Legacy of Biblical Womanhood Study: Week 2

The following are my notes that I used to begin this session. I cannot duplicate here the amazing discussion that ensued, but it was exciting to witness their enthusiasm for such a thing as submission from a Biblical perspective. My hope is that some of the women that attended the study will share on-line here what they shared at the study. We also had a great discussion on the questions provided in the book, "Biblical Portrait of Womanhood: Discovering and Living Out God's Plan for Our Lives" by Nanci Leigh DeMoss.
I encourage you all to prayerfully and genuinely ask your husband's how you may or may not be measuring up in light of these questions. He will have the greatest insight. God-willing, he will be gentle and honest and God-willing, you will genuinely receive what he has to say with a desire to honor the Lord.

UPDATE: As most of you know, we have guys working almost everyday to help us complete our backyard projects. Two of the guys were on a break sitting in their truck. They were having a discussion on their wives. One in particular appears to be having a lot of struggles in his marriage. My husband is on vacation this week and is working hard to get things done in the backyard as well. Jon walked past their truck and one of them asked, "How do you get your wife to listen to you?"
My husband's succinct answer: "She loves Jesus."
They have observed Jon and I interacting and working together on several occasions. We actually have fun together on these projects, though we do have our moments. Perhaps the following study will give you an idea of why it is such a genuine joy to be with and work with my husband most of the time. And ladies, though my husband is a wonderful godly man, it is not because he is perfect. Sometimes I want to ring his neck and he wants to ring mine.
Bottomline: We both love Jesus and my husband is a true example of Christ in handling a spouse, me, that at one time did NOT love the Lord. Just watch our marriage testimony video on the left sidebar. And by the way, it is a true miracle that I am doing this study. I use to be a feminist that did not grow up with a mother. I was very independent and when I walked down that come as you are, easy-believism aisle for fire-insurance, I became a Christian by mouth only with a firm grip on who I thought God was according to me.

Why was I created as a woman?
According to God's Word:

Read Psalm 139:14-18, 23-24

A few examples of women’s ministry and value according to Scripture:

• Psalm 68:11b (vital proclaiming role in evangelism)
• Acts 1:12-14 (after Lord’s ascension, women gathered with apostles and disciples in upper room)
• Acts 5:14 (connected to the life of the church)
• Acts 12:12-13 (John Mark’s mother, Mary, gave her home as a meeting place for saints in Jerusalem)
• Romans 16:1-16 (Paul named 26 people for service to Christ, 8 were honored women)
• Acts 18:24-28 (Aquila AND his wife instruct Apollos more perfectly in the knowledge of the Lord)
• Romans 16:2 (ministry/ service to the saints)
• Galatians 3:28 (In Christ neither male nor female)

Women are equal to men in the image of God, equal spiritually before God, equally important to God. In the church and home, the woman’s divine function brings balance. This discussion is not a matter of equality. It is about our divinely designed roles. That is what is different. And hence the question “why was I created as a woman?” is revealed beautifully in God’s Word because this is where women are set free to be what God designed them to be.

Read Genesis 2:21-23; I Timothy 2:13

The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him; nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be beloved. –Matthew Henry

Now turn to our main passages: Genesis 2:18; I Corinthians 11:7-12; Genesis 3:20

Helper suitable: (read Genesis 2:18)

“I am on assignment from God to help my husband.”- Elizabeth Elliott

• This divine assignment was created by special grace and is a special provision from God Himself.
• This does not relegate the woman to doormat status.
• This does not make one a slave and the other a tyrant.
• This is not a competition, but companionship.
• It is a team effort that complements or cooperates with the husband as they work towards a common goal: to serve Christ.
• To accomplish this, there must be a willing yielding or submission to God’s design which leads to contentment and true joy.

Which came first? (I Corinthians 11:8-9; Genesis 2:21-23; I Timothy 2:13; Genesis 2:18)

• The man was created before the woman
• The woman was created from the man
• Adam was created first and God gave Him dominion, not slavish domination
• The woman was created from man for man, to be a suitable helper
• God is all-powerful and could have created them simultaneously, but He didn’t.
• Adam named her woman why? Because she came out of the man.
• Man was not created from woman for woman

When sin entered the world it ruined and twisted man's humble, loving headship into hostile domination in some men and lazy indifference in others. Sin twisted woman's intelligent, willing submission into manipulative obsequiousness in some women and brazen insubordination in others. Sin didn't create headship and submission; it ruined them and distorted them and made them ugly and destructive. –John Piper

Biblical Submission: (read I Corinthians 11:7-12)

“Authority can't function without submission, and submission can't function without authority. They are mutually dependent.”- John MacArthur

Remember that Biblical submission is not enslaving. Let’s look at why.

