Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ … Eph 5;21
Last week we laid the foundation for the series on “Lessons from Genesis”
And we referred to the Great I Am … Exodus 3;16
The Lord God Yahweh Jehovah …
The absolute one, the all sufficient one, the God of the impossible, who created us and is able and willing to meet all our needs …
We noted that faith is based in historical performance …
And the purpose was so that we would build our future on this absolute rock… The Great I Am.
This week we want to go to Genesis and see “The order laid do for mankind” by I AM of creation …
And we reason …
Surely the order he lays down will match perfectly the needs of the people he has created for his specific purposes.
Does a changing society force a change of the order laid down by an unchanging God
Because it is obvious that there is something radically wrong in society today.
On the final day of creation … 6th day …
God created man in his own image … in the image of God he created him … male and female he created them… Gen 1;27
God blessed THEM and said to THEM … be fruitful fill the earth and subdue it … rule over every living creature… Genesis 1;27,28.
And it was very good …Genesis 1;31
Clearly therein lays equality…
They are in this together …
Multiply
Requires both parties performing different functions … together … in unity
Rule over creation together …
Herein lies in part the expression of mankind bearing the image of God and acting as his representative on earth.
Having dominion over creation but acting within the mandate God has given.
Caring for them … not exploiting them.
This idea of gender equality is carried thru to the New Testament …nothing changes .
Paul … who is sometimes accused of being a misogynist … says …
There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female for you are all one in Christ… Gal 3;28
However that is not the whole story of creation …
In Genesis chapter 2 we have a greater explanation of roles and responsibilities within creation …
As is the case in procreation …
They have a joint responsibility to multiply …
But very obviously they have different functions …
It is important to recognise that …
The differing functions do not impact on the equality.
E.G… In rugby are the backs more important than the forwards…
The truth is if they work in unison they create opportunities for each other.
And it is only when they work together that they secure good results.
So we find in Gods order for mankind different but equally important roles and responsibilities being handed out…
To Adam is handed the role of authority and with that role goes the responsibility…
He also demands obedience to his commands with regard to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
But at the same time this absolute God recognises that Adams aloneness and limited functionality was not perfect.
It is not good for the man to be alone… Gen 2;18
And he provides the absolute solution …
I will make him a helper… suitable …
One that fits the situation perfectly.
The I Am then creates the woman in a way that no other creature is created …
Not from the dust of the earth … but out of man himself…
She is a unique and special creation …
Unlike any other…
Created for a very special God given purpose.
Fashioned in a unique way
Small wonder that when God presents her to Adam he totally amazed and thrilled…
This gift from God is amazing.
Two questions here …
Is there any doubt about the equality of gender here?
Paul writing to the Corinthians says …
For the woman is the glory of the man … 1Cor 11;7
Is there any doubt that there are differences in responsibilities
And speaking prophetically the Scripture says …
For this reason a man will leave his mother and father and be UNITED to his wife and the two will become one flesh … Gen 2;24.
He sets up a safe place into which he takes his wife.
Here is the perfect marriage …
Absolute unity …
Each supporting the other
Absolute equality but different roles …
And as the different roles are played out in unity we have a fruitful marriage at many levels …
Companionship and intimacy
Love
Understanding
Building each other up
Support.
Procreation …
The perfect place for the next generation to develop and learn.
This is the utopian marriage … as intended by the God of the impossible …
As a perfect solution.
A gift from God himself
BUT …
In the day and age in which we live it would seem the impossible dream.
So much conflict, hurt, division, anger, violence.
There are probably people sitting here today for whom this situation is not a dream but a nightmare …
You may well still be together …
And on the surface it even seems ok…
But you are fighting it out, tolerating the relationship for the sake of the children…
And deep down inside you are …
Hurting and angry
The question is … where did it go wrong.
Come with me to the account of the fall in Genesis chapter 3.
God issues a clear instruction to Adam … do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good or evil …
The woman knew that instruction …
Both Adam and Eve are together… at the temptation …
She eats …
And Adam does not exercise his God given authority but also eats … both in disobedience to Gods command.
Immediately there is an impact on the relationship.
They hide from God … in fear and guilt
Intimacy is impacted as they become aware of their nudity
They start playing the blame game …
Adam …
It is not my fault …
You gave me this women … 3;12
Eve …
You made me naïve … (Implied)
And I was deceived…3;13.
