MOTHERS OF THE BIBLE—THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY
It’s strange, but two things kept popping into my mind this past week. One, of course, is Mothers’ Day—and I wish all of those, who are mothers, a happy Mother’s Day! I don’t know why, but the other thing that kept coming to mind this past week was Clint Eastwood movies—especially, his classic western, “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.” At first, I couldn’t understand why those two things were popping up in my thoughts. Then I started to see how, from a biblical perspective, Mother’s Day and that Clint Eastwood movie do complement each other. You see, famous mothers in the Bible can be classified that way. Some of those mothers were good examples of what a mother should be. Others, sometimes gave bad examples. And finally, at least one of the mothers in the Bible appeared to be just plain ugly—not in appearance necessarily, but ugly in the sense of being a real nasty character. Let’s first consider some of the “good” mothers. For our purposes this morning, we’ll stick with the mothers of the Old Testament.
The “good” mothers include Noah’s wife. We don’t know her real name, but we can call her “Mrs. Noah.” I am speculating a bit in drawing this conclusion because the Bible does not tell us much about her, but I bet that Mrs. Noah was a very supportive person. While all the people in Noah’s neighborhood were harassing and making fun of him for building an ark when there wasn’t a rain cloud in the sky, we don’t hear one word of discouragement from Mrs. Noah. And once the ark was afloat, there’s not one complaint from her about having to help feed the animals or having to clean up after them. Sometimes the greatest support and encouragement of a mother to her family is simply to help them along by being there. That’s one of the biggest problems today—there are just too many mothers who are not there for their families. (Of course, the same might well be said for the fathers too.)
Then, there’s the mother of Moses. Her name was Jochebed. When the Egyptian Pharaoh was trying to kill the Hebrew babies, she implemented a daring plan to save Moses. It was a plan that was inspired by God. I feel certain Jochebed prayed about this and, in the end, she trusted God to protect her son as he floated in a little basket in the crocodile-infested waters of the Nile River. You know the story: Pharaoh’s daughter finds the basket and Moses ends up being adopted into the royal Egyptian family. Things like that don’t just happen by chance. They are part of God’s plan. And it takes someone who is willing to trust in God’s plan—even when it involves the safety of a mother’s most precious thing: Her child. Jochebed trusted God—and as always, God delivered. Good mothers know that.
Later during Solomon’s reign, we have another “good” mother whose name we do not know. Now, I have to tell you that this mother was a member of “the world’s oldest profession.” Yes, she was a prostitute. But still, there is no question about it. She was a good mother. Another prostitute with whom she was living lost her baby when this other prostitute rolled upon him during the night. Then, this other prostitute tried to switch babies with the good-mother prostitute. They ended up suing each other and the case went all the way to the highest court in the land where King Solomon sat as judge. After hearing the evidence, 23 “The king said, ‘Let’s get the facts straight. Both of you claim the living child is yours, and each says that the dead one belongs to the other. 24 All right, bring me a sword.’ So a sword was brought to the king. 25 Then he said, ‘Cut the living child in two, and give half to one woman and half to the other!’ 26 Then the woman who was the real mother of the living child, and who loved him very much, cried out, ‘Oh no, my lord! Give her the child—please do not kill him!’ But the other woman said, ‘All right, he will be neither yours nor mine; divide him between us!’ 27 Then the king said, ‘Do not kill the child, but give him to the woman who wants him to live, for she is his mother!’” 1st Kings 3:23-27 (NLT2)
This prostitute, who was the good mother, was willing to sacrifice her feelings and desires for the good of her child. Good mothers are like that. They are sacrificial when it comes to the welfare of their children. There are many other notable mothers in the Bible—more than we have time to cover today. So now, let’s turn to just one example of a mother who was “bad.”
The one that comes to mind is also unnamed. We know her simply as “Lot’s wife.” God’s angel escorted Lot and his family out of the City of Sodom before it was destroyed by fire from the sky. The angel told Lot, his wife and two daughters to run for their lives. The angel specifically warned them not to look back on the evil City of Sodom. Lot and his two daughters complied with the angel’s instruction. But, sadly, Lot’s wife did not. Consequently, when she looked back longingly to the burning City of Sodom, she turned into a pillar of salt. Do you know why she lost her life in that way? It wasn’t mere curiosity that caused her to look back at that city. In reality, she wanted to go back to her old Sodom-like, evil lifestyle. Centuries later, Jesus would one day say: 32 “Remember what happened to Lot’s wife! 33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.” Luke 17:32-33 (NLT2) Jesus was talking about those people who cling to their old, sinful lifestyles and refuse to accept a New Life in Christ. Yes, Mrs. Lot was a bad mother to imitate.
