sermon: Wonderful Women


Martin G. Collins
Given 23-Nov-19; Sermon #1517; 67 minutes

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Feminists have made marriage a battlefield, requiring men to grovel at the feet of vastly superior Amazons. The scourge of strident women 'leaders' is a direct consequence of men not shouldering responsibilities. According to God's vision of the institution of marriage, when man and wife follow the rule of submission and sacrificial love, patriarchy becomes a blessing. But when militant feminism turns marriage into warfare, horrible consequences follow, including nagging, deceit, and faithlessness. The woman's role in marriage is in no way inferior to her husband's, both created in God's image, which incorporates male and female traits. The role of homemaker is every bit as demanding as that of a corporate executive. A highly capable woman, Mary, reared God's Son, teaching Him practical household tasks. The Proverbs 31 envisions a godly woman solving problems, delegating responsibilities, running the household, exercising forcefulness and strength, exuding mental energy, repairing things and keeping her family healthy, earning her the esteem of her husband and children. The diligent homemaker could be better qualified to govern ten cities than a successful corporate executive. Marriage is a God-plane relationship, with the complementary roles of submission to God's will and sacrificial love mirroring Christ's relationship to the Church (Ephesians 5:17-22). God designates the homemaker as equally high a calling as her husband.




Despite the importance of marriage as the first and foundational human institution and the wonderful truth that it was God and not man who invented it, marriage is today under the most ferocious and persistent attack and even that is an understatement. In fact, this assault is so intense, multifaceted, and insidious that it can hardly be explained by mere human dislike for responsibility or even personal selfishness. It is not merely faulty human reasoning, it is instigated by demonic influence, and it is part of that great spiritual warfare being waged against both God and ourselves by your enemy and mine, Satan.

That is why Paul's discussion of marriage, as well as his discussion of the relationships between children and parents, and slaves and masters, occurs precisely where it does in Ephesians: between the urgings toward the Spirit-filled life found in Ephesians 5:18-20 and the discussion of the Christian soldier's defense against Satan found in Ephesians 6:10-20. It is on the battleground of our relationships that a major part of this battle is fought, and the lasting victory for God and His righteousness is eventually won.

Attacks on marriage come from many sources today. Many obvious and powerful ones are from the world and we can think of changes in the divorce laws which make it relatively easy for disappointed or frustrated persons to achieve "no fault" divorces, as if that could be possible. To undercut marriage further, men are emasculated while women are emboldened to be aggressive, arrogant, and domineering. Equality between the sexes today means men must be blamed for everything and made to grovel at the feet of the Amazons. This is the social justice reengineering of society. As a result, in place of serving relationships between husbands and wives, marriage is entered as a confrontational battlefield where each spouse looks out for his own interests, and as husbands relinquish their own leadership position, their wives are forced to fill the void. (That is my introduction.)

From the first chapter of Genesis to the final verses of Revelation, the Bible is filled with images of women. At creation, women share the image of God and at the brink of the Second Coming, she is spiritually the bride of Christ. From beginning to end, she is a high and holy concept, though no more so than the man. Some of the Bible's images of women focus on her roles as wife, mother, daughter, sister, and widow, not social warrior and feminist.

The background against which we understand biblical images of women, especially in the Old Testament, is that women did not have the same social rights and advantages of men. Property was inherited by sons rather than daughters. Women had little legal power and were not allowed to divorce their husbands. This is the way it still is in many Gentile nations today. Women were mentioned in biblical genealogies only sometimes and then only as sisters to already-mentioned sons and they were also given as wives to whomever their fathers decided, or desired.

Samson experienced this firsthand. After an absence, he returned to find that the father of his Philistine bride had given her to one of his friends. That would make me fighting mad. My human nature would really start to take control there, I think. In compensation, her father offered Samson her younger sister. And this is what the anti-Christian world does with the global sex trafficking industry today. Women are nothing more than chattel slaves to these evil slave traders and given to or sold to whomever they decide.

However, in God's system, women are treated with respect. In fact, when no sons were available to inherit their father's property, daughters were the next in line. Numbers 27 records how God commanded Moses to give Zelophehad's five daughters his inheritance since they had no brothers. In Genesis 1, the creation of humankind in the image of God is both male and female. Women, therefore, at the very core of her being has the same spiritual essence as the man, with the same potential for good and evil and equal dignity with men.

Please turn over to Isaiah 49. Women being made in the image of God is reflected in the fact that, later in the Bible, God is sometimes portrayed as having qualities of a woman, as well as man. In Isaiah, He is portrayed metaphorically as having the traits of a nurse and mother.

