412: Mal Window - Roles in Relationships

Automatically transcribed. Accuracy is good but not perfect, and words are sometimes wrong. Trust the audio over the text.

1. 0:03

   Welcome to Good Christophian Talks. Thank you for joining us this week on this podcast. We select one talk a week to help us get the Bible in our Daily News feed. Each week we post a talk that we previewed from suggestions sent in by listeners from around the world. Then we record a short intro beforehand as a personalized recommendation to you on why we are sharing the talk. And now let’s talk more about this week’s talk. Hello everyone, this is Simon.

2. 0:35

   This week’s talk is by our brother Mel Window from the Casino Ecclesia in New South Wales, Australia and his talk is on roles in relationships. I found the talk to be a great reminder of the roles that both men and women have, which are given by God. In exactly the same way as the serpent in the Garden of Eden. The world around us wants to destroy the roles of men and women today and defy the wisdom and the love of our God who made us and actually knows what’s best for us. So here is our brother Mao on roles in relationships. Well, in the late 1920s, a tobacco executive in the United States observed that only 5% of the female population smoked. Well, the males had reached over 50%. And he reasoned, well, if I can get the females to smoke at the same rate as the male smoke, we could make a whole lot of money. And the problem was was that smoking was frowned upon for women.

3. 1:49

   Ladies who smoked were seen as having loose morals and were stigmatized for the habit. Smoking was not the sort of thing that good women did. How then could tobacco companies overcome these social boundaries and influence people to embrace a product which is highly addictive, which gives you bad breath, which shortens your lifespan, and which is effectively little more than getting paper money and setting it alight note by note? How could they shed the negative images which smoking produced? And a man by the name of Edward Bernays was contacted to help solve this problem.

4. 2:39

   Now he was a Jew, and he was a nephew of Sigmund Freud. Does anyone know who Sigmund Freud was? What’s he famous for? Psychology. The father of psychology. OK, so he knew how people think, all right. And his nephew Edward Donets is known today as the pioneer of propaganda or PRA man who knew how to shape and how to control public opinion.

5. 3:14

   And so he was very close to his uncle and he knew how the human mind ticked. How can we use information to control people’s minds and control how they act? OK, so he was contacted. How can you help us sell these cigarettes? Said this executive. Well, he suggested a different marketing strategy to what might have been traditionally employed.

6. 3:43

   You know, normally when you want to sell something, you, you presented as being cool, as attractive, the person who’s who’s selling the product looks together, they’re good looking. You know, you have this product and you’ll be just like this person, OK, that’s how things were normally marketed. But he suggested something completely different.

7. 4:04

   He said don’t try and sell it because of its attractive qualities. Instead, tell women that they’ve been oppressed, that they’ve been discriminated against, they’ve been subjugated, they’ve been exploited. And make your product a symbol of freedom, rebellion against tyranny. And So what Edward Barnes did was he employed his secretary to walk down the Main St.

8. 4:36

   New York, accompanied by other beautiful women, and they were openly smoking. Now, just remember, smoking was not the thing to do, especially if you’re a woman in those days. And here’s these attractive women walking down the Main Street of New York smoking. And he set up a news crew who interviewed them as they were smoking out in the street, creating an event which would be broadcast to the wider community. And the news crew asked, well, why are you doing this out in the open when it’s so stigmatized? And his secretary answered, well, a man asked me to extinguish my cigarette, and I decided to continue smoking and to make my protest about this injustice. And soon other women took up the fight and a movement was called, was born, which was called Torches of Freedom. And so as they lit the cigarette, they were lighting a torch for freedom.

9. 5:42

   OK, We’re making our stand for freedom. And smoking was embraced not because of what it could offer or what it could provide, but because of what it represented and what it symbolized. And suddenly the social stigma and the shame which was associated with smoking only served to highlight highlight the prejudice and the oppression that women felt that they were under.

10. 6:12

    And the marketing was extremely successful. And by 1935 the proportion of women smokers had more than tripled to 18%. By 1965 the numbers had doubled once again to 1/3 of the female population. And so the cigarette companies made a fortune out of this, and women were convinced to adopt and embrace a negative product upon the grounds of human rights.

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    We’ve been oppressed. They are keeping something from us. Break the shackles of authority. Be free. Rebel against the patriarchy. Light up your torches of freedom.

