Godly Motherhood Resolved | Proverbs 31:10-31, John 16:20-22

Proverbs 31 and the Excellence of Godly Womanhood

Let's get started beloved by turning over in our Bibles once again to the book of Proverbs chapter 31 beginning in verse 10 Proverbs 31.

Verse 10 Proverbs 31 verse 10 an.

Excellent wife. Woman who can find for her worth is far above pearls. The heart of her husband trusts in her and he will have no lack of gain. She deals Bountifully with him for good and not evil all the days of her life.

She searches for wool and flax and works with her hands and delights. She is like merchant ships. She brings her food from afar. And she rises while it is still night and gives food to her household and a portion to her young women.

To her young women. She makes plans for a field and buys it from the fruit of her hands. She plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and it makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good.

Her lamp does not go out at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff and her hands hold fast to the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor and she stretches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

She makes coverings for herself. Her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates when he sits with the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them and gives belts to the tradesmen.

Strength and majesty are her clothing and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom and the instruction of loving kindness is on her tongue. She watches over the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.

Her children rise up and bless her as for her husband. He also praises her saying many daughters Have done excellently, but you have gone above them all. Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears Yahweh.

She shall be praised give to her from the fruit of her hands and let her works praise her in the gates.

Amen.

So beloved this is the the third part of this series that I've been preaching through on godly motherhood and You can tell from the sermon title today Godly motherhood resolved.

A Woman of Excellence and Modesty

Resolved I.

Really like that word resolved. What does that word mean? Godly motherhood resolved according to Webster's 1828 dictionary. The word resolve means to separate the parts of a complex idea to reduce to simple parts or to first principles to analyze to analyze to explain to inform in order to free from doubt or perplexity confusion as to resolve the conscience.

To settle in an opinion or to make certain. Amen, that's what I really like that word. And this is precisely what I have been seeking to do in this series on godly motherhood because of the confusion in today's society in The feminist age that we live in the worldly Age that we live in it is very important to draw the lines where God draws them and Scripture is very clear in respect to with respect to the roles for men and women and for mothers.

And We read from today's passage once again that God himself in his word celebrates godly Motherhood and feminine virtue as worthy of everyone's praise everyone's praise. Which the virtuous woman of strength lives out in all of a woman's identities.

Roles.

Responsibilities relationships and so on. So this is what In a very real sense, it's all about for a woman. On the other hand however feminism mocks and dismisses God's order God's institution and God's commands for men and women and Families it dismisses them as toxic masculinity.

It calls it talk. That's a Saying you may have heard these days toxic masculinity previously. I had said Toxic patriarchy which they probably also use but the main term is toxic masculinity. Which essentially is to say that masculinity that resembles Men that makes you look like a man or act like a man according to traditional roles and really biblical roles.

They consider to be toxic because it's orderly and hierarchical and They don't like the idea of hierarchy and patriarchy as well. For that same reason now we have also seen how a godly mother a Godly mother so the past couple weeks.

I covered how a godly mother is a godly daughter. She's a godly daughter of her parents and of her of God her father and She is also a godly wife. She is also a godly wife and a godly woman. A godly mother is a godly woman.

A Godly mother cannot be a man contrary to what today's society will tell you LGBT and all that other nonsense that sinful wickedness a godly mother is and can only be a woman. Now she is a godly woman of Excellence.

She is a woman of excellence like Proverbs Teaches us right it. Let's turn back to Proverbs 31 and verse 21. I want to read a few verses from this this passage here. To bring this out in Proverbs 31 verse 21.

In verse 21 we read. She is not afraid of the snow for her household for all her household are clothed with scarlet. With scarlet and that's probably wool scarlet wool To keep everybody warm. Verse 22.

I'm gonna read from the Amplified. She makes for herself coverlets coverings Cushions and rugs of tapestry. Her clothing is linen pure and fine and purple wool and verse 24 she makes fine linen garments and sells them and supplies sashes or belts to the merchants.

Amen.

So.

This woman godly woman of excellence. Not only does she not neglect herself. She takes good care of herself and of her family but this godly woman and godly mother of strength and of virtue is marked by Excellence in everything that she does in every aspect of her life.

Every aspect of her life whether it's personal herself. Whether it's Personal whether it's family her family her household her husband whether it's business her business or Whether it's with her neighbors or the the needy.

So.

This is very important To that the scripture is very clear about highlighting this aspect of that godly woman of virtue of excellence and I I Wanted to bring this up because I didn't mention this last time but notice that she her clothing is linen pure and fine and purple wool.