Isaiah 49:15 "Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you."

Then over a few chapters to Isaiah 66.

Isaiah 66:13 "As one whom his mother comforts, so I [that is God] will comfort you; and you shall be comforted in Jerusalem."

Genesis 2 describes the creation of Eve, the mother of all living, and Eve was created as a companion to man to share his work in the Garden. This woman was a helper to Adam, a creature of free will and responsibility, with the same obligations assigned to the man. Made from Adam, Eve was a helper comparable to him and a wife who became one flesh with her husband. This is all background information. It is what we know, but what we need to make sure is in our own foundational beliefs. This confirms one of the most basic of all facts regarding both men and women—woman and man—that they complement each other and are, in one sense, incomplete alone. Just in one sense. We have singles, we have widows, and so on, that God is completing in a slightly different way.

Because of the first woman's susceptibility to the temptation of the Serpent, woman is often portrayed as more vulnerable than man. Her readiness to eat the fruit because it was lovely to look at, good to eat, and the path to knowledge like God's, distinguished her in human thought and human reasoning as the source of the expulsion from the Garden. Nevertheless, Adam shared in that sin and was just as guilty. Although Eve's sin caused a curse of pain in childbirth upon women, her love of beauty and food and knowledge was not wiped out by that sin.

The prophets critiqued Israel's culture, but not the patriarchy. Israel's prophets were iconoclasts, not traditionalists, who relied on societies trends. They called Israel into check for numerous injustices and challenged the injustices of their culture. They exposed the scandalous pretensions, and challenged kings, priests, institutions, and the Temple. Not one of these cultural revolutionary prophets regarded patriarchy as an unjust or oppressive form of government. Quite the contrary. They interpreted the rule by women as God's judgment against a sinful nation.

Please turn over to Judges 4. Deborah, who was married, is one clear exception to patriarchy. Probably it is the exception that proves the rule. In addition to being a prophetess, Deborah was judging Israel at the time. The author made his intention clear by clearly shaming Israelite men at that time for their fear, so that none dared to assume leadership. Even Barak, the military commander of Israel's army, was afraid to lead.

Judges 4:4-7 Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, was judging Israel at that time. And she would sit under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the mountains of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment. Then she sent and called for Barak, the son of Abinoam from Kadesh in Naphtali, and said to him, "Has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor; take with you ten thousand men of the sons of Naphtali and of the sons of Zebulun; and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude at the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into your hand.'?"

Deborah shamed commander Barak for his failure to assume leadership. After she mediated, God's command to him to join battle with Cicero, commander of the Canaanite army, Barak replies the following:

Judges 4:8-9 "If you will go with me [speaking to Deborah], then I will go; but if you do not go with me, I will not go." [What a coward! To which Deborah responds very well.] "I will go with you, nevertheless [because of the way you are going out of this, out of fear] there will no glory for you in the journey you are taking, for the Lord will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman [to shame you]."

Apparently, God raised up this exceptional woman, who was full of faith, to disgrace the men of Israel for their lack of faith, which is essential to leadership in the holy nation. If so, the story aims to reprove unfaithful men for not taking leadership, not to present an alternative norm to male authority. The story also shows that God is above culture and not restricted by patriarchy.

Please turn over to Isaiah 3. Also the prophet Isaiah ridiculed the nation of Judah for sins, predicting that disobeying God would affect their leadership.

Isaiah 3:12 "As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O My people! Those who lead you cause you to err, and destroy the way of your paths."

Let us change direction here and look at Jesus Christ's images of women. John 4:21-27 records how Jesus amazed His disciples by conversing with a woman, because He violated the prejudice of that society of both the Jews and the Romans against women. Jesus bestowed dignity upon this Samaritan adulteress, unclean by Jewish standards, by revealing to her for the first time that worship would now be directed toward the Father in heaven rather than toward Jerusalem. Even more important, Jesus entrusted women to be the original witnesses to His resurrection, even though their testimony would have been discounted in a Roman court.

Luke 24:1-11 Now on the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they, and certain other women with them, came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. Then they went in and did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. Then, as they were afraid and bowed their faces to the earth, they said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee, saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'" And they remembered His words. Then they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the other women with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.

He rewarded the devotion of Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven demons, by allowing her to be the first person to meet Him after His resurrection. And later Jesus rebuked the disciples for unwillingness to believe her about the tomb being empty. Even though Jesus confirmed the Old Testament patriarchy by not appointing a woman as an apostle, though women followed Him, served Him, and were his close friends, it is nonsense for the feminists to argue that Jesus appointed only male apostles because He was culturally conditioned. Whatever Jesus did, He did the right thing and only the right thing. It is not plausible to think that had He intended to empower women to have equality with men in leadership, He would have called a woman to be an apostle, either before or after His resurrection.

