1145. Biblical Womanhood

Welcome to The Daily Platform from Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. The school was founded in 1927 for the evangelist Dr. Bob Jones Senior's intent was to make a school where Christ would be the center of everything, so he established daily chapel services today.

That tradition continues with fervent biblical preaching from the University travel platform today on The Daily Platform or continuing a study series entitled divine design which is a study of Biblical manhood and biblical womanhood. Today's message will be preached by Beecher you Pres. Steve Pettit. I like to invite your attention this morning. Please to the book of Genesis chapter 2.

As we have been studying God's divine design Biblical manhood and womanhood. We are coming today to the theme of biblical womanhood. I've had a number of ladies very kindly say that they are very excited about today's message. I'm probably more nervous about this message, then one last week, which is only a man I didn't like the title be a woman so want to be a little more sensitive.

There, but my concern is not so much the ladies of our student body. Though I respect and love you and the Lord but is actually that I have to go home and I have two daughters and a daughter-in-law and a mother and a mother-in-law, and in particular a wife who will judge me far stronger and what I say that what you'll say. So I want to do my best today to speak in a manner that I hope that will be both honorable and respectful and at the same time. Challenge us with the biblical viewpoint of what it means to be a woman Elizabeth Elliott was married to Jim Elliott many of you have heard of Jim Elliott, the famous missionary who, along with four other co-laborers were killed in South America as they were trying to reach the primitive walking Indian tribe. Elizabeth later went back into after the death of her husband to the same tribe who killed her husband and reach them with the gospel in her later years she became very well known for her prolific writings, especially on the subject of being a woman in the article she wrote the essence of femininity.

A personal perspective. She said these words in the past couple of decades earnest in high sounding efforts have been made in the name of decency, equality and fairness at least to avoid them whenever possible to deny femininity that is the reality of God's design and God's making his gift to every woman in a very different way.

His gift to men as well. If we really understand what femininity is all about. Perhaps the question of roles would take care of itself. And then she made a statement that I believe is enduring when she said these words, the power of a woman does not lie in being equal with men but in being a woman that is her influence is in her being what God designed her to be, we have to start with the premise. Either we believe in creation or in evolution. God is spoken to us and revealed to us his purpose and plan for everything else is just sort of happening by circumstance. So this morning as we continue our series on Biblical manhood and womanhood.

We have tried to be proactive and just simply establishing what is the Bible say obviously we can answer all questions in 25 minutes.

And so that's why were having question-and-answer and trying to do other Q&A time and then maybe towards the end of the semester will do more specific question and answers as we move along, but we want to proactively lay a solid foundation. Last week we studied the thing will be a man.

We learned what a man is what a man does according to God's design. This week we will focus on biblical womanhood, and I'd like to see two very important aspects of womanhood is revealed in Genesis chapter 2 in this tax. God created the first woman he assigned her a specific indispensable role that would require a particular response from her in order for God's design to function in optimal ways. So our study this morning is really up to peer one. Her role and number two. Her response. So let's go back this morning and look in Genesis 2, as we see God's original intent in the creative design of the first woman were reading verse 18 and the Lord said, the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone I will make you help me for an out of the ground of the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every fowl of the air brought them in to Adam to see what he could call them whatsoever Adam called every living creature that was the name thereof, and Adam gave names to all cattle into the fowl of the air to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him and the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof and the rib, which the Lord God taken from man, made he a woman and brought her unto the man and Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.

So let's this morning follow the biblical story line is we seek to understand this first woman's role seven times in the first chapter of the Bible, God said that everything he made was good and when he finished the chapter he declared everything that he made was very good but we come to chapter 2 we see something unusual. That is, God announces for the first and the only time that something was. Not good.

What was that verse 18 it is not good that man should be alone I should get an amen. All that one, which are little slow this morning.

One writer says not good is strong language.

It indicates not only the absence of something good, but a substantial deficiency gentleman. What would this world be with just man alone, it would be horrible. So how did Adam come to know that he was alone. I mean, how did he know that he did. Even though another human being that they he came to know it to ways number one intrinsically Adam was made in the image of God. Therefore, like the Trinity lived in relationship and fellowship with one another, let us make man in our image, so God created Adam to have a relationship he's made like God to enjoy fellowship with other human beings. One author noted man will not live until he loves giving himself away to another on his own level.

In other words, Adam was innately hungry for relationships and there was no one that could satisfy that hunger. But then, secondly, not only to become to know it intrinsically.

But he came to know it experientially. Adam was the first divine zookeeper God had Adam exercise authority over the animals and birds.

By doing light by giving them names so God Mark marches them by impairs Mr. Mrs. hippopotamus Mr. Mrs. ostrich Mr. Mrs. Scott and all the little stinkers and they came walking by and by this exercise. Man observed something was missing and Adam gave names to all the beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him.

