Is God ANTI-woman? Does He consider women inferior to men? Why did God make a woman subject to her husband? Are there important positions in the Kingdom open to women? Read this eye-opening article for God's answers.
DOES God hate WOMEN?? Are women only a necessary evil foisted off on a masculine world? Were they created solely to serve man and perpetuate humanity? Is a woman subject to her husband as the result of a curse? Is there any room in the World Tomorrow for qualified, dedicated, and converted women? These and many related questions have frustrated scores of women in God's Church. Even many men have wondered what is in store for their wives and daughters. Much of the problem stems from misconceptions about the plan of God. What is the TRUTH brethren? Why did God create women?
WOMAN — An Inferior Being?
Let's realize, first of all, God created woman because man was incomplete without her! In the beginning, it was God who said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet [suitable, fit] for him," (Gen. 2:18). God knew that a natural man would be incomplete without the other half of His plan — woman — to complement and serve her husband. God knew what He was doing. The creation of woman wasn't some fluke — it was part of a perfectly executed plan. "And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was VERY GOOD," (Gen. 1:31). But there is more to it. A great SPIRITUAL lesson should be learned from this flawless creation. All through the Scriptures we find the analogy that the woman is typical of the Church. The husband is the type of Jesus Christ. In the fifth chapter or Ephesians, where the Apostle Paul writes concerning the marriage union, he said, "I speak concerning Christ and the church" (verse 32). The entire relationship of a man toward his wife is a type of the love, engagement and marriage of Christ to His Church.
Why Must the Man Be In Charge?
Have you ever wondered why God placed the husband over his wife? Is it because she's inferior or more naturally rebellious? Would authority be necessary in a perfect home? If both husband and wife were perfectly compatible and completely harmonious with one another, would authority in the home be mandatory? Or is it the raw carnality of the woman that demands the establishment of the man's authority? Absolutely NOT!!! Witness Christ and God the Father. No two beings in the entire universe are more at ONE, cooperative or harmonious. Yet they are not equal in authority — God the Father is clearly in charge. Absence of authority is pure anarchy. Someone has to be in charge — in the Kingdom and in the home. We can see clearly that being subject to her husband is not a burdensome curse cast on all women. It doesn't mean that men are smarter or superior to women. In fact, extensive tests have revealed that there is little difference between the IQs of the average man and woman. It's not a matter of "superiority" or "inferiority." Rather it's a matter of God specially designing each for a distinctive job. God designed and programmed the male mind to do a certain job, to fulfill specific duties so that he could capably guide and lead the family kingdom.
But What Can a Woman Do?
Many of you women have felt because God ordained the man to head up the home, that you had nothing positive to DO. This is NOT true! A woman's responsibilities are just as much an integral part of God's plan as the responsibilities given a man. Because a wife is in subjection to her husband does not mean she is totally void of opportunities which develop character necessary to be born into the Kingdom of God. It is God's will for ALL to be saved — men and WOMEN. This life is a training ground for the coming Kingdom of God. What we DO here and now determines the reward we will receive when Christ returns. We are told in Revelation 3:21, "To him [those] that OVERCOMETH will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne." ONE HALF of the physical beings in the World Tomorrow will be women! Who would be any more qualified to re-educate them than spirit beings who had been physical women before being born into the God Family? Someone will have to teach these women the true values of cooking, homemaking, child rearing, proper food selection, how to dress, how to be truly feminine! If you women are mastering these fields in this life, you will be qualified to teach others then.
Husband-Wife Teams?
Some of the ministers have even wondered if husbands and wives might not work as teams in the Kingdom of God. After all, if you spend a lifetime learning to work with and complement one another, why couldn't that carry over? Of course, this may be an unpleasant thought to many of you but then until some of you husbands and wives learn to work out your differences, you probably won't achieve salvation. What's wrong with a dynamic God-team — aren't God the Father and Jesus Christ a perfect example?? The Bible is not specific about this aspect of our reward. But to those who are happily married, learning to work together and love each other — the possibility is certainly JOYOUS. All of us — MEN and WOMEN — should be on a crash program to qualify for our ultimate reward. God is no respecter of persons (Romans 2:11). God is just as desirous to see any woman in His Kingdom as He is any man. Don't ever feel that God is "down on females." Remember that He is the loving Father who created you, and will give you the highest position in His Kingdom that He possibly can.
