MInTheGap

Biblical Roles of the Sexes (Part 1)

One of the things that continues to hit me over and over again as I’m doing my reading through the Bible this year is the roles of men and women in the Bible compared to them now. I want to take a look at a few of the differences over the next few posts. As I’ve already discussed previously head coverings, clothing, hair length and Biblical Standards, I won’t rewrite my thoughts there– unless I have to.

The first, and probably most striking thing, about male/female relations in Bible times was the number of wives Biblical characters had and how the Bible is relatively silent in criticizing that fact. In fact, in one place in II Samuel, the Lord even says that he gave David many wives (in regards to his taking Bathsheba and sending her husband to his death).

At first glance, this could argue that God permitted or even encouraged multiple marriages. I mean, Jacob had twelve children by four different women who became the tribes of Israel (more or less!). However, we can quickly see both the OT and NT that God planned for the family to be a male and female. It existed this way until a man named Lamech in Genesis decided that he was important enough to take two wives.

The point here is this: Just because God chooses to use something that happened, or report it, does not mean that it was what God planned or what is best. Too often, we as Christians think that because a person gets saved or something happens where God gets the glory, that somehow justified the way the ends were made. However, the ends do not justify the means, and we must be careful to examine our practices and motives. Just because people come to Christ does not mean that God is happy with the method– or even that the given method is the best.

In this case, multiple wives caused the demise of Solomon and his walk with God, caused humiliation for David and loss of his son because of his sin with Bathsheba, caused infighting among the wives of Jacob, each of them trying to have more kids or more special kids for their husband and caused friction among the children where they almost killed Joseph because he was favored, etc. The fruits are not as obvious because they take place later, but the fruits are there.

Biblical Costumes for Easter, Christmas and other events.

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A Faithful God

So, I’m almost finished with the latest Left Behind book, “The Rising“. I think that the worst part about these books is that just the time that you’re into the story, figured out the characters and have trouble putting it down, it ends. That being said, this is probably the first book in the series that didn’t follow the usual big event and then the reaction pattern. In the first book, you had the rapture, and then people dealing with it. In this one, it’s all build up. That being said, there are twists and turns along the way.

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Our Effect on Others

Is anyone else upset at the cost of ink jet cartridges for printers? We have a digital camera, and have to print out our pictures. I have an Epson Color Photo 825– and I went to buy both a color and black and white cartridge last night. After the ink and the photo paper, the total cost was close to $80. And then they sell the next model printer for just about that. Talk about the Gillette Razor subscription model to the extreme.

What’s latest in the news… Does anyone else find it interesting that the cardinals use smoke signals to tell whether thier vote was successful? How about that it is a democratic decision to figure out who the next “Vicar of Christ on Earth” is? How is it that they cannot agree on the first three times? Shouldn’t it be obvious? Are they making someone the Pope, or recognizing that this person is? And what was the guy they chose before he became Pope? I mean, can their be multiples that are that close to God?

I guess why this whole thing doesn’t make much sense is because I’m a Baptist and believe in the Priesthood of the Believer– the fact that we all have an equal audience with the Almighty through the Blood of the Lamb. I do not need a priest to hear my confession. I do not need to do penance, pray for dead people or pay for indulgences. I don’t value tradition higher than the Bible…

Speaking of which, and back to the Title of the Post, I was reading about King David last night after Absolom had been killed. David took it really hard, probably moreso since he knew that the rebellion was part of the punishment for his sin with Bathsheba and against Uriah (her now-deceased) husband. However, Joab has a really good point. If you notice, everyone who won the battle came back like losers, and Joab told David that he’d better go down to rally the troops or they would leave him. He may have felt terrible, but being a leader meant that he needed to be an example, an encouragement, and be stable.

In our lives, we are leaders– of our families, of our friends, of our children. They need to be encouraged and strengthened. They look to us for support and stability. That’s one of the reasons why we must guard ourselves against sin, against selfishness, and against the tendency to get caught up in ourselves. We must show and demonstrate encouragement, and building each other up.

We have a big effect on others through our actions and words. How is what you are doing now effecting someone else? Is it a positive effect or a negative one?

