A Good Mom Is Like A Tree Planted By A River

There is a large tree in the very middle of some woods near Huntington, Indiana which my friends and I often played in when I was a boy. Someone, long before us, had named this tree “Big Momma.” All paths in the woods led to this tree. It was our meeting place. It was by far the largest tree in the forest. It towered over the others. Often, when we played “cowboys and Indians” or “hide and seek” in the forest, I would climb “Big Momma” to see where the other boys were. From the vantage point of that tree you could see the whole woods. I don’t know who named her “Big Momma,” but that was not the only time a tall tree was compared to a mother.

In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel is often compared to a mother, and the Israelites were seen as her offspring. One such passage in Ezekiel speaks of “Mother Israel” and compares her to a tree planted by a river. A mother is in many ways like a tall tree planted by a river. It has been said that, “the hand the rocks the cradle rules the world.” And another true proverb is, “An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy.” How true! A godly mother has so much power and strength. A godly mother has a lasting effect and eternal legacy. A godly mother is a source of life, nourishment, comfort, training, wisdom and beauty.

Ezekiel 19:10-11 says, "‘Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard planted by the water; it was fruitful and full of branches because of abundant water. Its branches were strong, fit for a ruler’s scepter. It towered high above the thick foliage, conspicuous for its height and for its many branches.”

Though this passage is about the nation of Israel as a mother to God’s people, it is also a description of what a good mother is like. I would like to look at the spirit given analogy of a mother as a vine or tree.

First of all, a good mother is like a well rooted tree. She is “planted by the water” and is bountiful in her health, growth and production because she has “abundant water.” A good mother is like a well watered tree. This illustration was not lost on the culture of the Middle East, where the arid climate allowed only trees by water to grow to their full potential. They understood the concept of an oasis or lush river valley like those along the Jordan, Tigris or Nile. The abundant water caused the blessings of fruitfulness, multiple branches and height.

In similar fashion, a good mother is well rooted in the river of life. She is rooted in the tree of life. She is a well watered student of the Word of God. She is well connected to the people of God. She is an active citizen in the Kingdom of God. She is a dedicated worshiper in the church of God. She is a member of the family of God. She is a pillar in the house of God. She is a consumer of the water of life at the fountain of God. She is grounded in the One Faith by the Spirit of God. And only a well rooted and well watered woman can be a mother, who is like a tree planted by a river. A good mother takes time to drink deep from the river of life, so she can produce much fruit and feed the needs of many. Before she can feed others, she must be well fed herself from the water of life.


Second, a good mother is like a fruitful tree. A good tree is a productive tree. When Jesus saw a unfruitful fig tree, he cursed it and it withered. He told the parable of a tree that produced no fruit and how it was pruned and fertilized. If it did not produce fruit, it was to be cut down and thrown into the fire. Fruit trees are made to produce fruit. In an economy that depended upon substance farming, produce bartering and trade for income, the Israelites understood the value of a very fruitful tree.

Likewise, a good mother is productive. If you read Proverbs 31:10-31 you will see how productive the woman of noble character is. She is a doer of good. She is fruitful on many branches. She is faithful on many levels. She works with eager hands, helps support the family, works into the night, provides food for the family, has several entrepreneurial endeavors, generously gives to the needy, clothes her family, support her husband in his work, buys and sells to make profit. She shows strong character, views the world optimistically, teaches others with wisdom, and makes sure her family’s needs are met. She can multi-task with many branches and produces much fruit. Many are they that come and eat from the fruit of the many branches of her service to God. She can do this because she is so well grounded and watered by the river of life.

Third, a good mother is like a tree with strong branches. Even more than today, wood was a valuable resource in ancient times. Trees were so valuable in ancient times that God gave rules in the Law of Moses about which you could and could not cut down. A good mother is like a tree with strong branches, “fit for a ruler’s scepter.” In ancient times a king would hold a scepter in his hand as an emblem of his strength and power. The Egyptians had a scepter with the image of their snake god’s head on the top to represent his power. When a king’s power was taken, they would speak of his scepter being broken (see Isaiah 14:5 and Jeremiah 48:17). So the Israelites understood that Ezekiel was saying that the mother’s branches which provided provision to her children, were as powerful an influence as a strong king’s rule.

Likewise, a mother’s acts of service can have more influence than laws, punishments, jails, sermons, preachers, youth ministers, or school systems. It is like the influence of Moses’ mother on him when he was young, which taught Moses to be a man of faith in opposition to all Egyptian influence and enticements of wealth and power when he grew up. Another example is Hannah, who taught Samuel in seven years to be a man of faith in spite of the bad example of Eli and his wicked sons. She draws her strength from God. Her hope is in Him. She can sing Psalm 73:26 which says, “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” And she gives shade, strength, and sustenance to those who take shelter in her strong fruit laden branches. When necessary, one of her strong branches may even be a switch for discipline. Proverbs 29:15 “The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.” Her branches impart wisdom and life.

Finally, a good mother is like a tree known for its height and beauty. A tall tree is a thing of wonder and awe. Many thousands of people travel thousands of miles to see the Redwood Forests in Northern California. There you can find the tallest trees in the world. They are objects of beauty, wonder and awe. They are inspiring to behold. The Redwood forest supports more life per square inch than any other place on earth. It is even more lush than the rainforest of South America. The thick, lush vegetation and animal life are all supported by these wondrous Giant Redwoods. The Israelites had never seen the Giant Redwoods of California but they new all about the famous Cedars of Lebanon (Isaiah 2:13). They knew the wonder and beauty of a tall tree, especially in their arid climate which contained so few of them.

Likewise, a good mother is “conspicuous” for the height of her faith. She stands out in a crowd. She towers over the problems of this world. Many mothers get choked out in the underbrush of passing doubts, momentary suffering, and immediate busyness. But a good mother is well watered and grows above the momentary scrub-brush of this mortal world. She provides a view beyond the river and into eternity. Those who climb her limbs to find the fruit of her wisdom gain a wonderful view beyond fleeting vanities of this present moment. Not only is she a source of beauty from a distance on the horizon of humanity, but also when embraced in her loving branches you gain a view of the “big picture” that comforts the soul. She mothers you under the canopy of her healing provision and comforts you in the consolation of her protection from dangers below. On the strength of her wisdom, you can ascend to the heights of faith above the low earthly things that obstruct your view of eternity. At high altitudes in her arms she shares a beautiful view of God’s world. As you behold her uncommon beauty, you can stand in wonder of her strength. You can climb to otherwise unseen vantage points of faith on her strong and fruitful limbs, all because a good mother is like a well-rooted tree, planted by the river of life.