What about a woman as a wife? Wives, like husbands, can be either very good or very bad. It is easier to see the ideal wife when contrasted with her shortfalls. We will take a look at a few examples of bad characteristics.

Proverbs 27:15-16 A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike [That is strong language and very, very pointed and hurtful even if a person is guilty of that.]; whoever restrains her restrains the wind, and grasps oil with his right hand.

These are two very difficult things to restrain, wind and oil. Oil flows or slips through your fingers. Wind—How do you grasp wind or grab it? So that type of thing to restrain a woman like that is near impossible.

More wifely vices include nagging and disparagement of the one's husband, as Michel's putting down of David for his devotional zeal. In II Samuel 6, wives can also trick their husbands as do Rebecca, Potiphar's wife, and Delilah, or be unfaithful as Hosea's wife was. Or give poor counsel as Job's wife did in Job 2. Wives can become an ungodly influence as Solomon's wives did in I Kings 11 or support their husband in an immoral act as the Saphira did in Acts 5. The worst wife of all was Jezebel who dominates her husband and secures his earthly and spiritual downfall as she opposes the will of God.

Well, that is enough about the bad characteristics of women. All I am showing is that women can be as bad as men.

Now let us look at a few examples of good characteristics. I always like the more positive, anyway. Abigail, the wife of Nabal, in I Samuel 25 took the initiative overriding the effect of her husband's foolish behavior. The wives of some very bad husbands tried to counsel them wisely at breaking points in their lives, such as the wives of Belshazzar in Daniel 5 and Pilate in Matthew 27, or to dissuade them from foolish behavior as Vashti does in Esther 1.

God values the role of women and he sees the wife and mother's function as one of the best barricades against the encircling hopelessness of a dying civilization. Righteous women have helped transform society more than once. Jerusha, in II Kings 15, records that Jotham was a righteous king of Judah and his mother's name with Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok. Jerusha's outstanding contribution to society was to raise a son with the steady character of a strong and wise leader, one who could turn God's blessing toward a whole nation. Then there was Jedidiah, the wife of the wicked king Amon, accomplishes the same thing in II Kings 22. Her son, Josiah, whose personal righteousness prolonged the life of Judah.

Jerusha and Jedediah had one thing in common. They found fulfillment in serving their families and pointing their children in the right direction. They cherished obedient, stable children and believed that expanding and improving a child's mind was a full time job and they strived to eradicate the bad habits of the neglected child.

Proverbs 29:15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom, and a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Jerusha and Jedediah were happy to work quietly out of the limelight, providing the support, encouragement, correction that all children require.

Proverbs 29:17 Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he will give delight to your soul.

I have even heard people, women in the church or even men in the church, discount these things, especially women do for some reason, because of society's influence and say, "I'll never spank my child!" And then we see the result, you know, a decade later or so. Jerusha's and Jedediah's warm attitudes, their calm strength, provided their homes with an atmosphere of quiet confidence and stability. And they were ever-present sources of solace, answers, and kind direction. If this were not the case, God would not have cited them so conspicuously as admirable mothers. Evil king Amon must have been an awfully antagonistic husband sometimes. Yet, Jedediah, with God's help, produced righteous Josiah, who turned to God with all his heart.

If you will, turn with me to II Timothy 3. Few servants God chose ever walked a more difficult path than that of Mary, the mother of Jesus. She had to endure sneers and sarcasm because of what was considered a premarital pregnancy, even though it was a major extension of God's great plan. This required mental toughness, tact, and sensitivity few people possess. The misguided veneration given her by some religionists should not blind us to her high human qualities of competence and cool-headedness.

II Timothy 3:12-17 Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. But evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man [and I will add, or woman] of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Yet the tone and atmosphere of Mary's rather large household had to be extra special. We know she had at least five sons and two or more daughters, according to Matthew 13:55-56. She had to nurture that robust and vigorous, yet brilliant and perceptive Child who grew up to be the sinless Savior of us all. With God's help, Mary succeeded. As a child, Jesus reflected sound parental teaching and instruction. By the age of twelve, the learned doctors of law sat stupefied at His insight. Now, of course Mary cannot take all the credit for that and she would not. God's inspiration is to be credited ultimately for that. But she had to have had a significant part on the physical side of things, especially.

