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Mothers and Daughters
God Created women for very special purposes. It is important for all women to understand their Divine design as they raise their daughters to understand their purpose in the world God Created. If you have not read Part 1 of this study, please read it now. It’s important we all understand the reason God Created women the way He did. Understanding His purpose gives us important insight into how we can live our lives to the fullest in the years we are here on earth.
Given the background we have into the Creation of man and woman from Genesis – what does it mean for mothers and daughters today? God gives us insight through the Apostle Paul.
First, the role of a girl is to obey her mother. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother,’ which is the first commandment with promise: ‘that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” (Ephesians 6:1-3) “Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing to the Lord.” (Colossians 3:20) Children are under the subjection of both parents. Mothers deserve obedience just as fathers do. This obedience is to be in “all things.” Children become what God has planned for them as they obey and learn from their parents.
King Solomon wrote in Proverbs 1 that children would be successful as they heard the “instruction” of their fathers and did not forsake the “law” of their mothers. The Hebrew word used here for “instruction” is musar and means “discipline, correction.” The Hebrew word used here for “law” is torah and means “teachings, regulations.” It’s the same word used for the Five Books of Moses – the Pentateuch. Fathers discipline and correct children, while mothers teach and regulate. When children obey both parents they will be well-rounded in their personality and knowledge.
Second, the role of a young woman with her husband.
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” Colossians 3:18
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.” Ephesians 5:22-24
The reason God wants Christian wives to submit (hupotassesthe) themselves to their own husbands is because of the special protection God promises a woman who does that. Deception and disobedience changed men and women physically and spiritually and it places them in a dangerous position with the enemy. Marriages and families are destroyed every day because of deception and disobedience. God tells husbands and wives how they can be successful in their marriage, with their children and with their community. God knows how sin changed us and what we need to do to fight it and win.
Next, the important role a young woman has in “building” the family.
“Therefore I desire that the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully.” 1 Timothy 5:14
Notice the steps Paul sets forth for younger widows:
1. marry – gameo
2. bear children – teknogoneo – birthing and rearing of children
3. manage the house – oikodespoteo – “rule” the household
4. give no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully – aphorime – give no “starting point” for Satan to revile – loidoria – the family unit
Paul wrote the Corinthians that he had no special commandment from the Lord about virgins, but he gave fathers of virgins advice based on the judgment God had given him. He told them that if their virgin daughter wanted to spend her life caring about the things of the Lord and not be distracted from her service by a husband and children, that was a good thing. However, if a virgin did want to marry that was also a good thing, but she would care about the things of the world – how she might please her husband. Paul told fathers who gave their virgin daughters in marriage that they did well, but fathers who did not give their virgin daughters in marriage did better. You can read more about it in 1 Corinthians 7.
Next, the important role older women have in helping “build” the Church through their influence with younger women and their children. While no age is mentioned for the term “older women”, it’s believed that the word presbutidas means women past the age of raising children – most likely women in their 60s, 70s and older. Remember, God “built” women to “build.” That Creative purpose doesn’t end when a woman no longer has children of her own living with her. Older women have so much to give to younger women and families of the Church.
“… the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed.” Titus 2:3-5
The older women are to “admonish” – sophronizosin – “teach, train, counsel” younger women –
1. to love their husbands
2. to love their children
3. to be discreet
4. to be chaste
5. to be homemakers
6. to be good
7. to be obedient to their own husbands
Why? “that the word of God may not be blasphemed.”
The Church of the first 1,900 years practiced relationships more along the line of what we see described in the Bible. The Church of the last 100+ years has been greatly affected by social and cultural changes. However, God’s Purpose for women has not changed. What can the women of your church do to fulfill the great purpose God has for them? Make a list and see what God shows you – then do it. We will all be stronger because of your love and service.
In Christ’s Love and Grace,
Mark McGee
GraceLife Ministries
“Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.”
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