1. MOTHER’S DAY EXHORTATION
Leviticus 19:3
Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his
father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD
your God.
GOD HONORS MOTHERS
In most places, when God speaks relating to
parents in the Bible, we usually hear about the
father first. However, God speaking to the Jews,
giving the laws to Moses (Leviticus is a book of
laws), here says:
Leviticus 19: 1 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,
2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of
Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the
LORD your God am holy. 3 Ye shall fear every man his
mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the
LORD your God.
So often when we read similar texts, the father is
named first. But, in this case perhaps the Lord
placed the mother first to show her importance
to the family unit. Clearly, from this passage, in putting the mother first, the Lord
shows that mothers are important too.
God is peaking to the Israelites, His people:
1. Be holy
2. Fear your mother (and father)
3. Keep my Sabbaths (holy days)
Notice that “Fear your mother …” is sandwiched between “holiness” and “keeping
Sabbaths.” What does this mean? This suggests that God takes respect for your mother
(parents) seriously and it is related to practical religion. How so you may ask? Because
our parents are our first earthly image of God. Therefore, both parents and children
have responsibility to submit to God’s ordained plan.
Notice too that in the Ten Commandments, honoring your parents is listed fifth in order
immediately after the commands relating to God. What does this tell us? If nothing
else, it tells us that if we are going to worship God, we need to honor our first earthly
authority. God takes parents seriously, and since today is Mother’s Day, we’re going to
focus on mothers.
As a matter of fact caring for family members is connected to the New Testament:
1Timothy 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he
hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

2. In this case, the concern was for widows (often aged mothers). Caring for family
members is considered of such importance, that God equates one who fails to do so as
one who is not of the faith (not Christian). Why is that? Could it be because taking care
of your parents has something to do with how you respond to someone who has loved
you throughout your life? Could it be that it has something to do with what is right?
Let’s talk more about mothers this morning:
Sometimes I hear people say (as I have said in my life):
“My mom is mean”
“My mom is always nagging me”
“My mom is fat”
“My mom doesn’t care about me”
“I hate my mother!”
But I have some questions:
1. Who carried you in her womb for 9 months?
2. Who endured pregnancy for you?
3. Who labored with you (Gen 3:16)
4. Who fed you from her breast when you were a baby?
5. Who prepared milk and changed your diapers?
6. Who carried you and sang to you to put you to sleep?
7. Who took you to the hospital when you were sick?
8. Who gave you medicine?
9. Who woke up late at night to take care of you?
10. Who wipes your nose, cooks your food?
11. Who do you call when you are scared?
12. Who protected you?
“MOMMA!!” (Maybe for some, it’s “Auntie” or “Grandma”)
If your mom doesn’t care about you, why did she do those things?
Mothers are: nurses, doctors, drivers, counselors, teachers, friends, and even “pillows”
In fact, the love and care of a mother is so strong, that the Lord even illustrates His
love to a mother’s:
Isaiah 66:13 As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be
comforted in Jerusalem.
Mothers, you have a great responsibility to be good mothers: MOMs, you can give your
children either a GOOD impression of God or a BAD one. So often the focus is on the
fathers:

3. Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land
which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
But very often fathers come into play later in life for children. But it is mothers who are
on the front line of infancy and early childhood, when fathers are often absent; as in
the case of Eunice and Timothy. Therefore, the mother is to step in and do what is best
for her child:
2Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to
make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
2Timothy 1:5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt
first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.
Timothy’s mother must have taught him the Word of God:
Creation
Adam and Eve
The Fall (that we are all natural born sinners)
The Flood (that God judges wickedness)
The Ten Commandments (that no one is righteous in the sight of God)
The prophets: The day of the Lord (that God will one day judge the world again)
Isaiah 53: The Gospel of the Old Testament
<INSERT GOSPEL MESSAGE HERE>
That Jesus Christ fulfilled the law and the promises and brought salvation . . . so that
when Paul preached (watered) the seeds, they bore fruit unto salvation (compare with
1Timothy 1:2).
MOM, that’s what you need to be doing:
1. Exampling God’s love for your children
Read about Hagar, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, Eunice in the Bible
2. Planting seeds of faith (Romans 10:17; 2Timothy 3:15)
It’s not just MOTHER’s but CHILDREN also have a responsibility to HONOR their
mothers in their mother’s YOUTH and in her OLD AGE:
God commands:
HONOR
Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the
LORD thy God giveth thee.
Honor means:
Fear (respect her)