Jesus' stable home life emerges indirectly in His teaching. Remember the spiritual principle in Luke 5, he gleaned from one of the most common household chores, the patching of old garments. Then there is a simple homespun account in Luke 11 of the neighbor borrowing three loaves from his friend in the middle of the night. Probably a warm recollection from Christ's childhood that was common among the people of that area. What about the parable in Matthew 13 of the woman carefully measuring ingredients for three measures of meal. See how Jesus' analogies reveal a firsthand acquaintance with normal housework?

Where did Jesus derive these insights into normal family life? Mary may have been widowed from an early age if Joseph's absence in Matthew 12:47 is any indication. We just do not know for sure. It is a good thing for God's plan that she did not feel her combined roles as homemaker, mother, counselor, nurse, clerk, teacher, home economist, cook, seamstress, dietician, physical education advisor, physical therapist, all of the jobs that make up the daily lot of the everyday homemaker, were beneath her, unimportant, or unchallenging.

The Oxford Dictionary defines homemaker as a person, especially a housewife, who manages a home. She is a manager, she manages a home. It is a good thing Jesus' mother was not a career woman seeking status or fulfillment elsewhere. Then again, God would not have chosen her if she had been. And this is not to put down women who work. I mean, when your children grow up or get old enough so that they do not need the same attention, then there may be needs for having to go to work, or sometimes it is to learn more from what you already know. There are reasons for that. So, I am not putting down women who work. I am just saying that for a wife and mother with children, this is the description God gives of that type of a godly family.

Jesus obviously respected His mother as an intelligent, sensible woman. He knew her deep reserves of inner strength and quiet confidence.

Luke 2:51-52 Then He [Jesus] went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. [She was not a gossip, she was a woman who knew when to keep things to herself and not pass things on.] And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

She was continuing to have a positive influence on Him.

Jesus' last earthly thoughts revolved around the woman who helped train and encourage Him, and who stuck with Him to the bitter end. Mary was a living fulfillment of Proverbs 23:24-25, where it says, "The Father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, and he who begets a wise child will delight in him. Let your father and your mother be glad, and let her who bore you rejoice." So, I am sure, despite Mary's grief at Christ's horrible death, that she was glad that she had Him and that He was her Son.

Unlike the good qualities of the stay-at-home wife and mother, Satan's society has cast her as an ignorant, beaten woman. She is pictured as a haggard, unattractive drudge with her hair disheveled and a broom in her hand, and several screaming brats around her. On the flipside of Satan's deception, society idolizes the stylish modern career businesswoman. Up at the crack of dawn, she dresses like a fashion model, prepares a hearty breakfast for her family, and drives the kids off to school. She puts in a full day at her office, comes home to somehow put a piping hot dinner on the table by seven PM. But it does not stop there for this wonder woman. At the same time, she gives her husband all the attention and encouragement he needs. And through all this a radiant, cheerful smile always beams from her face—at least this is how Hollywood portrays the modern career woman.

What a deceptive farce that is. But they play it over and over again in movies, sitcoms, and shows. The husband is an idiot and the woman does all these things and keeps a smile on her face—after she has chewed out her husband. Maybe that is what put the smile on her face, chewing out her lazy husband.

Many a mother, wife, and homemaker who devotes her full time to taking care of the home might wonder what a hot stove, dirty floor, and unmade bed have to do with preparing for God's Kingdom. But the effective management of the home has just as much to do with learning to rule as any other job any other person could have. Running a home is in many respects like managing a company or corporation. In an article by evangelist Ron Kelly, titled, "The Average Everyday Housewife: No higher calling," he compared the corporate executive to the average homemaker. The similarities are astonishing. Some of you may think that the examples in this article are a little outdated, but look beyond that and notice the impressive qualities developed by the stay-at-home wife and mother.

We think of several things when we hear the word executive. Somehow that word smacks of success. We think of tall buildings and suites and offices, financial wealth. We visualize such top level managers living in executive suburbs and driving late model cars larger and more expensive than the rest of us can afford. At least this is the image that society portrays and gives us to believe. We see them in our mind's eye making decisions, talking on the phone, holding important meetings, and going to lunch at the best restaurants, and we are tempted to think of how well qualified they are and how unimportant we are. We probably think such a person would be much more qualified to rule ten cities in God's Kingdom. Certainly more qualified than a stay-at-home wife and mother.

But are the jobs really that different? What are some of the things executive managers do? I pulled these from that article I just mentioned.

1. One area is that of time scheduling. The effective executive knows how to get things done. He makes sure the business meets its deadlines and he must deliver as promised. Just in the way of an example, a major manufacturer like Noxell Corporation had a very modern production plant. They produced facial cream, makeup, lipstick shaving cream and shampoo in one of their several manufacturing plants. When I worked there 40 years ago, one packaging line cost well over a million dollars (probably 10 million today because of the robotics], and there were more than 20 of those production lines and they used complex charts and graphs to schedule everything from the ordering of raw materials to mixing, filling, packaging, storing, and shipping the finished product but it mainly took time and scheduling.

