Genesis 3:1-13

The next passage concerning women, and the reason that we struggle with Biblical Womanhood in the first place, is the fall of man in Genesis 3. Since there is a lot to cover, this chapter will be split into two parts. The first covers the fall and the second covers God’s judgment.

1: Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”

We later understand the serpent to be the devil. He first questions what God has told Eve about His commandment. This is important for us to note because we often find ourselves today questioning “did God really say that?” We have His Word right in front of us, but often we find ourselves questioning if that’s what He really said, especially if it is something that we don’t like or a sin that we want to condone. One thing to note is that he doesn’t specify a specific tree, but instead insinuates that they cannot eat from any tree in the garden.

2-3: And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.'”

Eve said that they were actually able to eat from any tree except for one specific tree. That was true , but she added an extra stipulation to God’s command which was that was that they shouldn’t touch that specific tree as well. Adding that extra bit may be helpful in keeping away from sin, but it isn’t actually what God commanded. Sometimes putting up boundaries is important in keeping us from sin, especially if we know where our weakness lies. For example, if I make chocolate chip cookies, I know that I’m inclined to eat way too many so I only bake a dozen and freeze the rest of the dough to cook at a later time. But it can also add extra rules to follow, such as the many rules that the Pharisees and Sadducees added to their laws.

4-5: But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

This is in reference to Genesis 2:16 “and the Lord commanded the man saying, “you may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'” The devil took the original meaning and twisted it to a similar meaning. God was speaking of the death innocence and the entering in of sin and spiritual death whereas the devil spoke of physical death.

6: So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

The woman decided to obtain wisdom from the world rather than from the One who created the world. It is easy for us to be deceived by the “wisdom” of this world and miss the true wisdom that God will freely bestow upon those who ask (James 1:5). Also note how the husband was with her, yet he said nothing and ate as well. It was a joint fall.

7: Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

The first thing that they noticed was their nakedness. It refers back to Genesis 2:25 which said that “the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.” The first thing that the wisdom of the world brought to them was shame.

8: And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking into the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.

I find it interesting that they tried to hide from God. They knew Him well and walked with Him in the garden before, so they knew that they couldn’t hide, but they still tried.

9: But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”

God knew where they were and gave them a chance to come and repent.

10: And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself.”

He skipped over the eating of the forbidden fruit and jumped straight to the reason for hiding.

11: He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree which I commanded you not to eat?”

God knew what had happened and is asking again, specifically this time, in order to give Adam and Eve a chance to repent.

12: The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Wrong answer. This is the first recording of the blame game that is still played to this day. However, as women we should note how we can influence our husbands to sin and should strive to influence them towards righteousness instead.

13: Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.

Better, but still the wrong answer. How so? She still pushes the blame onto the serpent. It is the same as the man’s, yet more subtle. She is not repenting and saying “forgive me for I have sinned,” and is instead saying “the serpent tricked me into eating so it’s his fault and I’m only responsible because I was tricked.” Yes she was tricked, but she is fully responsible for her actions. She knew what God had told her, and her husband with her, yet they both still disobeyed. This is the reason that we should constantly be studying God’s Word. It is easy to be deceived by teachings that sound pretty, but are poison disguised as sweets.

What have we learned about Biblical Womanhood from this chapter?

God commanded the men to lead. Adam was to teach Eve God’s law. We can see this through God speaking to Adam His command before Eve had been created. As women, we should listen to those in headship over us.
We should also study God’s Word so that when we are tempted, we can come out victorious.
We should remember that we can influence our husbands to sin, or we can influence them in righteousness.
We should remember that we need to own up to our mistakes and as God for forgiveness, as well as any others that we may have sinned against.

Next week we will cover the curses that God bestowed on them, but we will also see God’s promise for a Savoir.

Genesis 2:18-25

The first passage that I wish to study on Biblical Womanhood is the creation of Eve, the first woman. Her creation is mentioned in Genesis 1:27, but the in depth story is found in Genesis chapter two.

Before this passage, God has created man and has given him dominion over the garden and all that resides within it and was to work and keep the garden. He also commands Adam to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or he will surely die.

18: Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

God’s original plan (before sin entered in) was for man to have a helper. God knew that His creation was not meant to be alone because He created man. Woman was created to be man’s helper, not the other way around. Although, man should help woman as well, that is not his primary function.

19: Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name.

This verse gives a little more detail about the fifth and sixth days of creation and shows that God had put man in charge over the rest of His creation.

20: The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.

I find it interesting that God had him go and name all the animals before He made a helper for Adam. Often times we need to be shown that we need help before we are willing to accept a helper. Plus, we are shown that Adam’s duties are foremost important.

21: So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.

I’ve heard it said that God took not from the head, so that woman is above man, nor from the feet so that woman is below man, but from the side so that woman is beside man. I also think it is nice that God closed the place that He had removed the rib with flesh as well as put the man to sleep before removing it. God in His almighty power could’ve just spoke woman into existence, but this symbolism shows how woman is not separate from man, but a helper to man.