Well, we’ve considered several “good” mothers, and one “bad” one. Who, then, is the ugliest mother in the Old Testament. For me, there is only one choice. Again, we don’t know her name, but you will know who I am referring to when I call her “Mrs. Job.” Poor Job was going through all those terrible trials that Satan had thrown upon him. When Job turned to his wife for comfort and direction, what was her response to him? Job 2:9 tells us: “His wife said to him, ‘You are still as faithful as ever, aren't you? Why don't you curse God and die?’” (TEV) Wow!—that’s about as “ugly” as you can get!
Now, if I were a mother, based on the judgments or conclusions that I have just made about all these Old Testament mothers, what kind of “mother” would I be? I’d be the ugliest one of all! But, hey—I only did it to bring to your attention to something that the Bible teaches in many places. For example, the Apostle Paul, in 1st Corinthians 4:5 stated: “So be careful not to jump to conclusions [or judgments] before the Lord returns as to whether someone is a good servant or not. When the Lord comes, He will turn on the light so that everyone can see exactly what each one of us is really like, deep down in our hearts. Then everyone will know why we have been doing the Lord’s work. At that time God will give to each one whatever praise is coming to him.” (TLB)
What Paul is saying here is that we are not to rush to judgment about other people. Why?—because only God can do that. Why is that the case?—because only God knows all the facts and can read the human hearts like open books. So, let all the judging come on Judgment Day by the only all-knowing, righteous judge, Jesus Christ. Before that Final Day, none of us is equipped to properly judge anyone. Thus, being judgmental is a sin. It can be a very hurtful sin. That reminds me of the hurt that it caused to a mother that began on Mother’s Day—but became worse over time as it related to her son. The hurt became worse because people couldn’t stop rendering judgments when they only had partial facts.
U.S. Air Force 1st Lt. David Steeves had a mission to perform. On May 9, 1957, he was to fly a T-33 training jet from an air force base near San Francisco to Craig Air Force base outside of Selma, Alabama. Somewhere over Kings Canyon National Park in the Rocky Mountains, his jet malfunctioned and Steeves had to eject immediately before the T-33 training jet exploded. Steeves parachuted into a freezing cold and deserted mountainous area. When he hit the ground, he badly sprained both ankles and was forced to crawl almost 20 miles to where he found an uninhabited ranger’s cabin. There, he survived on beans and canned ham. A massive search was conducted for his whereabouts, but no evidence of any plane wreckage was found. And so, on the day prior to Mother's Day, the Air Force called off the search and, based upon the limited facts at hand, declared Steeves dead and informed his mother of his untimely passing. This terrible news, however, was premature. As it turned out, Lt. Steeves eventually hobbled out of the mountainous wilderness and reached safety. He slowly, but fully recovered.
After the national news media had time to consider these sketchy facts, reporters started making some judgments and drawing some conclusions. Bear in mind that all this transpired during the tensions of the Cold War, and some quickly decided that the jet had not exploded after all. Rather, these reporters speculated that Steeves somehow had stolen the jet and sold it to the Russians. Why the Russians would pay even one thin dime for a low-tech training jet was never revealed. Others said, “No, he dismantled the jet, and sold it piece by piece to Mexico.” What on earth the Mexicans were supposed to have done with it wasn’t explained. The Air Force official report was apparently affected by this wild speculation because it stated that Lt. Steeves possibly had done all this as a hoax. The point of the hoax was never explained.
Steeves’ reputation was ruined by these rumors and misguided judgments. Upon his discharge from the Air Force, he spent much of his time hiking throughout the area where he’d been forced to parachute. He flew his own plane over the search area, day after day, trying to find any sign of the wreckage—all to no avail. In October 1965, Steeves died in a plane crash in Boise, Idaho. During his lifetime, he was never able to clear his name. Twenty-two years later, a group of Boy Scouts were hiking in Kings Canyon National Park when they happened upon something they never expected. It was the canopy section of a jet aircraft. And on that canopy was a serial number. When the Air Force checked into this, they found that the serial number on the canopy matched up with that of Steeves’ missing T-33 jet. Having all the facts in hand, the Air Force revised its judgment of the entire matter and concluded that Steeves’ trainer jet, in fact, had exploded unexpectedly over the Rocky Mountains—just as Steeves had said.[1]
Now this happened back in the 1950’s and 60’s. Have things gotten any better since then? I think we all know the answer to that. I thought about this when reading a recent on-line review of a local man’s business. A lady in Ruckersville, who identified herself as “Susan B,” gave a scathing judgment about this man’s services. She ranted:
“I called this guy multiple times. He said ‘yes,’ he could deliver but call after 9. I did. And left a message which he didn't return. Then, I called [the] next day and he said he was booked until Monday. So, I asked [him] to book Monday and he said to call after 9. So, I called after 9. Said he had a cancellation, and he would come [the] next day between 12-1. It’s 4:30. He just gave me sass about calling to see when or if he was coming, and he just told me to call someone else. Don't use this guy. HE IS NOT NICE OR RELIABLE.”
