understanding of desire helps us unlock Genesis 3:16. The desire to control in Genesis 4:7 is also the woman's desire in Genesis 3:16. This means that even with the true love a woman will have for her man, the consequences of the fall will taint this love with an unholy struggle. From this point on, a woman's calling as helper will be mixed with the desires of a competitor.
In response to this controlling desire that every generation of women must now deal with, Genesis 3:16 says a man will seek to rule. This is not a reassertion of the noble leadership God set forth for Adam in Genesis 2. This is a cursed leadership—the kind that dominates, forces compliance, and demands submission. The Hebrew word used here often described the rule of kings. It is a rule of power, not love. It is an injurious rule men have used over women for centuries.
Here's the point: because a man and woman are cursed, true intimacy between them is no longer a given. Love is now mixed with an inevitable power struggle, which, if not properly addressed, can reduce their initial passion for each other into an onerous contest of wills. Eve was cursed with the need to control: “your desire will be for your husband.” Adam, on the other hand, meets her evil desires with his own corruption: “he shall rule over you.” What was once a harmonious dance between the sexes now becomes a subtle (or not-so-subtle) fight for supremacy.
Unfortunately, that fight not only undermines the core calling for deep companionship God intended for couples, but it also severely impacts parenting and the core calling of raising and launching a godly, healthy next generation. As in so manyfamilies today, the dysfunction Adam and Eve unleashed on themselves through their choices eventually expressed itself even more adversely in their children. In Genesis 4 we watch as their two boys grew up confused, angry, and contentious. The crescendo came when a jealous Cain slew his brother, Abel. The life God originally intended to unleash through the fruitfulness of this first couple ended tragically in violence and death, as we see in many children today.
Eve, who was promised so much more by the serpent, was now left with a life of deep regret. Choosing to live from the outside in, she became the symbol of a failed and futile femininity for all women of every generation.
Nevertheless, she continues to have her followers. There are many thousands of them in every age. Countless other “Eves” who, like her, still choose to believe God's core callings can be short-changed or neglected in the pursuit of other, seemingly life-giving ambitions. And in those pursuits helper is cast aside as an antiquated concept whose time has past. Children are worked in around a career by women who still believe they can do it all. The pursuit of worldliness washes away authentic godliness and even common sense. As for the first Eve, the outside dictates everything and brings the same failures and heartaches.
So what's a woman to do? If you are wise, you will learn from Eve and not repeat her mistakes. You will enjoy many of the opportunities our modern world offers but never at the expense of God's core callings on your life. No, when it comes to those, you choose to live courageously from the inside out. That's because New Eves are known for bold moves, not foolish ones.
A Bold New Eve
Of the women I know, few have had to make a bolder move than Terry Jones. When Terry was in college, she had no idea ofthe adventure and opportunity that lay just around the corner. The spark that ignited it was when Terry and three of her friends decided to start a Christian singing group in 1990.
It was all fairly simple and fun at first. A few singing opportunities in area churches gave the girls experience, exposure, and the thrill of seeing God work through them. But in a very short time the impact of their ministry in music took off and began to attract national attention.
In the explosion that
In response to this controlling desire that every generation of women must now deal with, Genesis 3:16 says a man will seek to rule. This is not a reassertion of the noble leadership God set forth for Adam in Genesis 2. This is a cursed leadership—the kind that dominates, forces compliance, and demands submission. The Hebrew word used here often described the rule of kings. It is a rule of power, not love. It is an injurious rule men have used over women for centuries.
Here's the point: because a man and woman are cursed, true intimacy between them is no longer a given. Love is now mixed with an inevitable power struggle, which, if not properly addressed, can reduce their initial passion for each other into an onerous contest of wills. Eve was cursed with the need to control: “your desire will be for your husband.” Adam, on the other hand, meets her evil desires with his own corruption: “he shall rule over you.” What was once a harmonious dance between the sexes now becomes a subtle (or not-so-subtle) fight for supremacy.
Unfortunately, that fight not only undermines the core calling for deep companionship God intended for couples, but it also severely impacts parenting and the core calling of raising and launching a godly, healthy next generation. As in so manyfamilies today, the dysfunction Adam and Eve unleashed on themselves through their choices eventually expressed itself even more adversely in their children. In Genesis 4 we watch as their two boys grew up confused, angry, and contentious. The crescendo came when a jealous Cain slew his brother, Abel. The life God originally intended to unleash through the fruitfulness of this first couple ended tragically in violence and death, as we see in many children today.
Eve, who was promised so much more by the serpent, was now left with a life of deep regret. Choosing to live from the outside in, she became the symbol of a failed and futile femininity for all women of every generation.
Nevertheless, she continues to have her followers. There are many thousands of them in every age. Countless other “Eves” who, like her, still choose to believe God's core callings can be short-changed or neglected in the pursuit of other, seemingly life-giving ambitions. And in those pursuits helper is cast aside as an antiquated concept whose time has past. Children are worked in around a career by women who still believe they can do it all. The pursuit of worldliness washes away authentic godliness and even common sense. As for the first Eve, the outside dictates everything and brings the same failures and heartaches.
So what's a woman to do? If you are wise, you will learn from Eve and not repeat her mistakes. You will enjoy many of the opportunities our modern world offers but never at the expense of God's core callings on your life. No, when it comes to those, you choose to live courageously from the inside out. That's because New Eves are known for bold moves, not foolish ones.
A Bold New Eve
Of the women I know, few have had to make a bolder move than Terry Jones. When Terry was in college, she had no idea ofthe adventure and opportunity that lay just around the corner. The spark that ignited it was when Terry and three of her friends decided to start a Christian singing group in 1990.
It was all fairly simple and fun at first. A few singing opportunities in area churches gave the girls experience, exposure, and the thrill of seeing God work through them. But in a very short time the impact of their ministry in music took off and began to attract national attention.
In the explosion that
Similar Books