2. Executives make multiple decisions daily and these decisions have to be the best and the wisest ones possible. Likewise, a homemaker must have initiative and might perform any number of duties such as get the family off to school and work well-fed and clothed, do the shopping, meet the kids when they return home from school, take her daughter to the orthodontist or her son to a sports activity. She has dinner ready in the evening and during her extra time cleans the windows, calls the repairman to fix the washing machine, makes an appointment for counseling about her children at school, or maybe as is more common today, schools her children at home preparing the lessons and teaching. Of course she does not do all that. But during the course of a life, I am sure a wife and mother pretty much does most of that.

3. Executives spend a lot of time solving problems. With all businesses things can go wrong. Problems can arise over money, personnel, equipment, or a dozen other items. Likewise, a homemaker is responsible for making many decisions and solving problems. It seems families have always struggled with inflated food costs. In most cases, the homemaker is responsible for the food budget. In order to feed the family well she checks the sales, perhaps buying vegetables at one store, bread at another, coffee down the street, beef somewhere else. But she must also be an efficiency expert, keeping in mind the time it takes and that the cost of gasoline to get from one store to the next for a sale might cancel out any savings in buying the sale item.

4. Executives must also delegate. No one person can do it all. The executive knows how to give tasks to others who can handle the job. Likewise, the homemaker has to delegate. You cannot do it all yourself, even though you try. Many mothers clean up after the kids, make all the beds, and wash the clothes. Somehow, she never gets around to delegating those jobs to the children, even though it helps proper development in children to have responsibilities and to work hard. Some parents never even teach their children to make their own beds or empty the trash and so on. Delegate means to teach the children to do the dishes, wash and iron the clothes, make their beds, and do yard work. Do not deprive your children of this character building.

5. An executive is responsible for the morale as well as the safety and training of those employed by the company. Likewise, the homemaker must teach her children. Children should learn to cook, shop, repair things, and help in every part of the home life. This is one of the areas of family life where both parents learn to be teachers.

6. A homemaker runs a smooth-flowing household that takes the skill of a corporate president and then some, and that is some of the same skills that it will take to be over several cities in God's Kingdom.

Now let us turn our heads to God's description through wise King Solomon of the ideal executive home manager. Proverbs 31 describes the virtuous woman as an ideal home manager, as a person who schedules time, makes decisions, solves problems, is responsible over others, and delegates work. She makes a profession of caring for her household the best way possible. She is much more than the false image society has of homemakers today. This is not a detailed list of the things a woman must do all the time. It is a presentation of principles involving the types of things wives should be capable of doing if and when needed, and the types of things to gain the education, training, and capability to do.

Proverbs 31:10-31 presents a brilliant and tasteful tribute to the best that is in women. Let us quickly review these passages and notice how many challenging and demanding traits and skills effective women must exemplify. Not all of them, but this is just giving you principles and ideas of what can be done.

The word virtuous in verse 10 conveys more than moral purity. It also implies forcefulness and strength. The Adam Clarke Commentary defines this word as, "full of mental energy." Capable is a more modern term for it.

Proverbs 31:10-11 Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies. The heart of her husband safely trusts her; so he will have no lack of gain.

In other words, it is saying a virtuous wife does not waste the family's money.

Proverbs 31:12 She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.

Verse 12 celebrates stability, consistency, and maturity. This model woman is not a shallow person. She puts first things first. She has the right priorities. She derives her emotional and physiological sustenance from seeing her family succeed. And of course she is praying about things constantly, about everything that has to do with the family and its well being.

Proverbs 31:13 She seeks wool and flax, and willingly works with her hands.

She willingly works at her household duties is a major part of the point there. It means she has vision and this is seen from her enthusiastic devotion to sometimes tiresome and unglamorous chores. Think what enormous financial savings each year derive from a wife's diligent patching, sewing, shampooing, refinishing, polishing, scrubbing, and painting. Maintenance prevents early deterioration in a home. I am not saying that her husband should not do that, he should be doing the hard work and the brunt of it. But the wife has to also uphold the maintenance of a home in her areas. And I know of women that do repair things in their home and are capable of those types of things—and good for her. That is a good quality, good skill to have.

Proverbs 31:14-16 She is like the merchant ships, she brings her food from afar. She also rises while it is yet night, and provides food for her household, and a portion for her maidservants. She considers a field and buys it; from her profits she plants a vineyard.

