Hello Everyone,
I pray that all is well with everyone. I hope that you all enjoyed the short break and the journey with Eve. The journey through Eve was definitely eye opening for me. The discussion around the original sin in combination with my normal check-up with wise spiritual counsel definitely put a bulls-eye on my own personal struggle with true Godly submission. Honoring God's divine order of; God, man, woman, is easy when its obvious. The more quiet and delicate moments that appear invisible to the naked eye are more evident and apparent to the Holy Spirit. Submission is an intricate behavior necessary by all of us. The Holy Spirit is submissive to Jesus Christ as Christ is submissive to God. God's divine design of man is a true reflection of that; woman is submissive to man as man is submissive to God. We are all called to submit. We are called to submit to certain situations in our lives, especially ones we have no control over. We are charged to submit to people, jobs, crisis, illness, even our children, sometimes. Additionally, we all struggle with submitting in submission. Even Jesus prayed to God as He struggled to submit to His fate on Calvary (Luke 22:42).
Nevertheless, we are strengthened in Christ Jesus to walk in God's divine order of things (Luke 22:43). If we could maneuver through the struggle of submissiveness within our own will, then we would not be called to pray to Him for help or worship Him for triumph. Although, we should all worship Him because of who He is, and that should be enough, we have a tendency to worship and pray to Him because of what He does.
These thoughts and behaviors lead us straight to where God wants us to be: from Eve to the wife of Noah.
Resource
Genesis 7:7
"So Noah, with his sons, his wife, and his sons' wives, went into the ark because of the waters of the flood."
Lesson
It is a known fact that Noah's wife is never officially named in the bible. Though she is not named, her presence is ever prevalent in the journey of Noah. He was a man of integrity who walked righteously and though he was mocked, she followed him and supported his call (Wolgemuth 2013). As a woman of God, she was charged to support her husband. Could you imagine supporting your husband as people laughed and gawked at him? What would your response be to the taunters?
We as women are designed to be helpers (Genesis 2:18). We are helpers to our husbands, bosses, co-workers, children, family members, friends, and associates. We have an innate nature to help. Our help is the fundamental foundation of support. We are the mortar that holds the bricks in place.
My husband recently expressed his gratitude for my availability. He had been ministering to a colleague who's wife works and travels a lot. My husband eluded to the idea that this colleague was exhibiting certain behaviors because his wife was so absent. He exclaimed how men need that barrier so they are not left to their vices. I responded with, "Could you imagine who you and most of your married friends would be if we did not have each other?" I am not trying to imply that men cannot exist without a woman, I am merely translating into layman terms what the bible, God's word, has expressed (Genesis 2:18). We need each other equally. A building is just a pile of bricks without the mortar and the mortar is just a lump of concrete without the bricks; neither can make a building alone.
Noah's wife was the mortar in supporting his decision to walk with Christ. They sought to live holy lives in a corrupt society (Wolgemuth 2013). Her support not only pleased Noah, but it also pleased God. After God surveyed the Earth, He found no one worthy of saving but Noah, his WIFE, and his family; Noah was deemed righteous by God (Genesis 7:1).Noah's wife was included in the benefits of her husband, through her obedience to God's divine order and her support to her husband.
Application
Are you practicing the characteristics that exhibit your innate design of helping? We, as women, have a tendency to hinder more than we help. We can succumb to the behaviors of Eve in the Garden of Eden that introduces sin in our lives. This week, let's practice more of a strong silent supportive presence like Noah's wife. Make a conscious effort to help over hindering. Pray the prayer of Psalms 19:14 to help you be a helper.
Have a blessed week!
Be blessed,
T. Carter
Reference
All scriptures are extracted from the New King James version of the Holy Bible. YouVersion (2014)
Wolgemuth, Barbara & Wolgemuth, Robert (2013). Couples of the Bible. Zondervan Publishing House. Grand Rapids, Michigan
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, March 12, 2014
Eve in Review
Hello Everyone,
God has been so gracious in my life over this study of Eve. He has covered me when I have fallen short and definitely exposed areas of improvement through Eve's journey. However, just like the Father that He is, He has also rewarded me for my times of obedience and moments triumph. He is faithful; more faithful to me than I will probably ever be to Him. He remembers to put breath in lungs everyday. If I was in charge, I would surely forget!
I pray that you all have had a blessed week and have received something from this journey with Eve. God certainly lead the bible to be written for a purpose. Therefore, Eve's journey is ever relevant in our lives today. We must resolve on the importance and the necessity of it in our lives. Eve, the first woman has so much to offer in her brokenness and triumph. We are Eve. As Eve toiled in the garden with the serpent, so we toil over sin every day as we live our lives. We can learn so much from her pitfalls and victories.
