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The Existence of God and Mothers 

If God does not exist, how do we explain the existence of mothers?

Genesis 3.20

Don Ruhl • Savage Street, Grants Pass, Oregon • May 12, In the year of our Lord, 2013

 

Prelude: 

  1. People say that God does not exist, but 
    1. I wonder whether those people have ever watched and thought about mothers.
    2. How could you explain the existence of mothers
      1. without the existence of God?
  2. How a woman becomes a mother, 
    1. how she mothers once her child has been born, and
    2. the mysteries and wonders of motherhood
      1. point to a Creator,
      2. who is Himself loving and compassionate toward us.
  3. We are so familiar though, with motherhood 
    1. that we forget to stand back and
    2. see the wonder of it all, for if we did it would
      1. lead us to see that mothers are a creation,
      2. leading us further to magnify their Creator.
  4. Consider an adaptation of Revelation 4.11 for mothers, because 
    1. the text records the twenty-four elders worshiping God
    2. for creating all things, which would include women with the ability to mother,

      “You are worthy, O Lord,
      To receive glory and honor and power;
      For You created all [mothers],
      And by Your will they exist and were created.”
      (Rev 4.11, adaptation)

Persuasion: 

  1. Becoming a Mother Points to a Creator 
    1. Genesis 2 shows why a man and a woman are perfect complements, for
      1. they are different, yet,
      2. similar enough that they can come together and make a child,

        18 And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23 And Adam said:

        “This is now bone of my bones
        And flesh of my flesh;
        She shall be called Woman,
        Because she was taken out of Man.”

        24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Gen 2.18–25).

        1. How the man and the woman come together to begin a new life
        2. cannot be explained by evolution, for
          1. everything had to be developed fully
          2. for it to work from the beginning.
            1. The fact that we are all here
            2. demonstrates that the entire reproductive process
              1. was in place from the beginning and
              2. worked perfectly.
                1. Otherwise, none of us would be here
                2. after the system failed with the first human female!
        3. Adam testified to the significance of the first mother,

          20 And Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living (Gen 3.20).

          1. All people have descended from Eve, and
          2. she was the creation of God.
      3. Therefore, God exists because mothers exist.
        1. Everything about mothers tells us something about God.
        2. God exists because the beauty of motherhood exists.
        3. God exists because mothers give life as God gives life.
    2. Originally, conception and childbirth were better, until Grandma Eve sinned,

      16 To the woman He said:

      “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
      In pain you shall bring forth children;
      Your desire shall be for your husband,
      And he shall rule over you.”
      (Gen 3.16)

    3. Later, the Bible shows Eve having sons, and listen to what she says,

      1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord” (Gen 4.1).

      25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed” (Gen 4.25).

      1. Eve knew what many people do not know,
      2. that God designed the whole mothering system.
        1. Both of these passages show that Grandpa Adam and Grandma Eve
        2. knew that the man was involved, but
          1. just like the farmer grows the food, and
          2. we thank God for our food,
            1. so it was with Eve,
            2. she glorified God for her motherhood.
    4. While the process to become a mother
      1. shows the hand of a super-intelligent Designer,
      2. how a woman acts after the birth of her child also shows God’s handiwork.
  2. Mothering Points to a Creator 
    1. In Romans 1, starting at verse 28,
      1. as Paul shows the consequences for humanity
      2. refusing to retain a knowledge of God, and
        1. the apostle noted some of those consequences in verse 31,

          31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving (Rom 1.31).

