Husbands and Wives
Weekly Reading
Monday: Genesis 23, Hebrews 11
Tuesday: Genesis 24, Hebrews 12
Wednesday: Genesis 25:1-18, Hebrews 13
Thursday: James 1
Friday: James 2
Saturday: Psalm 120-124, Proverbs 28
Sunday: Ezekiel 38-45
Tuesday: Genesis 24, Hebrews 12
Wednesday: Genesis 25:1-18, Hebrews 13
Thursday: James 1
Friday: James 2
Saturday: Psalm 120-124, Proverbs 28
Sunday: Ezekiel 38-45
Sermon Notes
Key Passage: Colossians 3:18-19
Genesis 2:27-28
Genesis 3:16-19
Ephesians 5:28-30
Titus 2:4-5
Proverbs 31:10-31
Philippians 2:5-11
"When the mysterious, talking snake approaches the woman to question God’s words, we wonder, “Where is the man? The answer comes at the end of verse 6, he’s right there with her. But rather than countering the snake’s likes, the man eats the fruit too. This disobedience breaks both humanity’s relationship with God and the fellowship between humans. Innocence and intimacy are replaced by shame and blame. Life yields to death. The man and woman are cursed by God in response to their rebellion in ways that affect the roles they were jointly given in Genesis 1. Ruling over creation is made hard by the curse on the man. Multiplying is made hard by the curse of the woman. …
"The woman is not only cursed with pain in childbirth but also told that from now on, “your desire shall be contrary to your husband, / but he shall rule over you.” (Gen. 3:16). The word translated “desire” is rarely found in the Old Testament, but it occurs in the next chapter of Genesis, where God says to Adam and Eve’s eldest son Cain: “Sin is crouching at the door. It’s desire is against you, but you must rule over it (Gen. 4:7). Desire, here , communications will to possess and master. Gone is the unashamed, united love story between men and women. Now there is conflict and power struggle. This is a result of rebellion, not God’s original design." - Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity (Chapter 8: Doesn’t Christianity Denigrate Women?)
Genesis 2:27-28
Genesis 3:16-19
Ephesians 5:28-30
Titus 2:4-5
Proverbs 31:10-31
Philippians 2:5-11
"When the mysterious, talking snake approaches the woman to question God’s words, we wonder, “Where is the man? The answer comes at the end of verse 6, he’s right there with her. But rather than countering the snake’s likes, the man eats the fruit too. This disobedience breaks both humanity’s relationship with God and the fellowship between humans. Innocence and intimacy are replaced by shame and blame. Life yields to death. The man and woman are cursed by God in response to their rebellion in ways that affect the roles they were jointly given in Genesis 1. Ruling over creation is made hard by the curse on the man. Multiplying is made hard by the curse of the woman. …
"The woman is not only cursed with pain in childbirth but also told that from now on, “your desire shall be contrary to your husband, / but he shall rule over you.” (Gen. 3:16). The word translated “desire” is rarely found in the Old Testament, but it occurs in the next chapter of Genesis, where God says to Adam and Eve’s eldest son Cain: “Sin is crouching at the door. It’s desire is against you, but you must rule over it (Gen. 4:7). Desire, here , communications will to possess and master. Gone is the unashamed, united love story between men and women. Now there is conflict and power struggle. This is a result of rebellion, not God’s original design." - Rebecca McLaughlin, Confronting Christianity (Chapter 8: Doesn’t Christianity Denigrate Women?)
Discussion Questions
3DQ - 3 discipleship questions to ask each other: What is God saying to you? What are you going to do about it? How can I help?
This is a challenging topic for many people to hear -- and because of that, it is often best to stop and ask the Lord what part he is highlighting to you. Take a moment to go back through the notes and the key Scriptures and consider the three guidelines we covered at the beginning:
With these in mind, consider the 3DQ questions above.
This is a challenging topic for many people to hear -- and because of that, it is often best to stop and ask the Lord what part he is highlighting to you. Take a moment to go back through the notes and the key Scriptures and consider the three guidelines we covered at the beginning:
- All of this starts and ends with God. Our attention must be on Him. While marriage can and should bring us joy, it is ultimately about us reflecting his glory.
- We must look for God in the nuance of the Scriptures and be careful not to overly simplify something. Our aim is obedience to Him because that will bring us life. But we are often quick to dismiss difficult passages. We are often quick to create a legalistic structure that goes further than the Scriptures.
- We must ask God to redeem our brokenness. For so many, commands like these are difficult to reply because we are living in the consequences of our own sin and the sins of others against us -- whether from our childhood or currently. Our aim in identifying areas of hurt and trauma is not to be healed from them so that we can walk in greater freedom and life. That is why we learn these things in community.
With these in mind, consider the 3DQ questions above.
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