Daily Scripture: 2 Kings 8:25 It was in the twelfth year of Yoram the son of Ach’av king of Isra’el that Achazyah the son of Y’horam king of Y’hudah began his reign. 26 Achazyah was twenty-two years old when he began to rule, and he ruled for one year in Yerushalayim. His mother’s name was ‘Atalyahu the daughter of ‘Omri king of Isra’el. 27 He lived after the example of the house of Ach’av; he did what was evil from Adonai’s perspective, as had the house of Ach’av; for he was a son-in-law in the house of Ach’av.
11:1 When ‘Atalyah the mother of Achazyah saw that her son was dead, she set about destroying the entire royal family. 2 But Y’hosheva the daughter of King Yoram, sister of Achazyah, took Yo’ash the son of Achazyah and stole him away from among the princes who were being slaughtered. She took him and his nurse, sequestered them in a bedroom, and hid them from ‘Atalyah, so that he was not killed. 3 He remained hidden with his nurse in the house of Adonai for six years; during this time ‘Atalyah ruled the land.
Exodus 1:22 Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: “Every boy that is born, throw in the river; but let all the girls live.”
2 A man from the family of Levi took a woman also descended from Levi as his wife. 2 When she conceived and had a son, upon seeing what a fine child he was, she hid him for three months. 3 When she could no longer hide him, she took a papyrus basket, coated it with clay and tar, put the child in it and placed it among the reeds on the riverbank. 4 His sister stood at a distance to see what would happen to him.
5 The daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe in the river while her maids-in-attendance walked along the riverside. Spotting the basket among the reeds, she sent her slave-girl to get it. 6 She opened it and looked inside, and there in front of her was a crying baby boy! Moved with pity, she said, “This must be one of the Hebrews’ children.” 7 At this point, his sister said to Pharaoh’s daughter, “Would you like me to go and find you one of the Hebrew women to nurse the baby for you?” 8 Pharaoh’s daughter answered, “Yes, go.” So the girl went and called the baby’s own mother. 9 Pharaoh’s daughter told her, “Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will pay you for doing it.” So the woman took the child and nursed it. 10 Then, when the child had grown some, she brought him to Pharaoh’s daughter; and she began to raise him as her son. She called him Moshe [pull out], explaining, “Because I pulled him out of the water.”
Reflection Questions:The historian described Athaliah’s behavior chillingly: “she immediately destroyed the entire royal family.” This woman ruthlessly traded any shred of motherly or grandmotherly caring for six years of power, despised by her own people. Moses’ mother Jochebed (cf. Exodus 6:20), on the other hand, saved her son’s life from a murderous Pharaoh. She was even willing to nurse him and then send him to an Egyptian princess to raise.
- Moses played a pivotal role in the Bible story. He was the human instrument God used to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt. How crucial were his mother’s (and sister’s) courage and creativity in saving his life? In what ways do you see God’s power at work with and through Moses’ loving family? What blessings and limitations do you see in your own life, past and present?
- What role do you think out-of-control ambition, a thirst for power and control at all costs, played in turning Athaliah and Pharaoh into murderous tyrants? How might an underlying fear of never being “enough,” of being surpassed, have led to them becoming people capable of such awful actions? Have you ever seen a person changed in bad ways by attitudes and fears like those? How can you keep those feelings from gripping you?
Lord God, keep me from ever being so wrapped up in my own wants that I’m willing to harm others in order to achieve power, wealth or comfort. Give me the type of heart Moses’ mother had. Amen.Insights from Donna Karlen
Donna Karlen serves in Communications at The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection.
When I think about how much I love my kids – and the complete joy I’ve felt in just their mere existence (let alone the level of emotions that come to play from the countless sweet, funny, proud – and yes, exasperating moments I’ve shared in their lives), I can’t even fathom the mindset or the “heartset” of Athaliah in ordering the deaths of her grandchildren. I don’t have grandchildren yet, but from what I’ve witnessed with friends and relatives who do, I’m pretty sure the fiercely protective love I feel for my kids will carry over to the grandkids about a hundredfold.
So to Pastor Adam’s point yesterday in his message, “The Worst Mom in the Bible,” I show up pretty good as a mom compared to awful Athaliah.
But that didn’t stop me yesterday from punching myself with a few regrets this Mothers Day. I admit it – I’m a regretter. Don’t want to be. Don’t think I’ve done anything too horrible in my life that I deserve to be so hard on myself (and pray to God that I didn’t pass this trait on to my kids!) But just in case there are any new or about-to-be parents out there reading this, I will share one of my biggest parenting regrets.
