"Male and Female He Created Them" (part 4)
Subtitle: "Sarah Called Abraham Lord .... You are Her Children"
Introduction. For those who believe in inspiration (the Holy Spirit wrote every word of Scripture), the applications made in the New Covenant concerning man and woman are both logical, scriptural, and sound. While God created us male and female, giving us the same soul, image, likeness and dominion (Gen.1:26-28), we are not identical. He creating Adam first with certain limitations ("not good to be alone") and then Eve with the strengths to complete him (Gen. 2:7-25). In doing that, God made it obvious that together they were perfectly formed to do everything He had planned ("all was very good”).
Since God did not create male and female identically, it follows He designed each to do different things. Just as “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10), so also Adam and Eve were created for the good works God prepared for them. Since they were created differently, they each had different work. Though obvious, this is the heart of today's controversy. Some men and women do not want the distinctive roles God gave them by their Creator. Since they have no interest in what God wants, they mock, scoff and persecute those who do.
The Work and Relationship between Man and Woman. What was their relationship like in the first weeks while they lived in the Garden of Eden? How did they work together? What did each do to complete the other? Unfortunately, due to the curse, God never revealed His original intent. The only portion of God’s will that we know was that they be “fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.” God gave Adam the work of leading and providing, but he would work with cursed ground, by the sweat of his brow, fighting against thorns and thistles, until he returned to dust(Gen. 3:17-19). God gave woman the work of caring for and submitting to her husband and bearing and raising children. Yet it would be in multiplied sorrow and pain with her husband ruling over her. While we can wonder what she might have done and what might have been if not for the curse, her sin forever closed that door.
"He Shall Rule Over You". Although God Himself told Eve, “he shall rule over you,” we never see any examples of it. We know “Eve was the mother of all living” and that she bore Cain and Abel, and later Seth, along with their wives. However, God revealed nothing about how they worked as one. It was not until Abraham that we gain some insight into the proper relationship between husbands and wives. Yet what was said of the relationship between Abraham and Sarah was limited to two words! “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also” (Gen. 18:12). These two words might have been overlooked if the Holy Spirit hadn’t later used them to sum up every “holy” relationship between a husband and wife since the beginning.
This attitude created an inner beauty that God has witnessed in each of these women. It was based on a “gentle and quiet spirit.” A woman with a “gentle spirit” is “meek, soothing, and calming” in all her dealings with her husband. She possesses a “quiet spirit” when she has a “peaceful disposition; causing no disturbance” in her relationship with her husband.
If Satan and the people of this world can convince a woman these things are detestable or demeaning, then her path to beauty will be blocked until she removes it. There isn’t anything else Scripture revealed for wives to do that brought these blessings and benefits.
Sarah became our mother because “we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” It is a gift to all Christians, for “if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed,” “Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Gal. 3:29; 4:28; Rom. 4:16). Yet Peter added that the true likeness to Sarah can only occur “if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” Thus wives must be in submission. They can’t allow the pride of life with a fear of demeaning or lessening herself, or the fear of being looked down upon by the world to hinder her growth to become like her mother Sarah.
The Problem Today is Submission. The inner beauty of submission has always been doubted and scoffed at by the world. Yet as His disciples argued among themselves over who would be greatest in the kingdom, Jesus’ answer revealed the true beauty of submission and service. “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.” “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Mk. 10:43-44; Mt. 23:11-12)
Thus submissive women are not being excluded from greatness or being demeaned by service. Submission and service are the only path for both men and women to become great and first in the kingdom of Heaven. A woman in submission to her husband is great! Those who see service and submission as demeaning will be least. Remember, “even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:45)
Submission created the worth of “the excellent wife” that made her value “far above rubies.” “The heart of her husband safely trusts her,” “she does him good and not evil all the days of her life,” and “on her tongue is the law of kindness” because “in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.” This is why “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” (Pr. 31:10-31). This is why a prudent wife is from the Lord,” and “an excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (Pr. 19:14, 12:4).
As we move into the NT, how could this change? Wives now “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Just as Sarah called Abraham Lord, “the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church.” “Just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” (Eph. 5:22-24). Older women must “train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands.” (Titus 2:3-5).
Conclusion. All Christian women today are children of Sarah. But true likeness can only be found in the great joy and honor of submission, based on a meek and quiet spirit that is precious in God’s eyes.
