Every woman wants to escape the sufferings pronounced on womanhood and grab the wings—if offered! Well, then grab them as you read on.
The Tragedy
Female infanticide, dowry deaths, illiteracy, sati, rape, flesh trade, polygamy, divorce, widowhood, weakness, risks at pregnancy and childbirth, and more than all, the male put-down — not to mention the female put-down on females! Why so much on women? Open your Bible and out pops the answer even in the opening chapters.
There is primarily a direct enmity between Satan and woman. When God cursed the serpent, He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman” (Gen 3:15). Only then comes the seed-to-seed enmity. This is why women have become the target of the devil.
The Malady
For the woman the punishment was:1. Multiplied sorrow, 2. Multiplied conception, 3. Sorrow in childbirth, 4. Desire for the husband and 5. Rulership of the husband.
Adam forgave his wife and named her Eve (meaning Life-giver). How is it the one who brought death into the world became the life-giver? I believe something happened between Genesis 3:19 and 3:20. Eve repented! And in verse 21 God forgave her and clothed her.
She would have wept and fallen at God’s feet when God killed an animal and put the dress of skin on her. That was probably the first time she saw the horror of death. She got an idea of the malady she had brought into the world and what she would have to undergo in her deathbed. She saw in it the death of the Messiah, her seed, who would clothe mankind with the robe of salvation. She realised her awesome responsibility in bringing forth such a seed to crush Satan’s head. She rose up to her feet and took up the challenge.
The History
The one big blunder taught her a lesson for a lifetime. She humbly took upon her the punishment. That was the first and the last time we see Satan getting the better of her.
When God sent her out, she did not question God’s love nor grumble. She trusted God through the several lean years that followed. How do we say that? She conceived and bore Cain and said, “I have got a man from the Lord” (4:1). None of us would do that having delivered our first child. We would look at our husbands and smile. But for Eve, now God had become first in life. She never cursed God in her birth pangs. Then Abel and then Seth. “After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters” (5:4). Booph! It was pleasure for Adam but pain for Eve. Bearing child after child for 9 centuries and more! But she bit her tongue from talking against God. “I deserve it” she might have thought. Not only that, after all the pain she underwent, the credit went to Adam; for the Bible says, “HE begot sons and daughters!”
The next time she suggested something to Adam he would have said, “Enough of your suggestions. Will you please shut up? I know what to do.” It would have cut her to the core and reminded her of her failure.
When she saw the snake the next time she would have screamed and thrown a stone on its head saying, “My deceiver.” The snake would have hissed, “My enemy.” Thus woman became Satan’s lifelong enemy.
Alas, Cain killed his brother. Not only that, the Lord chased out Cain. She lost both her sons. Even in that terrible anguish she was silent. How do we say she was not angry with God? She was a great great great great grandmother when she bore Seth (if Gen 4 is chronological). She named her third son Seth saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel” (4:25). Not angry with God! Oh how she was holding on to God’s promise that her seed would crush her enemy’s head. She lost the two seeds on whom her hope rested. Now God had given another seed.
Satan would have whispered in her ears, “How unkind of God to throw you out of the garden for eating a fruit. Oh, poor Eve, so many children, so much pain. Why didn’t God protect Abel, such a nice guy? Where is His power? Atleast He could have spared Cain for you. You think God loves you? Come on Eve, just because God said Adam will rule you, you don’t need to be so silent and submissive. Give him a bit of your mind.” etc. But Eve plugged her ears and said, “Nothing doing.” She won.
God exalted her. Through Eve the Prince of Life was born!
The Remedy
God put Eve in a garden to try her and then send her into a bigger world—her domain. But she failed. Now God is giving woman another chance to prove herself in a similar smaller sphere, home, and another set of commandments for her own blessing and liberation. Come to 1 Timothy 2:9-15. The shadow of the curse falls on verses 9-14. But a light breaks forth in v15. Putting the contents in a capsule: If a woman bears the curse quietly and submissively, with sobriety, she shall be brought out of it (“saved in childbearing”).
