Pendulum

I am writing this in the month of March (“Women’s month”) and I am receiving a wide array of information regarding the women’s movement. I saw a video recently about scholars at a particular university suggesting the abolition of the word “man”, the issue of female pastors is ever looming in the background of church life and the reality of societal behaviour in the past towards women stands evident. I am by no means a supporter of any of these women’s “liberation” movements as I see them only causing division and a complete disregard for the order God designed. However, certain realities need to be addressed and accepted on all sides of this debate. What we see now is a pendulum swing that was inevitable. Physics demands: that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

For centuries men have treated women as property to be traded, collected, abused, and ignored. This was not the instruction given by God. Anyone adhering to scripture will know that women are to be loved, respected and cared for not mistreated or ignored (Ephesians 5:25-29). The enemy of our souls initiated the original movement of this pendulum. Now without thought many professed believers are adding momentum to the inevitable reaction, the pendulum has now swung resulting in the movement we see today – women attempting to displace men from society. As women we should take heed to the words of the wise king “Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1).

In the eyes of Heaven men and women are equal in regard to salvation (Galatians 3:27-29). However, when dealing with societal structure God is very clear about the order of things: the man is in charge (Genesis 3:16; 1 Corinthians 11: 1-9; Ephesians 5:23). If men had behaved properly in the past treating women as Christ treats His church (Ephesians 5:25) we would not have this upset in society in which roles are being reversed and children are neglected. Each member of society would know their role and fill it gladly not feeling disenfranchised. Just as Jesus being equal with God did not feel diminished when He came to this Earth, subjected Himself to the Father and carried out His will (John 4:34; Philippians 2:3-8).

The failure of men to do the will of God is no excuse for the full rebellion we see in society today (1 Samuel 15:23). God has been notably absent from all sides of this argument. Only the feelings and rights of individuals are being expressed, no one is consulting the will of God. This is dangerous, specifically when addressing this issue within the church. The purpose of the church is, after all, to do the will of God and share His message with the world. But if our depraved sinful human feelings and perceived rights (Isaiah 64:6) take precedence, how will we be able to do the will of God? Self needs to be removed. Self-exaltation, pride and envy need to be checked. Our only motivation should be that of our Saviour and example, what would our Father in Heaven have us do (Luke 22:42).

God’s Speed

Number Ten

“Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbour’s.”

To properly comprehend this command we need to define some terms, covet, envy, and jealousy. To covet is “to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another. Envy: “painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage”. Jealousy: to be “intolerant of rivalry or unfaithfulness” or “vigilant in guarding a possession”. Number Ten is the commandment that lies at the heart of the preceding commandments. It speaks to the motivation behind the actions in each of them. While on Earth Jesus emphasized the importance of our motives and the thoughts we harbour in our minds (Matthew 5:17-30). These lie at the foundation of our characters, which is all we will take into eternity.

Covetousness was the motive of the first sin. The serpent tempted the woman, suggesting to her that in eating the fruit she would become “as gods, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5, 6). When she thought about the words of the serpent and she saw the fruit as something to make her wise she took it. The woman desired to be more than she was created to be. She desired an advantage that was not hers to have, and when she gained it, it resulted in her down fall.

Envy and covetousness are dangerous, powerful emotions. They are the motives behind the origin of evil (Isaiah 14:12-15). A created angel decided he wanted to be greater than God and as a result has fallen lower than God’s lowest creation (Matthew 25:41). His envy has been manifested in lies and murders and the trampling of all of God’s commands (John 8:44). The wise man tells us: “Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; but who is able to stand before envy?” Proverbs 27:4. Wrath and anger are terrible emotions to deal with but they subside. Envy is seething and at times imperceptible and it is only when the breaking of the other commandments come to bare that the covetous motive behind them can be seen. Beware of covetousness.

Some people use the terms ‘envy’ and ‘jealousy’ interchangeable, but this is not right. Envy refers to desiring something that is NOT yours. Jealousy refers to desiring something that IS yours. God describes Himself as a “jealous God” (Exodus 20:5; 34:14, Deuteronomy 2:24; 6:15). He does so because He is very protective of what is His. Our worship, belong to Him, our gratitude belong to Him, our very lives belong to Him (by creation and redemption) (Acts 17:28). Therefore, He guards His creatures that accept and acknowledge Him jealously.

There is a statement that many of us have heard from childhood: “beware of the green eyed monster”. This is sage advise, envy has lead to murder, theft, adultery, and the most heinous lies against God, our parents and our fellow man. Harbouring this feeling and will lead to our destruction and the injury of all around us. BEWARE!

In Love