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Created for Him
February 10, 2016
I find it interesting that God, in His wisdom, clearly told us wives a command twice.
Once in Ephesians and the second time in Colossians. Know what that command was?
“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”
It tells me that it’s probably harder to obey---thus the need to remind us twice.
It’s so important, that He didn’t want us to misunderstand it.
Do you know the curse of Eve? That she would want what her husband has…His power, his position. “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16)
We can give many reasons why we shouldn’t submit.
We know better than our man. Sometimes, we do.
We could do it better. Sometimes we could.
But do you know why we submit?
Because GOD SAID SO.
Some excuse commands given by God because they are cultural, or we know the reason for the command. But God instigated this command before there was any culture, in the Garden. “Your husband will rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16) Pretty clear.
[Others will ‘interpret’ the Scriptures differently. They claim that God’s Word contains truth…that’s different, then believing the entire Word is without error and inspired. So when you can take Scripture and use it when you want, then a command becomes a suggestion. And a suggestion becomes not necessary. Why claim to believe the Bible? Most who except woman pastors have this view of the Bible.]
WHY SUBMIT?
We were created for man.
“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’” (Genesis 2:18).
“For a man…is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of the man. For the man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake.” (I Corinthians 11:7-9). Seems redundant, but maybe we need to hear it more than once.
Our position pictures Christ and the Church.
“But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:3).
God has put an order to things. Everyone has a role.
“This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church…the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:32-33).
We show on earth, what God has patterned in heaven: The Son submitting to the Father’s will.
God further tells why it is never His will for the wife to rule.
Eve fell, because she was deceived. “For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression.” (I Timothy 2:13-14) See also I Corinthians 11:7.
Because of the fall, woman’s curse was that her husband “shall rule over her.” (Genesis 3:16).
Submitting was not the punishment (her role came before the fall), but after the fall it had suffering with it; that was the curse.
How does this work?
“But I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, but to remain quiet.” (I Timothy 2:12).
Many say that they have been blessed by woman speakers. Their premise to accept a woman teaching a man is because they are good. So therefore, the reason God would command women not to preach is because they aren’t good at it. But if they are good, then it’s okay?
It is not a question of being qualified. It is a question of being authorized.
God has instigated order. When we are out of order, we are in disobedience to His Word, no matter how good our reasons are, nor how good at disobeying we are. We are still wrong.
“If they desire to learn anything, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is improper for a woman to speak in church.” (I Corinthians 14:35)
She is out of her role, when she instructs men.
Many point to Deborah the righteous judge. She performed the job well. But it shamed the entire nation of Israel, because no man would lead. And the victory of the battle went to a woman. What a slap in the face to Barak who led the men into battle! He would only lead if Deborah was at his side. He took that disgrace. This was during a period when Israel “did evil in the sight of the Lord.” (Judges 4:1). Do we want to emulate a period where the Lord was not pleased?
[I find it interesting that when a command is clearly stated in the Bible, and we want to disobey it, we hunt through the Bible to find an exception where God blessed in spite of obedience and then base our application on the example of disobedience rather than reading the Bible for what it says.]
It‘s not a question of whether a woman can lead; but should she lead?
God has said no.
God’s Word is clear. God made us. His ways work. We must obey.
I’ve asked a woman pastor, “Who’s in charge at home, your husband or you?”
Her immediate response was “My husband.”
But is he? How can he be in charge at home, when you rule the church?
Well,… Her answer never satisfied. Why? Because she is out of her role.
She is not to teach men. How can she be silent in church and ask her husband at home, when she is preaching to him at church?
Another question that I always wonder about: How’s your marriage? How can you be a help meet to your husband, while serving the church? There’s not enough time in the day to do that. Something is in conflict. Your husband gets left in the dirt. Do not tell me that he enjoys the dirt…or I’ll know he’s been beaten down more than I want to know.
Our role as help meet is clear. The role is not an inferior role, but a different role, given by God before the Fall, to show the relationship of the Son with the Father.
Rather than fight to obey that God-given role, let us do the job that’s been given to us. Let us be the help meet that God has commanded us to be. And by obeying God, please Him.
Sources:
"Scripture taken fromo the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (R), Copyright (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975,1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission."
Pearl, Debi. Created To Be His Help Meet. Pleasantville, TN: No Greater Joy. 2010.
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I write about what matters...to you---
women, wives and moms---
about your family, faith and future.
I write about what's hard, what helps and what heals.
I show you how it's done. And not done.
I hold your hand as you find what matters to the Savior.
And let go of those things that mattered to you, but not to Him.
I write about what matters...to Him.
Sonya Contreras
Biblical Manhood
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Author of Biblical fiction, married to my best friend, and challenged by eight sons’ growing pains as I write about what matters.
Amen! Wish I'd known all this when I got married, before I did so much the wrong way. I discovered that attitude is EVERYTHING, and my attitude was bad. My husband definitely suffered because of this. I knew one couple where he was a small, rather meek seeming person, but his wife respected him and allowed to be the head, and he became that person she saw him as. It makes all the difference in a marriage. Thanks for sharing, Sonya.