Ruth's act of submission was a for us a demonstration of God's hierarchy as much as Deborah's taking the lead when called to do so. But neither of their recorded acts stand as God's single expectation ad or role for women in everyday life. A Proverbs 31 wife has many household responsibilities. And, husbands are to treat their wives with respect ~ 1 Peter 3:7. And, to never be harsh with them ~ Colossians 3:19.
Once more, it is not that we should always lay at the feet of husbands having no say (taking abuses) or that we should take over the God given authority that husbands have especially if it is already in place and working according to God's Will and social hierarchy. Again, there are times when women must be both humble and brave. In either situation, give all the glory to God so that His Kingdom Come!
Be mindful also that... "by His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.
In
view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises.
Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and
moral excellence with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone.
The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But
those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind,
forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins.
So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Therefore,
I will always remind you about these things—even though you already
know them and are standing firm in the truth you have been taught. And it is only right that I should keep on reminding you as long as I live. For our Lord Jesus Christ has shown me that I must soon leave this earthly life, so I will work hard to make sure you always remember these things after I am gone.
For
we were not making up clever stories when we told you about the
powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. We saw his majestic splendor
with our own eyes when
he received honor and glory from God the Father. The voice from the
majestic glory of God said to him, “This is my dearly loved Son, who
brings me great joy.” We ourselves heard that voice from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain.
Because
of that experience, we have even greater confidence in the message
proclaimed by the prophets. You must pay close attention to what they
wrote, for their words are like a lamp shining in a dark place—until the
Day dawns, and Christ the Morning Star shines in your hearts. Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding, or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God".
Reading ~ 2 Peter 1:3-21, NLT
*Christian Households: Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord ~ Colossians 3:18-20.
*Christian Households: Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. Children, obey your parents in everything, for this is pleasing to the Lord ~ Colossians 3:18-20.
The Word of God is absolute and His social hierarchy is found in His Word just read 1 Timothy 2 or 1 Timothy 5:14, 1 COR 7:9 i.e. We cannot translate it to meet our pop-culture needs or comfort level. Yes, it is painful to be reprimanded but it is always for our own good: protection and well being. Isn't that what we tell our children? Women today must understand that God's Word is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. Hebrews 13:8. Either you want to abide by it or not... He always let's us choose and our choice will have consequences.
ReplyDeleteand to add... the world 'society' at large does not support God's Word or His social hierarchy. Women are not valued for their role as wife and mother first! They are asked, "Do you work". As if working for the Lord or their family isn't valuable. I know speaking from experience.
ReplyDeleteFor single moms... it is best to pray for a godly man especially if you lust for a man in your life. And, marry that godly man. If you do not lust for a man, then don't marry. In both instances, the love of Christ should be first and foremost in your life and for that to happen you must be born again.
ReplyDeleteMost of all... the Bible’s gendered language was no accident of history but tells us something eternal of His attitude towards His Bride, the church. Our lives as gendered beings are not coincidental either, but are designed to tell us something of the greatest love story in human history. God is the Father, Christ is the Groom, and the church is his beloved Bride, for whom He conquered death itself.
ReplyDelete