Ehart and I are doing an e-mail/blog book study. We've chosen the book Twelve Extraordinary Women by John MacArthur. Well, I bought the book while in the mall last week and since ehart owned the book, we decided to read it together.
Her first post on the book can be found here.
The first chapter is about Eve, 'the mother of all living.'
Whenever I've read the account of creation, the major theme that I pondered over is how awesome and wonderful God is. He created all that exists and it amazes me every time I stop to think about it. Everything created by God works hand in hand with each other to make the universe continue on as a fine tuned machine. But reading this brief chapter about Eve put my thoughts into another direction.
Eve was the first of many things. She was the first and only person created by God from another living being. It does make you think that Eve was very special in God's plan. You could extend that to think that women, in general, have a special place in God's divine plan. She was the first woman, wife, mother and the 'mother of all living.'
Eve was easily tempted and deceived, but she was also very innocent, in the fact that she knew only 'good.' She was living in perfect Eden without an inkling as to what 'wrong' or 'evil' was. She was unaware that any danger even existed. Then along comes the serpent and she was enticed into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. I find this interesting, that Satan knew the very best way to encourage Eve to disobey God. Isn't that so true of us all? Satan does have a way of making things look 'not so bad,' or maybe 'good' to us. I constantly have to guard myself from the many desensitizing mechanisms that Satan uses in this day and age.
But anyway, Eve represents the essence of womanhood, whether you look at things before the fall or after, there are things to glean that we, as women, should put emphasis on in our lives.
For example, we were created to be helpers for our husbands. Women can fulfill this God-given role by numerous different actions. Being a helper to your husband is the major role that God has given us. Helping could be categorized by balancing the checkbook, cooking family meals, taking care of the children and 1001 other tasks. Helper can be defined as a partner.
I think many women mistake this to mean that we should be servants to our husbands. But being a helper, may include serving them, but not solely being a servant. It's important to note that God didn't make women less intelligent or less spiritual. Marriage becomes a partnership. It's not a dictatorship. 'One flesh' should not be torn in two by the mentality that women are to be subservient to men, nor the other way around. Subjection and subservient are not the same words in my vocabulary. Subjection is more about obeying and trusting, and the faith that you have in your spouse through your loving relationship. To be subservient is more about one person ruling over another with negative connotations and not always with the idea of love involved.
Each spouse can help and support the other, but the woman's role is to mainly give herself to 'helping' her mate through their endeavors.
God commanded that women be in subjection to their husbands. I think that being in subjection to your husband equates to some women always saying, "Yes, dear, anything you say." They lose the true essence of who they are and what God meant for them when He created them. Being in subjection doesn't mean you become a whole other being. You are still the same woman, you just have a new role in life, when you marry. Some of the roles that you fulfilled while single may change a little, but your role as a woman in many aspects remains the same.
Paul states in Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body."
Therefore, God gave man the knowledge to be head over his wife. He gave him the ability to be that headship figure within the marriage partnership. Yes, we as women sometimes fight that leadership and headship in our day to day dealings. But in any arrangement where you have more than one person involved, someone needs to be the leader or chaos ensues. So, God has given man the ability to be the head of the marriage and household. We (women) just need to be reminded of that from time to time.
Usually whenever I get all huffed up about something and think I'm a know it all, God shows me that my husband has more common sense concerning most matters. He has a much better way of dealing with issues than I do. It's humbling, but it is true!
But I also find it interesting that a few verses down Paul says in Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her."
So, in being in subjection to your husband, hopefully, he will show love in his dealings with his wife. I find it interesting that Paul mentioned this immediately following the 'wives, submit...' because I think Paul didn't want man to 'lord' his headship over women in an uncaring or unloving manner. A loving partnership is the true essence of what marriage is. It's not about one member of the marriage partnership lording their every command and desire over the woman. (I know that word - partnership - sounds harsh, like business dealings sometimes, that's why I like using the words 'loving partnership')
John MacArthur states that the relationships with in the Trininity perfectly illustrate to us the essence of headship and submission. Christ was in no sense inferior to the Father, yet He was in subjection to Him. "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30) and "I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:20) Both of those Scriptures are taken from the NKJV.
Ehart mentions in her blog that the spread of Christianity actually uplifted women's position in society. John MacArthur gives clear historical background to prove this point. Women in pagan societies were often treated little better than animals. Greek philosophers taught that women are inferior creatures by nature.
Christian women who were converted from the pagan dregs to Christianity often found themselves freed from a host of demeaning practices. Their position within the church often recognized women as givers of hospitality, minsters to the sick, and the caregiver and nurturer to their families with the loving labor of their hands.
I love it when John MacArthur states in his introduction to the book, "Women play prominent roles in many key biblical narratives. Wives are seen as venerated partners and cherished companions to their husbands, not merely slaves or pieces of household furniture."
Obviously not all marriage relationships are perfect, in fact, none are truly perfect. But I think if we refer to God's word, we have a better idea of what our marriage roles should be.
