RoyalMothers

This week's Sabbath reading portion seems to speak a great deal about the importance of mothers, not just as biological parents, but as spiritual determiners. The Book of Proverbs begins: "The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel." (Prov. 1:1). While kings inherit the throne through their fathers, as we see here, the kings are often identified specifically in scripture by their mothers, as well. Further along in the first chapter of Proverbs, Solomon writes about attaining wisdom, knowledge and understanding. He wrote: "My son, hear the instruction (musar/yasar - discipline, chastening, correction, restraint, warning, reproof, rebuke, instruction, doctrine (see also 2 Tim. 4:1-2)/reform, chastise with blows, punish) of your father, and do not forsake (natas - leave, cease, abandon, cast off, let fall, lie fallow) the law (torah/yara - law, direction, human or divine instruction and direction, body of prophetic teaching, precept, law of sacrifice/shoot arrows, teach, point out, flow as water) of your mother (em - mother, point of departure or division, mother of the way, a parting of the road, source and head of the way, leading city, to set an example, to teach, she who bestows benefits on others); For they will be a graceful (hen - favor, grace, kindness, good will) ornament (livya/lava - wreath, garland/to be joined to, cleave, abide, to unite by twining, joined closely) on your head, and chains (anaq - necklace, stature, adorn with neck ornament, liberally furnish, supply, carried on the neck by a shepherd) about your neck." (v. 8-9). We can see here that the role of the mother who sets the direction, is to be related to the Torah, the Word of God. As a result of the influence of both parents, the child's life will be full of the honor, grace, and favor of God. This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Chayyei Sarah, or "The life of Sarah". It covers Gen. 23 through 24, and actually begins with Sarah's death! So why is it called "The life of Sarah"? Sarah's death will create a new direction, a point of departure from current circumstances (see above Hebrew meaning of "mother"), as Abraham sends his servant out of Canaan to find his son, Isaac, a wife from Abraham's relatives. Sarah's name plays a very important role in this new direction. Her original name, Sarai, means "princess, nobility/prince, captain, ruler, governor, keeper, leader, commander/to have power, prevail over, reign, dominion". The LORD earlier said to Abraham: "As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah (sara - noblewoman or lady, princess, queen, wife of a nobly-born king) shall be (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega: see Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) her name. And I will bless her and also give you a son by her; then I will bless her; and she shall be a (mother) of nations; kings of peoples shall come from her." (Gen. 17:15-16). Eve was called "the mother of all living", but, as we can see from this, Sarah could be considered to be "the mother of the royalty of God's covenant people", as God renamed her. Before we leave the generation of Sarah, we can look at another mother of kings, which was Hagar, the Egyptian maid of Sarah, and the mother of Abraham's first born son, Ishmael. Isaac would be the son of the covenant with God, but Ishmael would be blessed by God also for Abraham's sake. The LORD said to Abraham: "And as for Ishmael, ...Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly. He shall beget twelve princes, and I will make him a great nation. But My covenant I will establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to you..." (Gen. 17:20-21). How did Hagar, Ishmael's mother, play a role as a royal "point of departure" (see definition of "mother", above)? Sarah had Hagar and Ishmael cast out of Abraham's camp because Ishmael had mocked the covenant heir, Isaac. Hagar and Ishmael were in the wilderness, out of water, and dying of thirst (Gen. 21:9-14), but God had made a promise. Hagar threw (salak - throw, hurl, fling, cast away, cast forth) her (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) child, Ishmael, under (tahat/toah - beneath, at the foot of, under subjection/humble, lowly) a bush (siah - bush, shrub, meditation, speak, commune, pray, declare, ponder, to bring forth). (v. 15). Hagar didn't place her son under the shrub, but threw him under it. The word for "shrub" is siah, which is part of the word "Messiah", who is also called The Branch. At this moment, God opened Hagar's (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eyes to see a well of water, and she and her (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) son filled their (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) skins or bottles with the water of the well: "So God was with the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) child." (v. 19-20). Hagar established the life of her son under the covering of the yet-to-be-born Messiah, Jesus. This makes Hagar the Egyptian a "mother" in the spiritual sense as well as an instructor in the Torah, the prophetic teaching, the law of sacrifice, flowing like water, as defined above, as she threw her son at the feet of the prophesied Messiah. She had learned well while in Abraham's household. The LORD spoke twice into Hagar's life, giving her direction, and she listened to the LORD, and both she and her son were preserved, prospered, and the kings came forth from Ishmael as promised. We read about another woman who walked in the life or manner of Sarah in this Sabbath reading. Abraham sent his servant back to his family to find a wife for his son, Isaac, after Sarah died. Abraham assured his servant that the angel of the LORD would be sent before him to help him (Gen. 24:7). The servant asked the LORD's help in identifying the right one for his master's son. The servant waited by a well because the women of the town would come to draw water (v. 10-11). The servant prayed: "Now let it be that the young woman to whom I say, "Please let down your