Mothers & Daughters of the Bible Speak (Part 2) - 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 second post, we’ll dive into the second section of the book: MOTHERS AND SONS.
[1] Rebekah
Her story can be found in Genesis 25:19-27:46 and Genesis 33.
Rebekah the Daughter
Rebekah was sought-after, a bride chosen directly by God for Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham’s directive was that Isaac’s wife would have to be willing to come to a foreign land to build on the promise that God had for Isaac.
In Genesis 24: 17-21, we see the noble characteristics of Rebekah:
From the right family
Beautiful
Industrious
Hospitable
Hardworking
Rebekah was willing to go to a foreign land and trust God’s plan for her life
Rebekah the wife and mother
Isaac was 40 years old when they got married. Rebekah was barren and Isaac prayed for her. The children were born when Isaac was 60, so after 20 years of praying and waiting. Rebekah heard from God that her children were destined to be separated and that God had made the younger one be stronger than the older one (found in 25:23)
In Genesis 25:27-28, we see an unbalanced family. Both parents favored a different child for what they could do for them. This created instability in the home, which only worsened as the boys grew older.
Rebekah the schemer
The family’s standing in the world increased during this time. They were wealthy and prosperous, materially. But at the same time, the relationships within the family were deteriorating.
In Genesis 25:29-34, we see that Esau was more interested in satisfying his immediate physical hunger than in fulfilling his responsibility to the family. The birthright meant that he would have received a double portion of the inheritance.
At the same time, Rebekah wanted to ensure that her favored son, Jacob, would get his father’s blessing along with the inheritance. We see in Genesis 27:33, that Rebekah is taking on the moral consequences for Jacob. She is willing to do anything so that Jacob will end up on top.
Rebekah who came into her marriage with Isaac with love and respect now treats her husband with contempt. She saw him as nothing more than an object to be manipulated for her son’s gain.
The best way to give children the love and support they need is by first giving it to their spouse and modeling a healthy marriage.
In Genesis 27:42-25, we see the family further falling apart.
Rebekah acknowledged that she had already lost Esau, who was still her son.
Rebekah had to send Jacob, her favored son, away. She would never see him again after this moment.
Rebekah refused to surrender her child’s well-being to God. She didn’t allow God’s promise to work without her meddling.
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER:
Rebekah should have trusted that God would fulfill His promise regarding Jacob. She did not need to sabotage her elder son to force Jacob into the role of receiving his father’s blessing. God would have accomplished His will without her interference. We just need to trust God’s will in our lives and follow His ways. There is no reason for us to try to manipulate situations to further our agendas.
Rebekah was the brain behind the operation to have Jacob deceive Isaac. Not only did she get her son to sin, but she also tried to take on the moral consequences of it as well. As mothers, we must make our children accountable for their sins and punish them accordingly. We should not be pulling them into sin and trying to cover for them.
In the end, not only did Rebekah lose her relationship with Esau, but she also never got to see her beloved Jacob again. We should remember that the consequences of our sins can be steep. Playing with God never ends well.
On another note, we don’t see Jacob trying to stop any of this. He was blind to his mother and took no responsibility for his own choices. He didn’t have to go along with Rebekah’s plot. Jacob should have held fast to God’s promise and waited for God’s timing instead of following his mother’s words to get ahead. For the rest of his life, he had to bear the consequences of those actions and he also never got to see his mother again. We cannot blindly accept what our parents say without weighing them against God’s word and will. God is our ultimate authority and though it may be difficult, we must stand firm for God more than any man.
[2] Bathsheba
Her story can be found in 2 Samuel 11-12 and 1 Kings 1-3:15.
Bathsheba the grieving widow
Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite. He was a part of an elite group of 30 warriors who protected King David.
All we know about Bathsheba is that David saw her while she was bathing and desired her. We don’t have any insight into her mind during these events. Was she flattered to be desired by the king? Was she fearful of what would happen if she refused him? We don’t know.
What we do know is that soon after the affair, Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant and told the king. David tried to bring Uriah back from the battlefield to spend time with Bathsheba so that he would somehow be convinced that this child was his. But, that plan didn’t work because Uriah was an honorable man and soldier. David’s next idea was to put him on the frontlines of battle. David’s plan to cover up his adultery not only killed Uriah but also other soldiers (as seen in 2 Samuel 11:16,17).