What’s Interesting?

I know, it seems like I hardly post anything any more! When I had these spells last year, I simply posted a story I wrote, but it’s been a while since I had inspiration or the time to write a short story. Though, I have to admit, there are times that I have had some inspiration.

Then there’s those times where I say “boy, that would make a good topic for the blog,” and then, when I get behind the computer, I promptly forget what I was going to write about.

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He Behaved Himself Wisely

Such an interesting statement to be said of a great man– a man after
God’s own heart.  I speak, of course, of the man would would become
King David.  Who among us could have performed as David did, being in
the King’s house knowing he was anointed to be the next king of Israel.

David had the appropriate respect for the King of Israel.  He would not
lay a hand on God’s anointed when given the opportunity.  He thought it
was presumptuous to be married to the King’s daughter, being just a
shepherder.  Yet at the same time he had the strength and courage to
stand up to Goliath.  No wonder the people loved him.

Christian, in your workplace, or other places where you’re in a
position of submission to another, how do you reverence that leader? 
Not that they do not make mistakes, but do you behave yourself wisely?

I find that it’s a whole lot easier to critique, comment, and tear down
someone in authority over you.  Be it a husband, boss, Pastor,
President whomever, they deserve respect– in their presence and out of
it.

It something I need to learn to apply, something that David did and it was a reason that he was so close to God.

Service to God

Saul made his fatal blunder last night in the passage that I read. The command was to go and destroy the Amalekites, since they had plagued the children of Israel on their way into the Promised Land. If I’m not mistaken, this was a fulfillment of prophecy that the Lord had against them. The command was to obliterate them from the face of the earth; however, Saul decided that he’d like the king around, as well as the best of the people’s livestock.

When Samuel appeared on the scene and asked why there were animals left, Saul made a good argument. He said that he saved the best to sacrifice to the Lord. He wanted to praise Him for what He had done. Sounds pretty plausible.

Then, in one of the most profound statements of the Bible, Samuel replies with “to obey is better than to sacrifice.” I can just see the look on Saul’s face. Here he thought he’d done something good– while at the same time he was already making excuses like “my men made me do it.” (They must not have had the now famous “the devil made me do it” yet.)

Looking back at it, it’s pretty obvoius that Saul messed up. Yet we continue to do the same thing today. We derive a modern statement from this: “the ends do not justify the means.” How often do we justify what we do because we believe the end product will be good? In our work? In our dealings with others?

In our service to the Lord, do we look at the ends– people saved, lives changed, etc.– and justify poor means to get there– pressure/salesmanship tactics, unholy music or presentation, and the like?

How Quickly They Fall

I was reading in I Samuel last night.  There are a bunch of things that strike me as odd and telling…

The first is that the desire for Israel to have a king is not unique,
but predicted in the law.  To me, it seems obvious that they should not
want to go this direction because of the warning in Deuteronomy about
it.  I keep trying to remind myself that the Scriptures were not as
available to the people of Israel as it is to you and I.  Still, you
would think they would know what they were getting into.

It
is interesting to try to put yourself in the position of the children
of Israel with the judges and then the kings.  They were lead with a
mighty hand to Canaan, but then they started to neglect God and He
stopped talking to them directly.  This linked into my mind how we are
so zealous when we are first saved, and seem to gradually get more
“mature” so that we aren’t taking as many controversial positions. 
Hence why God also has to get us back into place through trials and
suffering– ouch!  I wish we learned through easier means.

When Saul is first chosen, he doesn’t feel worthy.  He hides with the
baggage!  Yet it doesn’t take long for the position to go to his head. 
It seems that all these leaders start by not asking God for direction. 
In a telling episode, it’s not that Saul doesn’t ask, but that he
doesn’t wait for the answer.  First, in waiting for Samuel to come and
do the sacrifices, and then about when to attack his enemies.

Saul was victorious over his enemies, but his distance from God grew
greater.  It goes to show that we can do things in God’s name or what
we think God would want us to do and end up farther away than we were
if we just waited on God’s timing.  It brings back to mind the phrase
often used in the New Testament– “In the fullness of time.”  God waits
until time is full, and then acts.  How about us?