In Praise of the Mother’s Maker

1. Read: Genesis 3:20

2. About the Text:

1) The word “Eve” means “life.”

2) It was from Eve that every living person came.

3) She was the mother, no doubt, of many children.

4) However, it was not Adam that God chose to honor in the scriptures as the one from whom all living comes, but Eve–the mother of all living.

5) She alone was given the designation “mother” and so it has ever been since the creation of the world.

6) God made her to be a mother, and He gives us mothers today.

7) We should praise God for the wonderful gift of motherhood.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. The word “kind” means to do good unto others in a pleasant and gracious manner.

2. Kindness is an attribute that God has. Luke 6:35 “But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.”

3. Kindness is an attribute that we all should have.

i. To imitate the attributes of God.

ii. In 1 Corinthians 13:4 we see that this attitude comes out of love for “love is kind.”

iii. In Ephesians 4:32 we see that this is to be the attitude of each Christian. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

4. Mothers in particular reflect the spirit of kindness.

i. They are generous of spirit to their children, always wanting the best for them.

ii. They are gracious and pleasant in the company of others.

iii. They help their children to learn and grow and nurture them toward maturity.

iv. Hannah knew what kindness meant. We read one of her prayers in 1 Samuel 2:1-10.

1. Our God is a compassionate God.

i. Psalm 86:15 says, “But thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.”

ii. In Isaiah 49:15, God compares himself to a mother. We read, “Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they (the children of Israel) may forget, yet will I not forget thee.”

2. Our Lord was a compassionate Lord

i. Many times we read in the New Testament that the Lord had compassion on the multitudes or those that were sick.

ii. We read of one instance in particular regarding the man who had a legion of demons within him. After the demons had been cast out, the man wanted to follow Jesus. “Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but saith unto him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee.” (Mark 5:19) He wanted to get the news out that he was compassionate.

3. Christians are to be compassionate people.

i. We read in 1 Peter 3:8, “Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing.”

ii. John writes that the person who has no compassion has no love. “But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?” (1 John 3:17).

4. Mothers in particular reflect the spirit of compassion.

i. We don’t know much about the daughter of Pharoah that rescued Moses from the river, but we do know that it was compassion that saved him. “And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked along by the river’s side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she sent her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and, behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one of the Hebrews’ children.” Exodus 2:5, 6

ii. Were it not for the natural instinct within a mother to be compassionate, Moses might never have been saved.

iii. Who knows if our compassion might save the next Moses.

1. God cares for us. We read in 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

2. We know that Jesus cared for us. In Romans 5:6-8 we read, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

3. We are to care for one another as Christians and good neighbors.

i. We read concerning the good Samaritan in Luke 10:33-35 “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.”

4. Mothers are naturally caring.

i. The Shunamite woman in 2 Kings 4:8-14 cared for Elisha and in turn was able to care for a child.

ii. What a great example she is to us today in caring for those who are less fortunate than we.

5. Song, Does Jesus Care? (132)

1. Mothers reflect the highest attributes of God. Perhaps this is at least part of what God meant when he said, “Let us make man in our image. . . . Male and female created he them.”

2. We praise the maker of mothers because he made them to be . . .

i. Kind

ii. Compassionate

iii. Caring

3. Invitation

i. If you are a Christian but have fallen away

1) God is kind, compassionate and caring toward you.

2) He stands ready like the Father of the prodigal son to show mercy and compassion for you this day.

3) You can repent of the things that have separated you and come back into his loving arms.

ii. If you are not a Christian this morning . . .

1) God has mercy and compassion for you too, so he has given you a way to be reconciled to Him.

2) Heed the plan that it has for man’s salvation today!

i) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”

ii) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”

iii) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).

iv) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt.16:16).

v) Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).