We know that after Uriah’s death, Bathsheba mourned for him. As soon as that mourning period was over, David married her and she gave birth to a son. But God was displeased with David and determined that the child of adultery would die. Again, we don’t have any mention in the Bible here of what was going on through Bathsheba’s mind when this all took place. We can assume that she was heartbroken watching her son waste away due to illness.
In 2 Samuel 12:24, we see some reconciliation between David and Bathsheba. David comforted her after the death of their son. They had another son, Solomon, whom the Lord loved.
Bathsheba the mother of Israel
Bathsheba is also one of the women mentioned in Christ’s genealogy. She isn’t a footnote, but an influential person. Solomon was one of the youngest of David’s children, but Bathsheba knew that he would become king. She has now become an eloquent, fearless woman, brave enough to advocate for her son, Solomon, and smart enough to hit David where he was most vulnerable - his pride (seen in 1 Kings 11:15-21).
Later we see that not only was Bathsheba the mother of the king, but his most trusted counselor. This is why Adonijah, Solomon’s brother, asked her to speak on his behalf to the king.
Before now, no special prominence was given to the mother of a king - both in Saul and David’s cases. But after Solomon, you see that in every introduction of a king of Judah, his mother’s name is also mentioned. In the records of that time, the term ‘queen’ was about the king’s mother, not the king’s wife.
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER:
While we don’t know much about Bathsheba’s frame of mind during the time of her and David’s affair, we can assume that she was in a situation of helplessness. She was called by a king to fulfill his lust, she became pregnant with that man’s child, her legitimate husband was killed, and she then bore a son to the king, only for him to also die. It is a hard and sad tale of a woman, who for all we know did nothing to cause these turns of events. The Bible shows that the sins are piled up on King David, not necessarily on Bathsheba.
This reminds us that sometimes things happen in our lives that are beyond our control. But we must remain steadfast in the Lord and come back to him. King David committed a heinous crime, and received a dire punishment for it, but also repented and was still called a man after God’s own heart.
Once we get to the second phase of Bathsheba’s life, we see a different woman. She is strong, brave, and advocates fiercely for her son. She is no longer staying quiet or taking a back seat. She made sure that her son was secure, not through trickery and manipulation like Rebekah did, but by making her husband acknowledge his stand for Solomon.
In addition, we can see that Bathsheba and Solomon had a strong relationship. She sat on a throne with him and they were very close. She was one of his trusted confidants. Because of her closeness with her son, kings, later on, were acknowledged along with their mother’s names. This is an example of the type of relationship that a mother and son should have. She did not steer him into sin but still put his needs first. She maintained a good relationship with him even after he became king.
[3] Mary, the Mother of Jesus
Her story can be found in the following verses:
Matthew 2:13-18
Luke 1, 2: 22-35, 41-52
John 2:1-11, 19: 22-27
Acts 1: 12-14
Mary gives us an example of deep faith and trust. She was both humbled by her assignment and rejoiced in her calling.
Mary and Joseph both went to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Jesus after His birth. This was customary and was accompanied by sacrifices and prayers. They came upon both Simeon and Anna who recognized Christ for who He is.
In Luke 2:29-32, we see Simeon giving a glorious acknowledgment of the fullness of God’s revelation in Christ. In the following verses, Simeon also had a prophecy for Mary. He was reminding Mary that the road for Christ would not be easy and neither would her own life.
As seen in Matthew 16: 24-25, the Christian walk requires commitment and humility.
At the wedding at Cana, Mary presented Jesus with all the information and left HIm to make His own decision.
While on the cross, Jesus showed concern for His mother in His last moments (John 19: 25-27). Mary shows us that the path to ultimate redemption and peace is through grief.
THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM THIS CHAPTER:
Mary is a prime example of faith. She was very young when she received word from the angel that she would be the mother of the Messiah. She didn’t back away from that calling.
Mary had to balance being both the mother of the Savior and being the mother to her other children. Even though her other children did not follow Christ during His time on earth, Mary was a dedicated follower of Christ. She did not allow her other children to distract her from Christ. This is also seen when Christ names His disciple, John, as caretaker for His mother.
Mary didn’t detract from her son’s earthly mission. She knew Christ was called to be the Savior for the world. She may not have known the extent of His suffering beforehand, but she stood with Him until the end.