12. 7:10

    And when you think about it, when sin entered into the world, it followed the same psychological trajectory. You see, when the serpent questioned Eve about eating the fruit, his suggestion was immediately met with a quotation from God’s law. Lust and pride didn’t even enter into the equation. God has said. The woman said she stood for truth, but when the serpent suggested that God was keeping something back from her, that they were being oppressed, that equality with the angels and freedom was taken away, the woman was able to view God’s law in a different light entirely. Let’s read Genesis 3 verses 4:00 and 5:00, Genesis chapter 3 and verse 4.

13. 8:15

    We know these words, but let’s just go over it and just see how the serpent introduced his idea. Genesis 3 verse four. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die, for God doth know that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And the next words are telling, and they suggest that this speech, in this speech lay the foundation for Eve’s deception. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, a tree desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her, and he did eat. So what we find is, is that the rebellion of God’s law was only entertained when Eve was made to feel that God was keeping something back from her, that he was being unjust, that God was being oppressive.

14. 9:23

    Sin entered into the world when God’s goodness and God’s character was challenged. God had placed men in a beautiful garden. God had given men everything. They had authority over the animals. God had given Adam a companion. Adam and Eve were in paradise and the one thing that God warned Adam against, the thing that would lead to sorrow and pain, that and death, that was the thing that He warned them against.

15. 10:07

    It was a good law, wasn’t it? His one law would save them from death, sin, shame, and God warned them. Don’t take that path. Everything that God had done was good. His kindness, His care, His compassion was self-evident. But when his goodness was challenged and the seeds of doubt began to grow, Eve was prepared to look at things differently.

16. 10:43

    And our acceptance of authority hinges upon our perception of the wisdom and the virtue that underpins it. I’ll state, state that again, our acceptance of authority. We’ll accept authority when we realize the goodness and the wisdom and the virtue of those who are giving, who are in authority. Challenge their goodness, challenge their wisdom, and you’ll rebel against their authority. So key to authority is accepting the goodness of God. And when we talk about roles within relationships, the first thing which we need to grasp is the wisdom of the one who put those roles into place and what God intended by giving those roles.

17. 11:47

    Are the roles given in the Bible oppressive? Are they evidence of an outdated patriarchy? Or are they roles which are given to us for our benefit, to help prepare us for eternity? OK, so there’s two ways of looking at it. Is it for our good or for our detriment? How understanding of the wisdom and the goodness of the authority of the person who gives us those those rules or those laws helps determine how we respond to it. Our God’s punishments merely to inflict pain and cause grief? Or is there a redemptive, constructive element to those punishments?

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    What’s God doing when he’s seeking to chasten us? Is he just angry or is he trying to do something with us? Is God all wise? Is he our Creator? Does he know what he is doing? Or does he make mistakes which need to be challenged, deconstructed and overturned? In short, is God our enemy or our friend?

19. 13:20

    And we’ll never accept his guidance or his direction or even his correction if we feel that it runs contrary to our own best interests. And so in accepting God’s authority, we also need to appreciate that God understands our problem and that he cares. It’s a psychological basis, isn’t it? We need to understand that God knows what our problem is, that he cares about us, and that what he is doing is for our best interests.

20. 13:51

    He’s working for our good. And sometimes just by asking these questions, we can appreciate the arguments which are made against scripturally defined roles in a totally different right light. You see, when we attack the roles which are outlined in scripture, when we label them as being outdated or enslaving or chauvinistic, we’re not just attacking social norms. What we’re really doing is we’re attacking the wisdom and the character of the one who gave us those laws. He’s God wise when he gave us roles. Does he know what he’s doing?

21. 14:38

    And perhaps, just like the women a century ago, we might be embracing A destructive, cancerous solution to a problem that doesn’t even exist. Men and women are created differently. Man was created first out of the dust to the ground. The woman was created afterwards from Adam’s rib. And these facts, though simple, have profound significance. Being first, man was given the instructions about trees and the responsibility for looking after them from the very beginning. He was made to be responsible for the garden. Dress it and keep it.

22. 15:32

    This is your responsibility, Adam. The woman, having been made out of men and for men, was created to be a support. She was a helper for Adam. She was the antidote to loneliness. And so from the from the very beginning, even before sin entered into the world, there were differences, weren’t there? It’s not that one was better than the other or more important than the other. It’s just that they were different, the different purpose, a different role, and

23. 16:06

    when challenged by the serpent, these roles were abandoned. And because each failed to fulfil their created function, sin and death ensued. You see the man who was given the law and who was made responsible, he failed to lead and he stepped back from the conflict. The woman who was made to be a support dominated the discussion and was deceived. And when the Angel came and addressed the three participants, the man, the woman, and the serpent, Adam was called first to give his answer.