It is noteworthy that silence and sobriety are twice mentioned in this short passage. So let’s consider this passage under these two sub-headings. Silence and sobriety sound contradictory. Any sensible woman will not be silent. A woman who tries to practise both, walks on a razor-sharp edge. She must know when to talk and when to be silent. She must know when to act like a fool and when to deploy her sixth and if necessary seventh sense also! A woman needs no brains to remain silent. A zombie can well replace her. The very fact that God has given her a brain shows that she should speak where she should speak.
1. The Melody of Silence
It is the silence in between the musical notes that causes the melody. Is the melody missing in your home? If you learn to zip up your lip at the right time the silence breaks the vicious cycle of verbal attack and counter attack. Your husband cannot overlook the sound of your silence. By your silence you can speak like a thunder.
“Let the woman learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” (1 Tim 2:11,12). We all agree that no one can learn without talking or asking. It is not a mute silence. It means the “quiet spirit” or calm attitude (1 Pet 3:4). She should never allow her spirit to be agitated, nor raise her voice. It’s not comely for a woman to boss over her husband. Talk silently, ask quietly.
The Drudgery
Silence and submission are easier said than practised. It means to keep your explosive idea to yourself when your husband jeers it; to forget about your own dreams when he has other dreams. It means swallowing up many things that come up to your throat; trying to become better when he expects perfection; saying ‘I am sorry’ without adding ‘but you started it all.’ It is not being irritatingly silent or menacingly submissive. It is putting the husband before parents and friends; it is giving up your ego in tassles; trying your level best to boost him when he keeps putting you down; to do everything day in and day out cheerfully for a thankless husband; to tolerate him when he doesn’t tolerate you. It is sticking it out when you want to run away from it all. In short, it is refusing to go mad when you feel like going mad. Only a woman who tries to submit will know that it is not less painful than childbirth—everyday! But she shall be saved in this childbearing. How?
The Comedy
There is a period in our lives when we are rejected and ridiculed and repressed. If we take them on us humbly, as from the hand of the Lord, the tide turns around. In the first decade of married life the husband asks the wife to shut up. If she shuts up, in the second decade he keeps asking her why she is silent. Then in the third decade he asks her to speak up. In the first decade he says, “You do what I say.” In the second decade: “Do what you think is best. Don’t ask me.” In the third decade, “Tell me, what should I do?” If the woman does not learn silence and submission, the husband continues to hit her on the head and rule her. She continues to live under the curse.
Don’t listen to the dirty snake!
Even today the old serpent sneaks in and says, “Silence? Submission? You think God loves you? He is depriving you of so many privileges. He is partial. You are losing something. Speak up. Fight it out. Cry. Create a scene. Let yor husband know you are not his slave.” Women, beware! Satan knows pretty well if he succeeds in deceiving you, he can keep you under the curse. we say if we had been in Eve’s place we wouldn’t have eaten the fruit. But we are so boldly disobeying God’s command today, giving heed to the devil.
Was Eve clear about God’s command? Did she know the seriousness of violating it? Certainly. She gave a vivid description to the snake. She knew exactly what was expected of her, but failed. Much the same way, we know what to do and choose not to do it unmindful of the dire consequences. 2000 years before the Bible was written, a woman knew how to treat her husband (1 Pet 3:6). 2000 years after the Bible was written, we have not yet learnt the principle.
Adam and Madam
Why do we rebel against such a protocol atleast inwardly? God created man and woman and called THEIR name Adam (Gen 5:2). So we see there is an Adam inside every mADAM, a man inside every woMAN. This worse half still lives in her. Women have ego too. She feels the sting of male put-down. She wants to speak out and rule. So if she does not exercise absolute self-control, the first Adam in her takes over. She questions her husband’s every move. She needs to be constantly applying the brakes on herself.
The husband is regarded as a demigod in India. A Tamil proverb says that the husband is the visible God. Some Hindu women worship their husbands. In the Oriya language the word used for husband is swami, meaning god. Naturally it becomes difficult for such a woman to disrespect her husband. Though the proverb is not correct, the Bible comes very close to it when it says, “and the wife see that she reverences her husband” (Eph 5:33, KJV); and “Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Pet 3:6).
