A Word to Wives (Part 1 of 2)

Increasingly, people are boring.

The definition of manhood and womanhood impact in our day upholding the roles God has established uniquely for men and women in marriage often comes under criticism today on Truth for Life. Alistair Begg addresses this issue explaining the beauty of God's design for husbands and wives. Genesis chapter 3 and reading from verse one 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 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, 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. 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 in the eyes of both were opened and they knew that they were naked and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin cloths and they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day at the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the guard.

The Lord God called to the man and said to him, where are you and he said I had the sound of you in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked and I had myself, he said, who told you that you were naked. Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat the man said the woman whom you gave to be with me.

She gave me fruit of the tree and I and the Lord God said to the woman, what is this that you have done.

The woman said the serpent deceived me, and I ate the Lord God said to the serpent because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring, he shall bruise your head and you shall bruise his heel to the woman he said, I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing, in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you and to Adam he said, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you shall not eat of it, cursed is the ground because of you in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken for you are dust and to dust you shall return. The man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living in the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them that the Lord God said, behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat and live forever.

Therefore the Lord God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken he drove out the man and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life. This is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God, let's turn together to Ephesians chapter 5 and pick things up adverse 22 as we open our Bibles. There asked for God's help regarding father we pray now that your words will be is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path that the words that come from my mouth and the thoughts of our minds, and the response of our wills may be in keeping with the wonder of your grace to us in Christ, in whose name we pray.

Amen. What we arrived at verse 22 and we step back from that long enough to try and make sure that we understood a number of things.

First of all, that unless we believe in the absolute authority and infallibility of the Bible. There is no basis for us to propound these truths to believe them and to live in the light of them. It is because it is God's word that we look to it, no, no more here than any other place, but certainly no less. We also try to make sure that none of us began to think that this is a section in the Bible just for married people are sometimes when we read a section like this is possible for those who are unmarried to at least check out mentally disabled. Of course he is one of these talks for husbands and wives while in actual fact what we were trying to make sure we understood is that our identity as men and women is not tied to whether were in a relationship or not. Identity is not in relationship to whether we are married or we are single, our identity is first of all, as made in the image of God. And then secondly as redeemed by the grace of God. Those of us who are in Christ, and we also try to make sure that we understand that this whole section as Paul says, down in verse 32 and 33 is about Christ and the church. The only valid add to that as we lead into it now is to say this, that it is imperative that we keep the entire passage before eyes in our thinking because to move slowly through it as we are now about to do.

That raises the possibility of disengaging one part from the other when in fact all of the parts are necessary for an understanding of the truth of Paul is conveying. That would argue, of course, for tackling the whole section in just one address but then again we would move quickly through material that probably needs our attention so let's understand what we're doing here so that if the wife's this morning feel particularly put upon, then you must read on and realize what's coming for your husbands and you will notice is substantially more words are conveyed to the husbands and to the wife's and are probably for very good reason.

Now when I conduct marriage ceremonies and maybe two of my colleagues as well. I'm not sure the preamble that I used for the marriage service reminds those who are gathered that God quotes God designed marriage for the lifelong union of one man and one woman, and goes on to say that the welfare of human society can be strong and happy only where the marriage bond is held in honor when I read that now I find especially in them in varied congregation that there is is there. There is a sense of vessel of electrical current running through the procedure because it comes across with such striking impact one man one woman lifelong.

All of these words strong, happy, healthy, and so on.

