Tuesday November 2, 2010

Read Genesis 3

The statistics on marriage aren’t good. Divorce rates in Australia have increased from 28% in 1987 to 33% in 2002. That means 1 in 3 marriages ended in divorce. Even worse, the numbers of people existing in a marriage that is burdened with unhappiness, hurt and bitterness is particularly high. The rates of extra marital affairs is ridiculously high. What went wrong? Why such extremes? Why is there a battle of the sexes being fought out within the institution of marriage?

Genesis 3 has the answers. Our first parents, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God. They chose, albeit at the temptation of the evil one, to eat from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, to do what God had said expressly not to do. The result affected every area of our lives. The woman, through her disobedience, engaged all womanhood in a battle with the serpent  and through that battle would come the Saviour who, though bruised, would crush the serpent’s head. Addedly, the woman would suffer greatly increased birth pains and would have a desire for her husband. This word desire has a history of abuse and conflict. It’s been debated ever since Adam and Eve heard the words from the mouth of the Lord.  Read Genesis 4:7 and you begin to see the sphere of meaning of this word desire. It means something like, to have mastery over, or to rule harshly over.  The woman’s desire will be to have mastery or dominion over the man. In return, out of suspicion and fear, he will ruler over the woman with harshness and self interest! The battle of the sexes was born by our first parent’s disobedience!

For Adam’s part, he listened to his wife and caused the ground to be cursed. We see natural disasters and eco systems collapsing because of this very disobedience. We see weeds and thorns and small harvests (food shortages etc) because Adam sinned. This verse too, has been abused. Many a husband has ignored his wife and refused to listen to her counsel because of this verse. How perverted! We are not to listen to our spouse when they tempt us to move away from God or to disobey God. At all other times we are to include and consider their counsel!

The implications of Genesis 3 for marriages today is paramount to understand.

û Women will find it hard to submit to their husbands because of that inbuilt desire to dominate.

û Husbands will have a natural instinct to rule harshly over their wives.

û There is a natural tendency to be suspicious and self protecting in a marriage.

û Men will find it hard to communicate and open up to their wives because of this suspicion and desire, or perceived need to rule harshly over them.

û Conflict is built into the marriage because of the first rejection of God’s rule.

But it’s not all bad news. In Christ Jesus we can find a marriage that is both God honouring and joyous. We can move towards the Biblical picture of marriage. That’s the focus of this week’s passage.

In what ways can you see these sins in your side of the marriage. It’s all too easy to point the finger but take time to look at yourself.  Take time to think and pray about where you need to repent and change.