This is very important too because in our day We have all of this synthetic clothes polyester and spandex and all this stuff that's really not very good for us.

But.

These fabrics these clothing that are pure linen wool cotton this is good quality clothing that lasts and it is made with excellence and. Notice also the that the color the color is purple. It's purple Which represents royalty?

It's a royal color it represents Excellence it represents excellence and high value high worth. It's valuable as she is valuable far more than rubies right like the passage says earlier. Now these clothing that she wears.

These fine clothes that are pure and excellent. She doesn't wear them because she is immodest or vain. She does not wear costly attire like The New Testament says to in order to bring attention to herself in a superficial way.

It's not in a superficial way or a vain way. After all she is the one who designed and made the clothing. She designed and made the clothing Which highlights her own prudence and frugality. As opposed to buying expensive clothes she designs and makes them excellent.

That's what we saw from first timothy chapter 2 verse 9. Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing with modesty and self-restraint self-control not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing.

But rather by means of good works. As is proper for women professing godliness as is proper for a godly woman.

Amen.

Just like this virtuous woman of proverbs 31 Just like that. Her focus and her attention should not be on.

Her.

Appearance to attract people for vanity's sake it should be on Her character her good works. She should adorn herself with good works. And those good works like proverbs 31 Explains will praise her in the gates in the city.

This is right in line with the virtuous woman. This is the virtuous woman of godliness And of worth of value. Likewise first peter chapter 3 verse 3 through 4.

Says.

Your adornment Your clothing your attire Must not be merely external braiding the hair and wearing gold jewelry or Preoccupied with putting on garments. What to wear, you know, some women take hours Try and address themselves.

That is not Fitting for a godly woman to spend an inordinate amount of time Figuring out what to wear especially for vanity's sake. But let it be the hidden person of the heart The inner Woman the inner character the inner person.

Let it be that with the incorruptible quality of a lowly and quiet spirit Which is precious in the sight of god, which is valuable in the sight of god. It's excellent in the sight of god virtuous in the sight of god because a woman of virtue A woman of excellence both knows and believes What the word says that charm is deceitful And beauty is vain.

But a woman who fears yahweh she shall be praised. She shall be praised according to verse 30 of proverbs 31.

A Godly Mother Is a Godly Christian

Now.

This brings me to the next important Point in this chain of what makes a godly mother and the next point.

Is.

That a godly mother is a godly christian. A godly mother is a godly christian. By definition we but we must first understand this. Godliness Applies to both men and women. It applies to everyone women children so on.

Men but in different ways. In different ways and manners. Because of the differences. Of the differences. In their god-designed and god-ordained Identities roles responsibilities relationships and so on.

Because their very purpose and natures are different. We are different we are distinct. We are not the same. Now we are both humans, obviously human nature.

But.

Men men and women are different and they were designed to be different by god to fit distinctive roles. The woman to nurture to care. To raise her children and submit to her husband. As the head. The man to love his wife as christ loved the church.

To protect her provide for her priest of the home and so on that is what scripture Teaches very clearly. This is the most some of the most clearest teaching in the bible and yet it is sadly very Controversial and has fallen by the wayside even in churches today.

Because of the feminist spirit of the age but at the root and foundation of it all. The proverbs. 31 woman Of excellence and virtue and strength as a whole is a woman of faith. She is a woman of faith not in herself.

Not in her independence, which is what feminism teaches to have faith in your own self as a woman. But she is grounded in god her creator and her father. She who fears yahweh. She shall be praised amen, that's the woman of virtue.

Because charm is deceitful and beauty is vain but superficial beauty is vain. But a woman who fears yahweh a godly woman who knows yahweh and believes in him In his word and follows yahweh. She shall be praised in the gates.

She by her by everyone by her children by her husband by her family her neighbors by everyone she is First and foremost a believer. She is a believer in the truth of god and his word. And of what god has said and instructed for her to do as a godly mother and wife and daughter and christian and woman.

And this is exactly what we've been seeing in the series that i've been preaching on first john.

That.

Belief in the truth is what saves and sanctifies us as god's people. A godly mother. A godly mother is a godly Christian who listens to the words? to the teaching To the doctrine of god and his own son jesus christ and believes them to be true Accepts them as true.

She can smile at the future like proverbs 31. Rejoices Is because she trusts god and in his witness and gift of eternal life. According to 1st john 5 11 Amen, this is what is at the root and foundation of it all you cannot be a godly anything apart from believing Believing god that he is a rewarder of those who diligently Seek him and of his gospel.

