Mothers & Daughters of the Bible Speak (Part 1) - Shannon Bream
THE MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS OF THE BIBLE SPEAK
Lessons on Faith from Nine Biblical Families
By: Shannon Bream
I decided to grab a copy of Shannon Bream’s latest book at my local Target and was pleasantly surprised with how well written it was. There was a perfect mix of direct Bible quotes, commentary, and examples from personal life. I’m splitting this review into 3 blog posts as the book is divided into 3 sections - Mothers and Daughters, Mothers and Sons, & Fathers and Daughters.
I hope this summary and review will encourage you also to read this book. It is currently available on Amazon if interested.
In this first post, we’ll dive into the first section of the book: MOTHERS AND DAUGHTERS
[1] Jochebed and Miriam
Their story can be found in Genesis 37, 39-45:15 and Exodus 1 - 4:17, 15:20-21.
At this time, the works of Joseph that had saved Egypt were completely forgotten. For Jochebed and Miriam, they lived in a time of slavery and no freedom. The Israelites went from being honored guests in Egypt to resent and enslaved foreigners. The Hebrew people continued to thrive despite persecution.
Exodus 2:2 - So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
Acts 7:20 - So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him three months.
Hebrews 11:23 - By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king’s command.
These verses show that Jochebed may have had a deeper perception of her baby and who he would later become. She recognized that her child was unique. So, she resisted the Egyptian command to kill her baby. She hid him for 3 months. When she couldn’t hide him anymore, she made an ark for him. She let go and gave him a chance to live.
Exodus 2:5-9 – Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe at the river. And her maidens walked along the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to get it. And when she opened it, she saw the child, and behold, the baby wept. So she had compassion on him, and said, “This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Then his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Shall I go and call a nurse for you from the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for you?” And Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Go.” So the maiden went and called the child’s mother. Then Pharaoh’s daughter said to her, “Take this child away and nurse him for me, and I will give you your wages.” So the woman took the child and nursed him.
Pharoah’s daughter had compassion for the baby and Miriam leveraged that. Miriam did 2 important things:
She addressed Pharoah’s daughter
She spoke up and offered a solution
If we are proceeding in God’s will, then we can trust His guidance. Because Jochebed acted in obedience and faith, she had the blessing of raising her son. She likely nursed him for 2-3 years. The spiritual foundation that Jochebed showed Moses in his young years may have helped him later in life to follow God’s calling.
Jochebed also raised Miriam who became a prophetess and leader. She also raised Aaron who became the line of the priesthood.
James 5:16 - Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.
Jochebed models faith. She was so in tune with God that she was able to perceive what the future held for her son.
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER:
This mother and daughter team helped ensure that Moses, the greatest Israelite leader, did not die at the hands of Pharoah’s cruel orders. They exemplified outstanding faith and trust in God. They knowingly disobeyed Pharoah’s orders and trusted that God would find a way to care for the child.
Jochebed’s example led to all 3 of her children being close followers of God and leaders among the Israelites. She is an outstanding example of a mother training up a child in the way they should go.
Similarly, Miriam, seeing her mother’s faith in action, boldly went before Pharoah’s daughter with a solution that saved her baby brother. In addition, it allowed her mother to be given wages to raise her son.
From this, we can understand how God works in mysterious ways for the good of His people. This is especially true for those who follow closely in His will and have a deep personal relationship with Him. Sometimes we may not understand why situations happen in our lives. But God is always there to take care of it when we put our trust in Him.
Another thing we can learn is that as mothers, there is a great responsibility to train your children to follow God’s word and will in their lives. Children learn both from their parent's words and actions. In the same way that Miriam saw Jochebed’s faith in action, we should present our lives as an example to our children. Similarly, daughters should pay close attention to how God has worked in the lives of our mothers (parents). It is important to learn from their good example.
[2] Ruth and Naomi
Their story is found in the book of Ruth.
Naomi and her husband, Elimelek, went to Moab for a better life because of the famine in Israel. But soon tragedy struck. Elimelek died. Soon after, Mahlon and Killion, Naomi’s sons also died. Naomi was left a widow along with her son’s wives. She was faced with extreme poverty, to the point of death.
Ruth 1:6-9 - Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.”
Naomi saw that God was aiding the Israelites. She decided, in faith, to go back home to her people. Both Orpah and Ruth pledged to stay with Naomi. This shows what kind of personality Naomi had - one of a generous spirit and loving nature.
Ruth 1:8 - And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me.
Because Naomi loved her daughters-in-law, she urged them to go back to their homes.
Ruth 1:16, 17 - But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.”
