Discovering God’s Design for Women (“Lady-Magic”)

“Do not give your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings.” These are “the words of king Lemuel [part of] an oracle his mother taught him.” Only a few verses later the description of an excellent wife is begun. I believe this passage is used to convey the need for great caution in the women a male allows to have any part in his life, but why? The truth is women can have a big influence on men, I think much more than we realize, and all through Genesis you can see examples of how women abuse that gift. Let’s look at a few:

It begins of course with the fall, when Eve first decides the apple looks good to eat and then tells her husband to try it. Genesis 3:1-6.

                Then Sarai (later to become Sarah) reveals her lack of faith in God’s ability to keep his promise when she sends her female servant in to Abram (Abraham), in hopes that her servant will have a child on behalf of Sarai. Abram listens to his wife. Genesis 16:1-2.

                In Genesis 27:5-13 it is Rebekah that tells Jacob to deceive his father to get Esau’s blessing, and the she manipulates her husband to protect Jacob in 27:41-28:2.

                Now I don’t mean to be negative, most of these people have also set good examples for us to follow, but I think we can learn something from their mistakes. This reveals how careful we need to be that we don’t make the same mistakes that have been repeated again and again. Women are prone to use their influence for evil, but surely this was not what God intended. I believe this “lady-magic” that we possess was given to us, by God, for a much greater reason – To strengthen, encourage, and inspire our men to be better leaders. We must learn to use it that way. This is something we were created for. Let’s make it our goal to gently push others towards God, not something sinful and not ourselves.

“The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.

She does him good and not harm, all the days of her life.”

~Proverbs 31:11-12~

(An introduction to) Discovering God's Design for Women

                Lately God has been teaching me a LOT about what it means to be a godly woman. This is something that seems to bring me great joy and excitement as I learn more and more about it, and what good would that be if I didn’t share that with others? Allowing others to get involved I hope will not only be an encouragement to someone who needs a challenge, but I’m hoping others will also share their thoughts, opinions, and convictions as well so we can grow together as the family of Christ. Isn’t that what we’re here for? So, I plan to journey through the Bible with you (very slowly), examining every story involving women we can find, and pulling out every morsel of truth we can. I want to dig deep into God’s word together, seek His glorious plan for each of our lives, and learn how he wants to make us beautiful..and I need you to hold me to it!

Let’s start with Genesis 2:18-24:

“Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make a helper fit for him.’ Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, ‘This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

I know this passage is probably one you’re familiar with, and I don’t have much to say, but when I reread it for the purpose of this study, I had the mindset of how precious we are to God. (To have a better idea of what was on my mind check out the post “The Most Glorious Gem” on ourfireyouth.blogspot.com.)  This made me notice something I hadn’t before. In verse 19 it says that God had formed every creature from the dust, and we know from 2:7 that Man was formed from the dust as well. This makes Woman the only one who was not created directly from the dirt, for she was made from a rib of Adam’s. This makes us pretty special in my opinion. I don’t know about you but I think it will be an exciting adventure discovering what God was thinking when he formed this unique creation =)

“An excellent wife who can find? She is far more precious than jewels.” ~ Proverbs 31:10

Now it’s your turn; share your thoughts! What did I miss that you noticed?