A godly mother. Then is all of these amazing and wonderful things and more. And this has been the main theme or the main thesis of the entire series. A godly mother is not just a mother. She cannot just be a mother.

She is a composite of godliness. She is composed also of godly daughterhood. Of godly daughterhood godly wifehood godly womanhood. Godly christianhood I looked it up that is a word by the way, but it kind of fell out of use in the 1800s.

Christianhood christ likeness christ likeness according to her feminine nature and roles and so on and of course Last but not least a godly mother Is just that she is.

A.

Godly mother. So this entire series i've been preaching about all of the aspects of godly motherhood.

But.

The the most obvious of which is the fact that she is a mother a godly mother. Now let's turn back over to proverbs 31 and see What a godly mother looks like and does in proverbs 31. Verse 15. Proverbs 31.

Verse 15 tells us this. God's word says. And she the godly mother Rises while it is still night And gives food to her household To her household And a portion to her young women or maidens. She is generous.

She is sharing And she cares for her household. Take careful note of that. Verse 21. She is not afraid of the snow for her household. Why. For all her household are clothed with scarlet? with with warm.

Wool.

And fabric and clothing. So notice what does she focus her time and efforts on. What does this godly mother focus her time on. What does she preoccupy herself with? She opens her mouth in wisdom. Verse 26.

And the instruction of loving kindness is on her tongue. Especially for who? Especially for her children. Verse 27. She watches over the ways of.

Who.

Her household. Her household. She exercises careful discernment Over her family and she does not eat the bread of idleness. She diligently cares for and preoccupies herself with her home. With her home.

Her children her children rise up Enthusiastically and bless her. Because she is a godly mother. She is a godly mother of virtue and excellence in all that. She does including mothering including. Being a homemaker.

A homemaker. Right, so remember beloved remember this very important lesson from god's word godly motherhood in a sense.

Is.

A result or a consequence of all those other godly traits and characteristics characteristics Of being a godly daughter and wife and woman and christian. Godly motherhood is the the outflow the the logical Outflow of all of those other roles and parts identities responsibilities roles all of those things.

And a godly mother treasures motherhood. She treasures motherhood. She aspires to be a godly mother. She grows in godly motherhood. She grows in godly motherhood. Finds fulfillment and contentment in godly motherhood and in her home.

That's where she finds her purpose beloved in her home. And that's exactly what? Proverbs Says to her it teaches us here in verse 13 proverbs 31. 13 She searches for wool and flax and works with her hands how in delight in delight Beloved she rejoices in caring for and providing for Her home for home making.

She.

Finds her purpose in her home rather than in a career outside of the home. Or unbiblical independence to seek independence from a man. Which like we saw last few weeks is antichrist. That's satanic. Turn with me beloved to titus chapter 2.

Titus 2 and the Call to Homemaking and Submission

Titus chapter 2 as we see a very critical passage on the subject of godly Motherhood and womanhood And wifehood and so on. Titus chapter 2 verse 1 in this letter. This pastoral letter the apostle paul is instructing titus the younger pastor To teach his people certain things.

Verse 1. But as for you pastor titus. Teach the things which are in agreement with sound doctrine With truth Of god in his word, which produces men and women of good character of virtue of excellence whose lifestyle Identifies them as true christians.

I'm reading from the amplified here as opposed to the legacy standard bible. Older men are to be temperate self-controlled dignified sensible sound in faith In love in steadfastness christ-like in character older women older women Similarly are to be reverent in their behavior Not malicious gossips nor addicted to much wine.

But teaching what is right and good. So that they may encourage the young women to do what? To do what beloved to tenderly love their husbands and their children As godly wives and mothers. To be sensible pure.

What else? Homemakers. Homemakers where god is honored good-natured being subject to whom beloved to their own Husbands once again, we've seen this command numerous times in scripture. Subject to their own husbands as their head So that the word of god will not be dishonored.

Amen. Now keep in mind beloved. When a woman gets married the headship Transitions from her father to that of her husband. The father the husband now becomes her head And she has to submit to him. She is still to honor her father and respect her father, but she does not submit to him In the way that she used to when she was single.

Now her submission is primarily to her own husband to her own husband.

And.

A godly mother as we've seen. Is not afraid of getting her hands dirty but rejoices in it of learning various homemaking skills and real estate skills to buy property and farming skills to for the vineyard.

And.

Business skills to sell her craft. Entrepreneur skills to to pursue her business. But for what? Purpose. To what end does she do those things. Beloved to what end? It is for the primary purpose and end of blessing her own home.

Her husband and her children primarily and by extension her name her friends and her neighbors.

The needy therefore.