Thank God for Eve!!!
Next we will study Noah's wife. However, here is a review of the Study of Eve:
REVIEW
Eve in Review
Lesson 1: Thee Firstlady
Resource: Genesis 2:21-25
Woman - female person...
Companion - support...
Resource: Genesis 2:23-25
Bride - a married woman..
Wife - man's partner
Resource: Genesis 3:1-13
Sin - estrangement from God
Disobedience - failure to obey
Pride - unreasonable self-esteem
Resource: Genesis 3:14-24
Separation - detached...
Resource: Genesis 3:16a, 4:1-2, 4:25a, 5:4
Mother - to nurture...
Resource - Genesis 4:1-8
Mourning - bereaved; sorrowful
Resource - Genesis 4:9-24
Resource - Genesis 4:25
Mercy - leniency; alleviation of distress
If you missed any of these points, please go back and review the lesson in your quiet time with God. God's word is so revealing to our own lives. The answers to all our questions are in the word of God.
Again, we will move on to Noah's wife next study. Therefore take some time to get to know her prior to the study. Her story begins in Genesis 6.
I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you!
Be blessed,
T. Carter
All Scripture verses were extracted from the New King James version of the Bible. YouVersion (2013).
M-W.com (2013). Merriam-Webster Dictionary Web Version. Retrieved from App Store
God has been so gracious in my life over this study of Eve. He has covered me when I have fallen short and definitely exposed areas of improvement through Eve's journey. However, just like the Father that He is, He has also rewarded me for my times of obedience and moments triumph. He is faithful; more faithful to me than I will probably ever be to Him. He remembers to put breath in lungs everyday. If I was in charge, I would surely forget!
I pray that you all have had a blessed week and have received something from this journey with Eve. God certainly lead the bible to be written for a purpose. Therefore, Eve's journey is ever relevant in our lives today. We must resolve on the importance and the necessity of it in our lives. Eve, the first woman has so much to offer in her brokenness and triumph. We are Eve. As Eve toiled in the garden with the serpent, so we toil over sin every day as we live our lives. We can learn so much from her pitfalls and victories.
Thank God for Eve!!!
Next we will study Noah's wife. However, here is a review of the Study of Eve:
REVIEW
Eve in Review
Lesson 1: Thee Firstlady
Resource: Genesis 2:21-25
Woman - female person...
Companion - support...
- importance of being a woman
- purposeful womanhood
- God's divine plan in woman
Resource: Genesis 2:23-25
Bride - a married woman..
Wife - man's partner
- Reflecting the Holy Trinity
- honoring God's divine order
- Oneness
Resource: Genesis 3:1-13
Sin - estrangement from God
Disobedience - failure to obey
Pride - unreasonable self-esteem
- delayed obedience is disobedience
- Practicing humility over pride
- Trusting God's word
Resource: Genesis 3:14-24
Separation - detached...
- lacking unity with God
- undermining God's word and promises
- availing ourselves to God through vulnerability
Resource: Genesis 3:16a, 4:1-2, 4:25a, 5:4
Mother - to nurture...
- nurturing others
- nurturing relationship with God
- sustaining through God's grace
Resource - Genesis 4:1-8
Mourning - bereaved; sorrowful
- even Jesus wept
- finding God's glory in mourning
- suffering in Christ Jesus
Resource - Genesis 4:9-24
- God knows you
- God's plan is better than our plan
- faith - trusting God
Resource - Genesis 4:25
Mercy - leniency; alleviation of distress
- God is gracious even in our sin
- God's redemption/restoration
- There is hope in Christ Jesus
If you missed any of these points, please go back and review the lesson in your quiet time with God. God's word is so revealing to our own lives. The answers to all our questions are in the word of God.
Again, we will move on to Noah's wife next study. Therefore take some time to get to know her prior to the study. Her story begins in Genesis 6.
I look forward to continuing this journey with all of you!
Be blessed,
T. Carter
All Scripture verses were extracted from the New King James version of the Bible. YouVersion (2013).