Authority-Submission Model according to Scripture: (1 Corinthians 11:3 and Ephesians 5:23)

• Human Level: Man is the head of woman
• Human-Divine Level: Christ is the head of the church
• Totally Divine Level: The Father is the Head of the Son

How is this Authority-Submission Model based on love?

• The Father loves the Son (John 5:19-20; John 3:35)
• The Son loves the Father (Luke 22:42; Ephesians 5:1)
• Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:25-26)
• The church loves Christ (Ephesians 5:24)
• The husband loves the wife (Ephesians 5:25-33)
• The wife loves the husband (Titus 2:4; Ephesians 5:33)

Only Christ's word is absolute. No wife should follow a husband into sin. You can't do that in reverence to Christ. Submission does not mean surrendering your brain. It does not mean no input on decisions or no influence on her husband. Submission does not come from ignorance or incompetence. It comes from what is fitting and appropriate (Col. 3:18) in God's created order.- John Piper

Conclusion:

• We all labor together, men and women, mutually and ultimately for HIS glory
• We were created to reflect the image of His glory. (Genesis 1:26-28; Ephesians 1:6, 12, 14; 3:10-21; 5:17-6:4)
• All that you do as a woman created by God for His glory will either help or hinder this cause.
• Everything in your flesh cringes at the very thought of submission because our flesh tendency is to bring glory to ourselves. However, God will not share His glory for good reason. He alone is worthy. (Rev. 5; Isa 42:8; Isa 6:1-3)
• Men and women have different assignments with different functions, which has nothing to do with inferiority or inequality.

We often get so busy in our day that we miss out on the blessings of ministry right before us. We have our lists, our agenda, and then the Lord throws in a ministry opportunity. Sometimes we have to set aside our busyness for those divine assignments.

The morning of this study I was in a rush to get home from taking the twins to school so that I could prepare for the women to come over for this study. I wanted to provide drinks and snacks, even though this was an after-lunch meeting. I don't usually stop in at the Braum's mini grocery store, but with my agenda of what I wanted to accomplish set before me, I had put myself in a bit of a time crunch. So, I stopped in to Braum's thinking I would get right out.
Problem was, God had a different plan. He had some divine appointments lined up. Not only did I run into a mother of a Providence student and had a sweet conversation with her, but the elderly man at the register had a testimony that I needed to hear. I initially found my mind racing through my check-list and thinking 'I really don't have time for this.' But, the Lord in His goodness, changed my heart, my agenda and helped me realize that all of those things I thought had to get done were not important. What was important was, by His grace, willingly submitting to God's divine appointment and receiving an amazing blessing from this man's testimony
Our conversation began as he asked how many children I had. He had been listening to the conversation with my Providence friend as we spoke of our children as blessings from God. He found that unusual in today's society and was greatly encouraged to hear us speak this way of our children. He shared that it always breaks his heart when people do not realize this.
"They just don't get it," he said with a sad, soft-spoken voice.
When I told him I had six, his eyes lit up:"WOW! You are truly blessed!"
He asked the ages of my children... 6, 7, 7, 8, 14 and 15. When I said 14 and 15, his eyes looked to the side and went a little dim as though he was recalling a memory. Then he spoke of his son who died at age 14 from a heart condition as he was awaiting a transplant. He told me that he and his wife lovingly never gave their son false hope about his condition. In their honest approach, they never gave up hope, but they also rested in God's sovereign will. He shared that his son asked "Why me?" and his tearful response was "Why not you?" as he recalled the sacrifice of God's only Son.
This man's son died prepared for eternity.
The store seemed empty, except for him and me. He asked if he could help me out with my bags. Even though I could have done it myself, I told him that it would be a great honor to hear more of his testimony. We spoke of Scripture, God's purposes, perfect provisions in trials and afflictions. I walked slowly with him, not wanting the conversation to end. It was worshipful and I am so thankful beyond words for that unexpected divine appointment.

I told the women at the study this story. There were many tears. The reality is, I have missed too many of these divine appointments because 'I was too busy' and unwilling to submit to God's design for my day.
So yes, Biblical submission is modeled for us in the trinity. And it branches out into all areas of our lives as we look to Christ as the perfect example. Our most important divine assignment is our husbands. Remember, the Elizabeth Elliott quote I shared: “I am on assignment from God to help my husband.”- Elizabeth Elliott
And as I have shared in this Braum's story, submission also includes willingly laying aside our agenda for those sweet divine appointments.

Here is the Legacy of Biblical Womanhood Study Schedule
Please memorize, if you haven't already, 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The next study will be answering, according to Scripture, the question: "What makes a beautiful woman" (pgs 10-12 in the booklet)