Eve, the Ezer

From my study of Lost Women of the Bible by Carolyn Custis James
The first woman we study in this book is Eve. I approached this chapter with a bit of boredom, to be perfectly honest. Everyone knows the story of Eve in the garden. She listened to the serpent, sinned, caused her husband to sin, and got them kicked out of the garden. I’ve heard it all before: everything was her fault; women are to blame. Right? Well, sort of, but this book takes a long hard look at the PRE-FALLEN Eve.

Prior to reading this, I really thought God’s plan for women (for me) was to be married, have children, and keep a home. I didn’t know there was any other plan, or should I say that there was MORE to the plan. But think about it: If God intended all women to be married and bear children, then what does that say about the purpose for unmarried or childless women? What would that mean for teenage girls, young unmarried women, or women whose children have grown? If our only purpose was for that, then many are purposeless… but we know this isn’t the case!

God said we are made in His image (Gen. 1:26)– His “image bearers”. To bear the image of God is a privilege which He didn’t bestow on any other created being. Only man (and women). We are the image bearers of God because we were created IN His image– to be like Him. We also are to be a reflection of our Creator, so that others might see Him through us. Sometimes (often times!) I fall short of this and only reflect my own selfish flesh to others. But we are to continually strive to be more like God, thereby showing more of Him to others.

Even more, He created women as HELPER to men– an indispensable part of His plan. The word “helper” in the Hebrew is “ezer“, which means “Warrior”. The whole ezer concept is new to me. I hadn’t heard of this term before (I don’t study Hebrew), and I hadn’t thought of myself this way before– but what a fitting calling for women! We regularly take on large projects, taking care of house, husband, and family, while keeping the enemy at bay for our family’s sake. Women are natural caretakers. We care about our family and friends. We have soft spots for certain situations, people, or causes. When we feel deeply or passionately about something, we will defend it with everything we have. Learning about the ezer women just makes this so much more understandable to me. God created us to bear His image and be warriors. It makes so much more sense!

We ezers–warrior women– have a purpose. It’s not just for families or spouses, but for life. We are helpers to men. We are teachers and prayer warriors, business partners and supportive wives. We are these and so much more. Our purpose is multi-faceted, and our potential is amazing, when we look at it through the lens of Eve, the way she was prior to the Fall. God’s plan changed slightly when that happened, but He created women and men with his image stamped on us, and our purpose laid out before us. That hasn’t changed.

The only way God’s full potential in us can be realized is when we are continually learning and growing in Him. We can’t become what he intends for us, if we don’t know Him.
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I am really enjoying this Bible study! I may do an in-depth study on ezer later on. This is very intriguing to me, and I want to learn more about it.

Instructing in Righteousness

Being a parent is a huge commitment. Being a Christian parent is an even bigger commitment. We hold our children’s hands, and we lead them into this big life. But where are we leading them? As the name of the old poem says, children learn what they live. Kids absorb more by watching a parent’s life than from listening to what that same parent tells them to do. “Do as I say, not as I do” just doesn’t cut it.

For the parent who rents movies and copies them, what is your child learning? He is learning that the sin of stealing isn’t really that bad, as long as you don’t physically TAKE something from a store. Or do you wish them to learn that rules apply to every one but you?

The mother who spends well beyond the monthly household budget, all the in the name of keeping her hair and nails perfectly done, her daughters learn that beauty is more important than anything else.

For the man who takes his family to church on Sundays because it’s the right thing to do, but tells his wife and kids that it’s fine but you don’t have to live your life by it, his children learn hypocrisy.

For the divorced mother who spends her weekends seeking men, and gets sexually involved with them, her children learn that the marriage covenant means nothing, and sexual purity is a waste of time.

And why do parents do these things? Can we not see that we will reap what we sow?

Lost Women… Introduction

Two quotes which I highlighted in my book, struck me as rather profound. Not that they ARE, but that I hadn’t really thought about it this way before.

“Certainly, if we take seriously New Testament statements about the Holy Spirit giving spiritual gifts to each member of the body of Christ, then every believer who crosses the church’s threshold is bearing vital gifts for our spiritual welfare.”

“Their stories (the women of the Bible) have been buried under layers of low expectations and the belief that God is doing his most important work through men.”