M-W.com (2013). Merriam-Webster Dictionary Web Version. Retrieved from App Store
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
Lesson 8: Eve - God's Mercy
Hello Everyone,
I pray that you all have had a blessed week. I am overwhelmed by the power of God this morning. He is so awesome and so faithful despite our sins. I have shared so many of my own pitfalls, disappointments, and mishaps with you through this blog. So, when I consider all the times He has saved me from myself, all I can do is worship Him. All I have to offer is my praise and that isn't enough! (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
As we come towards the end of our journey with Eve, I am excited to know that God is merciful. I could not imagine what my personal life would be like if I received what I truly deserved for my sins. We look at Eve with such condemnation, but we are Eve. We are daily, walking in our blessings, our Garden of Eden and yet sinning. If we praise God for no other reason, we should at least praise Him because He is a just God and His mercies are new every morning! (Psalms 25:8-14)
We left off with Eve trusting God's plan despite the obvious appearance of circumstances. As I shared before, I empathize with Eve, because I have lost so many children myself. However, while Eve lost Abel to death, she lost Cain to sin. My own personal complication with these events is the possibility of losing my teenage son to sin. The repercussions of sin are lasting. We can see that through Cain's legacy. Nevertheless, they are all according to God's plan (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28). How would we know the wages of sin if not for the examples of those who experienced it before us. Additionally, these experiences undoubtedly bring us closer to our Savior. The great part about it all is that God's grace is sufficient to sustain us through it all (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Resources
Genesis 4:25
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." 26 And as for Seth, to him also as son was born; and he named him E'nosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.
mercy - leniency and compassion shown; a disposition to be kind and forgiving; alleviation of distress
Lesson
In preparing for this lesson, I was really stricken by the definition of mercy. I normally review definitions of words when preparing a lesson, but this definition was different. The definition of mercy was lengthy and very descriptive. I shortened it to convey the most poignant points. The most obvious descriptive points of mercy are exclaimed in the first part, to be lenient and compassionate. However, the alleviation of distress is what is most pertinent. God not only is lenient and compassionate, He alleviates the distress through redemption.
I can only imagine Eve's state of destitution towards the end of this portion of the journey. She disobeys God, encourages her husband to disobey God, she is then cursed by God, evicted out of her home, and then her son kills his brother and is banished by God. That is a lot to absorb.
This is relative to us on so many levels. We have experienced hardship, pitfalls, struggles, and despair all in one time period. Even if it is as simple as losing your car keys, forgetting your umbrella on a rainy day, breaking the heel of your shoe, getting a flat tire, and being reamed by your boss all in one day. We have all been there in some form or fashion. But God! God is able to keep us (Jude 1:24-25).
God is a god of redemption and restoration. Eve had once tasted paradise, but God promised her that her offspring would eventually destroy her enemy (Spangler & Syswerda 2006). Though we all fall short of the glory of God, we are redeemed in Him (Romans 3:23). Our redeemer lives in Christ Jesus!
With rest of hope, Eve remembers the voice of God and the promises He gave to her (Spangler & Syswerda 2006). God is always with us, even through the pitfalls. He keeps His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9). He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Within the tragic denouement of this story lay one tiny ray of hope for Eve (Mathews 1990). The ray of hope is in Jesus Christ which God exclaims in Genesis 3:15. The language is a bit ambiguous, but God promises to put enmity between the woman and the enemy of our souls through a seed (Allen, House, & Radmacher 1999). God promises hope in Christ, Jesus, the seed. This Seed of the woman is the Promised Messiah of Israel (Allen, House, & Radmacher 1999).
God doesn't write tragedies, He promised the defeat of Satan and his power over the world (Mathews 1990). Eve's life is not a tragedy. Our lives are not tragedies. These stories are stories of redemption in Christ Jesus (Isaiah 47:4)!
Application
In your quiet time with God this week, meditate on Psalms 19:14; post it on your wall, tape it to your rear view mirror, save it on your monitor at work, or hang it on your cubicle wall, etc. Think of all the times Christ has redeemed you in your life. Remember that your story is not a tragedy. Remember that God's mercies are a gateway to Christ's redemption. We are restored in Christ Jesus! Our redeemer lives!
I pray that you all have been influenced and affected by the journey of Eve. She has so much to offer us in our own walks with Christ. Be encouraged!
Have a blessed week!
Be blessed,
T. Carter
References
All bible verses were extracted from the New King James version of the Bible. YouVersion (2013).
