To the Ends of the Earth: Witness – Week 1, Day 1 – Relationships Are All About Mutual Submission

Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” So out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper fit for him. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh; and the rib which the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she

was taken out of Man.” Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:18–25

God created man and woman to be co-equal partners in the economy of his creation. In chapter 2 of Genesis, we see Adam giving names to the animals, which means he has dominion over them and is superior to them. Only the woman, bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, is equal in mind, body, and soul. In becoming one flesh, man and woman have the power to create new human life. Man and woman each have dignity and a role that is divinely assigned. They are equal in stature and mutual in submission. Each is to yield to the other: man subordinating his needs in order to protect and care for his wife, and woman accepting her role as helper to be the complementary partner to her husband.

Sadly, the equality and mutual submission between man and woman was wounded in the Fall. Now, each seeks to dominate and rule over the other. Yet in Christ, that original dignity has been healed and restored. This means that we, as men, have the awesome privilege and responsibility of raising up the dignity of men and women and marriage by the way we witness to these powerful truths in our lives. Are we willing to yield to God’s will in putting the needs of our wives, our congregations, our Christian brothers and sisters, and our world before our own? How can we allow the grace of God to guide our lives so that every thought, every word, and every action is a sign of God’s will for his holy Bride, the Church? Remember, our roles as husbands, leaders, and men are linked to the roles of Christ and his Church.

Questions for reflection

Where do you see signs that the original dignity of marriage has been marred by sin?

Husbands, how can you become more in tune with your role as husband and partner to your wife?

Single men, what can you do this week to live more in submission to your divinely assigned role?

Praying with Scripture

And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it.” (Gen 1:28a)

You can learn more about the To the Ends of the Earth Series HERE

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