Beloved do not confuse. We have to be careful here not to confuse the enterprising diligence Of the excellent woman in proverbs 31 for what feminism teaches and advocates for. Because everything that she does is not primarily for herself or just for herself.

But rather for others. Her husband her home her neighbors.

Amen.

This is what the godly woman of virtue and mother does. This is where.

Her.

Heart is. You may have heard the phrase home is where the heart is. And her heart. It's really the other way around. Her heart is in her home. It's for her home. Primarily John uh, the the reformed theologian john robbins has some Helpful words here.

Commentary on Proverbs 31. He says the woman of proverbs 31. Must negotiate with other merchants. Again, however in this day of women's liberation Feminism and so on there is a danger of reading too much into proverbs 31.

All the woman's activities were home centered centered around the home For the purpose of her home and it was her husband who sat in the gates of the city. The husband sat in the gates of the city Not the woman.

She wasn't Constantly outside her home. She sought things outside the home to bring them back to her home and Uh develop it make her home.

Amen.

The Joy and Sacrifice of Motherhood in John 16

Let's turn over now to the gospel of john chapter 16. This is a very beautiful passage from the words of christ our lord. And the gospel of john chapter chapter 16 verse 20. John chapter 16 verse 20. Our christ our lord says Truly truly I say to you That you will cry and lament But the world will rejoice.

You will be sorrowful, but your sorrow will be turned into joy. Whenever a woman is in labor, she has sorrow Because her hour has come Birth birth pains and so on. But when she gives birth to the child She no longer remembers the suffering because of the joy That a child has been born into the world.

Amen.

Therefore You too have sorrow now, but I will see you again and your heart will rejoice And no one will take your joy away from you. What an amazing passage from christ our lord. How he uses the illustration of a woman giving birth.

As.

A beautiful transition of sorrow and pain.

Into.

Utter joy because She has brought a child into the world. Christ our lord celebrates.

And.

Because he is god and god himself celebrates Motherhood. Godly motherhood as a good thing. A joyous blessing. Yes, it has its pain. It has its sorrows its difficulties. But it is a blessing. A joyous blessing for everyone.

For everyone. Beloved. That's the important thing to recognize here. Godly motherhood is a joyous blessing for everyone. For the children Who are raised up according to her godly instruction? For the husband who is Whom she is good to all the days of her life and not evil.

The family the society. For the entire world. Godly motherhood blesses everyone including her needy neighbors and so on. It is a blessing to everyone. But the world the flesh the devil. Feminism and so on.

Despises motherhood. It despises precisely what jesus celebrates as joyous. Because it advocates murdering your child if you choose to abort. Rather than celebrate it as a good thing They teach women to hate themselves and their own seed their own children.

Because it despises motherhood at its very core at its very essence and nature as if it were a bad thing. But that is what jesus illustrates it highlights in this passage one of the very.

Core.

Essences. The nature of being a woman and a mother is to give birth to children by definition to have children. Yet feminism influences both men and women both men and women and children to despise motherhood.

Because it is self-centered because it makes you your own god above everything else like i've preached on the fast past few weeks.

Whereas.

Godly motherhood is the exact opposite. Godly motherhood submits to her husband to her head to her to god her father to his word. And godly motherhood is selfless and sacrificial. Godly motherhood is selfless.

And sacrificial because it is christ-like. That's what christ did for us. It is christ-like. A godly because a godly mother once again. Who does she prioritize? She prioritizes others. She prioritizes her husband her children her family her home.

She doesn't neglect herself, but she focuses on her home. And makes everything beautiful. She makes it a home. For her her for her household including her young maidens and so on.

And.

And at the same time She slams the door shut against all the influence all the noise And all the nonsense of the outside world that tells her to do. Otherwise That is godly motherhood beloved.

And.

Godly motherhood is not the only purpose of a woman. It's not the only purpose. Some women are not mothers. And may not be able to be mothers. But that nurturing instinct that god has given all women is something that should be exercised.

As older women, that's why the bible says instruct the younger women. Instruct the younger women. Because of that motherly impulse that god has given to every woman. See that's why a lot of women sometimes they get they preoccupies themselves with a bunch of cats, you know the cat lady.

They get all these pets and cats because they have a mothering instinct but that instinct needs to be nurtured and fostered.

With.

Godly direction in the church. Right in the church towards the godly. Instructing young women to love their husbands and their home their children as godly wives and mothers. That's what needs to be the focus.

That's what is the focus of the godly mother.

And.

So.