22: And the rib that the Lord God had take from the man He made into a woman and brought her to the man.

Man was made from dust and woman from a rib bone. It is also nice to note how God didn’t make Adam complete and epic quest to find his woman, but instead brought her to him. (Funny story: when I was young, I used to think that all men had one less rib because God made Eve from Adam’s rib. I laugh at that now, but had really thought it to be true for a while.)

23: Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

The Hebrew word for man is Adam and for woman is Adamah (I’m not sure how to import the Hebrew writing.) I mention this because I find the poetry in the naming of woman beautiful. It also shows up in the English writing of Man and Woman.

24: Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This is often understood to be a commentary by Moses when he later wrote these events down to form the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible.) I find it interesting that it states a man shall leave his father and mother when we often see the women leaving their families in Scripture. The point, however, is that the man and woman are to join together as one flesh meaning that they are two parts of a whole. They are to work together, not apart.

25: And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Before sin entered the world, there was no need for coverings because there was nothing to hide. No sin, no guilt, no fear, just love for each other and their God.

What we’ve learned from this passage is that woman was created to be a helper to man. She was created to be at his side, not to be his master or servant. Woman was created to become one flesh with her spouse so that they would be joined together in earthly calling with the woman helping the man. Her calling is to help while his is to tend the garden.

Sin, however, messed this all up. There is no longer a garden of Eden to tend to and the oneness of spouses is often desecrated by adultery and fornication. Men often lord over women and women can be seen doing the same. The question is; how do we take those truths and apply them to our lives today? What is man’s duty and how is the woman supposed to help? What if the woman also feels called to do something? How do these callings work together? I hope that the answers to these questions become more clear as we work our way through Scripture, but through our everyday lives we should be seeking to honor and glorify God in everything that we say and do, no matter how hard.

Extra:

These are the questions listed in Nancy DeMoss’ booklet that I reviewed last week for Genesis 2:18

Have I embraced my God-created design to be a helper to the man?
Am I willing to sacrifice my own ambitions and aspirations in order to fulfill my primary role and calling as a helper to my husband?
Am I providing companionship for my husband?
Am I completing and complementing my husband rather than competing with him?
How could I better help my husband fulfill God’s purpose for his life?
What kinds of words, actions, and attitudes on my part will help Christian men around me become all God wants them to be?
Am I promoting healthy, godly marriages in the ways that I relate and respond to other women’s husbands?
Am I maintaining the kinds of boundaries in my relationships with men that promote biblical standards of purity?

These questions are good to mull over whether you agree with them or not.

Here’s the Amazon link if you wish to purchase the booklet.

https://ws-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&OneJS=1&Operation=GetAdHtml&MarketPlace=US&source=ac&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&ad_type=product_link&tracking_id=reroutedblog-20&marketplace=amazon&region=US&placement=0966712412&asins=0966712412&linkId=580cacee232a53a98b7ff05665f31c6e&show_border=false&link_opens_in_new_window=false&price_color=333333&title_color=0066c0&bg_color=ffffff

As an Amazon Associate, I can earn from qualifying purchases.

1 Thessalonians Day 33

5:23-28

23: Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Praise be to God that He who has started a great work in us will complete it! We cannot achieve blamelessness on our own, but Jesus has covered us with His white robes so that God sees us as righteous!

24: He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.

God will help us to accomplish whatever He has called us to.

25: Brothers, pray for us.

It is good to ask for prayer.

26: Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

Although in some cultures it is okay to kiss people in greeting, in the United States we generally shake hands. Does this mean that we should kiss instead? No because this specific form of greeting is relevant to that time frame and culture. Instead we should greet others with a holy handshake (I know, it sounds a little cheesy) which basically means to greet others in Christ. Whatever form of greeting your culture uses should be used to greet fellow believers in love.

27:I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

It is beneficial to have the Word read to us and Paul understood that.

28: The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Paul ends his letter with a request for the grace of Jesus to be with the believers.

1 Thessalonians Day 32

5:15-22

15: See that non one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

Not only are we to seek to do good among our brothers and sisters in the faith, but we are also to seek to do good among everyone, and that includes the unbelievers.

16: Rejoice always

“Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say rejoice” – Philippians 4:4

17: pray without ceasing

This does not mean to be constantly praying and doing nothing else, but rather it means that in all things we pray. We pray when we wake up, we pray before we eat, we pray when we drive, at work, at the store, we pray as struggles arise, we pray as praises arise. We pray in everything.

18: give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Everything happens for a purpose. There is a purpose for the pain that we go through and for all the trials that we face. There is a purpose for all the joys that we are given. We are to rejoice not because it is easy, but because God is with us through it all and will use all that happens to us for His glory and our benefit.

19: Do not quench the Spirit

The Holy Spirit was given to us to guide us and help us to recall God’s Word as well as to have the words to speak in prayer. Do not hinder it and ignore it.

