Adam, Where are you?

Do you ever pay much attention to bumper stickers? I like to read them but I don't have any on my car. We have and employee parking decal and I don't even put that on my bumper, I have it on my dash board. This morning I was riding to work and a car passed me. There was a guy driving it and the bumper sticker said "I'm the Boss" and then in little letters below that it said "My wife said I could be". At first I laughed to myself then I thought about how prevalent this type of thinking is and how this is truly what is happening in many homes across the country. One of the reason this may have grabbed my attention could be that I just read the book of Genesis a few days ago. In Genesis 3 Eve takes of the fruit and leads the whole world into sin. As a result God explains some of the consequences. Take a look at one:

Genesis 3: 16b - Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.

I wish this verse were talking about a woman's physical desire for her husband but unfortunately it is not. This is a struggle for power. The woman will desire the position of headship or leadership within the home as well as other places. To see if God spoke truth just look around. Listen to many men when asked about making a decision. How many times do you hear them say "Whatever she says." or "Whatever she wants is fine with me." Now I'm not saying that men should not consult with their wives, I know I do. But how many men seem to have given up all leadership within the home and simply refuse to make decisions.

If you read the Bible you will see that God has ordained men to lead. Has he used women, absolutely, does he value women, absolutely, should we degrade women and treat them as less than equals, absolutely not. However, God has decided that he wants to use men to lead and he will ultimately hold men accountable. Take a look at what happened after Eve ate of the fruit:

Genesis 3: 6-9 - 6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves. 8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

Did you see what God did in verse 9. Eve was the one who took of the fruit, she was the one who listened to Satan, but God called Adam out. Adam was right there with Eve, according to the end of verse 6 and he did nothing to stop her.

Some may read what I am writing and say "What about Deborah and other women of the Bible? Didn't God use them to lead?" Sure he did but it was never a permanent solution. God raised up and used women from time to time but his plan has always been to use men. Look at the New Testament. Jesus chose to turn things upside down as it related to how things were going to be. His interaction with the Pharisees and the other leaders would have been an opportune time to change the leadership from them to someone else. Surely he could have said women could now step up and lead men but he never did. Look at what the Apostle Paul taught.

Ephesians 5: 22-24 - 22 Wives, submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.

I know that passage makes some people cringe. Not just women but it makes some men cringe because they realize they have been called to step up and make tough decisions and they realize they are failing.

I Timothy 2: 11-14 - 11 A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. 12 I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet. 13 For Adam was formed first, then Eve. 14 And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.

I Timothy 3: 2-7 - 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.

Notice what Paul is saying in these verses. God has chosen men to lead the church. Can women play a vital role, absolutely, can they serve as elders or deacons, absolutely not. Is it because I don't like women, is it because Paul does not like women, nope. It is because God has called men to step up and lead. Men are to lead in the home as well as lead in the church. Unfortunately men have failed miserably. I hope you do not think I am criticizing women with this post. I believe many women have stepped up because men have not. Is Genesis 3: 16b still an issue today, yes. Is it the sole reason for what is going on in society, I don't think so. With families falling apart, churches missing the mark and women stepping into roles God never called them to I still think God is calling out...Adam, Where are you?