It's Tough To Be A Mom!

Scripture: 2 Samuel 21:1-14

Theme: Rizpah

Title: It’s Tough to Be a Mom

Rizpah is the picture of strength, patience, fortitude and courage. She is an amazing woman who helped a nation return to God.

INTRO:

Grace and peace from God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit!

Happy Mother’s Day!

Today is the day that we celebrate motherhood. It’s the day that we give flowers, gifts and candy. It is the day that we may take our mothers out to lunch and remind ourselves of the beauty, the majesty and the God-ordained anointing that these women have on their lives; especially those who we call mother.

It’s the day we honor their sacrifice, their patience, their wisdom and grace. It is the day that we celebrate their strength and their fortitude. It is the day that we celebrate that God’s final creation at least on our earth was the creation of a woman.

And while the world today appears to be confused as to what can be labeled a woman, the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY has never and will never be confused. The Bible plainly states:

“So, God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27

We don’t know how long Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden. We don’t know if their time in the Garden stretched over months and years but from what we can gather is that they were there for a long time.

But then came the opportunity for the Devil to destroy Eve. I say Eve because we do not read of an encounter between the Devil and Adam. While we know that Adam sinned as well, the Devil approached Eve. His words were to lead her to her destruction and death.

Was it because she was God’s final and highest creation on earth?

Was it because she would be the one that the LORD would use to bring new life to the Garden of Eden and to the world?

Was it because she was more susceptible?

We really don’t know, nor does it do us any good to speculate.

All we know is that according to the story she was the one that was attacked. Attacked with the goal that she would rebel against God, sin and would die. That she would be removed from the scene and gone forever. That God’s perfect plan would now be a pile of dust.

From that time on, women have been the subject of attack repeatedly. That is true today.

+Attacked for their beauty or lack of beauty.

+Attached for their ability to have children or not have children.

+Attached for their ability to be a good mother or not be a good mother.

+Attached for their ability to do certain things or not do certain things.

I don’t claim this morning to understand all that women and mothers in particular go through. I just don’t. I am not able. I am not a woman or a mother.

However, I can read different things about women, I can listen to the stories of women, and I can sit and learn at their feet. I can relish their wisdom and grace.

The story this morning is not at first a wonderful story.

It is not the story that you would might share around the lunch or dinner table.

It is not the story that you would want to call all your friends together and spend time rejoicing over; that is until you understand it in its entirety.

It is not the story of the Proverbs 31 woman, Sarah, Hannah or even Mary.

It is the story of a woman who for most of her life was the subject of scorn, ridicule, injustice and tragedy.

It is the story of a woman who responded to all that happened to her and her family with bravery, fortitude, patience, love, devotion and strength.

It’s a rather strange story. One that you might not think that you would find in the Bible.

In fact, of all the things that had to have happened in David’s time as King of Judah and Israel it is a rather strange story to have made the final cut.

That in itself; that this story survived and then later was written down and has remained for thousands of years causes us to take the time to see what we are to learn, what we are to understand and what we are to do in response.

Rizpah – You don’t hear of very many people with that name.

In a list of popular names, it ranks 23, 093rd. Rizpah means hot coal or hot stove.

The Rizpah in the Bible that we meet in our story has already had to endure a great deal in her life.