1. Marriage and the Bible Based on the Living in Love Series by Richard L. Strauss, Biblical Studies Foundation - 1998

2. Submission Chapter 2: Abraham and Sarah

3. Ground Rules Think before you speak. Use this series as an opportunity for honest self- evaluation. Be prepared to humbly seek help from God, your spouse, or others if you feel led to do so. Humility!

4. Recap of Paradise Lost Adam and Eve were ideal individuals enjoying an ideal marriage in an ideal environment. SIN destroyed all of these ideals. SIN resulted in consequences: –Man has to work and toil, “lords over his wife” –Woman has painful childbirth, longs for her husband CHRIST empowers us to reclaim lost ideals.

5. Here’s the Deal Ephesians 5 The husband is the head of the family. The wife has a submissive role to the husband. There is no implication of exception to this rule.

6. THE END

7. Sarah’s Commendations Hebrews 11:11 Or By faith even Sarah, who was past age, was enabled to bear children because she considered him faithful who had made the promise. [alternate wording in footnotes]

8. Sarah’s Commendations 1 Peter 3:5-6 For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

9. Sarah’s Commendations There is no irony that Sarah’s two commendations in the New Testament were faith and submissiveness. Submission to your husband involves faith in God that He is going to honor your commitment and take care of your needs, using your husband as His primary delivery vehicle to that end.

10. Enter Abraham It just so happens that Sarah has such a husband. Beginning in Genesis 12: –Abraham is in direct communication with God. –God provides Abraham with a command and a promise. –Abraham obeys, and directs his family likewise.

11. Enter Abraham Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. This must have been a difficult undertaking. We are told in Genesis 12 that Sarah is with her husband, presumably in steadfast support.

12. Sarah’s Support OT/Biblical names carry great importance in describing characters. –Sarai – “(my) princess, royalty” –Sarah – “(global) princess, mother of nations” The Bible describes Sarah as a woman of uncommon beauty. Her name may also tell of uncommon intellect, upbringing, and grace.

13. Sarah’s Support For a woman as uncommon as Sarah, her submission and support to her husband is all the more noticeable as a Biblical example to us. Sarah’s submission is even evident when things don’t “make sense” and her husband appears to be demonstrating unsound judgment. (i.e. temporary loan to Pharaoh).

14. The Fine Print Husbands are not perfect, nor will they always make the correct decisions. Abraham stumbles: –Does not consult Sarah about going to Egypt. –Convinces her to participate in a half-truth. –Ends up “losing” his wife to another man for a short period of time. –Risks the same death or dismemberment in his lie that he originally feared in his wife’s beauty.

15. Why did Sarah Submit? Let’s be clear. There ARE Biblical justifications to suspend submission when sin is in play. Why did Sarah go along with going to Pharaoh as his wife? She is a woman of faith. She understands God’s promise to her husband. She may have viewed herself as expendable to save the life of her husband.

16. God’s Deliverance It is possible that God delivered Sarah from Pharaoh’s harem before immorality became a necessity. It is definite that God delivered Sarah back to her husband in reward of her faith.

17. Sarah’s Stumbling Sarah encountered her own lapse in judgment when she commissioned Hagar to “speed up” God’s timetable. This action led to lasting consequences that exist to this day. Sarah attempted to lead outside of God’s timetable and Abraham failed to lead within God’s instruction.

18. Finishing Strong Ultimately, Abraham and Sarah demonstrate their faith and receive their son Isaac as the manifestation of God’s promises to them. When God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son, Sarah likely discerned the event through visual evidence and a keen knowledge of her husband. In that example, Abraham and Sarah both demonstrated unparalleled submission prior to the cross.

19. Submission in Today’s Context We live in a hyper-hostile world when it comes to Biblical submission. What does it actually mean for the families assembled in this room? Look back to the model of marriage with Adam and Eve. God created both with a purpose an intense appreciation for one another.

20. Submission for the Husband You are to be utterly submissive to Christ in the same manner your wife is submissive to you. You are to provide spiritual leadership for your family. You are to live a life of sacrifice, honor, and love toward those God has blessed you to lead.

21. Submission for the Wife You are to submit to your husband as he submits to Christ, the ultimate head of your household. You are to prayerfully support and encourage your husband. You are to actively participate as your husband’s partner. There is equality to be had.

22. What Submission is NOT “Woman, fetch me a chicken pot pie.” Submission is not defeat. Wives are entitled to contribute with the unique skills and gifts they bring to the marriage. Major decisions should be discussed. Consensus does not equal failure.

23. Tube Theory [in-class visual]

24. Common Traps Godzilla Husband –Rules instead of leads. –Refuses to discuss any decision. –Exercises his authority to the extreme. –Evidenced by a repressed wife, bitterness in the household. –Evidenced by poor decisions because of an ego- centric view, insufficient consultation.

25. Common Traps Gerbil Husband –Completely un-confident. –Does not view himself worthy to spiritually lead. –Unwilling or reluctant to make decisions. –Evidenced by a wife who feels the need to fill the void. –Evidenced by inconsistent or bad decisions for the family. –Potentially stemming from weaknesses in spiritual walk – husband or wife.

26. Common Traps Greenback Envy Husband –Low self-worth because wife is the breadwinner. –May be other areas where God has endowed the wife with superiority in skill or talent. –Evidenced by resentment towards spouse or self. –Evidenced by a tendency toward timid leadership. –Often evidenced by frequent or trivial arguments.

27. Encouragement Does your marriage reflect the Biblical model of submission? Is everyone in submission to Christ through the vigilant example of the husband’s submission to Jesus? Are the competencies of each individual brought to the table and utilized to the best of your abilities?

28. Diagnostics Daily submit (to Christ, to your husband) through prayer and obedient thought and action. Communicate. Check to make sure you are leading instead of ruling. Maintain a healthy spiritual walk with The Lord.

29. Discussion?