THE EVANGELICAL CHURCH WINNING ALL (ECWA)
5007 SOUTHSIDE DRIVE
LOUISVILLE, KY 40214
(502) 375-1904
http://www.ecwalouisville.org, http://www.ecwausa.org,
ecwaky@gmail.com
THEME: Wife’s Obedient To Her Husband
TOPIC: Why Did God Command A Wife To Obey Her Husband?
Genesis 2: 7- 25
Rev. (Dr.) Stephen K. Awoniyi
INTRODUCTION
According to the Bible the Man Adam, was the first person to be created. The Lord looked down on him and said,
18 . . . . “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 And Adam said:
“This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of Man.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed (Genesis 2: 18-25 (NKJV).
The above narrated story means the Lord could have created Eve from the dust of the ground, as He created Adam, but He decided not to do so. That is, the Lord wanted Adam to know how greatly He needed Eve. In order words, Eve was actually a part of his body, as intimate part as hand or foot. This means, Adam and Eve were actually and physically one flesh in the deepest and holiest sense of the word. And that miracle of oneness is created even today when a man and a woman stand before God, take one another, forsaking all others, and becoming one flesh. In today’s sermon we will focus on the following topics:
- God’s Perfect Creation Required Order
In the Garden of Eden before the sin of Adam and Eve, the Lord had set up a chain of command which requires the husband to be in authority over the woman. The Scripture says it thus:
11 Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. 12 And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression. 15 Nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control (1 Timothy 2:11-15 (NKJV).
The Scripture again continues by saying;
Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ. Head Coverings. 2 Now I praise you, brethren, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. 3 But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 4 Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonors his head. 5 But every woman who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, for that is one and the same as if her head were shaved. 6 For if a woman is not covered, let her also be shorn. But if it is shameful for a woman to be shorn or shaved, let her be covered. 7 For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God; but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man is not from woman, but woman from man. 9 Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man. 10 For this reason the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, neither is man independent of woman, nor woman independent of man, in the Lord. 12 For as woman came from man, even so man also comes through woman; but all things are from God (1 Corinthians 11:1-12 (NKJV).
Beloved, be assured that the book of Corinthians gives the chain of command. This means, there is an order of authority in the universe, and it could be explained thus: (a) Christ, (b) Man, and (c) Woman. The first authority in the chain of command is that, Jesus Christ is subject to God the Father because in the Garden of Gethsemane He prayed thus:
39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”
40 Then He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What! Could you not watch with Me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42 Again, a second time, He went away and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless[a] I drink it, Your will be done.” 43 And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. 44 So He left them, went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then He came to His disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going. See, My betrayer is at hand (Matthew 26:39-46 (NKJV).
Brethren, how often do you truly commit yourself to God in prayer and fasting? Do you do it whole-heartedly and faithfully? If yes, to God be the glory, but if not, give it a second thought and determine today to do it honestly and obediently.
- Woman’s Nature Requires Her Obedience
Again, the reason why the Lord requires a woman to be submissive and obedient to her husband is already seen in 1 Timothy Chapter 2, which is not necessary we review it anymore. However, the commandment of the Lord in the Book of Genesis was given due to Eve’s sin and disobedient. The Scripture says:
The Temptation and Fall of Man
1 Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?”
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; 3 but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.’”
4 Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings.
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to him, “Where are you?” 10 So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”
11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” 12 Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.” 13 And the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (Genesis 3:1-13 (NKJV).
The above passage narrates the direct consequences of Eve’s sin. She was the person who knew that the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desired to make one wise. She took of the fruit and did eat, also gave to her husband. This means, Eve was deceived by the serpent but not Adam. That is, Adam knew the consequences of eating the forbidden fruit but Eve didn’t. No wonder the Scripture says,
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 18 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 (NKJV).
The Scripture also continues by saying; “Perilous Times and Perilous Men.”
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Timothy 3:1-7(NKJV).
- A woman’s Submission Pictures the Submission of the Church of Jesus Christ
Our Almighty Father expects a woman to obey her husband because the wife and husband’s relationship pictures holy and ineffably sweet relationship between Jesus Christ and His bride, the people for whom He died. The Epistle of Ephesians narrates it thus:
Marriage—Christ and the Church
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 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. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 30 For we are members of His body,[a] of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”[b] 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 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 5:22-33(NKJV).
Dearly beloved, the Lord intends a marriage to be as delightful, sweet, and tender as the relationship He wants us to experience with Him. And, in turn, the Lord wants our fellowship with Him to be as real and tangible as that we have with our mate. Be assured that Jesus Christ’s love for His Church compelled Him to give Himself for it. That is why the Scripture says:
Faith Triumphs in Trouble
1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Christ in Our Place
6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation (Romans 5:1-11(NKJV).
CONCLUSION
Dearly beloved, how will you put what you have heard today into practice? I wish you truly understand that the Lord has called each one of us and truly committed into our hands a great duty which we must be obedient to. Doing this honestly and faithfully will lead to the unity and growth of the church. Let us really understand that our Almighty Father is with us and He will lead us through if we whole-heartedly commit ourselves to His Great Mission dedicated into our hands. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ keep and bless you. Amen!