Introduction. For those who believe in inspiration (the Holy Spirit wrote every word of Scripture), the applications made in the New Covenant concerning man and woman are both logical, scriptural, and sound. While God created us male and female, giving us the same soul, image, likeness and dominion (Gen.1:26-28), we are not identical. He creating Adam first with certain limitations ("not good to be alone") and then Eve with the strengths to complete him (Gen. 2:7-25). In doing that, God made it obvious that together they were perfectly formed to do everything He had planned ("all was very good”).
Since God did not create male and female identically, it follows He designed each to do different things. Just as “we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10), so also Adam and Eve were created for the good works God prepared for them. Since they were created differently, they each had different work. Though obvious, this is the heart of today's controversy. Some men and women do not want the distinctive roles God gave them by their Creator. Since they have no interest in what God wants, they mock, scoff and persecute those who do.
The Work and Relationship between Man and Woman. What was their relationship like in the first weeks while they lived in the Garden of Eden? How did they work together? What did each do to complete the other? Unfortunately, due to the curse, God never revealed His original intent. The only portion of God’s will that we know was that they be “fruitful, multiply and fill the earth.” God gave Adam the work of leading and providing, but he would work with cursed ground, by the sweat of his brow, fighting against thorns and thistles, until he returned to dust(Gen. 3:17-19). God gave woman the work of caring for and submitting to her husband and bearing and raising children. Yet it would be in multiplied sorrow and pain with her husband ruling over her. While we can wonder what she might have done and what might have been if not for the curse, her sin forever closed that door.
"He Shall Rule Over You". Although God Himself told Eve, “he shall rule over you,” we never see any examples of it. We know “Eve was the mother of all living” and that she bore Cain and Abel, and later Seth, along with their wives. However, God revealed nothing about how they worked as one. It was not until Abraham that we gain some insight into the proper relationship between husbands and wives. Yet what was said of the relationship between Abraham and Sarah was limited to two words! “After I have grown old, shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also” (Gen. 18:12). These two words might have been overlooked if the Holy Spirit hadn’t later used them to sum up every “holy” relationship between a husband and wife since the beginning.
- Do not let your adornment be outward — arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on apparel — 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose children you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror. (1Pet. 3:3-6)
This attitude created an inner beauty that God has witnessed in each of these women. It was based on a “gentle and quiet spirit.” A woman with a “gentle spirit” is “meek, soothing, and calming” in all her dealings with her husband. She possesses a “quiet spirit” when she has a “peaceful disposition; causing no disturbance” in her relationship with her husband.
If Satan and the people of this world can convince a woman these things are detestable or demeaning, then her path to beauty will be blocked until she removes it. There isn’t anything else Scripture revealed for wives to do that brought these blessings and benefits.
Sarah became our mother because “we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children of promise.” It is a gift to all Christians, for “if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed,” “Abraham, who is the father of us all” (Gal. 3:29; 4:28; Rom. 4:16). Yet Peter added that the true likeness to Sarah can only occur “if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.” Thus wives must be in submission. They can’t allow the pride of life with a fear of demeaning or lessening herself, or the fear of being looked down upon by the world to hinder her growth to become like her mother Sarah.
The Problem Today is Submission. The inner beauty of submission has always been doubted and scoffed at by the world. Yet as His disciples argued among themselves over who would be greatest in the kingdom, Jesus’ answer revealed the true beauty of submission and service. “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.” “He that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Mk. 10:43-44; Mt. 23:11-12)
Thus submissive women are not being excluded from greatness or being demeaned by service. Submission and service are the only path for both men and women to become great and first in the kingdom of Heaven. A woman in submission to her husband is great! Those who see service and submission as demeaning will be least. Remember, “even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:45)
Submission created the worth of “the excellent wife” that made her value “far above rubies.” “The heart of her husband safely trusts her,” “she does him good and not evil all the days of her life,” and “on her tongue is the law of kindness” because “in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands.” This is why “Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also, and he praises her: Many daughters have done well, But you excel them all.” (Pr. 31:10-31). This is why a prudent wife is from the Lord,” and “an excellent wife is the crown of her husband” (Pr. 19:14, 12:4).
As we move into the NT, how could this change? Wives now “submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” Just as Sarah called Abraham Lord, “the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church.” “Just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” (Eph. 5:22-24). Older women must “train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands.” (Titus 2:3-5).
Conclusion. All Christian women today are children of Sarah. But true likeness can only be found in the great joy and honor of submission, based on a meek and quiet spirit that is precious in God’s eyes.