        2. The translations provide a variety of words,
          1. NKJV & NASV – unloving
          2. NIV & ESV – heartless
          3. ASV & KJV – without natural affection
            1. In my opinion, the ASV & KJV are the best in this case, but
            2. even they did not go far enough.
      3. The scholars of these translations were dealing with the Greek word,
        1. aÓsto/rgouß from a‡storgoß,
        2. meaning without “natural family affection.”
          1. I bring this up because it speaks of what should be;
          2. we should have affection for our family, it is natural, because
            1. it has been built into us.
            2. We come prepackaged with it.
    2. Watch a mother and you will see natural family affection.
      1. Where did she get it?
      2. Her Creator made her with it.
        1. That is why even mothers who do not believe in God,
          1. who do not follow the teachings of the Scriptures,
          2. who have no interest in being disciples of Christ
            1. have natural family affection.
            2. Yes, she will have to learn many things about motherhood, but
              1. the affection that she has for her children
              2. comes naturally.
                1. How do you teach a mother to look with adoring eyes
                2. upon her baby as it nurses?
    3. Mothering requires a great deal of work, and
      1. so mothers cherish down time or even away time, but then
      2. they miss their children,
        1. yearning for them in the deepest way, because
        2. mothers wrap their lives up in their children.
          1. Who taught them to be that way?
          2. I do not know that such can be taught.
        3. God the Creator put that yearning into the hearts of mothers.

          15 “Can a woman forget her nursing child,
          And not have compassion on the son of her womb?
          Surely they may forget,
          Yet I will not forget you.
          (Isa 49.15)

  3. The Mystery and Wonder of Motherhood Points to a Creator 
    1. Once the seed has been planted,
      1. the woman is passive
      2. as the baby grows within her.
        1. She does not have to water it,
        2. as you would a plant.
          1. She cannot weed, nor
          2. can she do anything else, but
            1. she goes about her daily chores and
            2. the creature grows within her automatically.
    2. Solomon by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit alluded to this wonder,

      5 As you do not know what is the way of the wind,
      Or how the bones grow in the womb of her who is with child,
      So you do not know the works of God who makes everything.
      (Ecc 11.5)

    3. Jesus used this very analogy to speak of our need to be born again,

      1 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” 3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” 9 Nicodemus answered and said to Him, “How can these things be?” (John 3.1–9).

      1. Do you know the way of the wind?
        1. Can you see the wind?
        2. No, we do not know its way,
          1. nor can we see it, but
          2. we benefit from it.
      2. Likewise, while in the womb of our mothers,
        1. did we understand how we grew and developed?
        2. No, but obviously we benefited from it.
      3. Jesus then explained that being born again is like those two phenomenon.
        1. Being born of the flesh and of the Spirit is like the wind,
        2. we know it happens, but
          1. we live with it, for
          2. we cannot fight it.
      4. When we are born again,
        1. we are not born of our mothers again, but
        2. it is a spiritual thing, the spirit inside us
          1. goes through a rebirth.

Exhortation: 

  1. If you have not been born again, 
    1. you will not see the kingdom of God.
    2. If you have not been born of water and the Spirit,
      1. you will not enter the kingdom of God.
      2. That is a mystery, but remember
        1. that even with our advancement in seeing a fetus develop,
        2. there is still mystery and wonder, but
          1. we benefit from it,
          2. so it is with being born again.
  2. We cannot see God forgiving our sins. 
    1. We cannot see God washing us in the blood of Jesus.
    2. However, it happens; so
      1. go through the process and
      2. the Lord shall take care of it for you.
  3. We can see now this world into which we have been born, but 
    1. when we were in the womb,
    2. we could not see it, and
      1. we were perfectly content to stay there.
      2. However, now that we have been born,
        1. we are glad that we went through the birth process, because
        2. look at how much more we have living in this world!
  4. Likewise, when we are born again, 
    1. we can see the church phase of the kingdom of God, but
    2. before being born again,
      1. we could not see all the wonders of being a member of the church, and
      2. now we think we are perfectly happy and content
        1. to continue to stay here on the Earth as members of the church.
        2. However, if we have been born again,
          1. once we reach the heavenly phase of the kingdom of God,
          2. we will be glad that we went through
            1. being born again now, and
            2. that we died so that we could go to God.
  5. I could see how a baby would be frightened to leave the womb, but 
    1. once a child comes into this world,
    2. look at what a good time they have.
      1. We fear going through death, but
      2. what is on the other side,
        1. provided we are born again,
        2. must far exceed the wonders of this life
          1. even as the Earth
          2. far exceeds the wonders of our mother’s womb.
  6. Do not delay being born again anymore, but 
    1. let us assist you in that process,
    2. knowing that God will do something wonderful in you.
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