So reminder that what would billing with is material that is first of all biblical it is at the same time regarded in many quarters as radical and I want us to agree together that it is absolutely crucial soon as you introduce that the S word submission all kinds of triggers go off in the 70s. John starts said the very notion of submission is out of fashion. Today, it is totally a variance with contemporary attitudes of permissiveness and of freedom. He was speaking. Then in 1979, which interestingly was the same year that Pink Floyd produced their album the wall with the fascinating lyric hey teacher leave those kids alone, and the great refrain. We don't need no education. We don't need no thought control somewhat ironic. They did need an English teacher to dear Ed to deal with a double negative unless they were actually very clever. They were saying that we do need education and we do need thought control but I don't think so. I think the idiom was pretty clear when we really have to be bothered with it. She just another brick in the wall you no more significant than anybody else understand. In the ensuing 40+ years we might argue that the idea of submission is reactive to even more vociferously, it is even more unfashionable than it was in the 70s and particularly in Western culture, and not least of all in our own little issue of submission and therefore of authority is a very, very clear in the Bible. And so we start from the premise that the Bible is the word of God. The Bible tells us that authority is founded in God alone that authority comes from God that it is God who is established order in society in creation in the church, and marriage and family, and it is understandable that the Bible actually begins with the phrase in the beginning God before there is time before there was anything there was God. God is the creator and sustainer of everyone and everything you say. Well, I'm not sure that that is a very good starting point for conversation with people who don't believe. While it may be or may not be. Interestingly, when Paul was dealing with the intelligent folks in Athens.

That's exactly where he started wasn't remember his opening line was that the God who made the world and everything in it. That's what he starts. God made the world and he made everything in it and he is the one in whom all authority is found, and having made the world and everything in it he has not set left is on planet air to try and figure it all out on our own.

A bit like a Christmas toy that came with no instructions, no directions, and either sat on the floor and look to your wife and said were much more subdued with this thing here the people in our world today.

That's where they are sitting everywhere on the floor looking out on one another and say what was most do, how do I make sense of who I am, where I'm from Mars, the maker's instructions and instructions are both authoritative and are sufficient.

This Bible tells you where you've come from this Bible tells you how you're getting there.

This Bible tells you how is all going to end this Bible tells you the wonderful story of how God has pursued men and women. Despite the five that were rebellious towards it. In order that he might have a relationship with. I did not relationship he establishes his authority and calls for our submission. So the submission that is called for in Scripture that is the submission that is part and parcel of society and marriage, and so on is according to the authority that is there in the order established by God. Note in verse 22. You will see the direction that he gives her the instruction that he gives in verse 23 you will see the explanation that he provides for the direction that he gives wives submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. I think it is fair to say that that is clear and it flies in the face of political correctness because it flies in the face of political correctness. It is not uncommon to find Christians who are embarrassed by the statement who then are defensive and apologetic and the reason for that is not because it is impossible to understand. It is because it is virtually impossible to misunderstand the head. The verb to submit is a pretty clear your translated elsewhere by Paul. Of course as obey Jesus in the order of the marriage service. The question is addressed to the wife you promise to love, honor, and obey who you submit to this man who supposed to love you in this particular way.

Now all of the IDC is founded in the purposes of God. I find it quite interesting. I thought I just go to my paraphrases and see whether there whether my good friends told the line in relationship to submit and unfortunately JB Phillips has let me down and you know I'm a great fan of JB Phillips. He translates this, you wives must learn to adapt yourselves to your husbands not good enough nor good enough for me know. Not good enough for the text adapt yourselves another simmer. Submit good but is not what the verb says Peterson in the message. Similarly, he says, are you wives understand and support your husband still doesn't get to the biblical teaching is simple, it is politically incorrect and it is quite wonderful simple politically incorrect and quite wonderful in that it means what it says it just means what it says submission is the humble recognition of God's divine ordering of society. Society cannot function as God established it without the principle of submission being both understood and apply.

So, for example, business is not a principle that is unique to marriage and were going to see that it it involves children. Children are to submit to their parents. When you read in the book of Hebrews, you realize there that church members are to submit to their church leaders. When you read Romans chapter 13 in the opening verses that were told that we as citizens are to submit to our authorities and soul to wives to your own husbands, I wanted tell you something that you won't know unless you read the Greek that is no verb to submit in verse 22. Oh, you say and you just made such a thing about JB Phillips. Yes I did but here's the point.

Verse 21 says submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ wives to your own husbands, in other words, here's the principle is the principle of submission in a general way. It is part and parcel of our relationship with each other in order for us to function effectively in the body of Christ. There needs to be a willingness to submit to one another that he only says on this principle. This general principle of submission and then has to be worked out in very specific ways. Submitting to one another are reverence for Christ wives to your husbands children to your parents, employees to your employer. That's the way in which it goes.

