A God Focused Woman and Her Purpose
Even though the Bible is still the best-selling book in the world, the teachings within it generally speaking are not understood. One case in point is the reason a woman was created.
In Gen. 1:26 & 27 we are told that God created man and woman in Their (plural) own image! In Gen. 2:7, 21 & 22, we are told how they were created ----- 'God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed life into him and he became a living soul'. In Gen. 2:18 we read that God created woman ‘because it was not good for man to be alone’. This is a very powerful statement, and should not be dismissed lightly. She was taken and formed from one of Adam’s ribs. Gen. 2:24 says therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife, this is repeated in Eph. 5:31, and they shall be one, (in a sense the re-forming of the one person). It is interesting to note that some women’s groups today express the desire to be without the need for men!
From this can be seen something of the heart of the Almighty, and His desire for man to be whole. Therefore man does not feel whole without his woman.
Still today there is a deep desire in both man and woman to be ONE, this desire is placed in them by the Almighty. However, unfortunately, many groups imply that women are more important and should be in control in the world.
In the modern world the feminist movement has done much harm in indoctrinating young women in this thinking. The thought that a woman should be a ‘help-meet’ (Gen. 2:18) for her man, is hardly ever contemplated in this modern thinking. Also that a woman is to ‘look to her man’ is difficult to contemplate for many women, especially as many males are not worthy of such respect and loyalty. It is also clear today that many/most men do not take seriously their responsibility before the Almighty, and do not stay faithful to their wives, and in many cases seem to prefer them to be mothers rather than the Almighty’s intent of a ‘oneness’ or unity with their wives. Today, because of the lack of right understanding regarding the true position of woman to man from Scripture, many marriages are a failure, and couples can end up destroying each other, rather than supporting each other, which Satan loves to see.
In 1Cor. 11:9 it is clear that woman was created for the man. It seems that some women expect men to provide for their needs and support them, but that does not seem to satisfy some women, and in many couples, disillusionment is very evident. Some women’s groups are encouraged to support each other, whatever their views, especially if the subject is against men.
Obviously there are some marriages which are successful, and reach a high level of satisfaction for both parties, but, unfortunately that is not too common.
Looking back to Gen. 3, we see the beginning of the failure of the man/woman relationship. Here Satan comes into the story, and successfully tempts Eve by subtlety to disobey the Almighty’s instruction, (see: Eve and Adam). The point is constantly missed that Satan went after Eve, because he knew she was easier to ‘beguile’, and, as a magnificent persona, (Isa. 14:12 & 2Cor. 11:14), he would appeal to Eve’s vanity! His aim was to destroy Adam, (by the introduction of death), and God’s order, as he is created in the image of God; (God should always be understood as male), and he has the responsibility before God, and is the head of the woman. Also, God had given to Adam the governmental instructions, and his was the responsibility to ensure compliance (Gen. 1:26-30 & 2:15-17). This was the case in Eden, and is still the same today. Many women can still be seduced by the Enemy’s whiles, and many are used to bring men low, and this is what can make them feel ‘not real men’.
Adam it is clear was with Eve and was very vulnerable to her, as his God given ‘help-meet’. He knew the act he undertook in taking the fruit she gave him was wrong before the Almighty. He had been given the instruction before Eve was created, not to eat of that fruit! Throughout Scripture the sin of Eden is constantly referred to as Adam’s, showing the order and responsibility in the Almighty’s mind, and designation.
Women are in numerous ways still used today to bring men low, this can be seen in the home, in the work place, in the porn scene, in prostitution etc. etc. (Proverbs 2,5,6,7 & 9).
It should be a desire to be one with a partner before the Lord, sharing ‘all’ life’s experiences good and bad ‘helping’ each other. There is no doubt that a woman with a good man makes her want to be a woman, and a man with a good woman to feel a man. Both valuing each other, (Proverbs 11,12,14 & 31:30).
The value that the Almighty places on a good woman can be clearly seen from many parts of Scripture. There are numerous illustrations where women have played crucial parts in the Almighty’s plans for this world, but always the main purpose is to show the man’s position, and to further the plans of Almighty God.
