THE HOME SERIES 4 - THE DUTIES OF THE MAN

“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, 'You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" ² The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.' " ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! ⁵ "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." ⁶ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
⁸ They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. ⁹ Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, "Where are you?" ¹⁰ He said, "I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself." ¹¹ And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" ¹² The man said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.” Gen 3:1-12 (NASB)

One viable lesson we can learn from the encounter of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden is that from God’s perspective one of the duties of the man is to be the spokesperson (PROCLAIMER) of the family. When God visited Adam and Eve after the devil had deceived them, God did not talk to the woman who was as it were the prime culprit but the man.

This has far reaching implications for the home because it is usual these days to find many men keeping mute when they ought to speak out for the family. In the US for example, I have seen it over and over again when a family has just experienced a tragedy and they are been interviewed by the media to find the man quiet while the wife does all the talking. This is an aberration of God’s original plan.

The man should and must always speak out for the family. This is important for several reasons:-

1.     It shows that God’s order is been followed in the family

2.     It portrays the family as one with the man in charge. Children want to grow up and know that their father was in charge in the affairs of the home.

3.     It reduces the tendency of emotional outbursts that is common to women.

In the time of Moses, if a woman makes a vow and the husband objects to such a vow, it becomes null and void. The man was expected to confirm or veto every major decision made by the woman.

"However, if she should marry while under her vows or the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself, ⁷ and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day he hears it, then her vows shall stand and her obligations by which she has bound herself shall stand. ⁸ "But if on the day her husband hears of it, he forbids her, then he shall annul her vow which she is under and the rash statement of her lips by which she has bound herself; and the LORD will forgive her.
⁹ "But the vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, everything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her. ¹⁰ "However, if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound herself by an obligation with an oath, ¹¹ and her husband heard it, but said nothing to her and did not forbid her, then all her vows shall stand and every obligation by which she bound herself shall stand. ¹² "But if her husband indeed annuls them on the day he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning the obligation of herself shall not stand; her husband has annulled them, and the LORD will forgive her.
¹³ "Every vow and every binding oath to humble herself, her husband may confirm it or her husband may annul it. ¹⁴ "But if her husband indeed says nothing to her from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or all her obligations which are on her; he has confirmed them, because he said nothing to her on the day he heard them. ¹⁵ "But if he indeed annuls them after he has heard them, then he shall bear her guilt." Num 30:6-15 (NASB)

While I am not in any way advocating male dominance or chauvinism, the point being made is that the man must exercise his role as both protector and proclaimer of his home. 

Truth be told, the man is ultimately responsible for what goes on in the home and should be able to speak on behalf of his family.

This is God's order.  


Femiimevbore@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/officialecc?ref=hl
www.lifebuilder.ecwid.com

www.elshaddaicovenantchurch.org