy – against principalities, and powers and rulers of darkness in this world. Like Deborah, perhaps today God would speak to you to rise up and be counted as one who engages in intercessory prayer, . . . and doesn’t quit!
If it were Father’s Day I would probably trumpet a challenge to you fathers to take fresh initiatives at home. But it is Mother’s Day, and I want to encourage mothers that this responsibility to teach your children is an immeasurably significant privilege.
God has a way of nullifying the greatness of the great and exalting the lowliness of the lowly. In our culture motherhood is, I think, on the upswing. But only after decades of unusual lowliness and bad-press. The last five our six years have abounded with letters and articles like this one to Ann Landers:
I’m so tired of all those ignorant people who come up to my husband and ask him if his wife has full-time job or if she’s “just a house-wife.” . . . Here’s my job description.
I’m a wife, mother, friend, confidant, personal advisor, lover, referee, peacemaker, housekeeper, laundress, chauffeur, interior decorator, gardener, painter, wall paperer, dog groomer, veterinarian, manicurist, barber, seamstress, appointment manager, financial planner, bookkeeper, money manager, personal secretary, teacher, disciplinarian, entertainer, psychoanalyst, nurse, diagnostician, public relations expert, dietitian and nutritionist, baker, chef, fashion coordinator and letter writer for both sides of the family.
I am also a travel agent, speech therapist, plumber and automobile maintenance and repair expert. . . .
From the studies done, it would cost more than $75,000 a year to replace me. I took time out of my busy day to write this letter, Ann, because there are still ignorant people who believe a housewife is nothing more than a baby sitter who sits on her behind all day and looks at soap operas. (Ann Landers, May, 1988, quoted in Mom, You’re Incredible, by Linda Weber, Focus on the Family, 1994, pp. 23-24).
My mom is here today and we are delighted to honour her and call her blessed, but she perhaps now more than ever deserves that familial endorsement. You see we children are held before the Lord every single day. Arms that are no longer as strong as they once were can not lift us up in the air any longer, but loving arms of faith hold us high every day with great faith. I’m going to ask my mom to come as we close our service today and I’m going to ask every other mom to stand. “Mom, would you pray a closing prayer today for the moms who are here. Especially the ones who are new moms, or moms with growing children, or moms with children who are away from the Lord. Would you pray God’s enabling grace for them and His rich blessing upon them. Thank you,”