The most prominent, of course is Mary, who fulfilled Gen. 3:15. Mary (or Miriam) was obviously a very special woman, she had to be, because she was chosen to bring the Messiah into the world. Her obedience to the angel’s message showed her personal trust in her Creator. One can only imagine what her life was like looking after Jesus as He was growing up. The experience in the Temple when He was 12, (Luke 2:49) must have been a surprise to her, as one can imagine that Jesus would have been a very obedient child, but here we see Him staying behind when his family left. Of course she would understand much later at the filling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, something of what He was telling her about His Father’s business. 30 years is a long time to share with a son, and this seems to be what Mary experienced. We are told that He was thought of as the carpenter’s son Matt. 13:55, and being the eldest in the family, after Joseph died probably led the carpentry business that Joseph had run, and would have become the head of the family. We are told in Matt.13:55 & 56 that He had 4 brothers, James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas (Jude), and also sisters. Maybe because of the 30 years of family life Mary experienced with Jesus, helps to explain why she did not understand, when He began His ministry, why He challenged the religious authorities, which presumably Mary and the family would not have dared to do. In Mark 3:21& 31, she and His brothers thought He was out of His senses.
To watch the 3 years of Jesus’ Ministry must have been full of heart searching and puzzlement for Mary, climaxing in the Crucifixion. She would be reminded of the prophecy given to her by Simeon, that ‘a sword would piece her heart’ Luke 2:35, which must have seemed defeat. Here Mary, with other women constantly kept close to the cross and afterwards the tomb. Mary also was one of the women mentioned praying when the Holy Spirit came upon them. It is clear from many references to Mary's contemplations, that she was seeking to know the meaning and outcome of that incredible time in history which she was living in, and most importantly for her, having been given such a unique role.
It is also clear that she was indeed a highly favoured woman (Luke 1:28); who despite the incredible experience of the birth of Jesus, lived a normal family life, and was in other respects a normal woman, as is evidenced by her large family.
Another prominent woman in Scripture is Ruth (the gleaner). The book in the Bible giving her story bears her name. We see how she as a Gentile was used by the Almighty to continue the line of the Messiah. She had been widowed and was without a child, therefore her mother-in-law Naomi encourages her to fulfil the Kinsman Redeemer Law. This was established by the Almighty to continue the Jewish race. This can be read in Deut. 25. If a Jewish husband died without leaving an heir, the nearest willing male kin was to marry his widow, and continue his line for him. Ruth, who had been widowed and was without a child, and encouraged by her mother-in-law, came to understand that Boaz was close kin to her. This was the reason that she sought Boaz to cover her, (that terminology obviously has many aspects to it). As Scripture states, Ruth became the great-grandmother of King David, and therefore in the line of the Messiah!
We read about another prominent woman in Scripture called Esther. Again as with Ruth we find out about her in the book that bears her name. She was a Jewess and was used for the purposes of preserving the Jewish line at that time in history, as she was encouraged to marry a Gentile King. What sort of woman was she? From the Scripture references it is clear that she was a humble woman, who had lived a happy and quiet life with her guardian Mordecai. When he suggested she should be put forward as a possible wife for the king of Persia, she obeyed him, (Est. 4:14). She obviously trusted him, and clearly also wanted to obey the Almighty. As is well known she was chosen by the King. The fact that she was prepared to put her life at risk by entering the King's presence without being summoned shows her strength of character and trust. The fasting and prayer she instigated to bring together a collective effort is still known today as Esther's Fast. Her plan to trap Haman, the enemy of the Jews, was full of clever intrigue, showing her ingenuity to use her femininity for the good, as opposed to many who use it for the bad. Also having Haman's 10 sons hung on the gallows, which had been erected for the Jews; showed her power, strength and determination to perform the cleansing of this evil which had almost annihilated the Royal Line, through whom the Messiah would be born!
Throughout the history of the world in this Creation since Eden, it is clear that there have been and are many women who have and do perform important tasks for the good of mankind, and are fulfilling a purpose the Almighty intends for them. A few notable one’s are:
Zipporah and the Circumcision of Gershom and Eliezer
The above are only a few notable examples, but all without exception had their hearts and minds focused on God and obeying Him! One of the most obvious exceptions in Scripture is Eve!