I won’t spend time writing about these, I just thought that they were interesting. In the discussion questions, we are asked about a time when we struggled and felt lost, and what questions that brought up about ourselves and about God. Part of what I journaled:

“I questioned the validity of my life– as if what I had lived before Christ really was meaningless. I second-guessed my faith in Jesus; I even began examining the Mormon doctrines, wondering if I was even following God the right way.
I went through such a deep struggle, and I just couldn’t put it into words at the time. I prayed the Lord would show me where He wanted me– because I certainly couldn’t DECIDE! I never spoke with anyone but Jesus about it. I was ashamed that I was questioning what I had felt so deeply was true.”

I think that at one time, everyone asks “Why am I here?” Just because we surrender our lives to Christ, it does not mean we won’t have questions. I simply means that when we seek Him, we will find the answers we are looking for. I went through this struggle 5-8 years ago. It was a very dry time in my life. I thank God I had Christians around me who never let me fall away completely. I was in church, I was in the Word, and the Lord answered me.

New Bible study

Today began a new year at our ladies’ Bible study. We are going through two books this year, focusing in on the women of the Bible. The titles our leader chose are Lost Women of the Bible, and The Gospel of Ruth, both by Carolyn Custis James.

Lost Women of the Bible is about Eve, Mrs. Noah, Sarah, Hagar, Tamar, Hannah, Esther, Mary of Nazareth, Mary Magdalene, and Paul and the Women of Philippi. The Gospel of Ruth spends it’s time on Ruth and Naomi. I have never done an in-depth study of women in the Bible. I have studied Hannah, Ruth, Sarah, and Esther a bit, but not in the depth that this study promises to take us. I’m very much looking forward to it! We also were given notebooks so that we can journal as we go, take notes, and write down all of our answers to the chapter questions. I will share as we go along. I have neglected this blog for far too long.

Peace

Between older relatives with heart problems (dh’s Gramma, my Dad) and other stuff going on, we are pretty stressed out. I wrote this, knowing it’s what we need to do even as we’re in the midst of what feels like a storm on all sides.

PEACE
It feels like the world is crashing down around us
In our flesh we don’t know what to do
But ‘Great is My peace’ you promise
If only we turn and worship you.

Amid turmoil and uncertainty
Your banner will always stand
A shield you raise and a fortress around
As you hold us in your hand.

We fall short, we fall down
We say ‘But Lord, there’s something we must do’
And again you say, ‘Great is My peace’
If only we turn and worship you.

To worship, to raise our hands
To surrender worldly cares
Is difficult in times of trouble, but
‘Never will I leave you’– you remind us you are there

When it seems the world is crashing down
And in our flesh, we don’t know what to do
And great is our peace in You
As we turn to worship, true.

Dark and Light

My 16 year old daughter P asked me to post her poem on my blog.

Dark and Light
Snow falls. Every flake is a decision. If it shall fall on a dark spot, to cover and make brighter, or should it fall where all the others have fallen and clumped together? Dark surrounds. And drowns. It climbs and sticks to you until it brings you down and trips you.

Light is small, beautiful and illuminate. Light helps. It carries you. It holds your soul. It guides, without falling to one side nor to the other. It gives you strength until it is sure that you can walk alone.

Unholy hands

Last weekend was our youth group’s annual Snow Camp retreat. The theme this year was Encounter, and the speaker was Monty Hipp. He’s been here before, and he usually brings a powerful word. This time was no exception.

How many times I have been to these snow camps, get all prayed up and get to spend time praying with and for kids. How many times I have felt burdened in my spirit for their salvation, that they would come to know Him. Of those many, many times, I have never had a pastor or speaker address the leaders. Never has one focused on the leaders like Monty did Friday night.

“Now leaders, don’t even think about laying hands on any one of these kids, with unholy hands.” Unholy hands? This was after praise & worship, toward the end of his message, as we were beginning a time of response at the altar. I prayed the Lord would show me what in the world he was talking about. And He did.

I had never really thought about what a responsibility we have when we are put into a leadership position. I know we are the adults, therefore we are responsible, but this is different. This is a holy calling, a situation where our hearts have to be clean, ready to be the armor bearer for someone who may not even know they are in the midst of a spiritual battle. A battle for a heart and mind, and ultimately for their soul. We must be ready.