The diligent wife actively shops for bargains, she has a keen eye for enduring commodities, alert to the expanding needs of her growing family. Verse 16 does not mean a wife must become a real estate agent, as some mistakenly believe. Being a real estate agent does not automatically fulfill this quality. It does not say that you cannot be, but if that is your career and you have neglected your children, then it is not for you.

Proverbs 31:17-21 She girds herself with strength, and strengthens her arms. [No wonder she is in good shape physically. She is a fit, healthy person who keeps mentally and physically active.] She perceives that her merchandise is good, and her lamp does not go out by night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hand holds the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy. She is not afraid of snow for her household, for all her household is clothed with scarlet. [scarlet being a high quality garment.]

The virtuous woman shops for the best quality her budget allows, and she has time and resources left to help the truly needy. Yet she is not a do-gooder or a busybody. Keep in mind these are principles. It does not mean a woman has to accomplish everything in here like a checklist, but it is giving you ideas of all the many things that are a virtuous wife or mother can accomplish or do.

Proverbs 31:22-24 She makes tapestry for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies sashes for the merchants.

She is productive, diligent, and useful. Her dressmaking and tailoring skills supplement the family income. Note the surplus commodities.

Proverbs 31:25-30 Strength and honor are her clothing; she shall rejoice in time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. 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." Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.

And that is the key. If anything is the key to this whole sermon, it is that. "A woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised."

When considering the Bible's images of woman and man, we should constantly remind ourselves that the conditions of ultimate spiritual worth are the same regardless of one's gender. The virtuous woman, whatever her female beauty and womanly excellence, is commended as the true standard: A woman who fears the Lord. Fear of the Lord entails reverence and submission to Him.

An effective homemaker employs every one of the tools of effective management. She is developing the qualities needed to direct cities and nations in God's Kingdom just as much as anyone else is. And when we understand the job of the wife and mother, we cannot help but notice that it presents one of the greatest opportunities for skill development. But even doing all this, without love, humility, and service it is all in vain.

Now the apostle Paul admonishes Christians to be wise by being controlled by the Holy Spirit and that submission to Christ first and then the brethren is vital to our spiritual health and unity. Then Paul applies this to specific life relationships. It is relatively easy to exhibit or give the appearance of a Spirit-filled life for two to four hours a week in church, but it takes the work of the Holy Spirit to exhibit genuine godliness, not only on the Sabbath, but also in everyday relationships—between wives and husbands, between children and parents, and between servants and masters.

In each of these three relationships, the first partner is commanded to be submissive to the second, but the second partner is also to show submissiveness by his care and concern for the first partner. Both partners are to act towards one another as a service rendered to God and Christ.

That sure puts a different light on it. We know that, we have read it many times, but that leaves the entire world outside of the church out of success in this area. Both partners are to act toward one another as a service rendered to God and Christ.

In Ephesians 5, the apostle Paul presents a general principle and illustrates true righteous submission. Keep in mind that Paul's instructions in his epistle to the Ephesians is directed to believers, to members of God's church, and they are filled with the Spirit.

Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Ephesians 5:20-21 Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another in the fear of God.

What Paul meant by submitting to one another in verse 21 is explained through the particular examples of family relations. So submitting to one another means submitting to others according to the authority and order established by God as reflected in the examples that Paul gives in Ephesians 5. Then we come to the practical application of the principle that the apostle Paul laid down in verse 21, submitting to one another in the fear of God. That is the general principle and now as is his usual method, he comes to its practical application.

Ephesians 5:22-33 Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord. 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. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 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. For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. "For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and 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.

Verse 25 says that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church and that includes appreciating them with proper respect as being heirs together of the grace of life, equal on a spiritual basis but one submissive to the other, and the wife submissive more so to the husband as he makes the final decisions on things. And if the husband is wise, he will counsel with his wife as to the wisdom of his decision before making it.

Marriage is part of the great mystery of God's will and by mystery, Paul means the hidden plan of God that has come to fulfillment in Jesus Christ. This is why we see Paul's quotation about marriage in Genesis 2 and here in verses 31 and 32, and this ties into the relationship between Christ and His church. Paul's meaning is profound. He interprets the original creation of the husband and wife union as itself modeled on Christ's forthcoming union with the church as His body. We see this in verse 23, "For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; as He is the Savior of the body."

Therefore, marriage from the beginning of creation was created by God to be a reflection of and pattern after Christ's relationship to the church. That is where the authority comes from. It comes from God the Father and Jesus Christ as the Husband of the church, and we are to reflect that same thing.