I mean, I mean after about a euro to 3000 couples walking by, like Dominicana slowed to something's missing and Adam began to sense this in two things converged on them all at once. Number one, a sense of aloneness and adequacy and a sense of desire, a longing Adam long for companionship with a being like that is like him but there was no being like him. He was looking for the perfect match and eHarmony had not been started in that time and so God stepped in God stepped in to meet that inadequacy and to fulfill that desire and how did he do that, he became the first anesthesiologist he put Adam into a deep sleep in this deep sleep contain both a mystery and a surprise. God took a rib from Adam's side from that rib, he created Eve. Obviously that's a mystery how did that happen. I don't know God didn't woman was taken from man side to show that she was made of the same stuff is Adam same bone same flash that's what he said same DNA. It also underscores the unity of the human race is having one source for we are made from one blood beginning with Adam and also underscores the inequality of the human race as we all all of us here share in the image of God. I think it's also true that the rib indicates the love side of it because because it is the rib it functions to protect the heart and so the Puritan Matthew Henry quickly coined it when he said she was made not out of his head to top him not, not out of his feet to be trampled upon a butt out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be beloved God made the first woman and brought her to Adam. She was made from him and she was made for him, and perhaps the best way to describe it is that it is God's greatest gift to mankind. When I became a Christian at the age of 19 years old when my great desires that I didn't know would be ever fulfilled was to marry a godly girl I met my wife in church is a great place to meet your wife. Fact is, it was in Sunday school. That's at least one good reason why you should go to Sunday school. When I first saw her she was actually singing in Sunday school. She looked like an angel and she sounded like one I thought man I love to marry a girl like that after Sunday school.

She walked up to me in the lobby of the church and she said are you Steve Pettit I went. Little did I know that she would be God's gift to me and I can't believe I God or I remember the second date I had with here her. Bob Jones University.

Our first date was Carol campus. We went to the alumni field for soccer matches in the second date was to go to the wilds on an outing and I remember seeing her, and I felt she is like I can't meet which which she married me. Every guy ought to feel like he marries up because he is the fact that she would love you is amazing. I said that both my sons about both girls that were interested in them. When both girls said that they like my sons I said marry them as fast as possible before they change their minds. Eve's creation was a mystery. I mean God did it, but as we follow the story. We also see a great surprise, she greeted Adam when he awoke from a deep sleep.

Can you imagine that. What a surprise and ended Adam didn't know she was coming and when he saw her she was stunning. Every aspect of her was perfect. She was perfect and body perfect and soul. She was perfectly sinless when he saw her for the first time Adam did two things. The Bible tells us number one. He spoke verse 23 is the first are the first recorded words of mankind and what comes out of his mouth, upholding he was a poet and didn't even know it meant. Secondly, he shouted some of said in the Hebrew it's the idea that he actually had a rapturous cry, shout of ecstasy and explosive astonishment. Why, she's like Shieh like me at all and then Adam did one other thing he actually named her is the Adams name for man is the Hebrew word-ish and the woman's name is is Shaw Adam restated his own name embedded in hers.

The woman taken from his ribbon next to his heart became his soulmate Adam would love her as he loved himself.

So what is this amazing storyline. Then tell us about the role of a woman and he tells us her role is in her ability to do what man could not do in her role is clearly unique to her. I will make him help meet or a suitable helper. That's the role. So what is that me the Lord helper. There is the Hebrew word for us there means assistant somebody who assess it's actually the name that describes God as the helper of Israel, the one who serves what the other one needs the one who supplies that need the one who had strength of the power to accomplish a task not only a helper but a suitable helper. I help me Lord suitable or meet means in front of him like like like in his face with a slight distance. The woman would be his corresponding counterpart. She is a fit for him. His complement his completer his helper. So the first woman was his matching opposite supplying what was lacking in his life as his complement and under his headship so can we look to the Bible and look at the women of the Bible and not see that they exemplified this think of the great women of the Bible. Sarah Rebecca Ruth Hannah Mary and many others. They reflected what it meant to be a woman. They modeled this in the Bible so many different ways. With so many different amazing qualities, qualities like responsiveness, compassion and empathy, enduring, gentle, warm, tender, hospitable, receptive, diplomatic, considerate, polite, supportive, intuitive, wise, perceptive, sensitive, spiritual, sincere, vulnerable in the sense of being emotionally open, obedient and trusting graceful's sweet, expressive, charming, delicate, quiet, sexually receptive, faithful, pure, just to name a few. These women avoided the negative traits of things like being wishy-washy and seductive and flirtatious in vain and gossipy, naïve, moody, petty, prudish, manipulative, complaining, nagging Audi smothering and spiteful biblical womanhood affirms God's divine design by embracing the role established for her by God. She accepts the string of a respectful, caring, and bright servant leader as a wife.

She accepts her role as she submits to the divine calling to honor and to affirm her husband's leadership and help carry it through. According to her gifts, you say okay I get that understand that about four per why put on the wife and I have no guarantee I'm gonna be a life. So what about being single.

What about a woman being single women in leadership positions should a woman ever be a leader over men. Let me be frankly honest with you it's impossible for women not to be in various roles of leadership over men.