The Woman's Special Role
Mothers, grandmothers, teen-age girls — all of you women — were created to fulfill a unique calling that no man could ever adequately fulfill. Your strength lies in a specific area — the area of homemaker; wife and mother. You are the UNQUESTIONED, UNDISPUTED CHAMPION in these fields. Your husband, or any man, would be woefully inadequate. Remember the time you were ill and "Dad" had to take over. After a few hours of cooking and changing dirty diapers he was more than happy to turn the housework back to you. Just as you're not cut out to overhaul the car, shingle the roof or make the living, neither is your husband suited to washing the clothes, buying the groceries, sewing the children's clothes. And both of you ought to be happy that God intended it that way. Let's notice some specific instructions from God's Word directed strictly to women.
Biblical Example for Women
One of the clearest sections of the Bible on the direct responsibilities of a woman is in Paul's letter to Titus. In this section he gives clear admonition that women are to be taught the true laws of success for their happiness. Beginning in Titus 2:4 we read, "That they [older women] may teach the young women to be sober [marginal reading, WISE]." Why should a woman learn wisdom? Not only for immediate happiness, but because it is an attribute of Godly character. Going on, we see that young women should be taught "to LOVE their HUSBANDS, to LOVE their CHILDREN." Do you know how to love your husband and children? These qualities of love multiple millions have never learned. Is it any wonder we in the United States lead the world in divorce and unhappy family life. You as a converted woman in God's Church need to learn to love and help your husband. God created you to be your husband's greatest source of help outside of God. There is no such thing as a "battle of the sexes" in a God-oriented home. You are there to back him up, encourage and up-lift him through thick and thin. You do that in many ways — talking to him, encouraging him, taking care of his needs and keeping yourself attractive for him. Too many women can't be bothered with cleaning up, putting on a fresh outfit and fixing their hair before their mates arrive home in the evening. Keep up your appearance. Realize, for example, that a woman's hair is the most important SINGLE part of her appearance. Remember to dress to please your husband — not other women or even yourself. And what about loving the children? Ever stop to think that you spend the lion's share of the time with the youngsters. It falls your lot to accomplish much of the training and education of your children — children who will live over into God's physical Kingdom. Of course the man will also do much of the child rearing, but don't undersell your part — it's every bit as important. How important it is to be directly training and working with these potential Gods. Continuing in Titus 2, we find the woman is to be "chaste." That is, she is to be virtuous and morally pure. She is to be ''a KEEPER AT HOME." Here again is something POSITIVE to do. Learn to be a neat and orderly housewife. If you learn to efficiently handle your kitchen cabinets and fastidiously maintain the house, then you'll be able to administer the responsibilities God will give you in the millennium. Remember this life is a training ground and "he that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much" (Luke 16:10). You might have wondered since God refers to women as "keepers at home" if there is ever a time when women should go outside the home and get a job?
Should Women Work?
Articles often appear in leading magazines on the pros and cons of women working. There is no argument in God's eyes. Certainly a young girl out of high school or college — before marriage — should be working and should be learning as much as she can to improve herself before she is married. However, once a woman is married she should be working toward her goal — her calling — of being a homemaker! This does not mean for some temporary time, a married woman cannot work in order to help oat — but it should not be her ultimate goal and she should be taught as a young woman that her responsibility is to be a keeper at home. A newly married couple might decide to have the wife continue working for a while to help become established and buy some of the items they need. However, this arrangement should not continue over an extended period, and never after she becomes PREGNANT. Women are to be "good," and "obedient to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed." Here are lessons in character building which are above and beyond evaluation For a woman, here are laws — positive laws — which lead to real happiness.
The Qualities of a Good Wife!
The best known chapter in all the Bible for the responsibilities of a woman is Proverbs 31:10-31. Here are many examples which you women can and should be putting into practice in your lives. Notice what some of them are as we go down through some of these verses. She seeks wool and flax and works WILLINGLY with her hands. She brings food from far away. She rises before dawn, if necessary, to give food to her household. She considers a piece of property and can buy it. By the labor of her hands she plants a vineyard or garden. She can work with a spindle or sewing machine. She stretches her hand to the poor to help when she can. She is not afraid of the snow because her family is properly clothed. She makes fine linen. She opens her mouth with Wisdom — not flippant, aimless gossip — and in her tongue is the law of kindness. Here is a picture of a woman whose aim in life — physically speaking — is the welfare of her family. SHE IS BUSY! SHE WORKS! She has CONCERN FOR OTHERS! Think about these responsibilities! Are YOU fulfilling them? And YOU MEN reading this article, are YOU allowing your wives to fulfill all of these? What man would not want his wife to be exactly like this chapter pictures a virtuous woman? She is one who will serve and bring happiness all the days of her life — but are you giving your wife the guidance she needs to fulfill these duties?
