Mother's Day 2023*

We at Everlasting Covenant have always experienced wonders and miracles on Mother's Day. Couples having trouble conceiving children found that God opened the womb, and they were able to have children. The connection between mothers and miracles is written of in Scripture. Even after the fall of man, this special purpose of women was clearly spoken: "And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living." (Gen. 3:20). The Hebrew word for "Eve", which is hava, means "life, living, life-giver", and the individual pictographic Hebrew letters of hava have the meaning, "Behold the bond, the protector, the inner room". Women are bonded to the life they bring forth in a strong way. They are protective of that life, and "the inner room" associated with the letters of this word can relate to the womb, the inner chamber of life. This is a powerful purpose, to be the life-giver, and protector of all living. Now, however, this God-created purpose of women has been devalued by our society. There is an account in Scripture where the king of Israel, Solomon, having been gifted by God with wisdom, discernment and understanding in order to rule God's people rightly (1 Kings 3:9-14), must decide a dispute between two women, each claiming to be the rightful mother of a baby. Both mothers lived in the same household and had given birth within 3 days of each other. The baby of the second woman to give birth died, and she took the baby of the first woman while she was sleeping, and replaced that living child with her dead child. The first mother said to the king: "And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead: but when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son, which I did bear." (v. 16-21). A true mother knows her own child. When confronted, the second woman claimed that the living child was hers. The king considered the matter, and said: "...Bring me a sword...Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one, and half to the other. Then spake the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her bowels (womb) yearned (heated) upon her son, and she said, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it." (v. 22-26). The real mother of the living child would do anything to protect and save its life, while the lying mother agreed to have the child cut in half (v. 26). By this, the king was able to determine who the true mother of the living child was, and all Israel marvelled at the wisdom of God that had been given to the king. (v. 27-28). Not only did all of Israel acknowledge the wisdom of Solomon in his decision, but the whole world knows this account of the wisdom of Solomon. The king identified the true mother of the living child from her protective nature. True mothers are life-givers, not life-takers. In Proverbs 31, a mother is prophesying to her son, the king. What is fit behavior for a king, and what kind of wife should the king seek? What kind of mother should she be? The wife of this king should be virtuous, making her more valuable than rubies, the rarest and most costly of the precious gems. He can trust her, as she always seeks to do him good and not evil. This wife's vision is not limited to her own household and to the present, but is expanded to include rich fields, and fruitful vineyards that will yield into the future. She is diligent, not only for her own household, but for the poor and needy as well. She and her family are clothed in the fabric of royalty and salvation (crimson). Her clothing is not just outer garments, but they reflect her inner character of wisdom and the kindness of the law. Because of her excellence, and the excellence of her household, her husband is given equal honor and position of authority as men older than himself would normally receive. Both her husband and children know and acknowledge that she is a woman of excellence in every way. This woman is of such an excellent spirit, impacting her whole household and community, because: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates." (v. 30-31). The life-giving, protective, and impactful spirit of motherhood is based upon a kind of spiritual motherhood in heaven. It is the mother that gave birth to all who believe: "But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was , are the children of promise." (Gal. 4:26-28). This is the prophetic promise given to us from our mother, Jerusalem that is above. Although anti-Semitism, and other forms of ethnic and racial hatred are proliferating today, Scripture tells us that all the people of the earth came forth from one blood, and from the eight souls that survived the flood in the ark. Our mother is the Jewish city of heaven, even as our Messiah, Jesus, is a Jewish Messiah. Ladies, God has empowered you to be life-givers, life protectors, and an inner room of life. *Based on Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 5/14/23 message to the church. To contact us, submit a prayer request, give a praise report, or to support this ministry: P.O. Box 154221, Waco, TX, 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com. You can also find us on Facebook, Twitter, theshroudofturin.org, and END TIME SCHOOL, also on Facebook. You can also get a free ebook titled "The Shroud of Turin- A Perfect Summary" at www.TheShroudofTurin.org/freebook.