Like Mother, Like Daughter

Ezekiel 16:44-52 contains this very interesting observation about the relationship between mothers and daughters: "See, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you, 'LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER.' You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. Your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south is Sodom with her daughters. You not only followed their ways, and acted according to their abomination; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. As I live, says the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. This is the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and the needy. They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them when I saw it. Samaria has not committed half your sins; you have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear more righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have brought about for your sisters a more favorable judgment; because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous." 1. The father and mother of Jerusalem were the Amorites and the Hittites lying behind the ancestry of the Judeans in Jerusalem. Here, think of the background of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who originally came from Ur of the Chaldees, Paddan-Aram, Haran, and other places in the background of the Judeans. 2. The three sisters in this story are Jerusalem, Samaria, and Sodom. The point of this story is that Samaria and Sodom were very wicked, but they were not as wicked as Jerusalem. The sins stated in this text are: a. Pride=haughtiness b. Excess of food c. Prosperous ease d. Neglect of helping the poor and needy. 3. Often, a mother affects her daughter very strongly. Sometimes this is good, and sometimes this is bad. 4. God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord emphasize the importance that a CHILD must LEAVE his or her father and mother and cleave to his or her spouse. Jesus clearly taught: "While he was still speaking in the crowds, his mother and his brothers were standing outside, wanting to speak to him. Someone told him, "'Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to speak to you.' But to the one who had told him this, Jesus replied, 'Who is my mother, and who are my brothers?' And pointing to his disciples, he said, 'Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.'" Matthew 12:46-50; see Mark 3:31-35; Luke 8:19-21. Indeed, all children must love their parents. But it is obviously against God's will for any child to be restricted to the personal presence or beliefs or practices by his or her parents. God's will takes precedence over the will of one's parents. 5. Fathers and Mothers are often dominant people, who demand that their children to believe and do what they wish. A father or mother often wants to "be in control" of a child. This attitude and behavior is against God's desire. 6. There is an old song which portrays this concept: O, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy, O, where have you been, charming Billy? I have been to see my wife, She's the joy of my life, She's a young thing AND CANNOT LEAVE HER MOTHER. Unfortunately, this is the sad story of many daughters [and sons]. Many mothers are helicopter mothers. They hover over their daughters, and their daughters cannot escape from the clutches of their mother. This is the picture described vividly in Ezekiel 16. 7. We rejoice when parents trust in God, and are happy to encourage their children to get married to good people and live their own lives. These types of parents always support their children by encouraging them to follow God's will and guidance, and not feel the desires of their parents. Share YOUR background and feelings and experiences and addictions and restriction with others. Let me hear from YOU. John Willis