Wives, in the same way submit yourselves to your own husbands …
One of the things that is difficult to get our heads around in this life is that we are not alone. There is a saying that goes, “What you see is what you get,” but that is not true for the world we live in. There is so much more to life than what we can see.
In our recent post, “The Back Side of the Page,” we took a look at what is behind the facade of what we call reality. Behind the stage props we call “life,” there is a larger and more real existence. It is where we find God, the angels, Satan, and his demons. It is also where we find our spiritual existence. What is hard to see are the connections between the physical and the spiritual, but they are very real.
Yesterday, in the comments for “We are the Sheep,” Ron shared his thoughts on the “power in the voice of God.” He reminds us that God speaks directly to us at times. I have experienced this myself and heard many stories of people who have heard this voice. Sadly, this is not the only voice we can hear.
There are other voices on the back side of the page that we call reality. These are spirit voices that are demonic in nature. These voices call people to hurt themselves or others. A person might hear these voices one at a time or many at a time. These dark voices from the other side inspire hate in our world. I believe that they support and guide those who undermine God’s Word and teach the opposite of God’s will for us.
When verses like today’s verse are read in public, many people ridicule these words as if they were an assault on our dignity as human beings. After all, men and women are the same, aren’t they? Well, not according to the Bible.
From Genesis 2: 21-22:
“So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
So the woman was made from man, and thus men and women are different.
After Adam and Eve ate the Forbidden Fruit, God cursed the serpent, and then he explained the consequences of their action to both Eve and Adam. To Eve he said,
“I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” (Genesis 3: 16 (b))
And so God established the hierarchy of the family. Like everything else God does, he leaves the door open for people to disobey. We don’t have to submit to God, or authorities, or parents or masters or bosses any more than wives have to submit to their husbands. We are free to go our own way, but we can’t claim God’s blessing if we don’t play by His rules.
Satan, the old deceiver, is still at it. When asked what she had done, Eve said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” (Genesis 3: 13 (b)) Like the sons of Adam, the daughters of Eve are still being deceived even today. The same old deceiver, the same old deception. The challenge is not to stop listening to the devil on our own, the challenge is to give our heart fully to God and listen only to Him.
Application: No matter our gender, no matter our age, our challenge is to submit to God.
Food for Thought: How does submission affect the family?
Something comes to mind when you were talking about voices. The more time someone spends time with someone listening to them you learn their voice. A husband knows his wife’s voice, a father knows his children’s voice, and a Christian knows Gods voice and vice versa. The more your involved in a relationship you help build that bond and it becomes easier to ignore a unknown voice that is trying to deceive you.
Well stated Tim.
Ron
Tim,
Your point about recognizing voices is a great one! The more time we spend in the Word of God, the easier it is to recognize His voice. Well said!
Well,..submission to me means giving in and giving up,..being a wrestling fan for most of my life,..when you put your opponent into a submission hold they tap out, giving in and giving up,..so you win the match,..so by submitting to God I give in and give up,..He wins the match,..He has already won,..
Let me tell ya the moves do work,..I was down at the coast on a work assignment for the fence company I used to work with,..anyway we were all drinkers back then,..one time during our stay at the coast,..one of the other employee’s started to slap box me,..got in my face and said, “Come on John, show me what you know”,..so I hooked my arm up underneath his arm and swung him over my hip,..he landed on his butt on the floor next to the corner of the bed in the hotel room,..he looked up to me and said,..that’s it I give up,..He submitted to me with just a hip toss,..God did more than a hip toss for me to submit to Him,..He sent His Son,..I wonder if Jesus was hip tossed outta heaven,..
Submission can be a good thing depending on who you are submitting to,..Jeremiah told the people to submit to the invading army to survive,..I need to submit to God to survive this life on Earth and in Heaven,..so by me submitting to God and His way of life,..my family will see and hopefully respond to God’s call,.. they have seen that I have tapped out to Christ, they won’t need to hip toss anyone to submit to Christ because they have already seen it done,..the moves work and God’s submission hold wins every time
John,
I can see that you didn’t have to “wrestle” with today’s question very much. 🙂 I like your advice, too. “Tapping out” to Jesus is a very smart move!
Submission to authority is meant as a protection by God. We see that throughout the Old Testament law. The value is great if we submit to an authority looking out for our interests who loves us and would die for us. Of course, this can be and often is abused and perverted by sinful mankind. But the principal is still valid. I don’t mind a police officer giving me a ticket for speeding if I know they are taking a bullet for me later in the day.
Rich,
Thank you! There is a lot of wisdom in submitting to God and by extension to those he would have us submit to. And if we are in God’s will, we are under his protection. Great point!
Submission has gotten such a negative impression over the decades. Some women have even taken it out of their vows. Submission isn’t a bad thing theres the Agape love of submission. The love to make the other happy. I’ve seen so many kinds of submission in the last week with a family. The submission of a father to his daughter and wife to make them happy. A father trying to let their child win a game. Submission is a way of allowing another’s will to be done. It is a part that I am learning more and more about. It’s not necessarily giving up it but doing things differently than you would have thought of because the of a purpose that your unaware of. A lesson to learn to make things easier or better for you. As long as you submit to one who truly unselfishly loves you then submission is like taking advice from a wize counsel. Submission in a family is also a trust of love, knowing that I can trust that my father in heaven loves me and I can trust in his word. I know it is in my best interest to submit to my father because of his love for me. Submitting is my way of showing my love to God. Submitting to a loved one is such a bold act of love that can only work in a relationship that is unselfish, kind, patient, pure, righteous, understanding, and self-sacrificing.
Tim,
Good words! I especially like your point about submission and trust. Submission does demonstrate trust. Trust in God and trust in his Word.
How does submission affect the family?
Matthew 26:39,“My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will”.
Christ lived in perfect submission to the Father. He confined Himself to a body of flesh for our sakes, He chose to dwell in this sinful world, to give His life on the cross so God could save all who follow His example in submission. Die to our flesh so that Christ may live in us.
John 1:14, 3:17, 15:13
Left to our own devices, our sinful nature will always be self-centered and lawless. In Christ we become a new creation. In time we become people who put others and their desires before our own. The desires of God and others becomes a priority to us, our desire becomes helping others achieve their desires.
The effect on our family is peace and growth.
Ron,
I really like your summation: The effect of submission on the family is peace and growth. You have shared a bit about your family at different times. In my family mom was the model of submission. She brought a sense of peace that I think helps me understand God’s peace. Thank you for your words today!
Hey Jeff,
Lots of great stuff here today. Everyday is good but God has really at work with this one. Thanks for your “Always great questions” Brother.
Thank you, Ron!
I appreciate the encouragement. God is at work here. I am so blessed to be able to serve in this way!