24. 16:50

    He had been given authority and he was held accountable for the sin. That’s why he was called first. And yet, even in his reply, Adam shunned responsibility. It’s not my fault, he said. It’s the woman who you gave to be with me. She was the one who caused me to sin. Now, sometimes when we look at the curses, we view them as punishments, much in the same way as we might send a criminal to jail.

25. 17:28

    OK, you’re doing your time, you did the sin, you’re going to do your time, you’re going to jail. Sometimes we look at the curses in that light. But the consequences which God pronounced because of sin are not the outburst of passion by a vengeful God, but are rather measures put in place to develop and correct people who He loves and cares for.

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    OK, so God’s not angry and responding in anger. What God’s doing is He’s applying curses to correct and shape the people who He’s talking to.

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    Hebrews puts it this way. Hebrews chapter 12, verse 6. Whom the Lord loves, he chastens and scourgeth. OK, And here in in the Eden, there’s the first curse. OK, here’s God scourging. Whom the Lord loves, He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons.

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    For what son is he whom the Father chasteneth not? But if ye are without chastisement, we’re of all our partakers. Then are ye illegitimate, and not sons? Furthermore, we have had fathers of their flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence. Shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily, for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure, but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His Holiness.

29. 19:15

    And so the curses in Genesis chapter 3 have meaning. Men, men and women and women both made errors which needed addressing. You see, the curses were not given to destroy, or to harm, or to belittle, but to instruct, to develop, and to teach. The serpent called God’s character into question with His first law.

30. 19:43

    You know, certain called God’s character in the question when he looked at God’s law. God, he hasn’t got your best interests at heart. We need to be careful that we don’t make the same mistake with the laws that followed. God doesn’t have our best interests at heart, doesn’t he?

31. 20:06

    The man who was made first, who was given the law, Who named the animals? The one who stepped back and remained silent when he should have acted as a garden and protected to to his wife. We read in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 6 that Eve gave unto her husband with her and he did eat.

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    And so it’s not as though Adam was in another part of the garden, that he was, you know, hedging, you know, the trees way down in the back paddock. He was there beside her. He, she gave unto her husband with her and he did it. It’s not as though the woman was ambushed by the serpent alone.

33. 20:52

    Adam was there. He saw, he heard, and he chose not to act. It’s like a twisted story of Saint George and the dragon. OK, we’ve got this big Serpentine beast, the dragon, and it’s taken the Princess captive. But instead of engaging the enemy, instead of engaging the serpent, the dragon, the knight, just stands there and watches. He doesn’t defend her.

34. 21:31

    He takes a passive rob. And finally, when the woman was devoured by serpent thinking and is in the clutches of mortality, he decides that now he will sacrifice himself and in full knowledge of his sin, he surrenders to the serpent and dies a pointless death with his beloved.

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    There’s no leadership here, is there? There’s no gallantry displayed by this man. The dragon goes unchecked, the Kingdom lies in ruin, and the man who refuses to act when he should inevitably becomes the object of derision and ridicule. The man was created to lead, to protect, to speak to the enemy, and to put everything on the line for the protection of his family.

36. 22:34

    He is made to take risks, to make decisions, and to accept the consequences. This is his role, and God expected him to fulfill it. And we know this, don’t we? Because the second Adam, the one who took on the role which Adam abandoned, did just that. He stepped forward to face the serpent. He gave his life in order that his bride might live. Look at how Paul puts it in Ephesians chapter 5, verse 25. Husbands, love your wives.

37. 23:12

    Even as Christ also loved the ecclesia and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with a washing of water by the Word, that he might present it to himself. A glorious ecclesia, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish.

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    Christ put his life on the line, didn’t He? He gave everything that the Bride might be redeemed and saved. He didn’t just stand back and watch her being destroyed. Now, sometimes we can get the idea that we need to make peace at all costs, but if we stand by in the face of error or try to compromise with false ideology, we’re not helping things, are we?

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    We’re not showing leadership. We’re being just like Adam, standing by and letting it all happen. Play out, taking the path of least resistance and watching our families getting destroyed in the process.

