"Unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow, thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee" (Genesis 3:16).
Genesis 3:14-19
Part 4
Yesterday: God’s Penalty for the Woman’s Involvement (a)
“Unto the woman, He said.”
“I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception.”
“In sorrow, thou shalt bring forth children.”
Women’s sorrow and pain in bearing and raising children increased significantly after Eve’s part in Adam’s sin.
Today: God’s Penalty for the Woman’s Involvement (b)
“And thy desire shall be to thy husband.”
From the very first, the woman was made for the man, for she came from him. In His wisdom, God set up the home structure, and not everyone can be the one in charge. This says nothing of the woman’s intelligence or value. Solomon reminds us, “Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies” (Proverbs 31:10). Her standing in the home is subordinate to her husband. She is his “helper,” by God’s design. Before God, the wife and her husband’s relationship is one of mutual respect, great love, and shared honesty. But since the Fall, this kind of partnership is impossible for couples when they are not walking with the Lord.
Eve’s sin started as one of not listening to her husband but instead to the serpent.
“The woman had also broken through her divinely appointed subordination to the man; she had not only emancipated herself from the man to listen to the serpent but had led the man into sin. For that, she was punished with a desire bordering upon disease (…to have a violent craving for a thing), and with subjection to the man”[1] (K&D).
“Because of the curse, Eve would have to fight a desire to master her husband, a desire that works against God’s ordained order for the home”[2] (Guzik).
“And he shall rule over thee.”
God had already established His order for the home before man’s Fall (Genesis 2:18-22). The husband is to take the leadership role in the home. Still, the wise man will really talk with and listen to his wife, especially before making decisions that affect the family!!
Adam’s sin has brought hardship on himself, his wife, and children. Even today, there will be tension in the home when mom and dad aren’t living up to their God-assigned roles. If we live according to our “Genesis three natures,” our families will be in constant turmoil! God’s intent is for our homes to be havens of beauty, unity, and peace. This is His design for our family. But when we fail to obey Him in our duties as husband and wife, there is no synergy, and life gets exceedingly miserable. Susan Foh gives us a look at marriage after Adam’s sin through human eyes that do not follow God’s way.
“As a result of the Fall, man no longer rules easily; he must fight from his headship. Sin has corrupted both the willing submission of the wife and the loving headship of the husband. The woman’s desire is to control her husband (to usurp his divinely appointed headship), and he must master her if he can. So the rule of love founded in paradise is replaced by struggle, tyranny and domination”[3] (Susan T. Foh, cited in Boice).
The only answer for this mess is for the husband and wife to agree that Jesus Christ will be the center of their home. His Word is to be honored. His will is to be obeyed. What He says about the family is the rule for their home. If we ignore the design of the Designer, our lives and homes will be a mess! And yes, life will become much more difficult!
We have seen God’s curse on the serpent, and the woman, come back tomorrow as we study God’s curse on Adam and men.
Quote: “Supreme authority in both church and home has been divinely vested in the male as the representative of Christ, who is Head of the church. It is in willing submission rather than grudging capitulation that the woman in the church (whether married or single) and the wife in the home find their fulfillment”[4] (Elisabeth Elliot).
[1] Keil & Delitzsch, Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament, the electronic version in eSword. Genesis 3:16.
[2] David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. Genesis 3:16.
[3] Foh’s quote was borrowed from Guzik. Ibid.
[4] Elliot’s quote Downloaded: Wednesday, March 10, 2021. From: https://www.christianquotes.info/quotes-by-topic/quotes-about-submission/.