The first blame game! We studied in the previous lesson that the Lord God cursed the serpent, Satan, without giving him an opportunity to even speak, saying, "Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all..." (Genesis 3:14) ...because the ruler of this world is judged. (John 16:11) Satan already knew what his punishment was and why, because God ...cast him as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; and [God] destroyed [him], O covering cherub,... (Ezekiel 28:16)
Satan's problem now is that he wants to destroy as many of us as he can, so that we can share in his fate. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. (I John 5:19) ...in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:2-3)
But thanks be to God, we have the advantage of knowing and learning from the forefathers past mistakes and consequences, so that we can better understand the battle that is going on, and Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
Speaking of consequences, God gives them to the woman first, because Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Timothy 2:4) ...the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,... (II Corinthians 11:3) To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16)
God did not create man to rule over woman, because God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion..." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them,... (Genesis 1:26-28) And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18)
But because of Eve's sin and Adam's going along with it, even though the Lord God had clearly told him, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16); now, God had to establish order within the marriage relationship. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:23-24)
This does not mean that wives don't have a say, because wives are still their husband's help meet (Genesis 2:18 KJV) What it does mean is that Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,... So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ... Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33)
And out of this respect for her husband, wives are to recognize and accept ...that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ... Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.(I Corinthians 11:3-12)
There is to be a mutual respect between the husband and the wife, because neither are independent of the other; and without the woman, man can not have children, which leads to the other part of woman's punishment. The Lord God said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children." Up to this point, the woman had not conceived and given birth to children. We must believe that prior to her sin, conception and birth of children was not going to be a painful thing; but as a consequence of sin, not only the change in the dynamics of the marriage were going to be difficult to deal with, but also fulfilling the commandment to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth..." was going to be also.
Let this be a lesson to all of us, God forgives our sins; but often times we have to deal with the consequences, and just pray that God will be merciful towards us. Just as David prayed, For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:3-4) Even though Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. (I Timothy 2:14-15)
The final lesson from the punishment against the woman is taught through the Apostle Paul; But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (I Corinthians 7:8-9) But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin [unmarried woman]. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. (I Corinthians 7:32-34)
Women, if we will have a problem with our husbands having rule over us and being the head in the marriage, also as Christ is the head of the church, then best is we don't get married. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (I Corinthians 7:2) If a woman does marry, then we need to ...love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Titus 2:4-5)
Just as Jesus said, "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." (John 16:21) It may be difficult for us women to accept God's order, but if we obey His Word and submit to His will, we will receive a great reward in the end. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22) AMEN!
Satan's problem now is that he wants to destroy as many of us as he can, so that we can share in his fate. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one. (I John 5:19) ...in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. (Ephesians 2:2-3)
But thanks be to God, we have the advantage of knowing and learning from the forefathers past mistakes and consequences, so that we can better understand the battle that is going on, and Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:11-12)
Speaking of consequences, God gives them to the woman first, because Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. (I Timothy 2:4) ...the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness,... (II Corinthians 11:3) To the woman He said: “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children; your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.” (Genesis 3:16)
God did not create man to rule over woman, because God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion..." So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them,... (Genesis 1:26-28) And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” (Genesis 2:18)
But because of Eve's sin and Adam's going along with it, even though the Lord God had clearly told him, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:16); now, God had to establish order within the marriage relationship. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. (Ephesians 5:23-24)
This does not mean that wives don't have a say, because wives are still their husband's help meet (Genesis 2:18 KJV) What it does mean is that Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,... So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ... Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:25-33)
And out of this respect for her husband, wives are to recognize and accept ...that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. ... Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God.(I Corinthians 11:3-12)
There is to be a mutual respect between the husband and the wife, because neither are independent of the other; and without the woman, man can not have children, which leads to the other part of woman's punishment. The Lord God said, “I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children." Up to this point, the woman had not conceived and given birth to children. We must believe that prior to her sin, conception and birth of children was not going to be a painful thing; but as a consequence of sin, not only the change in the dynamics of the marriage were going to be difficult to deal with, but also fulfilling the commandment to “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth..." was going to be also.
Let this be a lesson to all of us, God forgives our sins; but often times we have to deal with the consequences, and just pray that God will be merciful towards us. Just as David prayed, For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight— that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge. (Psalm 51:3-4) Even though Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control. (I Timothy 2:14-15)
The final lesson from the punishment against the woman is taught through the Apostle Paul; But I say to the unmarried and to the widows: It is good for them if they remain even as I am; but if they cannot exercise self-control, let them marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion. (I Corinthians 7:8-9) But I want you to be without care. He who is unmarried cares for the things of the Lord—how he may please the Lord. But he who is married cares about the things of the world—how he may please his wife. There is a difference between a wife and a virgin [unmarried woman]. The unmarried woman cares about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. But she who is married cares about the things of the world—how she may please her husband. (I Corinthians 7:32-34)
Women, if we will have a problem with our husbands having rule over us and being the head in the marriage, also as Christ is the head of the church, then best is we don't get married. Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband. (I Corinthians 7:2) If a woman does marry, then we need to ...love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. (Titus 2:4-5)
Just as Jesus said, "A woman, when she is in labor, has sorrow because her hour has come; but as soon as she has given birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for joy that a human being has been born into the world." (John 16:21) It may be difficult for us women to accept God's order, but if we obey His Word and submit to His will, we will receive a great reward in the end. Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:22) AMEN!
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