40. 24:25

    OK, Adam had to learn to lead. That was his role. And so in the curses, Adam’s tendency to step back from unpleasant work is addressed. You’re now going to be responsible for providing for your family, and from now on you’re going to have to apply yourself. You cannot afford to step back and be inactive, for should you do so, your garden is going to be over run with weeds in action has its consequences. You and your family will only eat if you discipline yourself to attack and destroy anything which threatens their livelihood.

41. 25:17

    Every day you have to learn that principle as you go off to work and toil and you attack those weeds and you dig and you sweat.

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    Inaction has consequences and your family dies. And in the small everyday experiences of the field, you will learn what it means to work, what it means to be responsible, what it means to care and to provide for your family. And so we read in Genesis 3 verse 17, Cursed is the ground. Why?

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    Because I want you to feel pain. No, cursed is the ground for your sake. This was not just a punishment. It was a learning tool given by God that man might better fulfill the role for which he was made.

44. 26:24

    Man had to learn to speak up. He had to learn to confront the enemy. He had to learn to value his wife, realizing that she was his own flesh and that her very existence was founded upon his own work, his own toil, his own sacrifice. And this applies on a natural plane and on a spiritual plane. And what’s the spiritual counterpart to a warrior? Well, a spiritual warrior is a priest. The priest blew the trumpets and LED the physical army in Numbers chapter 10, verses 8:00 and 9:00. But the greater battle is not against a physical enemy, but against the spiritual, against error, against doubt, against fear.

45. 27:30

    And this is the battle which brethren are called to take up. That’s what we’re fighting against, isn’t it? We’re fighting against error, we’re fighting against doubt, we’re fighting against fear, which would take our heart away from the truth. And it’s not a role that men always feel comfortable taking on, is it? You know, how many times do you feel inadequate to the task of speaking up? You know, it’s, it’s, it’s not easy, but it’s the role which God has given him.

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    And so he needs to be allowed to fulfil that role. And you’ll notice that he’s not commanded to dominate or overthrow the woman in order to lead.

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    No, the woman is commanded to voluntary submit to her husband’s authority. Leadership is a role which the woman gifts the man. It’s much in the same way as the ecclesia submits to Christ. He doesn’t force us to submit. You know, we don’t have a gun held to our head, You will submit. He doesn’t force us to become baptised. He leads by example and we give our lives willingly of our own volition.

48. 29:11

    And so we never read Husbands dominate your wives. It’s always the other way around, isn’t it? Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands. We read in First Timothy chapter 2, verse 11. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer a lot of woman to teach, not to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

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    For Adam was first formed, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was. In the transgression women are asked to be silent in the ecclesia, not to put women down, but to allow men to grow and to fulfil the role which God first gave them.

50. 30:10

    It has nothing to do with talent, with skill, or with value. It’s about recognizing that God expects different things of different people and accepting the wisdom of His direction. Does God know what He’s doing when He asks us to fulfill a certain role? Yes or no? Does He have our best interests at heart? Yes or no?

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    Well, how do we respond? It’s not a slight against women, it’s a challenge for men. Are we stepping up? Are we preparing to fight against the enemy?

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    Are we reading? Are we studying? Are we meditating? Can we wield the Sword of the Spirit? Are we clothed with the Girdle of Truth? Are we prepared to call things out which are wrong, even when we know it will be difficult and will attract push back? When a warrior attacks the enemy, he inevitably draws enemy fire.

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    A warrior needs to train, practice and prepare. He needs to believe in the value of his cause. Without discipline, without conviction, we grow flabby and weak, and we’re unable to defend those who we love.

54. 32:05

    And so, while the man is directed to work, to sweat, to toil, to take responsibility, to engage with the enemy, what of the woman? Well, Eve had reached out and she’d stolen fruit which had not been offered, and she was completely oblivious to the pain and the suffering which her theft would bring upon the world.

55. 32:39

    And so when the Angel pronounces the consequences which she would experience those consequences focus upon the pain and the heartbreak attached to bringing forth fruit unto the woman. He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow shalt thou bring forth children, and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

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    Fruit, once taken without thought to its cost, would now only be produced through extreme pain and sorrow. She would now know the true value of bringing forth seed, and her entire existence would now be spent in the nurturing and the development of the new generation.