It is easier to concentrate on developing a loving relationship with your husband. That makes silence, submission, etc., easier. If you don’t love, then submission becomes a burden.
2. The Magnanimity of Sobriety
Sobriety also means propriety (proper or appropriate), self-control, sound mind or clear thinking. Sound mind comes into play only where the Bible is silent, when we don’t find a direct answer to our question, and that’s its importance. Shall we call it godly common sense?
In 1 Timothy 2:9-10, women are advised to dress modestly with shamefacedness and good works. Garish display of wealth by way of jewels and costly dresses and hairstyles is to be avoided. What is a modest dress? It means a proper dress. A modest dress in one country may not be so in another country or place. Now God is juggling the nations so that everyone is everywhere. So a woman must know where to put on what and when.
The next quality is shamefacedness, which modern translations have changed. It is the intrinsic feminine quality of feeling shy. But now we want women to be ‘forward’. In an attempt to become forward, a woman should not forget to blush. She should not become masculine. Shyness makes a woman a lady. A woman’s natural shyness will keep her from many sins. She will not boss over or talk back. If your feminine nature tells you not to do a certain thing, you better don’t. Lack of this quality is not well spoken of in the Bible.
Then comes good works. Less talk more work. Prove your worth by your good work, not by your words or external appearance. Instead of talking, commanding and trying to convince others, a woman must be a silent worker. Her works should speak. Seeing her works others will speak. Then they will ask her to speak (Prov 31:28,31).
Sobriety is again mentioned in the last verse: “Nevertheless women will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with sobriety” (1 Tim 2:15).
Faith with sobriety
In any situation we must be able to have faith in God that He will work on our behalf; but we should not sit with our hands folded. We must do what our godly common sense tells us to do, flinging ourselves on God.
Love with sobriety
Our love must bubble over to everyone; but we must know when and where to stop people taking advangage of our love.
Holiness wih sobriety
We must keep ourselves pure but must know when and where to break the normal rules of holiness to crack down on unholiness.
When a woman stops thinking, she is dangerously close to sinning by silence and submission. A woman may not do too many good works if she is totally silent and 100% obedient. She must be sensitive to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit and be able to wisely obey her authority and the Holy Spirit. When she continues in this kind of sensible faith, love and holiness, she shall find salvation through that painful process (1 Tim 2:15). Then the second Adam in her, beautifully takes over and liberates her. She is no more a bond woman under curse but a free woman in Christ.
Two Wings
A few more pieces of the puzzle of the first book lie in the last book (Rev 12). There we read about a wonder, a woman, again in the context of childhearing. She is clothed with the sun, signifying male coverage, standing on the moon representing herself and having a crown of stars meaning the children (cf. Joseph’s dreams). A perfect family scenario (v1).
See the whole picture now. God chose the woman to bring forth His Son to crush Satan’s head. When she went through the painful process, mankind experienced salvation. So Satan is very angry with the woman and persecutes her (Rev 12:5-10).But in the apocalyptic age God gives her two wings of the great eagle to fly out of reach of Satan and lead an eagle’s life (Job 39:27-29; Psa 103:5; Isa 40:31; Prov 30:19; Isa 40:31; Rev 4:7-9; 12:13-17).
The Blunder Woman crawled out of Eden, broken and bent. In 1 Timothy 2:9-15 she is lifted up to stand on her feet as the Thunder Woman. The last book pictures the Wonder Woman soaring high on wings.
If you try the wings of rebellion, self-pity, authority, money, etc., you are sure to fall flat. You will damage your little world. But now if like Eve, you repent and submit under the mighty hand of God and take up the wings of SILENCE and SOBRIETY. He will exalt you in due time. Then you will sing. “I asked for feet to run, He gave me wings to fly.”
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, 8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
Every woman wants to escape the sufferings pronounced on womanhood and grab the wings—if offered! Well, then grab them as you read on.
The Tragedy
Female infanticide, dowry deaths, illiteracy, sati, rape, flesh trade, polygamy, divorce, widowhood, weakness, risks at pregnancy and childbirth, and more than all, the male put-down — not to mention the female put-down on females! Why so much on women? Open your Bible and out pops the answer even in the opening chapters.