Paul's commands regarding the roles of husbands and wives do not merely reflect the culture of his day, but present God's ideal for all marriages at all times as exemplified by the relationship between the bride of Christ (the church), and Christ Himself, the Son of God. In Ephesians 5:18-33, the apostle Paul follows his usual method of stating the general principle and then following it up with the specifics of the practical application. This can be proven in three different ways.

The first is the word submit, which is found in many versions of the Bible, "Wives, submit to your own husbands as to the Lord." It may surprise you that the original word submit is not there at all. So that puts a smile on the women's faces. However, it really is there, it is just not placed there as a word. It is just, "Wives, to your own husbands as to the Lord." Now, how to explain the omission of the word?

It means that the apostle Paul is carrying over the injunction about submitting from verse 21 into verse 22. It is the subject matter and is carrying it in and making the assumption that it is understood as part of verse 22. The very fact that the word is not actually repeated is therefore a proof that verse 22 is a continuation of verse 21 and that he is still dealing with the same theme, the general principle of submission, and he knows that will be in the minds of his readers. And as a result, he says, wives, in this matter of submission, to your own husbands. So the mere absence of the word submit in the original is a proof in and of itself that that is what Paul is doing here.

But there is a second proof. It is found in the fact that he mentions the wives before the husbands. That is not accidental. Neither is it done merely out of politeness or on the principle of "ladies first." The Bible just does not do that. The Bible, as we see, and as Paul expounds, invariably uses the other order. In fact, the law of the land does this as well and we all do so in general language. We do not say Mrs. and Mr. so and so, we say Mr. and Mrs. so and so. At least we used to until recently, since the social justice engineers achieved the level of deceit necessary to change the English language to being politically correct. And now it is as confusing as it has ever been. People do not even know what sex they are. If you do not know that, then how in the world are you going to be able to communicate with one another? All the basic foundational truths of society are being undermined and replaced with idiocy.

So, when Paul puts the wives first in his consideration of the relationship of husbands and wives, he has a very good reason for doing so. The reason is that he is particularly concerned about this question of submission, submitting. That is the principle he has outlined in verse 21. Now, in the marriage relationship, the aspect of submission, as he shows, applies particularly to the wives. There is another aspect that applies to the husbands and he deals with that, because his statement is a full one and a balanced one. But as he is primarily concerned about the question of submission, he inevitably and quite naturally puts the wives first in speaking about the marriage relationship. There is the second proof of the claim that what we are dealing with here is an outworking of the general submission principle laid down in verse 21.

And there is a third proof. A third proof for this is that Paul uses the expression "to your own husbands." Notice the emphasis, "Wives, submit to your own husbands." In verse 21, he laid down the general principle of submission on the part of all Christians to other Christians, "Submitting to one another in the fear of God." The point then is this: If you do that in general, if you do that to everybody, so to speak, how much more so should wives do it to their own husbands in this marriage relationship.

I am taking the time to emphasize this because if we are not clear that regarding verse 21, "submitting to one another in the fear of God" as really the controlling principle, we cannot possibly understand his detailed teaching correctly. It is the foundation of the teaching.

God will not save anyone He cannot rule. The test of character in this life is the development of faith and obedience. And women train just as much in the character development process. God gets to the same point, in a way, of both man's and women's submission, but He does it in different ways. He works with each and every one of us individually as well. So He has a tailormade process that He is using for each and every one of us as we go through life, to bring us to the complete character that He is interested in.

One of God's purposes for women is their own character building and development as a good witness of His way of life. The creation of women was an integral part of God's plan. Mankind was not complete with the creation of only the man, so God made Eve from the rib of man to be his perfect companion and complete spiritual equal. To make the human family, which pictures God's Family complete, to provide it with proper depth, and to create the total environment God established family life.

The first and foremost responsibility for women is, just like men, to prepare to be useful in God's Kingdom, to develop holy righteous character. Qualification to rule does not depend on how much we train ourselves in a physical way. Character is what carries over to Spirit life. Ecclesiastes 9:10 says, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might; for there is no work or device or knowledge or wisdom in the grave where you are going."

Men and women have the same opportunities for character development. God sees to that. The day-to-day events of life constantly provide opportunities to develop character. From our decision to get up in the morning, through the decisions we make all day, to our decision to retire at night, character is being developed, and for those who are members of God's church, everything is a test. Everything is to show us where we stand on the principles of God and to show God where we stand. But we know God is all-knowing, so He knows where we stand. So most of it is to show us where we stand and where we fall short. But we are tested in everything.