57. 33:33

    And the New Testament passages expand upon this verse in Genesis, and they show that it’s not just pregnancy and birth which is spoken of here, but the rearing of children. First Timothy 5 verse 14 says, I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children guide the house, giving none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

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    Titus chapter 2, verses four and five teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

59. 34:19

    Modern society belittles this role and sees it as a mark of oppression, a career to be derided. But is it unimportant? Is this a second class role?

60. 34:40

    A man may have worked his way to the top of a multinational company, managed thousands of staff, made millions of dollars, lived in a palatial home with everything that money can buy.

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    But when he reaches the end of his life, if his children and his grandchildren are too busy to visit or spend time with him, his wealth is hollow and empty. The selfless grandmother who is surrounded by an adoring family has something far more precious.

62. 35:21

    And when we teach our children the truth how to love God and show our appreciation for all God’s goodness, we may have spent countless years in unrewarding toil, but at the end we’ve produced fruit for eternity.

63. 35:43

    There is no greater joy than to see children embrace the truth. And the daily grind at the office or the work site, for all its accolades, has nothing compared to this. And do you think that as angels, we’re going to be standing around talking to each other, boasting of how many people we managed in our mortality, the houses we built, or the cars that we did up or owned? We need to learn to value things because of what they are intrinsically worth and not be swayed by the changing tides of public opinion.

64. 36:32

    God values character, and so should those who seek to be like Him. Now someone might say, well, I’ve been asked to submit and if I was married to an intelligent, thoughtful husband, and maybe that’s something I could do. You know Karen’s got it easy, hasn’t she?

65. 36:59

    But what happens if my husband is stupid or make some poor decisions? What if I know better than him? How can my submission help if it only perpetuates bad choices?

66. 37:16

    OK, see the reasoning. Why should I submit if I know better than him and he’s just making the same dumb choices over and over again? Am I going to change things if I submit to that way of thinking? God answers this question in first Peter chapter 3 verses one to seven, which is their reading tonight where we’re showing that submission is not a sign of weakness, but an exhibition of inner strength and beauty.

67. 37:50

    And the argument here in first Peter chapter 3 is that a woman will bring her unbelieving husband to the truth, not through her forceful arguments, not because she has all the answers and is able to present them in a in a compelling way. How’s she going to bring her unbelieving husband to the truth? Through her meek and quite obedience herself? Control.

68. 38:21

    Her gracious response says much more than any lecture or sharp retort ever could. How? Why is it that that’s the answer? Well, it’s because of this the ultimate truth which we all need to witness to is to the wisdom and goodness of God.

69. 38:59

    Every other truth is subservient to this. And when a woman obeys God’s directive, even in times of trial and stress, she proclaims her belief that God can be trusted, that God sees, and that he will work in her life for good. And she proclaims that her salvation lies not in her own wisdom, not in her own ability to convince or control her husband, but in the Providence and protection of God. That’s the answer, isn’t it?

70. 39:46

    And it’s when faith is expressed in action and under duress that we truly declare that God sees, that God cares, that God rewards. And so we read in first Peter chapter 3 and we’ll begin verse one. Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands. That if any of they not in the word, they also may, without the word, be won by the conversation or conduct.

71. 40:25

    As the ESB says, they may be won by the conduct of the wives while they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Who’s adorning? Let it not be the outward adorning of plaiting of hair, the wearing of gold, or the pudding of apparel, but let it be the hidden man of the heart in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and a quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time, the holy women also, who trusted in God, ordained themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands, even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord, whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers be not hindered.

72. 41:33

    Now, did you notice in verse 5 when Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord, and she submitted to his direction, who was she placing her trust in? That’s a question. God. Yeah, she trusted in God. It wasn’t her husband, it was God. She wasn’t obeying her husband because he always came up with excellent solutions. She was submitting because God had told her to, and she knew that His wisdom was above all.

73. 42:14

    Now there’s only one place in Scripture where Sarah calls Abraham her Lord. Does anyone know where that place is? Where does Sarah call Abraham her Lord? Genesis 18. Genesis 18. OK, so in this passage, Sarah hears about the promised seed. And in the passage she doesn’t even speak to Abraham, but she talks to herself.

74. 42:44

    Remember, she’s in the tent, She’s hidden away. She can hear the conversation between Abraham and the angels, and she’s hidden away in the tent. And she laughs to herself. And she says, after I’m waxed old, shall I have pleasure, my Lord, being old also? OK, so this is the passage that Peter is alluding to, all right.