I stopped praying with my kids. Not for them – oh no – I pray without ceasing for them. But at some point that I can’t even directly pinpoint, I let praying with them become awkward. We had a prayer ritual in their early days. We’d climb under the covers in my son’s bed and after some tickling and giggling, we’d start out with, “Thank you, God, for this day; thank you for our work and play.” Then we’d take turns praising God and thanking him for something. In those early prayers, those somethings were simple: my son might say thanks for “doors and windows” (pretty sure at that age there was no deeper meaning here – he literally meant doors and windows); or my daughter – ever the lobbiest for adding more pets to the household – would thank God “for the kitties we have and the doggies and kitties we’re gonna get.” We also took turns praying together at mealtimes.
So as I look back, I feel pretty good about the start they got in their prayer lives. But as my little darlings got older, they grew a little more private in what was most important to them (and those things were deeper than house parts and pets). Or we gathered a little more sporadically for meals (still almost always shared meals together at the kitchen table, thank God, just sometimes one or the other was a little slow to get to their place at the table). So we prayed together less and less until it dwindled down pretty much to just the holiday meals.
Now I know from their Facebook statuses and conversations with them, that my now adult children do pray. But I truly regret letting those sweet praying together moments slip away. We share prayers via texts, and I’m already making plans to pray with grandkids if they come along. But I just wish I had never stopped praying with my kids.
So I’ll remember what Pastor Adam said about there being no perfect moms (and that I’m super mom compared to Athaliah) and that we need to drop the heavy rocks of regret and forgive ourselves when we fall short as parents. But for those of you out there who are starting up prayer rituals with your children, find a way to keep them going. Pray without ceasing – for them and with them.
The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
13720 Roe Avenue
When I think about how much I love my kids – and the complete joy I’ve felt in just their mere existence (let alone the level of emotions that come to play from the countless sweet, funny, proud – and yes, exasperating moments I’ve shared in their lives), I can’t even fathom the mindset or the “heartset” of Athaliah in ordering the deaths of her grandchildren. I don’t have grandchildren yet, but from what I’ve witnessed with friends and relatives who do, I’m pretty sure the fiercely protective love I feel for my kids will carry over to the grandkids about a hundredfold.
So to Pastor Adam’s point yesterday in his message, “The Worst Mom in the Bible,” I show up pretty good as a mom compared to awful Athaliah.
But that didn’t stop me yesterday from punching myself with a few regrets this Mothers Day. I admit it – I’m a regretter. Don’t want to be. Don’t think I’ve done anything too horrible in my life that I deserve to be so hard on myself (and pray to God that I didn’t pass this trait on to my kids!) But just in case there are any new or about-to-be parents out there reading this, I will share one of my biggest parenting regrets.
I stopped praying with my kids. Not for them – oh no – I pray without ceasing for them. But at some point that I can’t even directly pinpoint, I let praying with them become awkward. We had a prayer ritual in their early days. We’d climb under the covers in my son’s bed and after some tickling and giggling, we’d start out with, “Thank you, God, for this day; thank you for our work and play.” Then we’d take turns praising God and thanking him for something. In those early prayers, those somethings were simple: my son might say thanks for “doors and windows” (pretty sure at that age there was no deeper meaning here – he literally meant doors and windows); or my daughter – ever the lobbiest for adding more pets to the household – would thank God “for the kitties we have and the doggies and kitties we’re gonna get.” We also took turns praying together at mealtimes.
So as I look back, I feel pretty good about the start they got in their prayer lives. But as my little darlings got older, they grew a little more private in what was most important to them (and those things were deeper than house parts and pets). Or we gathered a little more sporadically for meals (still almost always shared meals together at the kitchen table, thank God, just sometimes one or the other was a little slow to get to their place at the table). So we prayed together less and less until it dwindled down pretty much to just the holiday meals.
Now I know from their Facebook statuses and conversations with them, that my now adult children do pray. But I truly regret letting those sweet praying together moments slip away. We share prayers via texts, and I’m already making plans to pray with grandkids if they come along. But I just wish I had never stopped praying with my kids.
So I’ll remember what Pastor Adam said about there being no perfect moms (and that I’m super mom compared to Athaliah) and that we need to drop the heavy rocks of regret and forgive ourselves when we fall short as parents. But for those of you out there who are starting up prayer rituals with your children, find a way to keep them going. Pray without ceasing – for them and with them.
13720 Roe Avenue
Leawood, Kansas 66224 United States
913.897.0120
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