Allen Th.D., Ronald B., House Th.D., J.D., H. Wayne, & Radmacher, Th. D., Earl D. (1999). Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee
Mathews, Alice (1990). A Woman God Can Use. Discovery House Publishing. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Spangler, Ann & Syswerda, Jean (2006). Women of the Bible. Zondervan Publishing. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
I pray that you all have had a blessed week. I am overwhelmed by the power of God this morning. He is so awesome and so faithful despite our sins. I have shared so many of my own pitfalls, disappointments, and mishaps with you through this blog. So, when I consider all the times He has saved me from myself, all I can do is worship Him. All I have to offer is my praise and that isn't enough! (1 Corinthians 13:1-3)
As we come towards the end of our journey with Eve, I am excited to know that God is merciful. I could not imagine what my personal life would be like if I received what I truly deserved for my sins. We look at Eve with such condemnation, but we are Eve. We are daily, walking in our blessings, our Garden of Eden and yet sinning. If we praise God for no other reason, we should at least praise Him because He is a just God and His mercies are new every morning! (Psalms 25:8-14)
We left off with Eve trusting God's plan despite the obvious appearance of circumstances. As I shared before, I empathize with Eve, because I have lost so many children myself. However, while Eve lost Abel to death, she lost Cain to sin. My own personal complication with these events is the possibility of losing my teenage son to sin. The repercussions of sin are lasting. We can see that through Cain's legacy. Nevertheless, they are all according to God's plan (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28). How would we know the wages of sin if not for the examples of those who experienced it before us. Additionally, these experiences undoubtedly bring us closer to our Savior. The great part about it all is that God's grace is sufficient to sustain us through it all (2 Corinthians 12:9).
Resources
Genesis 4:25
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, "For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed." 26 And as for Seth, to him also as son was born; and he named him E'nosh. Then men began to call on the name of the Lord.
mercy - leniency and compassion shown; a disposition to be kind and forgiving; alleviation of distress
Lesson
In preparing for this lesson, I was really stricken by the definition of mercy. I normally review definitions of words when preparing a lesson, but this definition was different. The definition of mercy was lengthy and very descriptive. I shortened it to convey the most poignant points. The most obvious descriptive points of mercy are exclaimed in the first part, to be lenient and compassionate. However, the alleviation of distress is what is most pertinent. God not only is lenient and compassionate, He alleviates the distress through redemption.
I can only imagine Eve's state of destitution towards the end of this portion of the journey. She disobeys God, encourages her husband to disobey God, she is then cursed by God, evicted out of her home, and then her son kills his brother and is banished by God. That is a lot to absorb.
This is relative to us on so many levels. We have experienced hardship, pitfalls, struggles, and despair all in one time period. Even if it is as simple as losing your car keys, forgetting your umbrella on a rainy day, breaking the heel of your shoe, getting a flat tire, and being reamed by your boss all in one day. We have all been there in some form or fashion. But God! God is able to keep us (Jude 1:24-25).
God is a god of redemption and restoration. Eve had once tasted paradise, but God promised her that her offspring would eventually destroy her enemy (Spangler & Syswerda 2006). Though we all fall short of the glory of God, we are redeemed in Him (Romans 3:23). Our redeemer lives in Christ Jesus!
With rest of hope, Eve remembers the voice of God and the promises He gave to her (Spangler & Syswerda 2006). God is always with us, even through the pitfalls. He keeps His promises (Deuteronomy 7:9). He is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all (Ephesians 3:20-21).
Within the tragic denouement of this story lay one tiny ray of hope for Eve (Mathews 1990). The ray of hope is in Jesus Christ which God exclaims in Genesis 3:15. The language is a bit ambiguous, but God promises to put enmity between the woman and the enemy of our souls through a seed (Allen, House, & Radmacher 1999). God promises hope in Christ, Jesus, the seed. This Seed of the woman is the Promised Messiah of Israel (Allen, House, & Radmacher 1999).
God doesn't write tragedies, He promised the defeat of Satan and his power over the world (Mathews 1990). Eve's life is not a tragedy. Our lives are not tragedies. These stories are stories of redemption in Christ Jesus (Isaiah 47:4)!
Application
In your quiet time with God this week, meditate on Psalms 19:14; post it on your wall, tape it to your rear view mirror, save it on your monitor at work, or hang it on your cubicle wall, etc. Think of all the times Christ has redeemed you in your life. Remember that your story is not a tragedy. Remember that God's mercies are a gateway to Christ's redemption. We are restored in Christ Jesus! Our redeemer lives!
I pray that you all have been influenced and affected by the journey of Eve. She has so much to offer us in our own walks with Christ. Be encouraged!
Have a blessed week!
Be blessed,
T. Carter
References
All bible verses were extracted from the New King James version of the Bible. YouVersion (2013).
Allen Th.D., Ronald B., House Th.D., J.D., H. Wayne, & Radmacher, Th. D., Earl D. (1999). Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee
Mathews, Alice (1990). A Woman God Can Use. Discovery House Publishing. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Spangler, Ann & Syswerda, Jean (2006). Women of the Bible. Zondervan Publishing. Grand Rapids, Michigan.
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