They blame each other and God …
The unity and fellowship between God and mankind and man and women is destroyed by a single sinful act.
In any breakdown in the marital relationship what is the most common phrase …
It is not my fault …
I’m having these issues because this gift you gave me is not up to standard …
Listen carefully to Gods two part judgement …
Eve, I will greatly increase your pain in child birth …
We accept that as a fact of life without question… It’s a reality.
Your desire will be to your husband and he will rule over you …
Rule means …
Will have power over … will exert power over… dominate
None of these words applied in the relationship before the fall
They are a consequence of disobedience to the commands of God…
Sin is the problem
And this is the reason why unity and equality are compromised.
There is a massive difference between rule and authority …
Adam was given authority … headship
But it had to be exercised within certain parameters …
He had to care for the garden … not abuse it
Unity and oneness with his wife … not dominion.
Can you see that at the first sin …
Equality became a problem.
Her desire for her husband is problematic in translation …
It is translated by some to mean …
She will desire the original utopian situation where she was equal, cared for, and desired by her husband …
But is now dominated and used.
Or she will desire his position of authority and is prepared to fight for it.
Whichever way you interoperate it, it is far removed from Gods idea of patriarchy…
But it fits today’s situation.
And the battle of the sexes rages on.
Is Biblical patriarchy a mistake …
This system that is so maligned, hated rejected today.
The question should rather be …
Did the Great I Am make a mistake in introducing it…
And therefore we must create a new system.
Let’s go to the New Testament and see where Genesis 2;24 is repeated more than once…
Jesus … believed in the historical Genesis account …
He quoted it when speaking on marriage … Math 19;4-8
Where he teaches that the root cause of divorce sin.
The problem is the weird and wonderful attempts to solve the gender based violence will not work until you deal with the root cause … sin
But the world in its wisdom denies sin exists.
Paul writing to the Ephesians reinforces Gen 2;24 … Eph 5; 21-31
The starting point …
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ…21
Wives submit to your husbands as to the Lord for the husband is the head of the home … 22
Nothing changes from Genesis to Ephesians
Husbands love you wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself up to make her holy… 25
He died to meet the needs of the church.
Then he quotes Gen 2;24
This is returning to the pre-fall situation.
This is reaffirming Gods order still applies today.
1953 … a special article of cargo arrived in Cape Town for a special purpose.
She had 5 brothers and was brought up in a very physical high energy environment.
Climbing mountains, digging huts in the sand dunes, caving, participating in hockey and athletics.
In the home she developed and good sense of humour, a love for people and was given a sound understanding of the bible.
When she was 15 years old the Lord brought her to me and said …
Here is a helper for you suitable in every way.
And he gave her to me as a gift …
And said “For this reason you will leave your mother and father … and become one with her”
Five years later we were married
And a month ago we celebrated 50 years of incredible marriage.
Am I … are we good people … good Christians …
No … not at all…
But by the grace and mercy of God he always had a plan for us…
What is the reason for 50 wonderful years …
Submitting to each other out of reverence for Christ …
E.g. Sharon’s tree
How you revere the giver dictates how you treat the gift.
Husbands …
Have you ever seen your wife as a gift from God …
The saying goes … a marriage made in heaven.
I firmly believe my wife is a gift from God to me.
Consequently I treat her that way.
Out of reverence for Christ.
I do not rule … I exercise my God given authority with care.
Wives …
You are called upon to submit to your husband’s authority in the same willing way you submit to the Lord … Jesus … Yahweh.
Your relationship with the Lord Jesus will dictate your willingness to submit to your husbands God given authority.
Does that mean we always agree … no
But at the end of the discussion she submits …
Sometimes with reluctance
In 50 years fewer than 10 occasions.
Why …
Because she understands that obedience to Christs commands are beneficial in every way.
Because she believes thru experience that I exercise my God given authority as a servant leader not as an indulgent ruler.
So is Godly patriarchy a mistake …
Definitely not
Why is it not working for so many …
Because men are ruling not submitting to …
The Lord firstly …
Second …The wife’s needs out of reverence for Christ..
It is all a question on sin
And the world has weird and wonderful ideas and programs to deal with the issue of gender based violence …
But until they come to Jesus for salvation they will not solve the problem …
There will be no gender violence in heaven