There is primarily a direct enmity between Satan and woman. When God cursed the serpent, He said, “I will put enmity between you and the woman” (Gen 3:15). Only then comes the seed-to-seed enmity. This is why women have become the target of the devil.
The Malady
For the woman the punishment was:1. Multiplied sorrow, 2. Multiplied conception, 3. Sorrow in childbirth, 4. Desire for the husband and 5. Rulership of the husband.
Adam forgave his wife and named her Eve (meaning Life-giver). How is it the one who brought death into the world became the life-giver? I believe something happened between Genesis 3:19 and 3:20. Eve repented! And in verse 21 God forgave her and clothed her.
She would have wept and fallen at God’s feet when God killed an animal and put the dress of skin on her. That was probably the first time she saw the horror of death. She got an idea of the malady she had brought into the world and what she would have to undergo in her deathbed. She saw in it the death of the Messiah, her seed, who would clothe mankind with the robe of salvation. She realised her awesome responsibility in bringing forth such a seed to crush Satan’s head. She rose up to her feet and took up the challenge.
The History
The one big blunder taught her a lesson for a lifetime. She humbly took upon her the punishment. That was the first and the last time we see Satan getting the better of her.
When God sent her out, she did not question God’s love nor grumble. She trusted God through the several lean years that followed. How do we say that? She conceived and bore Cain and said, “I have got a man from the Lord” (4:1). None of us would do that having delivered our first child. We would look at our husbands and smile. But for Eve, now God had become first in life. She never cursed God in her birth pangs. Then Abel and then Seth. “After he begot Seth, the days of Adam were eight hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters” (5:4). Booph! It was pleasure for Adam but pain for Eve. Bearing child after child for 9 centuries and more! But she bit her tongue from talking against God. “I deserve it” she might have thought. Not only that, after all the pain she underwent, the credit went to Adam; for the Bible says, “HE begot sons and daughters!”
The next time she suggested something to Adam he would have said, “Enough of your suggestions. Will you please shut up? I know what to do.” It would have cut her to the core and reminded her of her failure.
When she saw the snake the next time she would have screamed and thrown a stone on its head saying, “My deceiver.” The snake would have hissed, “My enemy.” Thus woman became Satan’s lifelong enemy.
Alas, Cain killed his brother. Not only that, the Lord chased out Cain. She lost both her sons. Even in that terrible anguish she was silent. How do we say she was not angry with God? She was a great great great great grandmother when she bore Seth (if Gen 4 is chronological). She named her third son Seth saying, “God has granted me another child in place of Abel” (4:25). Not angry with God! Oh how she was holding on to God’s promise that her seed would crush her enemy’s head. She lost the two seeds on whom her hope rested. Now God had given another seed.
Satan would have whispered in her ears, “How unkind of God to throw you out of the garden for eating a fruit. Oh, poor Eve, so many children, so much pain. Why didn’t God protect Abel, such a nice guy? Where is His power? Atleast He could have spared Cain for you. You think God loves you? Come on Eve, just because God said Adam will rule you, you don’t need to be so silent and submissive. Give him a bit of your mind.” etc. But Eve plugged her ears and said, “Nothing doing.” She won.
God exalted her. Through Eve the Prince of Life was born!
The Remedy
God put Eve in a garden to try her and then send her into a bigger world—her domain. But she failed. Now God is giving woman another chance to prove herself in a similar smaller sphere, home, and another set of commandments for her own blessing and liberation. Come to 1 Timothy 2:9-15. The shadow of the curse falls on verses 9-14. But a light breaks forth in v15. Putting the contents in a capsule: If a woman bears the curse quietly and submissively, with sobriety, she shall be brought out of it (“saved in childbearing”).
It is noteworthy that silence and sobriety are twice mentioned in this short passage. So let’s consider this passage under these two sub-headings. Silence and sobriety sound contradictory. Any sensible woman will not be silent. A woman who tries to practise both, walks on a razor-sharp edge. She must know when to talk and when to be silent. She must know when to act like a fool and when to deploy her sixth and if necessary seventh sense also! A woman needs no brains to remain silent. A zombie can well replace her. The very fact that God has given her a brain shows that she should speak where she should speak.