Now, this woman reported the facts limited to what she described as her experience with him. I get that. But, what about her blanket statement at the end whereby she concludes that, “HE IS NOT NICE OR RELIABLE”? She doesn’t qualify that at all. She doesn’t limit that judgment or conclusion to her individual, one-time experience with this man. She doesn’t know what was going on in this man’s life on the particular day of her sour encounter with him. And yet, she judges him to be, forever and always, generally unpleasant and unreliable—at all times, in all places and to all people.
But, I wonder if it would change her final judgment of this man to know that he got in his truck one day last week. He drove from Ruckersville to Charlottesville to fill a tanker with water. He then delivered the water to 4409 S. Spotswood Trail in Louisa County, Virginia. And, once there, what did he do with that water? He filled the baptismal pool at this very church! When asked if he’d take a check as payment, he responded that he didn’t take checks. Then, he winked and explained that he didn’t take cash or any other form of payment when it came to helping a House of God. I wonder if he would be any “nicer” or more “reliable” if those facts were now added to Susan B’s judgment calculation?
You see, we are never to judge others before all the facts are in. And, all the facts will not be in until that Final Day of Judgment at the end of time. Even with all the facts at our disposal, we still too often judge poorly. That is never the case with Jesus Christ. He knows all the facts. He sees all the motives in your heart for everything you do, every thought you think, every emotion you feel. Only God can judge righteously. Last Sunday, I spoke about baptism and how coming up out of the water represents our resurrections that leave our sins buried in that watery grave. That is made possible by Jesus’ payment of our sins. That is what “righteousness” is when we say God is a righteous judge. The sins of all believers were paid on the Cross. When Jesus asked John the Baptist to baptize Him, John questioned why it was necessary for Jesus to be baptized. Jesus’s answer was that it was necessary in order to “fulfill all righteousness.”[2]
Do you know why Jesus said that? He said it because His payment of our sins is the only thing that can make things right between us and God. He was indicating that His own baptism pointed to the Cross where your sins can be buried in the pool of His blood. And, by raising Jesus out of the baptismal water, it pointed to His resurrection—whereby your future resurrection in a pure, sin-free body is made a certainty. And so, Jesus will judge you as a holy child of God, acceptable in His sight to live eternally in Heaven. But, in this world, we must leave the judging to Him. Did Job’s wife repent upon seeing her husband’s joy in God despite the difficult trials in his life? Was the act of Lot’s wife’s in looking back at Sodom a momentary lapse of an otherwise “good” mother? Only God knows the answers to those questions—you and I don’t. Jesus reminds us: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” Matthew 7:1 (NIV) Jesus isn’t saying that we shouldn’t judge between what is right vs. what is wrong. As Christians, we are called to exercise discernment in order to distinguish what is good as opposed to what is evil. We do this through studying God’s Word, through prayer and spiritual meditation—all with the help of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus said, “do not judge,” He was referring to the tendency of some Christians who love to point out the failings and shortcomings of other people for no other reason than to make themselves feel superior. He doesn’t want his followers to be merciless, fault-finders who point their crooked fingers self-righteously at other people. Rather, Jesus wants us to show compassion to others and help them live according to teachings of Christ.[3]
Good mothers (and fathers as well) teach their children that and live by that. Discerning sin in others and avoiding making their mistakes is not being judgmental—it’s being obedient to God’s Word. But, we don’t judge the sinner. We lead them to Christ so that the Lord will heal them and take away their sins—and, in so doing, relieve them of judgment and condemnation. That’s the way you would want it to be for you as well—right? That’s why Jesus tells us to be careful not to judge anyone. But, instead of focusing on “good” mothers (or “good” fathers), let us all strive to be good children. That’s right!—good children of God, free of judgment and full of His love! Perhaps, Mother Teresa put it best when she said: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” [4]
This Mother’s Day, and every day, do not judge others until all the facts are in. And remember—all the facts won’t be in until Jesus comes again and executes His righteous judgment. Give thanks to God that that Day is coming soon!
Let us pray.
Darvin Satterwhite, Pastor
Forest Hill Baptist Church
May 14, 2023
©2023 All Rights Reserved as follows:
Anyone is at liberty to use this sermon or any portions thereof for educational or religious purposes, with or without credit. The pastor believes the material presented herein to be true to the teaching of Scripture, and desires to further, not restrict, its potential use as an aid in the study of God’s Word. The publication of this material is a grace ministry of Forest Hill Baptist Church in Louisa, Virginia.
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[1] Kennedy, Peter. From Generation to Generation. Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2010. WORDsearch CROSS e-book. See also: Wikipedia.
[2] Matthew 3:13-15 13 “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and do you come to me?’ 15 Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness’ Then John consented.” (NIV)
[3] Abernathy, David. Exegetical Summary Series-Exegetical Summary of Matthew 1-16, An. Dallas, TX: SIL International, 2013. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
[4] Kennedy, Peter. From Generation to Generation. Austin, TX: WORDsearch Corp., 2010. WORDsearch CROSS e-book.