Her first post on the book can be found here.
The first chapter is about Eve, 'the mother of all living.'
Whenever I've read the account of creation, the major theme that I pondered over is how awesome and wonderful God is. He created all that exists and it amazes me every time I stop to think about it. Everything created by God works hand in hand with each other to make the universe continue on as a fine tuned machine. But reading this brief chapter about Eve put my thoughts into another direction.
Eve was the first of many things. She was the first and only person created by God from another living being. It does make you think that Eve was very special in God's plan. You could extend that to think that women, in general, have a special place in God's divine plan. She was the first woman, wife, mother and the 'mother of all living.'
Eve was easily tempted and deceived, but she was also very innocent, in the fact that she knew only 'good.' She was living in perfect Eden without an inkling as to what 'wrong' or 'evil' was. She was unaware that any danger even existed. Then along comes the serpent and she was enticed into eating the fruit of the forbidden tree. I find this interesting, that Satan knew the very best way to encourage Eve to disobey God. Isn't that so true of us all? Satan does have a way of making things look 'not so bad,' or maybe 'good' to us. I constantly have to guard myself from the many desensitizing mechanisms that Satan uses in this day and age.
But anyway, Eve represents the essence of womanhood, whether you look at things before the fall or after, there are things to glean that we, as women, should put emphasis on in our lives.
For example, we were created to be helpers for our husbands. Women can fulfill this God-given role by numerous different actions. Being a helper to your husband is the major role that God has given us. Helping could be categorized by balancing the checkbook, cooking family meals, taking care of the children and 1001 other tasks. Helper can be defined as a partner.
I think many women mistake this to mean that we should be servants to our husbands. But being a helper, may include serving them, but not solely being a servant. It's important to note that God didn't make women less intelligent or less spiritual. Marriage becomes a partnership. It's not a dictatorship. 'One flesh' should not be torn in two by the mentality that women are to be subservient to men, nor the other way around. Subjection and subservient are not the same words in my vocabulary. Subjection is more about obeying and trusting, and the faith that you have in your spouse through your loving relationship. To be subservient is more about one person ruling over another with negative connotations and not always with the idea of love involved.
Each spouse can help and support the other, but the woman's role is to mainly give herself to 'helping' her mate through their endeavors.
God commanded that women be in subjection to their husbands. I think that being in subjection to your husband equates to some women always saying, "Yes, dear, anything you say." They lose the true essence of who they are and what God meant for them when He created them. Being in subjection doesn't mean you become a whole other being. You are still the same woman, you just have a new role in life, when you marry. Some of the roles that you fulfilled while single may change a little, but your role as a woman in many aspects remains the same.
Paul states in Ephesians 5:22, "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church, and He is the Savior of the body."
Therefore, God gave man the knowledge to be head over his wife. He gave him the ability to be that headship figure within the marriage partnership. Yes, we as women sometimes fight that leadership and headship in our day to day dealings. But in any arrangement where you have more than one person involved, someone needs to be the leader or chaos ensues. So, God has given man the ability to be the head of the marriage and household. We (women) just need to be reminded of that from time to time.
Usually whenever I get all huffed up about something and think I'm a know it all, God shows me that my husband has more common sense concerning most matters. He has a much better way of dealing with issues than I do. It's humbling, but it is true!
But I also find it interesting that a few verses down Paul says in Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her."
So, in being in subjection to your husband, hopefully, he will show love in his dealings with his wife. I find it interesting that Paul mentioned this immediately following the 'wives, submit...' because I think Paul didn't want man to 'lord' his headship over women in an uncaring or unloving manner. A loving partnership is the true essence of what marriage is. It's not about one member of the marriage partnership lording their every command and desire over the woman. (I know that word - partnership - sounds harsh, like business dealings sometimes, that's why I like using the words 'loving partnership')
John MacArthur states that the relationships with in the Trininity perfectly illustrate to us the essence of headship and submission. Christ was in no sense inferior to the Father, yet He was in subjection to Him. "I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me (John 5:30) and "I always do those things that please Him." (John 8:20) Both of those Scriptures are taken from the NKJV.
Ehart mentions in her blog that the spread of Christianity actually uplifted women's position in society. John MacArthur gives clear historical background to prove this point. Women in pagan societies were often treated little better than animals. Greek philosophers taught that women are inferior creatures by nature.
Christian women who were converted from the pagan dregs to Christianity often found themselves freed from a host of demeaning practices. Their position within the church often recognized women as givers of hospitality, minsters to the sick, and the caregiver and nurturer to their families with the loving labor of their hands.
I love it when John MacArthur states in his introduction to the book, "Women play prominent roles in many key biblical narratives. Wives are seen as venerated partners and cherished companions to their husbands, not merely slaves or pieces of household furniture."
Obviously not all marriage relationships are perfect, in fact, none are truly perfect. But I think if we refer to God's word, we have a better idea of what our marriage roles should be.
1 comment:
A very insightful post! Thank you for sharing!
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