20-21: Do not despise prophecies, but test everything; hold fast what is good

God has given us prophecies in His Word. Another understanding of prophecies is when someone speaks God’s word (from the Bible) to you regarding an issue that you are facing. The reason that I emphasize “from the Bible” is because there are no “new revelations” and all that we need to know is in Scripture. God’s Word speaks to us to this day.

22: Abstain from every form of evil.

Evil lurks in the corners. There are many things that by themselves are good. For example, my husband and I were recently discussing how we have been on our phones a lot lately and how that affects what gets done around the house as well as our own personal goals. Although phones can be used for good, such as being able to reach family, they can also be used for evil when we pay attention to them so much that we neglect our duties and what God desires for us to accomplish.

Love others. Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. Give thanks in everything. Listen to the Spirit. Listen to God’s Word. Hold fast to the good. Abstain from evil.

1 Thessalonians Day 31

5:12-14

12-13: We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

We are to respect those whom God has put over us. In this passage, Paul is specifically referring to those in the faith who are in charge over us. We are to also respect those who are not believers who are in charge, but not to the extent as mentioned above.

14: And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all.

Patience is hard, especially when dealing with other people. Patience, however, is one of the fruits of the Spirit and Paul encourages us to be patient with our fellow believers. We are to help the weak whether it be those who are physically weak, mentally weak, or weaker in the faith. We are to encourage those who are weary and to warn or reprimand those who are lazy.

1 Thessalonians Day 30

5:9-11

9: For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen! As believers, we know that we have been redeemed by the blood of Jesus and will no longer face eternal judgment, but instead will praise our Father in heaven forever!

10: who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with Him.

Paul is referring to asleep as in those who have already died rather than those who are at rest for the night. I say this because of the context and because the Thessalonians had asked Paul about those who had already died and he had answered them earlier, but seems to be reiterating that they will also be with Christ.

11: Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.

These words are meant to encourage and we as believers are supposed to encourage one another. We do not live this life alone. God has given us those around us, specifically fellow believers, to encourage and build us up just as we are supposed to be doing that for them as well. If we are not being encouraged, there are a few reasons:

we have not surrounded ourselves with believers
the believers around us are struggling in this area
we could be in sin and in a period of rebuke rather than encouragement and should repent so that we can be encouraged by God’s word

We should also strive to encourage other believers. As an introvert, this is particularly difficult for me because I’d rather keep quiet, but thankfully God uses His Spirit to prick my heart to encourage others (although I am not always good at listening.)

1 Thessalonians Day 29

5:6-8

6: So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.

Paul isn’t saying that we should be zombies who never sleep, but instead is referring to how we should not be idle and should keep watch. This is just like the parable that Jesus told of the 10 Virgins. They were awaiting their husband and five brought extra oil whereas five did not. The five who did not bring extra oil had to go buy more oil and while they were gone, the bridegroom came and took away the five who had brought extra oil. The lesson in the story is to keep watch since we do not know when Christ will come (Matthew 25:1-13.)

7-8: For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

We are also to live in the light because we are supposed to live in righteousness and not the path of wickedness. Verse eight may remind you a little of the Armor of God found in Ephesians, but a little different. Paul is meaning in this passage that we should be vigilant and look out and have faith, love, and the hope of salvation.

We are to be vigilant and on the look out because although we don’t know the day or the hour, we do know that Jesus is coming again. We are to live in the light as we wait and watch.

1 Thessalonians Day 28

5:4-5

4: But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief.

Paul is saying that as believers, we should know that the day of the Lord is coming and should not be surprised when it comes (suggesting that we should be looking out for it.)

5: For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

We have been given knowledge and understanding.

The day of the Lord is coming and we should be watching for it because we know it is true and have been told what to look for.

1 Thessalonians Day 27

5:1-3

1-2: Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

Paul is continuing his train of thought from the end of chapter four. He is reminding the Thessalonians about what they already know concerning the end times.

3: While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman and they will not escape.

I don’t think I fully understood this verse until I experienced labor pains myself. One minute you’re fine and dandy and the next minute you have searing pain rippling across your back and stomach. I’ve read multiple passages where the end times are compared to labor pains. This is because they come on suddenly and progress to be closer and closer together until the child is born. Just as a woman cannot predict when labor will start, we cannot predict when destruction (and the second coming of Christ) will arrive.

1 Thessalonians Day 25

4:17-18

17: Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

When Jesus returns a second time, those who have not died will be caught up in the clouds with Him and we will live with Him forever in heaven!

18: Therefore encourage one another with these words.

This is encouraging, especially during trials. We can be reminded that we will see loved ones again and that we have something else to look forward to: eternity with God! No matter what happens on earth, we will find ourselves in heaven where there is no mourning or pain. This is why Paul can say, “for me to live is Christ and to die is gain” – Philippians 1:21.