Every one of us had unholy hands that night. Every one of us had something we were holding. Something to think about or distract us, a wrong motive, or a burden which was keeping us from the priority at hand: the healing, bondage breaking, comfort and salvation of 200 teenagers. He had the leaders come forward, to the front. He and the kids prayed for US. We prayed the Lord would remove blinders and burdens, that we would bring Him all the glory as we ministered. Every one of us felt the Holy Spirit that night in such a powerful way, and as he released us to begin praying with the kids, we knew exactly what our purpose was, and our focus was true.

Praise

Lord, today I am praising you for wisdom which leads to understanding. Wisdom gained in regards to my son’s developmental delays, which is leading to understanding how he really ticks, and why. Father, thank you for always placing me right where I need to be, and for giving me the grace and strength to follow through.

Attitude

“You are God.
You command the oceans
You write on the heavens
You restore my soul
You are God.”
~Jeff Deyo

I’m up late, cleaning the kitchen and feeling sorry for myself. Why? I just feel like I have a ton of things to do, and little or no help from the household. Join me in my pity party? I don’t blame you for not. I’m listening to Jeff Deyo’s “Unveil” CD, and trying to adjust my attitude. The last thing my husband (sarcastically) said as I huffed out of the bedroom a little while ago was, “Go have your little tizzy. You’re entitled.”

Entitled? Of course I’m not! Martha was WRONG in being upset about the workload. Her priorities were skewed. Mine are…skewed? I don’t know. I just know that four teenagers, two young kids, homeschooling, and a husband has me maxed out. Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen what was best. If Jesus were sitting here at my kitchen table, I wouldn’t have to think twice about what I need to do. Instead, I sit here alone in a half clean kitchen. The same kitchen that I have been attempting to clean since I finished canning applesauce on Sunday evening. Today is Thursday. And I’m having a pity party.

So let’s see what the Word says about this. If I start with Titus 2 I’ll just have to get back up and finish cleaning the kitchen right away. Sigh. I think I’ll look at that tomorrow. Tonight I need a pick-me-up.

Galatians 6:9 says “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”

“But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:31

Obviously the problem is with me, because the Lord doesn’t lie and I know those promises are for me! I love Jesus and I love my family. If you think of me this week, please pray for me. I’m tired.

“My life is not my own. My heart belongs to you alone.”
~ Jeff Deyo

Personal revenge is sin, too

“It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”
Deuteronomy 32:35

Justice doesn’t always come swiftly. It doesn’t always come the way we wish that it would. And sometimes, in this life, justice doesn’t seem to come at all. Does that mean the offender gets off, scott-free? I don’t think so. It simply means that we need to let God deal with the offender, while we care for the victim. So often I hear of situations where there is a sin or a crime committed against another person, and the guilty one appears to receive nothing for his offense. Many times it is Christians who are the first to begin the murmuring. “Why don’t they DO something about it? Why don’t they just do (such and such) ?” Then the irritation, or even anger can begin. “If it were me, I would…!”

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” Luke 6:37

We can so easily be outside of a situation, or even on the outskirts of it, and feel so free to judge and convict. We give the devil a foothold in our own lives, allowing sin within ourselves, when the sin we are so irked about doesn’t even belong to us. Murmuring begins. Vengeful thoughts and nasty gossip ensue. When all along the one in control—the Judge, Jury, and Convictor—is awaiting the time to bring down His justice. Our justice cannot even come close to His holy conviction! Our gossip becomes our sin, which by no means makes us any better than the sinner amongst us. It says in Ephesians 5:12 “For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.” Our sin overshadows what the Lord would do in us, preventing us from even being helpful to the people involved.

In the midst of just such a situation, where my husband and I are helping someone who has been tragically victimized by another, even in our home we tend to have these attitudes. Attitudes of questioning why things aren’t moving ahead like we think they should, and of wondering why the guilty party doesn’t seem more repentant, or appear to have a punishment coming. We can so easily overlook the fact that God is GOD, that He is holy, and mighty, and in complete control over the way things are unfolding. That He placed us in this person’s life for a particular reason, and that it is not our place to be the judge or convictor. We must cling to our own faith, our Lord Jesus, and demonstrate His love to this person that he has brought into our lives when they needed us the most. That is all we are required to do. What we feel helpless about, may we turn and realize that as the grace of God has been extended to us, we must do the same.

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

God will take care of the rest.