1. The Melody of Silence
It is the silence in between the musical notes that causes the melody. Is the melody missing in your home? If you learn to zip up your lip at the right time the silence breaks the vicious cycle of verbal attack and counter attack. Your husband cannot overlook the sound of your silence. By your silence you can speak like a thunder.
“Let the woman learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet” (1 Tim 2:11,12). We all agree that no one can learn without talking or asking. It is not a mute silence. It means the “quiet spirit” or calm attitude (1 Pet 3:4). She should never allow her spirit to be agitated, nor raise her voice. It’s not comely for a woman to boss over her husband. Talk silently, ask quietly.
The Drudgery
Silence and submission are easier said than practised. It means to keep your explosive idea to yourself when your husband jeers it; to forget about your own dreams when he has other dreams. It means swallowing up many things that come up to your throat; trying to become better when he expects perfection; saying ‘I am sorry’ without adding ‘but you started it all.’ It is not being irritatingly silent or menacingly submissive. It is putting the husband before parents and friends; it is giving up your ego in tassles; trying your level best to boost him when he keeps putting you down; to do everything day in and day out cheerfully for a thankless husband; to tolerate him when he doesn’t tolerate you. It is sticking it out when you want to run away from it all. In short, it is refusing to go mad when you feel like going mad. Only a woman who tries to submit will know that it is not less painful than childbirth—everyday! But she shall be saved in this childbearing. How?
The Comedy
There is a period in our lives when we are rejected and ridiculed and repressed. If we take them on us humbly, as from the hand of the Lord, the tide turns around. In the first decade of married life the husband asks the wife to shut up. If she shuts up, in the second decade he keeps asking her why she is silent. Then in the third decade he asks her to speak up. In the first decade he says, “You do what I say.” In the second decade: “Do what you think is best. Don’t ask me.” In the third decade, “Tell me, what should I do?” If the woman does not learn silence and submission, the husband continues to hit her on the head and rule her. She continues to live under the curse.
Don’t listen to the dirty snake!
Even today the old serpent sneaks in and says, “Silence? Submission? You think God loves you? He is depriving you of so many privileges. He is partial. You are losing something. Speak up. Fight it out. Cry. Create a scene. Let yor husband know you are not his slave.” Women, beware! Satan knows pretty well if he succeeds in deceiving you, he can keep you under the curse. we say if we had been in Eve’s place we wouldn’t have eaten the fruit. But we are so boldly disobeying God’s command today, giving heed to the devil.
Was Eve clear about God’s command? Did she know the seriousness of violating it? Certainly. She gave a vivid description to the snake. She knew exactly what was expected of her, but failed. Much the same way, we know what to do and choose not to do it unmindful of the dire consequences. 2000 years before the Bible was written, a woman knew how to treat her husband (1 Pet 3:6). 2000 years after the Bible was written, we have not yet learnt the principle.
Adam and Madam
Why do we rebel against such a protocol atleast inwardly? God created man and woman and called THEIR name Adam (Gen 5:2). So we see there is an Adam inside every mADAM, a man inside every woMAN. This worse half still lives in her. Women have ego too. She feels the sting of male put-down. She wants to speak out and rule. So if she does not exercise absolute self-control, the first Adam in her takes over. She questions her husband’s every move. She needs to be constantly applying the brakes on herself.
The husband is regarded as a demigod in India. A Tamil proverb says that the husband is the visible God. Some Hindu women worship their husbands. In the Oriya language the word used for husband is swami, meaning god. Naturally it becomes difficult for such a woman to disrespect her husband. Though the proverb is not correct, the Bible comes very close to it when it says, “and the wife see that she reverences her husband” (Eph 5:33, KJV); and “Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord” (1 Pet 3:6).
It is easier to concentrate on developing a loving relationship with your husband. That makes silence, submission, etc., easier. If you don’t love, then submission becomes a burden.