The ‘Bride of Christ’ referred to in Scripture, is a subject that needs to be looked at, in the context of the female gender. There is much miss-teaching about this subject. Unfortunately today many if not most Christian groups feel that we, as Christians make up this Bride. This is error, as Christians today are the Mystery Body. This understanding can be clearly seen in Paul’s letters to the Ephesians and Colossians. See: The Body of Christ and the Bride of Christ:
The Bride of Christ will have its fulfilment, when the marriage "of The Lamb" takes place, Rev. 19:7. The Bride is mainly made up of Jews from the Gospels and the Acts period, together with worthy OT Jews and proselytes. The understanding of the rules for the Bride can be derived from Paul’s letters written to the 7 Churches before the Acts 28:28 divide, (1 & 2 Thess. Hebrews, 1 & 2 Cor. Gal. & Rom.).
There is no doubt that women have a unique purpose in the Almighty’s plan. The fact that we can bear children is a special privilege. When the writer was pregnant with our first child, we found (were given) a book titled ‘Childbirth Without Fear’ this was written by a male gynaecologist/ midwife. It was very helpful for me and gave me the confidence to seek to have our baby naturally. This indeed happened with the help of my husband, (here he was a very good help-meet to me!) This gave us a special bond together because of it. In the eyes of the male gynaecologist/ midwife having a natural childbirth, is an amazing experience, and something he marvelled at often. He knew this was God given, and only a woman could experience this to the full extent. For myself I found that experience changed my ‘mind set’ in many ways, and also my body, for the good. For many women of course it is not a good experience for numerous reasons. It also has seemed to me over the years that many women even blame their husbands for the pain and grief they experience in childbirth, and almost seek to glory in the grief and sorrow they have experienced. Another aspect that many women experience is the loss of a child, either by miscarriage, or to lose a child at birth, or later. If their husbands cannot give them the support they need during this time of grief, there is no doubt that a sensible, sympathetic woman can help to ease the grief. In this way women can bring support to each other in a special way, because they speak from their own experience, but I still feel it should be the responsibility of a good husband to fulfil this role, as surely too he will be feeling grief also.
We have watched over the course of our Christian walk, which now spans over 60 years, that the Charismatic movement has spread rapidly, and that many women in particular are drawn to this movement. Because of this it is vital to be aware of the ‘Right Divide’; (correct understanding) of Scripture. The gifts of Pentecost are NOT for now, they were given at that time to the Jews for the purpose of revealing who Christ is (the Jewish Messiah). During the Acts period up to Acts 28:28 the Apostle Paul wrote 7 letters (Rom. 1 & 2 Cor. Gal. 1 & 2 Thess. & Heb.), to illustrate to the Jews who their Messiah is, and that if they would accept Him, the Millennial Reign would have begun. However, by the end of Acts it is seen that the Jews finally rejected Paul’s pleading, and he writes ‘that the Salvation of God is sent to the Gentiles and they would listen’.
Because of this grave error in understanding, many Charismatic groups are disturbed and disturbing, believing that these gifts are for now. Because they are deceived they are listening to deceiving spirits. They have opened themselves up to the lying spirits of the Enemy, masquerading to them as the Holy Spirit of God. The experiences of many women’s groups are full of grave error, especially because the men, who should be the leaders, are unaware of this grave error in teaching, and do not know the ‘Right Divide’ of the Word, and are not in their proper place as head.
Summary
The Almighty’s purpose for a woman is a beautiful thing to behold, and in its purity is something for every woman to desire.
He has given to every woman, the ability to be beautiful, and to complement and to be a help-meet to her man. This is indeed a privilege and should be sought, and understood by the man.
When the Right Divide of Scripture is understood, the place of women today can be seen clearly. Much satisfaction can be had for a woman if she seeks the Lord in truth, and is led by the Holy Spirit. She will then be able to fulfil whatever purpose the Almighty has for her in today’s world.
We can see clearly from Scripture that Satan first spoke to Eve, and beguiled her by misquoting Scripture Gen. 3:3-5. (See above, Eve and Adam; and also 'The Enemy Within') .
This is still his aim today, and he is being very successful at it. Until the Lord’s return to set up His Millennial Kingdom, these things will unfortunately continue. For myself and my husband, we see our purpose where ever possible to proclaim Truth from the Word which we do in this Website: www.revelationsmessage.co.uk.
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