75. 43:09

    Is that agreed with that right, Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him Lord. So this is the passage that we’re directed to look at. And so we asked the question, well, how did Sarah obey Abraham in this case? What’s the focus of our attention? Is it? Did she obey when she went to A to bake cakes for the unexpected visitors?

76. 43:37

    OK, is that the obedience which Peter is allerting to, you know, look at Sarah. When Abram said go and buy cake, she did it immediately. OK, is that the thrust of Peter’s argument? Well, before we answer yes or no, let’s just firstly consider the themes and the concepts which are explored in first Peter chapter 3 verses one to seven. What are some of the themes which are brought up in first Peter chapter 3 verses one to seven? What’s the first thing which is brought up in that in that passage?

77. 44:19

    Yeah. Subjection to who? Sorry, husband. What’s all husbands? An unbelieving husband. OK, so we’re we’re the first thing we introduced is faithful women bringing their husbands to the truth, not because of their arguments, but because of their gentle attitude and their obedient response. So you’ve got this idea of a husband who is weak in the faith or not in the faith at all. What else is the subject which is addressed in First Peter chapter 3?

78. 45:10

    What’s that? Yep, Yep. Are women showing trust in God? Another theme is beauty. Isn’t it? OK, Paul talks, Peter talks about beauty in women and he says it’s not the hairstyle, it’s not the dress, it’s not the accessories which they wear which gives rise to their beauty. But what is it which really makes a woman beautiful?

79. 45:39

    Well, it’s her inner deportment, her meek and her quiet spirit. OK. And then we’re told that husbands are exhorted to dwell with their wives, giving them honour, respecting their vulnerability, that they’re weaker vessels. You need to look after her and be careful with her because she’s a weaker vessel.

80. 46:08

    And then we’re told that prayer is effective. Now. We next read about Sarah in Genesis chapter 20. And each of the themes which Peter picks up on has their counterpart in this story. In Genesis chapter 20, Abraham has abandoned his home in Hebron. OK, what’s Hebron’s signify?

81. 46:45

    What’s Hebron mean? What’s it stand for? Fellowship. OK Hebron, where we have fellowship with God. All right. And Abraham’s left this place. And where does he go to go? Shakira in Philistine country. A move would suggest that his faith was shaken. He’d just seen what happened a lot when he begged God that he would save long and he’d seen the smoke going up as a furnace and he did not know what had happened to his nephew. His faith was shaken and he moves from the place called Fellowship to Philistine territory and knowing that his wife was extremely beautiful.

82. 47:35

    And that was a theme, wasn’t it? In First Peter chapter 3, he tells Sarah to inform any strangers who they might meet that they’re not husband and wife, but their brother and sister, lest Abraham might be killed so that they could take her to wife. The instructions are spelt out in Genesis chapter 20, verse 13. This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me at every place whither we shall come.

83. 48:05

    Say of me, He is my brother. And Sarah obeyed and Abraham’s plan was put into action. Was it a good plan? Anyone put put their hand up there says a good plan. It was an atrocious plan. It wasn’t a faithful plan. It was it puts Sarah at great risk. It threatened to destroy their marriage, didn’t it?

84. 48:43

    And it was not her faith in Abraham which motivated Sarah, but it was her trust in God. She remembered the promise earlier that year. Sarah, thy wife shall have a son, remember? She laughed when she called Abram. My Lord shall I have seen my Lord being old also. Sarah, thy wife shall have a son. And even though her position was perilous, she nevertheless obeyed her husband’s command.

85. 49:19

    And while Abimelech noticed her beauty and took her to be his wife, and Abraham saw her beauty and feared for his own life, what did God notice? God noticed her quite obedience in the face of ruin, and saw something far more attractive than superficial good looks. This faith was what made her beautiful. This faith was valuable.

86. 49:58

    And God intervened and Sarah was rescued, and she was restored to her husband. And after this, Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household, and they bore children. And no doubt he prayed for his own wife also. And he apologized deeply for putting her through such an awful ordeal. You know, you can just see him down on his knees apologizing to Sarah.