pitcher (kad - earthen vessel) that I may drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I will also give your camels a drink' - let her be the one You have appointed for Your servant, Isaac..." (v. 14). Rebekah approached the well, and did all that Abraham's servant had prayed. She gave the servant water, and watered the ten camels (v. 18-20). We see here in Rebekah the qualities of a mother by God's definition: she was quick to bestow benefits upon others, and she exhibited the Torah, the Word of God, as flowing water. This is the one whom the LORD had appointed for Isaac. She ultimately agreed to go back to Canaan to marry Isaac. As they approached the area of Isaac's tent, which had been his mother, Sarah's, tent, "Then Rebekah lifted her (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) eyes, and when she saw (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Isaac, she dismounted from her camel.." (v. 64). She asked the servant who the man was who was walking to meet them. The man was Isaac, the servant answered. We have discovered before that when the expression "lifted the eyes and saw" is used, the person is seeing by nasa resurrection, or spiritual, ra'a sight. Rebekah was a comfort to Isaac in the loss of his mother, Sarah (v. 67). We know that in the future, Rebekah will hear from the LORD regarding the twins she is carrying in her womb, and she will "set the point of departure or division, the parting of the road" between the two sons, according to the direction and election of the LORD. One of the sons, Jacob, who is named in the genealogy of Jesus, will later be renamed "Israel" by the LORD who said to him: "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel (yisrael/sara - "God prevails"/ have power as a prince, contend, persevere, leader, commander, prince, to set in order): for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed." (Gen. 32:28 KJV). It is also interesting to note that scripture makes sure to tell us that Rebekah is the granddaughter of Nahor and his wife Milcah, whose name means "queen"! (Gen. 24:15). In another portion from this Sabbath's reading, Chayyei Sarah, from 1 Kings 1, another mother, Bathsheba, will heed the words of the prophet, Nathan, joining herself to that part of the Torah that is the "body of prophetic teaching" (see above), and will insure that the Kingdom of Israel will pass from King David, who at this time was very old, to his tenth son, Solomon, Bathsheba's son, who is named in the genealogy of Jesus (see Mt. 1:6-7). David's fourth son, Adonijah, had tried to take the throne before his father's death, saying, "I will be king." (1 Kings 1:5). Scripture tells us that David had not rebuked Adonijah at any time for this (v. 6), which is part of the instruction of a father, as we saw above in Proverbs. Because of the intervention of Nathan and Bathsheba, David commanded that Solomon be anointed king while David was still alive (v. 32-35), to be king in David's place, a remarkable thing for a sitting king to do. Again we see that a mother in the Spirit will point to the royal path appointed by God, in addition to other attributes. Finally, in the last reading portion from this Sabbath, we see another mother who will stand at the head of the way, at the fork of the road. She will establish the line that will lead to David, a future king, and forefather of Jesus Christ, the King of Kings, the greatest King in heaven and earth. Ruth's mother-in-law, Naomi, was the widow of Elimelech ("My God is King"). (Ruth 1:1-2). We are speaking here of the royalty of God, Himself. Not only was Naomi's husband dead, but so were her two sons. Would the royal line of God end here? No! Naomi accepted the Moabitess Ruth's plea to return with Naomi to Israel, near Bethlehem, even as Ruth accepted the God of Israel, Naomi's God, as her God also (Ruth 1:16). There lived an older unmarried (therefore also having no descendants) relative of Elimelech, Boaz (meaning "fleetness"). Boaz first saw Ruth gleaning in his field after the reapers had gone through to harvest the main crop. Ruth sought to feed Naomi and herself in this manner. She valued every blade of grain, even those left behind from the larger harvest. She and Naomi, being widows, had no other source of provision. Boaz made sure that Ruth would come to no harm (Ruth 2:8-9). Ruth asked Boaz why she had found such favor with him, and he answered: "It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before. The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge." (v. 11-12). Naomi lived in the manner of a spiritual mother, who bestows benefits on others (see above). Boaz made haste, as his name "fleetness" tells us, to clear the way for him to marry Ruth. Her mother-in-law, Naomi assured Ruth: "...the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day." (Ruth 3:18). Their son, Obed (meaning "servant, laborer, worshipper [of God]"), was the grandfather of David. Ruth was well deserving by her character to have become a mother to the royalty of God. To me, all of these examples of spiritually appointed mothers of the royalty of God is what is meant as following after "Chayyai Sarah", the life of Sarah. Man has its set idea regarding the meaning of "mother", considering only the natural condition, and many limit themselves to, and are directed by this understanding. However, God expects us "to lift up our eyes and see" His revelation in the Spirit. The believers in Christ are called to be kings and priests, and a royal priesthood, serving after the royalty and priesthood of Jesus. If you would like to know more about the call of royalty of God in Christ, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You have provided spiritual mothers and fathers for us, and have called us to be spiritual mothers and fathers to others, to direct the way to the royal household and calling of God. Teach us through Your Word, Jesus, and by Your Holy Spirit, to understand and to walk in this by the examples that You have given to us in this Sabbath reading. I ask this in the name of Jesus, AMEN."