SCRIPTURE REFERENCE: Genesis 3:17
“To Adam, he said, ‘Because you listened to your wife and ate the fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ Curse is the ground because of you; through painful toil, you will eat food from it all the days of your life.'”
The genesis of human struggles is evident in Genesis 3:7, where the Creator’s pronouncement, “Because you listened to your wife,” led to Adam’s downfall.
In Genesis 3:1-17, Adam had a clear opportunity to avoid Eve’s disobedience but chose to comply with her.
A careful analysis of the verse reveals God’s quest to understand Adam and Eve’s intent, while already judging the serpent.
Adam squarely blamed Eve, stating, “The woman you put here with me,” and Eve pointed to the serpent, saying, “The serpent deceived me.”
God highlighted Adam’s error but simply pronounced judgment on Eve and the serpent. Was God expecting Adam to act differently from Eve? Yes.
“Because you listened to your wife…” This statement from God suggests Adam erred in his final judgment.
Adam, as the head, had the chance to correct Eve’s wrong but sided with her, failing his role as God’s representative.
Patience could have spared Adam from the fall; they knew God was accessible, yet they acted impulsively.
Men, guided by divine patience, should make decisions reverently. Women, more sensitive, act swiftly, influenced by their environment.
The discourse between Eve and the serpent influenced her decision, altering human history. Communing with God could have averted disaster.
While men have weaknesses, they’re designed to commune with their Creator, missing out on critical decisions without divine consultation.
Married men must listen and reason with their wives, yet the final decision rests with the man, in reverence to God’s authority.
Consulting God in family or work decisions is vital; accountability and responsibility lie with men, acknowledging God as the ultimate authority.
Submissiveness in marriage doesn’t suppress women’s rights but fosters humility and maturity.Finally, the Bible states that God is the witness between the man and his wife (Malachi 2:14). This implies that marriage is a union with God as the judge and witness.
Therefore, I encourage wives to consistently pray for their husbands. This prayer is aimed at granting them a sound sense of judgment, enabling them to make decisions aligned with the will of God, free from any external influence, whether alone or amidst the masses. All of this is in the pursuit of glorifying God as the ultimate Head.
Written by Joseph Zoot