In addition to the daily character-building process, no doubt a direct correlation exists between all our life experiences and our ultimate potential to serve in God's government. We cannot just sit around and do nothing and expect that ten cities will be laid in our laps at the return of Christ. We must be prepared. Whether we are male or female has little to do with the quality of the positions we attain in God's Kingdom. They are all going to be of the highest quality. We will all, each and every one of us, be extremely happy with whatever God has provided for us and trained us for. So there is no worry there.

The woman who decides to be a homemaker is choosing as high an occupation as it is possible to choose. No corporate executive, great financier, famous entertainer, or sports personality has a greater calling or profession. It is time we un-brainwash our minds and the minds of our children and realize that. The training of a homemaker prepares her for the Kingdom of God, just as other people's jobs prepare them. God has not established an elitist system of better jobs or lesser jobs. That is Satan's deception. Human societies established hierarchy of respect called class systems. Some professions seem to carry great honor, usually because they wield power or carry higher financial rewards, but no profession will carry more humanly devised social status than any other in God's Kingdom. This does not mean a pseudo-Communistic state will exist. God's Word is clear that some individuals will work harder and grow spiritually stronger than others in this life, and those who do will qualify for greater rewards.

The insistence of feminists on the equality of wives with husbands in authority and leadership is no less unbiblical, and even demonic. It is essential to the plan of God that husbands love their wives and that wives submit to the authority of their husbands. If husbands and wives are equal in leadership, how does the husband exemplify a new model of leadership wherein the ruler becomes a servant?

Matthew 20:25-28 But Jesus called them to Himself and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave—just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

So if a woman seeks to become empowered as an equal to her husband in authority, how does she show the submission of the church of Christ? Tragically, some husbands in the home, often out of a distorted emphasis of their leadership and their depreciation of the spiritual gifts that empower women to serve, have both consciously and unconsciously suppressed women, and hindered their producing of the fruit of the Spirit. Again however, the problem is their failure to interpret the Bible accurately. If a husband is lording it over his wife, he is interpreting the Bible wrong, and he is not following the example of Christ as head of the church. The model of leadership is that of a servant. Jesus models a Servant-King who so loves His queen that He died for her.

The willingness to do the great sacrifice of dying for a loved one becomes a practical reality only to the extent that we practice self-surrendering services as a way of life. The servant empowers his wife to use her spiritual gifts to their fullest potential. On the other hand, the Bible instructs the wife to respect her husband as her lord, which entails obeying him in everything that does not go against God's truth. That is the qualifier. Obeying him in everything that does not go against God's truth.

If the husband is a true servant-leader then he will confide in his wife and ask his wife her counsel on his decisions, especially the major ones. I remember that my dad did good things. One thing he did not do right, was he would go out and buy living room furniture and come home and surprise my mother. "Here is a new living room set!" and he would expect her to praise him and be thankful. And she just could not say a word because it was the opposite style she would get. And she hated it. My mom hated that furniture for at least 20 years, I think. That gets the point across, I think.

I Peter 3:1-6 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word [that means they are unconverted], they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives [that is a high responsibility], when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. [Of course, that is fear of God.] Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel [Notice he does not say that is wrong. He says, make sure that is not your focus.]—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. [There he condemns loud women, opinionated and arrogant, and so on. It is pretty much the definition of a feminist.] For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

I am not recommending you call your husband lord, especially if it is in public, because you are going to give a bad witness, I think, if you do that. And husbands better not require their wives to call them lord. If your wife comes out with it just off of her own mind, that is one thing. It is amazing that husbands have to be told that, is it not?

I Peter 3:7 Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel [It does not say that she is an inferior vessel, it says weaker.], and as being heirs together of the grace of life [there is that equality, heirs together], that your prayers may not be hindered.

So it is important to notice the Bible neither instructs the women to manipulate the man to serve her, nor the husband to have his wife in subjection to be the head that lords itself over the body. Serving and obeying and mutual subjection are inward attitudes produced by the Holy Spirit in us. These are ideals for which we strive, though recognize we never fully attain them any more than other perfections of holiness. While some biblical images of women are gender specific, the specific potential for women for good or evil is the same as for men, and women, as do men, must fear God.

Male and female are terms that apply to this physical life, and Jesus tells us in Matthew 22:30 that in the Kingdom we neither marry nor are given in marriage. Resurrected from the dead and changed from mortal to immortal, we shall all serve with Christ, ruling with Him for 1,000 years and then fulfilling our destinies for eternity.

So God has, in His infinite wisdom, provided the means and opportunity in this lifetime for training and character development for all people whom He calls. It is God's desire and His will for us to be saved and receive eternal life, which is a quality of life, not a length of life.

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