Devotionals
1Chron.4:23. “There they dwelt with the king for his work.”
We live in a day when too many men have become "wimps.” We’re told we’re supposed to get in touch with his feminine side. Worse yet, many men are doing just that.
Bad enough when this is in the world—what would you expect? How many sitcoms depict the husband, or any man, as a dunce, and if it weren’t for his wife or some female super-hero, Mr. Dolt and others would be lost. One observation I’ve made over the years is that men will not compete with women for authority--they aren’t wired that way by God. Men are built to protect and cherish women, not out-muscle them for position. And they won’t. That’s why when you see a strong woman leading, the man is usually a complacent, passive armrest for his aggressive wife.
Martin Luther King once said, “A nation or civilization that continues to produce soft-minded men purchases its own spiritual doom on the installment plan.”
Now when this gets into the church, it’s many times more serious. This will make some people cringe, but I’m going to say it anyway Better yet, I’ll let Paul say it: “I allow no woman to teach or to have authority over men; she is to remain in quietness and keep silence in religious assemblies.” Why? “It was not Adam that was deceived, but the woman who was deceived and deluded … Eve was deceived. Adam wasn’t deceived; he just flat disobeyed. (1Timothy 2:12,14) Is it any wonder that most cults are began by women?
That’s what the Word says. Paul isn’t saying women aren’t allowed to talk in church--at least half of their blessing in being there is the fellowship. But he is very much saying that in her speaking, she is not to teach or have authority over men. To say they shouldn’t be pastors or teachers of men is as obvious as just what the Scripture says. And it says the same thing in the Greek.
Call me a chauvenist; my feelings won't be hurt. I'm more concerned with what the Word says.
Without going into a detailed treatise on the subject, which I could, let me approach it another way. The church is often likened to a marriage relationship--Jesus being the Bridegroom; we, the church, being the bride. One of the qualifications for an overseer/pastor is found in 1Timothy 3:5 where it says that the man should be ruling his own house, with his children in submission. Then he says, “For if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how can he take care of the church of God?”
That established: Who does God appoint as head of the home? Is it open for debate? If the marriage relationship dictates that the man is the head, why are so many confused about this when it comes to the church? Could it be, I fear, that many homes are indeed led by the wife, and so no contradiction is seen?
Why is this so important? Back to my original theme: If women are in leadership in the home or the church, the men turn into “wimps.” This I believe is a calculated strategy of the enemy to increase the role of women in leadership, which they are not ordained or equipped for, and to decrease the influence of male leadership, which Satan knows is God’s plan. Yes, you say, but our church believes it’s okay for women to be in leadership. Be that as it may, that is not my concern; my case is built on the Scripture, not on your particular church practice. In 30+ years of theological study and pasturing, I’ve yet to hear an argument to the contrary that holds any Scriptural water.
When General Barak refused to take the lead in fighting Israel’s enemies, Deborah said, “If you won't lead, then I will.” And that’s just what she did. And she forever went down in history as an example of what a woman ought to do if a man won’t rise up and take on the leadership mantel. Whether this is in the home or the church, if he’s not going to “man up,” then she will have to fill the gap. This is not God’s order, but throughout history God has mightily used certain women in leadership roles, and to the one, they will admit that they were there because a man refused to rise to the challenge.
I like the example of King David. When he was a teenager, he killed Goliath. Many years later on his deathbed, he is surrounded by a group of men known as “David’s mighty men.” History tells us these men were also giant killers. Now, they never actually saw David kill Goliath. But David fearlessly waged war against the enemy, and they got his spirit just by being around him. Saul wasn’t a giant killer; he was a “wimp,” which is why his men were hiding in the ditch when David did his heroic deed. And Deborah had no disciplelets--it was a one-time deal.
When a husband or church leader is taking his God-ordained place as spiritual leader, the family/church can relax—all is as God intended. But for that leader, he needs to realize he represents God in his position: He needs to model his leadership so that he reflects God’s image to those He is leading.
Paul warns against wanting to become a pastor or teacher (unless God is truly calling you). Why? Because God’s Word says that the leader’s accountability is far more scrutinized and severe than for other believers. If he is an under-shepherd of the one, true Divine Shepherd, he’d better learn to rule with a servant’s heart.
I’ve heard some say, “Well, you don’t love or value women.” On the contrary, I value them enough to protect them, by not putting them into a vulnerable position where they are not equipped by God to handle.
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" 4 Now Deborah, a prophet, the wife of Lappidoth, was leading Israel at that time."
If women weren't meant to have leadership over men, why did God allow a woman to lead the entire country of Israel?
The word in the Hebrew for "lead" in this verse is "shaphat", which means, "to judge, govern, vindicate, punish, to act as law giver, judge, or governor, to rule, govern, judge". Sounds to me like Deborah had quite the amount of authority over the entire country.
"5 She held court under the Palm of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in the hill country of Ephraim, and the Israelites went up to her to have their disputes decided."
Again, she governed/ruled over them.
"6 She sent for Barak son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali and said to him, “The LORD, the God of Israel, commands you: ‘Go, take with you ten thousand men of Naphtali and Zebulun and lead them up to Mount Tabor. 7 I will lead Sisera, the commander of Jabin’s army, with his chariots and his troops to the Kishon River and give him into your hands.’"
So here we see God speaking through Deborah, who passes the commands on to Barak. They are both answering to God, and He is not "fixing" the situation by taking her out of leadership, if indeed it wasn't His purpose to have her there. The Almighty God has given a command to a man through a woman.
"8 Barak said to her, “If you go with me, I will go; but if you don’t go with me, I won’t go.”"
And here, Barak "wimps" out all on his own. Hearing the command of the Lord, and the promise of victory, and he still asks for Deborah to go with him. This isn't an issue of Deborah being over him, this is an issue of his unbelief. If the promise of victory from God isn't enough to motivate him, then it wouldn't matter if a man spoke the promise or a woman; he would "wimp" out either way. This is proven in the next verse.
"9 “Certainly I will go with you,” said Deborah. “But because of the course you are taking, the honor will not be yours, for the LORD will deliver Sisera into the hands of a woman.” So Deborah went with Barak to Kedesh."
If women were never meant to lead over men, God would never have given the victory to a woman. God was so dissatisfied with Barak's disbelief, that He gave the victory to Jael, a woman. GOD decided that the victory would go to a woman.
So, how does this mean that women were nerve meant to lead over men? Seems to me that God uses men AND women to accomplish His purpose. Neither one is better, or superior, to the other, as both are capable of the same weaknesses and strengths.