It's not the only purpose of a woman to be a mother. But it should be and is one of the principal ones beloved. Especially when her children are still living in her home especially then. And even when she gets older and the children move out.

Her focus then can be more towards the women in her church and her grandchildren also by extension as the lord blesses The family.

Motherhood, Society, and the Reformed Witness

Now.

This this brings me to a very public important public service announcement. Okay in case you didn't know It should be obvious, but the world Goes goes directly against this and opposes this with every fiber of their wicked being but on a very obvious and basic level.

If women stop becoming mothers humanity declines and falls.

Into.

Extinction humanity ceases to exist when women stop becoming mothers. It is foundational to society. Motherhood is foundational to society to humanity and yet sadly feminism.

Feminism.

Despises motherhood. It is anti-human. It is antichrist. I have a excellent quote here from aw pink. He says any any teaching that leads men and women to think of the marriage bond as the sign of bondage or slavery and the sacrifice of all independence to construe wifehood and motherhood as drudgery And interference with women's higher destiny and higher purpose any public sentiment to cultivate celibacy As more desirable and honorable or to substitute Anything else for marriage and home not only invades god's ordinance But opens the door to nameless crimes and threatens the very foundations of society.

Amen.

Brilliantly said. And this Feminism first wave feminism wasn't even around in his in his time. And that spirit was already there. It's always been there. From jezebel and even with eve. It took a hold of eve and she was deceived by the serpent.

That spirit of deception That took hold of eve. There is. That is why the woman has to be in subjection and must be covered spiritually.

By.

Her covering her man. Whether it's her father or her husband.

Or.

God her father if she has none. But that is the important thing to recognize just at a basic foundational societal level. So then in the words of the preacher In ecclesiastes the conclusion of the matter After all that has been heard is this a godly mother Is not just a mother.

She is a godly daughter. She is a godly wife a godly woman a godly christian Who fears god and keeps his commandments in all her god-ordained roles and identities? For this is her all. This is her all What god has designed her to be a beautiful virtuous An excellent thing to be a godly mother that loves And builds up her home rather than tear it down.

Like the jezebel spirit and the feminist spirit. She builds up her home. She is good to her husband and her children. And to those around her. Amen, I want to quote, uh close out with this excellent quote from john angel james he was a Congregationalist minister.

He says. And now to sum up all Consider a woman's a mother's charge an immortal creature Her children a mother's duty To train her children up for god for heaven and eternity. A mother's dignity to educate the family of the almighty creator of the universe a mother's difficulty To raise a fallen sinful creature to holiness and virtue.

A mother's Encouragement the promise of divine grace.

Amen.

To assist her in her momentous duties a mother's relief. To bear the burden of her cares to god in prayer and a mother's hope. To meet her child in glory everlasting and spend eternal ages of delight with him before the throne of god and the lamb.

And god's people said Amen. I love that summary of law and gospel the duties of the mother and the blessing and hope and and Uh glory and encouragement of the mother. It's both there and god provides us everything that we need for life and godliness.

Amen, including you sisters you mothers you women you wives. All of those things are given to you by god through his means his word of truth and through Live living it out in the local church beloved In jesus name.

Amen. Let's go ahead and close out with a word of prayer Our precious heavenly father. We thank you so much lord for This word of truth. We thank you for This awesome these awesome passages that very clearly instruct us in the ways of godly Motherhood and daughterhood and wifehood and christianhood lord of how to be godly in all of these identities and roles.

Thank you father for showing us your ways and your manners and how They are not the ways of this world lord. Help us to be salt and light As your children father your sons and daughters as and and give this Help the mothers in our church lord in our churches.

The women and the mothers and the aspiring mothers with these charges to understand these charges and duties The dignity of motherhood the difficulty and encouragement relief and hope of motherhood father god help them with all of those things Lord bless them and help the older women also lord the older women to encourage and model christlikeness and godly motherhood to our younger Women as well father help us to be a church that reflects these things.

All of these aspects traits and characteristics of godliness lord in all of our lives in all of our distinct Genders and roles and god-ordained duties and responsibilities that you have laid on us all.

We thank you father and we ask these things in christ almighty your son's name. Amen. Thank you for listening to the sermons of thorn crown covenant baptist church where the bible alone. And the bible in its entirety is applied to all of faith and life.

We strive to be biblical reformed historic confessional loving discerning christians who evangelize Stand firm in and earnestly contend for the christian faith. If you're looking for a church in the el paso texas area or for more information about our church sermons and ministries such as semper reformanda radio and thorn crown network podcasts Please contact us at thorn crown ministries .com and may the mercy peace and love of our triune god be multiplied to you.