Mothers Day: Learning From Prodigal Mothers And Prodigal Children

Mother’s Day Dr. Elmer Towns

Learning From Prodigal Mothers and Prodigal Children May 13, 2012

A. MOTHER (NAME UNKNOWN) OF SAMSON: JUDGES 13-16

1. Chosen to rear a special son. “He (Samson) shall begin to deliver Israel out of . . . the Philistines” (13:5).

2. God expected separation. “Drink not wine . . . strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing” (13:4-5).

3. Influential by world when naming son. “The woman called his name Samson” (3:24). Means “sunny” or “to the sun god.”

4. Knew a Philistine wife was wrong for Samson, “Is there no woman among . . . my people?” (14:3).

5. Compromised and went to wedding. “Samson went . . . with his father and mother” (14:5).

6. Lesson: casual compromise in mother leads to severe compromise in son.

Positive Role Model: Hannah, mother of Samuel (a) who prayed early, (b) dedicated son to God, (c) brought him to the house of God.

B. HAGAR (FLIGHTY) MOTHER OF ISHMAEL: GEN. 16:21

1. Apparently an obedient girl chosen to be mother of Abraham’s son. “Sarah said, ‘Go into my maid, perhaps I shall obtain children by her’” (16:2).

2. Hagar had an ego problem after she bore a son. Sarah said, “I became despised in her eyes” (16:5). Hagar thought she was better than Sarah.

3. Hagar was not responsive to correction. “Sarah disciplined her, but she ran away” (16:6).

4. Hagar did not respect the family. “The son of Hagar . . . making fun (with physical taunts) of Isaac” (21:9).

5. Hagar was not grateful to Sarah when given great opportunity; she responded in pride, and gave her son a superiority attitude.

Positive Role Model: Lois the grandmother, and Eunice the mother who trained Timothy (a) in godliness, and raised him to become (b) a great Christian leader. “Genuine faith . . . which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois, and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded in you also” (2 Tim. 1:5).

C. RACHEL (EWE OR DOE) MOTHER OF JOSEPH AND BENJAMIN: GENESIS 29-37

1. Rachel had outward beauty. “Rachel had a beautiful figure and a lovely face” (29:17, NLT).

2. Rachel was demanding and selfish. “When Rachel saw she bore . . . no children . . . envied her sister and said to Jacob, ‘Give me children, or else I die’” (30:1).

3. Rachel bargained sex for her husband. “Rachel begged Leah, (mandrake roots, i.e., narcotic properties, “love portion”) . . . Rachel said, ‘I will let Jacob sleep with you tonight if you give me some of the mandrakes’” (30:14-15, NLT).

4. Like father like daughter. “Your father (Laban) has deceived me, and changed my wages ten times” (31:7).

5. Rachel turned against her father when his wealth was gone. “Is there still any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house?” (31:14).

6. Rachel stole her father’s idols. “Jacob did not know that Rachel had stolen them (the idols)” (31:32).

7. After Rachel’s death, Jacob met God, and her two sons became godly. “Jacob loved Joseph (Rachel’s son) more than any of his other children, because . . . born to him in his old age” (37:3, NLT). “The LORD was with Joseph, so he succeeded in everything he did” (37:2, NLT).

8. Rachel was buried alone. “So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)” (35:19, NLT). Leah was buried next to Jacob (49:31).

Positive Role Model: Elizabeth gave up reputation to raise John the Baptist. “He (the Lord) has taken away my disgrace” (Luke 1:25, NLT). Her son became the best ever. “Of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist” (Matt. 11:11, NLT).

D. ATHALIAH: 2 KINGS 8:26; 11:1-23; 23:12-23

1. Athaliah’s parents were terrible role models. “Athaliah the granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel” (2 Kings 8:26). Her mother and father Ahab and Jezebel. “Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him” (1Kings 16:30).

2. Athaliah’s evil influence on her husband Jehoram king of Israel. “Jehoram did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 8:18).

3. Athaliah’s son, King Ahaziah, was evil. “Ahaziah . . . reigned one year . . . he walked in the way of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 8:26-27).

4. When her son was killed, Athaliah made herself queen. She was ruthless, a tyrant, whose every whim had to be obeyed. She introduced Baal worship into Judah. “When Athaliah saw her son was dead, she . . . destroyed all the royal heirs of the house of Judah” (2 Chron. 22:10).

a. Killed all rivals to her throne.

b. Motivated by satan to destroy the line of the Messiah.