4. Leviticus 19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I
am the LORD your God.
Not just “dad” but “mom” too
Obey (do what she says)
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
Care for (in her old age)
(Implied) 1Timothy 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to
shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.
Compare with what the Pharisees were doing to their parents in Mark 7:9-13. They
would give their money to the “temple” and call it “corban” or our version of love gift to
the church. However, since they were priests, they could still access this money for
their own purposes but would claim that since it was a gift, they could NOT help their
elderly parents. What a shame! And it is very similar today: Many people give gifts to
the church, minister in the church – giving time and effort and energy, many people
“serve” in the church, but when it comes to their families, specifically their parents, in
our case today, mothers, they NEGLECT them!
What kind of religion is that? The Lord said it was a vain religion, worship only in mouth
and not with heart. Then and now people hide behind “ministry” or “giving” while
neglecting their primary duty to their families. How many churches today, instead of
building up families, DESTROY them with their religious duties and traditions. This
ought not be the case. Read and study this passage to know more, but what I see in
the Scriptures is GOD – FAMILY – CHURCH, it is clear. God places second importance
on the parents, the house, the family, only THEN “worship.” That’s the whole point,
honoring our mothers IS worship, in the second highest degree!
Despise not (when she is old)
Proverbs 23:22 Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when
she is old.
So often, elderly parents are put in old age homes, when they ought to be with loved
ones in their later years, and forgotten about. How sad for us as Christians to be doing
such things.
There are BENEFITS to honoring our mothers:
GOOD
Live long
Ephesians 6:1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father
and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3That it may be well with thee,
and thou mayest live long on the earth.

5. Honoring our parents gives us an initial start into learning how to respect
authority. It provides us with social order, and keeps us from things of this world
that are not hazardous for our health.
Go well
Ephesians 6:
1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right.
2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;)
3That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
Doesn’t life go much better for the good kids?
Who’s the teacher’s favorite? The good/respectful child!
Who is the boss’s favorite worker? The good/respectful employee!
Who do people generally like? The nice, polite, respectful guy/gal!
We are to honor our mother (parents) because it is RIGHT:
1. A duty appointed by God
2. A debt of gratitude
3. For your own good
Failure to understand this will lead you away from RIGHT and into SIN and could end
your life early.
Jesus Christ left us an EXAMPLE:
John 19:25 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary
the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. 26 When Jesus therefore saw his mother, and the
disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! 27
Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her
unto his own home.
Even on the cross, while suffering, the Lord cared NOT for Himself, but cared for His
mother's well-being V28 "all things accomplished" . . . including His mother's care. So
too ought we to care for our mothers. What is your excuse today? What is your cross
that prevents you from caring for your mother? Christ was hanging on a cross yet He
cared enough to make arrangements for His mother. How about us?
HUSBANDS, you too have a responsibility:
You are to honor your wives, the mother of your children in order to demonstrate to
your children how mothers ought to be treated. That being the case, there is no room
for a husband who yells at his wife or mistreats her in front of his children. This does
not honor her, nor does it teach your children right. Of course it does not mean that
the husband is to OBEY his wife, but he is to treat her with respect, courtesy, and care.
The CHURCH also has a responsibility:

6. To treat the older woman as mothers thereby HONOR them
1Timothy 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat [him] as a father; [and] the younger men as
brethren; 2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.
To follow Christ's example to look out for their welfare
REVIEW and CONCLUSION of the MATTER
1. GOD places a HIGH VALUE on honoring our mothers
2. MOTHERS have a RESPONSIBILITY to raise children unto God, to seek what is
the BEST for them
3. CHILDREN have a RESPONSIBILITY to honor their mothers: honor, fear, obey
care for, despise not; and there are CONSEQUENCES to honoring our mother
both GOOD and BAD
4. HUSBANDS have a responsibility to honor their wives before their children

7. 5. The CHURCH also has a responsibility to honor mothers
6. We are to honor mothers because it is RIGHT
7. Jesus Christ left us an EXAMPLE of how to treat mothers