2. The Magnanimity of Sobriety
Sobriety also means propriety (proper or appropriate), self-control, sound mind or clear thinking. Sound mind comes into play only where the Bible is silent, when we don’t find a direct answer to our question, and that’s its importance. Shall we call it godly common sense?
In 1 Timothy 2:9-10, women are advised to dress modestly with shamefacedness and good works. Garish display of wealth by way of jewels and costly dresses and hairstyles is to be avoided. What is a modest dress? It means a proper dress. A modest dress in one country may not be so in another country or place. Now God is juggling the nations so that everyone is everywhere. So a woman must know where to put on what and when.
The next quality is shamefacedness, which modern translations have changed. It is the intrinsic feminine quality of feeling shy. But now we want women to be ‘forward’. In an attempt to become forward, a woman should not forget to blush. She should not become masculine. Shyness makes a woman a lady. A woman’s natural shyness will keep her from many sins. She will not boss over or talk back. If your feminine nature tells you not to do a certain thing, you better don’t. Lack of this quality is not well spoken of in the Bible.
Then comes good works. Less talk more work. Prove your worth by your good work, not by your words or external appearance. Instead of talking, commanding and trying to convince others, a woman must be a silent worker. Her works should speak. Seeing her works others will speak. Then they will ask her to speak (Prov 31:28,31).
Sobriety is again mentioned in the last verse: “Nevertheless women will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love and holiness with sobriety” (1 Tim 2:15).
Faith with sobriety
In any situation we must be able to have faith in God that He will work on our behalf; but we should not sit with our hands folded. We must do what our godly common sense tells us to do, flinging ourselves on God.
Love with sobriety
Our love must bubble over to everyone; but we must know when and where to stop people taking advangage of our love.
Holiness wih sobriety
We must keep ourselves pure but must know when and where to break the normal rules of holiness to crack down on unholiness.
When a woman stops thinking, she is dangerously close to sinning by silence and submission. A woman may not do too many good works if she is totally silent and 100% obedient. She must be sensitive to the nudgings of the Holy Spirit and be able to wisely obey her authority and the Holy Spirit. When she continues in this kind of sensible faith, love and holiness, she shall find salvation through that painful process (1 Tim 2:15). Then the second Adam in her, beautifully takes over and liberates her. She is no more a bond woman under curse but a free woman in Christ.
Two Wings
A few more pieces of the puzzle of the first book lie in the last book (Rev 12). There we read about a wonder, a woman, again in the context of childhearing. She is clothed with the sun, signifying male coverage, standing on the moon representing herself and having a crown of stars meaning the children (cf. Joseph’s dreams). A perfect family scenario (v1).
See the whole picture now. God chose the woman to bring forth His Son to crush Satan’s head. When she went through the painful process, mankind experienced salvation. So Satan is very angry with the woman and persecutes her (Rev 12:5-10).But in the apocalyptic age God gives her two wings of the great eagle to fly out of reach of Satan and lead an eagle’s life (Job 39:27-29; Psa 103:5; Isa 40:31; Prov 30:19; Isa 40:31; Rev 4:7-9; 12:13-17).
The Blunder Woman crawled out of Eden, broken and bent. In 1 Timothy 2:9-15 she is lifted up to stand on her feet as the Thunder Woman. The last book pictures the Wonder Woman soaring high on wings.
If you try the wings of rebellion, self-pity, authority, money, etc., you are sure to fall flat. You will damage your little world. But now if like Eve, you repent and submit under the mighty hand of God and take up the wings of SILENCE and SOBRIETY. He will exalt you in due time. Then you will sing. “I asked for feet to run, He gave me wings to fly.”
Dr. Lilian Stanley
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91 9843511943
lilianstanley@gmail.com
Blessing Youth Mission
13 Church Colony
Vellore 632006, India
+91-416-2242943, +91-416-2248943
hq@bymonline.org
www.bymonline.org
Click here for more options
To buy books written by Dr. Lilian Stanley, kindly reach to us in the follwing address
Blessing Literature Centre
21/11 West Coovam River Road,
Chintadripet,
Chennai 600 002, India.
+91-44-28450411, Mob:8806270699
blc@bymonline.org