So if it means what it says.

Let's make sure that we don't say something that make you say something that it doesn't mean so let me approach it in this way. First of all, let's make it absolutely clear that the directive here for a wife to submit to her husband does not imply in any way inferiority, inferiority right that is often the charge that is laid against to lead to the person who says no. This is what the Bible has to say no. The Bible is very clear that we are equal in dignity has made in the image of God and in Christ. Those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus, we are equal in redemption in that as Peter says in first Peter three. We are heirs together of the grace of God are standing before God has made in his image is entirely equal are standing before Christ has redeemed in Christ is entirely equal. There is no sense in which that is not the case that however does not negate the direction that is here. So what were dealing with. When we talk in terms of the submission is if you like the kind of submission that is is my hand to my head, that is, it is imperative that my hand is is in submission to my if invite. If this starts the goal, it may be an indication of convulsions.

It could be a case of some kind of atrophy or whatever whatever might be something is broken. Something is wrong. There's no sense in which it is a matter of of inferiority is the order of things and that is what is being provided for us here in the reason this is important is is because if were dead honest and we ought to be very very honest our wipes. In many cases are wiser, more competent in all kinds of areas then we ourselves are as husbands and you don't have to give any far into your marriage to realize God has given me this wife as a helpmeet as part therefore, so why would I not listen to why we I not delegate to her privileges in which she is peculiarly competent. However, the delegation is not abdication and very often the temptation on the part of the husband is to take a holiday for the rest of his life under the disguise of well I'm just recognizing how only competent my wife this mean there is nobody can take the garbage out quite like my wife that mean admin is almost an art form. You know that kind of stupidity right so let's be clear when when the Bible terms of a submission. It has nothing to do with ability is not about ability is about order is about God's order Martin Lloyd Jones is a wonderful story. At one point in in his writing, where he describes going to preach somewhere in the United Kingdom and he is in the home of a minister and his wife there providing hospitality and estate are sitting to gather and talk before they have the meal at Lloyd Jones says himself. He says you know this wife is substantially brighter than her husband does his own assessment was in my house but is us. It was a similar is a similar house and Eagles Eagles on to say he was under say. Although this was really obvious and I just quoted because it's adding this is so helpfully accurate. He says in a very clever and subtle way, she would put arguments into her husband's mouth the things that he he didn't really comprehend the situation. You see, so she she would put the arguments into her husband's mother but she always did so in such a way as to suggest that they were his and not hers is beautiful and ongoing like oh come on Rodney you're such an idiot, but rather to make it look as though Rodney is peculiarly alert, because she loves and she prefers and she submits a word to wives. That's the title of our message today from Alistair Begg as he continues her series called life together. This is Truth for Life. Today's message is certainly countercultural, but God's commands are for our good. That's why a Truth for Life were committed to teaching directly from Scripture, even if what Scripture has to say is not popular were delighted to make these messages available to a worldwide audience. People listening to radio the podcast on the truth like mobile app and through many additional channels we sometimes hear from people who are surprised to discover how costly it is for each of these technologies to be employed. That's where listeners like you come in your generous support brings Truth for Life to listeners and just about every nation and were so grateful at what you're giving today makes possible and when you make a generous donation will say thanks by offering your book that we have carefully selected the book titled impossible commands. There's no shortage of Bible studies to explain God's commands. We know were instructed to love the Lord with all our might. That we are to put no gods before him were to pray without ceasing were to be generous were to love others were to do it with joy always so high we do all of this seems impossible, and the truth is, from a human perspective, it is impossible, but thankfully God has not left us on our own impossible commands gives us a wonderful framework from which we can acknowledge our own shortcomings and experience joyful spirit led obedience as we look to ourselves less and depend on God more. This book is only available through the weekend, so be sure to get in touch with us soon give and request the book online at truthforlife.org/donate or call 888-588-7884 Bob Lapine tomorrow. Alastair continues his message on God's unique role for married women, so be sure to join us again this daily program features the Bible teaching of Alistair Begg and it's furnished by truth for like where the Learning is for Living