Post by alon on May 19, 2018 22:44:34 GMT -8
1 Peter 3:1 (NASB) In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives,
What is the role of woman? Is this saying be obedient, regardless? Well, let’s look at the context. This instruction was given in a discourse on Godly living, and the instructions cut both ways:
1 Peter 3:7 (NASB) You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker [Lit a weaker vessel], since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
This assumes both are at least trying to live as God intended:
1 Peter 3:8-12 (NASB)To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For,
“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
“He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
So let’s look back to the first woman, and see what was her role:
יח. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהִים לֹא-טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה-לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
Gen 2:18 (El Shaddai Interlinear) And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help to match him.
The term here translated “help,” or in most translations “helper” or “help mate” does not convey the full meaning of the original Hebrew, עֵזֶר ‘atzer.’ The term is actually a military term, and connotes someone sufficiently loyal to you that they would kill or die for you:
עֵ ayin- to see, to know, to warn
זֶ zayin- a weapon, to cut, sever
ר resh- the head, the highest
Women see things differently than men. They make intuitive connections that we never could. A woman and a man united in love can be a tremendous force to be reckoned with, each respecting and drawing from the others strengths.
The Hebrew word for an enemy is זֶר zar, which is part of the word atzer. Women can sometimes see an enemy where we might think friend. So a wife commited to a husband who is likewise commited to her can be an invaluable council. But is that where her usefulness in this respect ends?
The phrase describing woman here is עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ etzer kenegdo, literally “a helper who is against him.” Militarily an adjutant generally may question what his leader is doing. He is a foil against the plans, an advisor, someone who may speak out about things the leader may have overlooked. So that is one way a woman may be against her husband. However if he is leading the family into ruin, or openly acting against Avinu, Our Father, then she may act in direct opposition to him. Zipporah in fact acted against Moshe to properly circumcise their son when the Lord was coming to kill him:
Exodus 4:24-26 (NASB) Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet [Lit made it touch at his feet], and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.” So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision.
Ziporah acted in accordance with the covenant between God and the Patriarchs, a thing Moshe had apparently resisted doing. Had Zipporah not seen what was happening and acted to stop it, how might history have been changed? But YHWH-Yireh, God Will See/God Will provide had given Moshe a wife that was not afraid to act on behalf of her family, in spite of Moshe’s apparent failure in this regard.
And by the way, she didn’t throw it at Moshe’s feet. In Hebrew the “feet” is often a euphemism for the genitalia. So this was a very personal, confrontational act on her part, both in performing the circumcision and in confronting Moshe with it.
So we see that women were not meant to be just the submissive little doves the church says they should be. They are a powerful ally, and can just as powerfully confront us. But one thing about them, they should and almost always will act in the best interest of the family. And if this means they come against us, well guys, all I can say is “Duck!” And their actions in opposing us may bring us back from the brink of our own destruction. A wakeup call, if you will. Get circumcised- get your heart right with God, before you lose it all.
Dan C
What is the role of woman? Is this saying be obedient, regardless? Well, let’s look at the context. This instruction was given in a discourse on Godly living, and the instructions cut both ways:
1 Peter 3:7 (NASB) You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker [Lit a weaker vessel], since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered.
This assumes both are at least trying to live as God intended:
1 Peter 3:8-12 (NASB)To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit; not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing. For,
“The one who desires life, to love and see good days,
Must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit.
“He must turn away from evil and do good;
He must seek peace and pursue it.
“For the eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous,
And His ears attend to their prayer,
But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
So let’s look back to the first woman, and see what was her role:
יח. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהִים לֹא-טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ אֶעֱשֶׂה-לּוֹ עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ
Gen 2:18 (El Shaddai Interlinear) And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help to match him.
The term here translated “help,” or in most translations “helper” or “help mate” does not convey the full meaning of the original Hebrew, עֵזֶר ‘atzer.’ The term is actually a military term, and connotes someone sufficiently loyal to you that they would kill or die for you:
עֵ ayin- to see, to know, to warn
זֶ zayin- a weapon, to cut, sever
ר resh- the head, the highest
Women see things differently than men. They make intuitive connections that we never could. A woman and a man united in love can be a tremendous force to be reckoned with, each respecting and drawing from the others strengths.
The Hebrew word for an enemy is זֶר zar, which is part of the word atzer. Women can sometimes see an enemy where we might think friend. So a wife commited to a husband who is likewise commited to her can be an invaluable council. But is that where her usefulness in this respect ends?
The phrase describing woman here is עֵזֶר כְּנֶגְדּוֹ etzer kenegdo, literally “a helper who is against him.” Militarily an adjutant generally may question what his leader is doing. He is a foil against the plans, an advisor, someone who may speak out about things the leader may have overlooked. So that is one way a woman may be against her husband. However if he is leading the family into ruin, or openly acting against Avinu, Our Father, then she may act in direct opposition to him. Zipporah in fact acted against Moshe to properly circumcise their son when the Lord was coming to kill him:
Exodus 4:24-26 (NASB) Now it came about at the lodging place on the way that the Lord met him and sought to put him to death. Then Zipporah took a flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and threw it at Moses’ feet [Lit made it touch at his feet], and she said, “You are indeed a bridegroom of blood to me.” So He let him alone. At that time she said, “You are a bridegroom of blood”—because of the circumcision.
Ziporah acted in accordance with the covenant between God and the Patriarchs, a thing Moshe had apparently resisted doing. Had Zipporah not seen what was happening and acted to stop it, how might history have been changed? But YHWH-Yireh, God Will See/God Will provide had given Moshe a wife that was not afraid to act on behalf of her family, in spite of Moshe’s apparent failure in this regard.
And by the way, she didn’t throw it at Moshe’s feet. In Hebrew the “feet” is often a euphemism for the genitalia. So this was a very personal, confrontational act on her part, both in performing the circumcision and in confronting Moshe with it.
So we see that women were not meant to be just the submissive little doves the church says they should be. They are a powerful ally, and can just as powerfully confront us. But one thing about them, they should and almost always will act in the best interest of the family. And if this means they come against us, well guys, all I can say is “Duck!” And their actions in opposing us may bring us back from the brink of our own destruction. A wakeup call, if you will. Get circumcised- get your heart right with God, before you lose it all.
Dan C