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16 She considers a field, then buys it, and from her earnings she plants a vineyard. 17 She gathers her strength around her and throws herself into her work. 18 She sees that her business affairs go well; her lamp stays lit at night. Proverbs 31:16-18 CJB
Introduction
Clearly someone agitated me with this topic. In this episode, I wanted to separate the things I hear both men and women complaining about from what is real vs. random ideology mankind made up. The first half is on points in feminism that can be problematic; the second half is on Bible verses proving that the way we define gender roles is not Biblical. I apologize for the length of the episode; feel free to take your time, pause and come back.
Bible Verses
If you don't make it to the end please read the following Bible verses and keep in mind that a woman being smart, successful, or capable, does not preclude a man from doing exactly the same.
- Genesis 2:18 — Look up the word translated to "help" or "helper" and see how it is used elsewhere in the Bible
- Genesis 3
- Genesis 24 — Who made sure the house was prepared?
- Genesis 25:27-34 — Who cooked the stew?
- Genesis 27:1-10 — Who was asked to cook? Who actually cooked?
- Proverbs 31:10-31
- Romans 5:12
- 1 Timothy 2:14
Problematic Ideas in Feminism
The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. 1 Corinthians 7:4 KJV
- A wife shouldn’t be making major decisions on her own (re: tying your tubes and aborting a baby)
- I concede that if the husband is abusive this becomes more complicated. I’m speaking of a non-violent marriage situation where no one is in danger.
- Hollywood movies are very anti-male
- Examples include Black Panther and Jingle Jangle
- In this episode I tell you a lot about what I don’t like about Black Panther. For what I do like about it check out The Portrayal of Black Superheroes
- The female characters are very strong (not inherently bad), but the male characters are very weak:
- T’Challa is not a strong leader; he barely claims the throne; he knows the history of Killmonger when Killmonger appears and doesn’t try to make it right; struggles to pursue his love interest
- Killmonger is blood thirsty and wants to cause trouble
- T’Challa’s best friend betrays him at the drop of a hat
- M’Baku is the best example of a man in the movie and we only get to see him for 2 minutes
- This leads people to conclude that men are weak because the women are strong which is not correct
What Does the Bible Say?
- From the beginning, people have passed the blame. In Genesis 3, Adam doesn’t take responsibility for his actions—he blames Eve (and Eve blames the serpent).
- Romans 5:12 tells us that Adam is the one who brought sin in to the world
- 1 Timothy 2:14 tells us that Eve was deceived but Adam was not deceived (re: Adam knew exactly what he was doing)
- Adam’s behavior in the garden is the same thing we see today with men blaming women’s dress or attractiveness for their lust
- Adam was a leader because he was created first, not because he was a man; he received instruction directly from God
- Adam’s decision to follow Eve serves as an allegory for Christ giving up paradise to suffer on the cross
Wives submit to your husbands (Ephesians 5:22-33)
- The next verse says husbands love your wives!
- What does it mean to submit?
- What does it mean to lead?
- Cultural influence has had a lot to do with how Church members are defining this—much of which is not Biblical
- Think about how Yeshua showed His leadership
- Clear vision
- Builds up disciples to be successful
- Washing people feet at the last supper
Gender Roles
- Stem from this idea of the man being the leader
- Somehow leader translates to provider (because we all know that money = power) and thus the woman is relegated to homemaker
- Traditional roles are fine, but they aren’t Biblical and they aren’t required
- Typically homemakers are the ones who wash dishes, cook, clean, etc. People often refer to this as “woman’s work,” but why?
- Don’t let cultural traditions overshadow Biblical values (Matthew 15:4-7)
- Do you have to take your husband’s last name? No one in the Bible has a last name—this is a European (specifically Anglo-Saxon) tradition and has nothing to do with the Bible. An example of a culture that does not do this is Spanish culture were they combine the mother’s name and the father’s name to create a last name, but no one’s name changes after the marriage ceremony.
- Laban prepares the house (Genesis 24:29-31)
- Jacob and Esau knew how to cook (Genesis 25:27-34; 27:1-10)
Proverbs 31
- Below is Proverbs 31:10-31 (emphasis added)
א 10 Who can find a capable wife? Her value is far beyond that of pearls.ב 11 Her husband trusts her from his heart, and she will prove a great asset to him.
ג 12 She works to bring him good, not harm, all the days of her life.
ד13 She procures a supply of wool and flax and works with willing hands.
ה 14 She is like those merchant vessels, bringing her food from far away.
ו 15 It’s still dark when she rises to give food to her household and orders to the young women serving her.
ז 16 She considers a field, then buys it, and from her earnings she plants a vineyard.
ח 17 She gathers her strength around her and throws herself into her work.
ט 18 She sees that her business affairs go well; her lamp stays lit at night.
י 19 She puts her hands to the staff with the flax; her fingers hold the spinning rod.
כ 20 She reaches out to embrace the poor and opens her arms to the needy.
ל 21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household; since all of them are doubly clothed.
מ 22 She makes her own quilts; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
נ 23 Her husband is known at the city gates when he sits with the leaders of the land.
ס 24 She makes linen garments and sells them; she supplies the merchants with sashes.
ע 25 Clothed with strength and dignity, she can laugh at the days to come.
פ 26 When she opens her mouth, she speaks wisely; on her tongue is loving instruction.
צ 27 She watches how things go in her house, not eating the bread of idleness.
ק 28 Her children arise; they make her happy; her husband too, as he praises her:
ר 29 “Many women have done wonderful things, but you surpass them all!”
ש 30 Charm can lie, beauty can vanish, but a woman who fears Adonai should be praised.
ת 31 Give her a share in what she produces; let her works speak her praises at the city gates.
Survey
This is only a few of the Bible verses: please vote here if you would like me to do a series on all the verses talking about women (I promise those episodes will be shorter since I won't be cramming everything into one episode!): forms.gle/AMnWeLJwM2ABhxCB7
