Three Mothers!

             Motherhood is something that I have not had the privilege of experiencing, but I’ve seen many new mothers express great joy upon seeing their children for the first time.  “My heart melted the first time I held my baby” is a common response.  Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

            Today, I want to briefly look at three mothers with very different reactions to the birth of their babies. 

            First, we look at the unnamed mother of a child named Ichabod.  The mother was the daughter-in-law of the high priest, Eli, the same man who accused Hannah of being drunk when she prayed.  This woman’s husband and brother-in-law were killed in battle, and when Eli heard that they had also lost the Ark of the Covenant, he also died.  In one day, she lost her entire family, and the stress caused her to go into labor.  She gave birth to a son, but no amount of comfort could overcome her despair.  Instead, she named him Ichabod, signifying that the “glory had departed from Israel” (I Samuel 4: 1 – 22).  Joy was not something that she experienced that day.

            The other two mothers lived in Solomon’s time, and both had newborn babies.  One woman’s child died because she accidentally rolled over on him.  Rather than deal with her grief and guilt, she claimed the other woman’s child as her own.  It was left to Solomon to decide which woman was the mother of the living child.  There were no DNA tests or any other medical procedure to determine who was speaking the truth.  It was left to Solomon in his wisdom to choose between the two women.  His solution was to divide the child between the two women, not by sharing custody but by literally cutting the child in half.  An outrageous and unacceptable solution for the child’s mother, but the mother of the dead child readily accepted the idea.  The real mother was willing to give up her child rather than have him killed.  She loved him enough to do what was best for him, and that love was what revealed the truth to Solomon (I Kings 3: 16 – 28).

            Three mothers with completely different responses to motherhood.  One found no joy, comfort, or hope in the birth of her child.  Her circumstances had brought such grief and despair that not even her newborn could give her hope.  One mother had no remorse or feelings of any kind concerning the death of her child.  Her only thought was of what people might think, so she sought to cover her sin.  Only the third mother expressed a love so intense that she was willing to give up the life that was so precious to her so that he could continue to live.

            Our lives are often like these three young mothers.  Many times, we find ourselves in situations where grief and despair have overwhelmed us to the point that nothing, including God’s blessings, seems important.  At other times, we become so consumed with what others might think about us or our actions, that we lose sight of what is truly important.  Finally, there are times when we are willing to sacrifice everything for the sake of those we love.

            It is those sacrificial moments where we find a better understanding of God’s love for us.  He gave His only Son to suffer a cruel death and bear the sins of all humanity just so we could spend eternity with Him.  He gave up the Son that He loved, so that His adopted children, us, would have life!

            Which “mother” are you today?  Are you filled with despair, lacking hope?  Are you more concerned with what people think?  Trust me, you are not alone.  I’ve been there.  As Christians, God has made us new creatures and given us blessings beyond our comprehension.  The question is: Are we willing to sacrifice everything for the One who gave His all for us?  God’s love is the answer to all our situations. 

            Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13 NIV84).

I Samuel 4: 1 – 22

I Kings 3: 16 – 28

John 3: 16