Sewing and Shopping
Let's look again at some of these responsibilities. How do they apply to the everyday life of the modern twentieth-century housewife? It is important to understand. Several of these verses show that a woman is able to make or purchase fine quality cloth or clothing, and she is capable of making clothing for her family. First, however, is a matter of quality. Every mother and housewife should be able to buy the best possible quality the family can afford. Not only does the clothing look better, but it will wear longer. A woman who is a good seamstress can provide far more, and better clothing for her children and herself with the same amount of money — than the person who must buy everything readymade. So it is well worth the effort to learn this important skill. If you are too old to learn — see that your daughters do. Another illustration from this chapter is grocery shopping. The woman is the one who is free during the shopping hours. It is her job to purchase the groceries for the week. Men are called the "bread winners," but they do not directly bring home the bread. They should provide the grocery allotment for the family which is generally about 20 percent of the average family's income. It is up to her to make it last through the week or month. Notice how the Scripture says she travels afar to purchase her food. With today's modern supermarkets, this may not be necessary in every case. But in many areas, much better milk, eggs, butter, honey, fruits and vegetables can be purchased directly from a small farm right outside of your town! If this is true and you have not been getting certain items this way, you are missing some of the best tasting and BEST QUALITY FOODS.
Rising Early and Gardening
The right example for a woman to set is to be up early in order to get the family off to a good start with a wholesome breakfast every day. How the day starts may well determine how well the husband will do in his job, how the children do in their schoolwork — and the joy of the wife as she goes about her daily duties. Many a day has been started by getting out on the wrong side of the bed — or even not getting out of bed at all! If the wife has the clothes all ready for the family to put on, and a piping hot breakfast ready in time for the family to really relax and enjoy it, every day can begin with amazing joy. Another fine opportunity many women pass up is the planting of a garden. Some, not all by any means, may have room in the backyard or in plots beside the house for a vegetable garden. A garden will not only produce healthful foods for the family but will provide exercise and sunshine for the wife and children. The examples we listed are by no means all. The point is to learn to handle all of your responsibilities and you will gain in every way. Notice how Solomon concludes this chapter of Proverbs in verses 30 and 31: "Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works PRAISE HER IN THE GATES." Caring for the household is not a position to be taken lightly. If some of the duties have seemed insignificant in the past, the goal of getting them accomplished should now encourage you all to strive more toward perfection.
Male and Female in the Kingdom?
In all the Bible there is no mention of a SECONDARY promise which would apply only to women. Certainly there is nothing to indicate women will have to take a lesser position when we are all born again. The promise is given to ALL WHO OVERCOME! In a section dealing with husband-and-wife relationships, Peter wrote in I Peter 3:7, "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, AND AS BEING HEIRS TOGETHER OF THE GRACE OF LIFE; that your prayers be not hindered." This clearly shows we are ALL working and striving toward the SAME GOAL! What sex we were born with has no bearing on whether or not we will enter the Kingdom. Each of us has been given responsibilities to perform, whether male or female. As we overcome we will receive a reward. The scripture is specific concerning our sex in the Kingdom. "For in the resurrection THEY NEITHER MARRY, NOR ARE GIVEN IN MARRIAGE, but are as the angels of God in heaven" (Matt. 22:30). At that time there will be 120 difference of sex in the spirit world. Paul said in I Corinthians 15:51-52, "Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but WE SHALL ALL BE CHANGED, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed." We will no longer be mortal — but immortal. We will all be composed of spirit. Now read I John 3:2, "Beloved, now are we the sons of God [whether we are male or female], and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he [Christ] shall appear, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM; for we shall see him as he is." At that time, ALL of us — if we have qualified — will be exactly like Christ!
What YOU Will Look Like
In Revelation 1:13-16 we read how Christ is — He has hair white like wool, eyes like flames of fire, His face shines as the sun in its full strength. This is what it will be like for women to be in God's Kingdom. All of us will be spirit beings — no longer "men" and "women" — but all BORN SONS OF GOD — all of us will be like Christ! Let's stop worrying about what we will be doing in God's Kingdom and concentrate on qualifying for a reward high in glory. Remember, we are saved — that is, made immortal — we get into God's Kingdom by GRACE — but once there, our reward will be according to our WORKS done in this life — works of overcoming, growing in Christ's knowledge and in righteous character. Rejoice in your calling. Shoulder your responsibilities. Remember that ALL are called to be KINGS and PRIESTS RULING WITH Christ in the WORLD TOMORROW.
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