More than adoption, Ruth chose to leave her people and land. Naomi and Ruth changed from being mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to being Mother and Daughter. This is because Ruth declared that Naomi’s people were her own.
Ruth 2:1,2 - There was a relative of Naomi’s husband, a man of great wealth, of the family of Elimelech. His name was Boaz. So, Ruth, the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Please let me go to the field, and glean heads of grain after him in whose sight I may find favor.” And she said to her, “Go, my daughter.”
This verse shows Ruth’s deference to Naomi’s authority. Naomi blesses the decision. It wasn’t biology that united this mother and daughter, but their faith in God. Faith was the center of their relationship.
Ruth protected and served Naomi. They were dedicated to each other, bound by shared sorrows, and joys. Through this, we see Naomi’s relationship with Obed, Ruth’s son. It was one of family legacy and hope.
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER:
There are many things we can learn from the story of Naomi and Ruth. The first is the importance of being a good mother-in-law. Unfortunately, the stereotype of the “evil” mother-in-law is not always so far from the truth. In the case of Naomi, she had such a gentle and loving spirit that neither of her daughters-in-law wanted to leave her. They were well within their rights to do so, as their relationship with her had been severed by the death of their husbands. But they wanted to stay with her regardless. This shows that she was not a tyrant or abusive. They loved her. So much so that Ruth left everything to follow her.
In addition to this, because of Naomi’s nature, Ruth became a child of God. She saw Naomi’s faith and determination to go back to Israel. She saw her steadfastness even in the face of sorrow. As such, Ruth boldly said, ‘your God will be my God’.
Another thing to bear in mind here is that Ruth deferred to Naomi for advice and on how to behave. She was a fish out of water in Israel, but she followed Naomi’s word to the letter. Because she honored her mother-in-law, she was not only granted a new family life. Ruth was also blessed to be a part of Christ’s genealogy. As such, we should also follow the advice of our mothers (elders).
[3] Elizabeth and Mary
Their story can be found in Malachi 4 and Luke 1:5-80.
In those times, childlessness was considered God’s punishment or God withholding favor. But, the Bible tells us, that Zechariah and Elizabeth were upright in the sight of God. Zechariah’s name means ‘the Lord has remembered’. Elizabeth’s name means ‘my God is an oath’.
Luke 1:25 - “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
Elizabeth directed all glory to God because He showed her favor.
Luke 1:35-37 - And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God. Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren. For with God nothing will be impossible.”
When Gabriel spoke to Mary, he pointed to Elizabeth as an example, to show her that nothing is impossible with God.
Elizabeth was blessed with a pregnancy long after she thought she could know the joy of having a child. And Mary was surprised by a pregnancy much earlier than she may have felt prepared for.
Elizabeth was a comfort and guide to Mary. Elizabeth provided the following:
Encouragement
Confirmation of Gabriel’s declaration
Expression of her humility (found in Luke 1:43)
Praise for Mary’s faith (found in Luke 1:45)
Mary committed to God - even when she couldn’t understand exactly how He would bring the prophecy to pass. Mary mirrored Elizabeth’s words of praise and gratefulness, giving God all the glory (found in Luke 1:46-55).
Elizabeth gave Mary both spiritual strength and practical wisdom. Spiritual motherhood involves:
Guiding and leading someone in the faith
Sharing joys and sorrows
Help to understand the unexpected twists and turns in the light of our faith
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER:
Elizabeth and Mary were not mother and daughter or mother-in-law and daughter-in-law like the other 2 examples in this section. They were cousins. Their relationship was one of spiritual mother and daughterhood. We don’t know why exactly Mary went to Elizabeth’s home after receiving the news that she would be carrying the Messiah. But we can assume that she felt safe there. She may have known that Elizabeth would not unknowingly judge her. This shows us that having a loving nature can draw people closer to God by seeing our character. Elizabeth’s life was a clear example to Mary of what God can accomplish.
Even though Elizabeth and her husband were both faithful to God, they were barren. This reminds us that the trials in our lives are not necessarily because of sin, but could be God’s way of showing His providence through our lives. Elizabeth’s miracle pregnancy was a building block in Mary’s faith. She could more easily accept her fate when faced with God’s providence to her cousin.
Another thing to bear in mind here is that their relationship was one of faith, encouragement, and practical wisdom. While staying with Elizabeth, Mary would have gained the practical knowledge of birth and child-rearing, as well as the spiritual strength for her journey.
For us, we should be reminded of both of these women’s characters and try to implement them in our own lives. Their faith was rewarded. Elizabeth acted as an encourager to her ‘younger sister’ in faith. Mary listed to Elizabeth’s wisdom and acted in faith accordingly.