I mean, consider the subordinate roles that men will often have to women like a US Sen. and her counselors a principal and the teachers of her school, a college teacher and her students, a bus driver and her passengers, a bookstore manager and her clerks a staff doctor in her interns a lawyer and her aides, a judge in the court personnel.

You are to judge Judy police officers and citizens in her precinct a legislator and her assistance, a TV newscaster in her editors a counselor and her clients in our world were living in. Obviously women will be in roles of leadership over men and I think the issue is not if a woman has a position of leadership over men. But what is her disposition.

What is your attitude, a mature Christian woman will seek to express being a helper in appropriate ways.

Not like a marriage but she will affirm and nurture the strength and the leadership of the men that are around her in an appropriate way in all of her relationships with other men.

The power of a woman as Olympic as Elizabeth Elliott says does not lie in being equal with men but in being a woman so that brings me to the second truth and that is her response. Her attitude her disposition that they were the most beautiful statements in the Bible concerning the proper response of a woman is found in Luke chapter 1 verse 38, when the angel of God comes to Mary and tells her she's going to give birth to the son of God. She asked the question how is this going to happen.

I'm a virgin and the angel says it will be done by the power of God, because nothing will be impossible with God and listen to her response that Mary said behold, I am the servant of the Lord, let it be to me according to your word. I am God. Servant according to your word.

Oh Lord, let it be what was her response to God. What was her attitude.

It was a disposition to yield to the Lord. What is the response of a godly woman in God's design is that they are to understanding God's purpose and plan for their life. They are to yield to the Lord.

They are to trust it's it's an act of trust.

It's an act of faith that is you believe that God's design is the way that he designed it and you are freed in your soup in your spirit to be submissive to the plan of God. So submission is that idea of the disposition to yield biblical submission for a wife is the divine calling to honor and to affirm and to follow her husband's leadership and to help carry it through. According to her gifts. Now this is not absolute submission.

The husband doesn't replace Christ alike should never send to obey her husband, but she should have been disposition to and probably the best illustration I could give is what happens on the day when a woman gets married. I think we all if we think about it that that day is is the biggest day of her life. She's the center of attention. Everybody focuses on her. Her dress, her grand entrance. Her father giving her away. She's the focus where's the groom who cares he slips him by the side door stands up front waiting for her appearance. I noticed something very important. When she finally appears what is a crowd do they stand and they turn around and they look at her.

They marvel at her beauty and the great mystery of how someone this beautiful can be marrying somebody this ugly. Everyone is crying why because this fine piece of china is being given to this guerrilla. It's the biggest day of her life, and it's also the greatest day of her surrender. She surrendering her name.

Her independence, her future refinances her home. Many of her rights, her desires and many of her choices and here's my point on the very day of her wedding a woman experiences and displays a gracious and joyful disposition to yield to the man she is married and this is an amazingly powerful thing that only she can do and this is not only modeled in a wedding ceremony and celebration what it is lived out. More specifically, in the women as they live out there like daily, as I close this morning.

Let me close by saying that God has allowed me in his mercy to live around women who modeled this on a regular basis and I want to say to you that the women in my life. III could I could never, I could never do what they did have a daughter-in-law who married my son. They have three little boys three boys three and under.

Think about that.

I babysat them for one hour and I was done being the president of Bob Jones University is much easier.

My daughter-in-law does it all day long and all night long and still takes pictures and post them on Instagram of how much she loves these the powerful woman is not being equal to a man.

Why would anybody want to be equal to me but is in being a woman. I look at my sister who works a full-time job, she cares for physically incapacitated husband and at the same time she cares for.

My mother is 87 years old and has dementia. My mother was the smartest person I've ever known my mother today because of her dementia cannot even carry on a conversation in my sister every single day, seven days a week goes in bit to be with my mother and she does it is a bird of coursework, but she doesn't joyfully and she serves.

I could never be that and then finally the most amazing woman I've ever met is my own wife I look at my wife and what she said put up with. She gave birth and raised our four children. She cared for home. My wife is live with cancer and various infirmities and she was 27 years old and she's now 61 years old. She joyfully has served hundreds of people through her hospitality and care for 29 years. We traveled in evangelism. She live in church parking lots all over the all of the United States when our team traveled with us. She loved and served our team.

The question was often asked what is the team like without Terry and every body laughs and that's just a simple way of saying to live with Steve without Terry is pure misery and even two weeks ago my wife flew to Denver to care for her 80-year-old mother to visit my 87-year-old mother and to drive up to North Denver to sit down with the pastor's wife has cancer and to minister to her. The power of a woman does not lie in being equal with men it lies in being a woman. I honor every young lady here you're God's gift, and God is designed you for a specific purpose. May the Lord grant you the grace to live that purpose out. Father, we thank you for your word.

We thank you that your way is always best. Lord, I realize we live in a world that puts pressure on us to conform to its image, an image that is without you, Lord, help us to believe and hold true to your word. In Jesus name Amen publish you been listening to a sermon preached by Bob Jones University president Steve Pettit. The sermon was part of the study series about Biblical manhood and biblical womanhood entitled divine design. Join us again next week as we continue this series here on The Daily Platform