87. 50:24

    What have I done in tears? And so we read in Genesis chapter 20, verse 17. So Abraham prayed unto God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, and they bear children. For Yahweh had fast closed up the wombs of the House of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife. And then we read in the next verse, and Yahweh visited Sarah as he had said, and Yahweh did unto Sarah as he had spoken. And I wonder if there’s an ellipsis in between those two verses, between verse 18 and verse one and the ellipsis being and Abraham prayed for Sarah also. And so using this illustration, the Spirit by Peter makes a point when you submit to your husband in obedience to God’s command.

88. 51:29

    It’s not an issue of whether the wife or the husband is the best one for the job, or who has the best answers, or who makes the best leader. It’s actually all about God’s sovereignty in applying the law. Is God right to issue that directive? Does he know what he’s doing?

89. 51:56

    Does obedience to his direction bear fruit? Does God see the big picture or do we see the big picture? Who’s the one who knows? It was Eve’s doubt of God’s goodness which prompted her to transgress the commandments, and death followed. It was Sarah’s trust in God that strengthened her to be obedient to an undeserving husband.

90. 52:29

    And so the promised seed was born. See the opposites, doubt, death, trust, life. And when we come together as an ecclesia in remembrance of our redemption and the atoning work of our Lord, we engage in acts of symbolism which remind us of the enormity of what has been done for us and in a way, our memorial services.

91. 53:05

    Consider not just the past, it’s also a prophecy of the future, isn’t it? When the Bride is presented clean and white, immortal, free from any taint of sin? Because that’s what those emblems do, isn’t it? They wash us. They make us clean. So it’s not just a description of what has happened in the past, it’s a prophecy of what those emblems will do in the future. We consider not just death and sacrifice, but we consider resurrection and freedom which that sacrifice achieves. We eat bread, we drink wine reminding us of the sacrifice of our Lord.

92. 53:50

    And here in these symbols are the body and blood of Christ who gave himself that we might live. And symbols help us to get perspective. They help us to appreciate the enormity of what we’re doing and what has been done for us and what will happen in the future. And the symbolism is not just limited to the bread and the wine.

93. 54:16

    They are symbols. But there are other symbols that we use in a memorial meeting, too, aren’t there? At our services, it’s the males who speak, reminding us that it is our head Christ who is the leader, who speaks the truth, who has slain the enemy. We, the brethren who stand up represent Christ. And within our congregation our sisters wear a head covering, while the males are noticeable by the fact that they do not wear a head covering.

94. 54:55

    It goes both ways, doesn’t it? It’s not just that the females wear head covering. The males are particularly instructed not to have a head covering. You know, sometimes we just focus on the one. But it’s actually both ways. Why?

95. 55:13

    Well, to be truly understood, the symbol must be considered within the context of our gathering. We come together to remember our redemption, our covering from sin. And in this context, the females represent the wider ecclesia who are covered by the sacrifice which Christ has made. The females represent all of us, the males represent Christ, and our minds go back to the garden.

96. 55:49

    Adam and Eve are in sin. They’re estranged from God, they’re unable to stand before him. And God provided the covering, the lamb, the second Adam, the one who would lay down his life so that woolen skins could be used for the covering of sin. And consequently, in the symbol which is being played out, the man must have his head uncovered, he must have his hair short.

97. 56:27

    He needs to reflect Christ who provided his wool for his bride. We remember Christ on the cross naked, that the bride might be covered. And so a brother with a covered head or a brother with long hair paints the picture of a lamb which refuses to sacrifice, and the bride wears A covering reflecting the fact that all ecclesial members need forgiveness. Her hat or veil, her covered head is a symbol of us all. We can only come together before God because we’ve been covered in Christ.

98. 57:23

    And so this symbol, which is mocked and derided by the world, is a symbol of true freedom, freedom from sin, death, mortality and decay. It represents an admission of thanks on behalf of us all, and it reminds brethren that theirs is not a role of tyranny or oppression, but a role of sacrifice. Following Jesus, laying down our lives that others might live. We need to ask ourselves, what symbols do we wish to adopt? What is the path to freedom?

99. 58:22

    How do we become like unto the angels? Whose voice do we turn to and listen? And is God someone who cares, someone who understands what we really need? Who is he distant and demanding?

100. 58:47

     Paul exhorts us in Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 16 and we’ll we’ll close with this verse reading from the ESB. He says, Look to Christ, let him be your example and guide, so that we may no longer be children tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in in deceitful schemes, rather speaking the truth in love. We are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

101. 59:53

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102. 1:00:22

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103. 1:00:38

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