Desire and Rulership

These are some of my thoughts this morning on the consequences of Sin, as it relates to women and their desire and men and their rulership. I've got more thoughts on it, but another time, this is long as it is.
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Your desire will be for your husband
I am not a feminist, I believe in lifting all people up, unlike the feminist movement where they feel a need to trample men in order to lift themselves higher.  I have a strong sense of justice for both men and women alike! After all, I am a wife of a much loved husband, and a mother to four boys.
I love to see people rise, regardless of their gender, situations, intelligence, physical
or mental deficiencies, I love to see people begin to shine as a result of positive reinforcement.  Unfortunately, we live in a degradated world, compact with sin and madness!

When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden of Eden, God pronounced the consequences that sin would have on mankind, not because he was making a new rule, but because he could see beyond the now, and knew the results of sin.  He said to Eve "Your desire will be for your husband, and he shall rule over you!"

I struggled to understand what it meant, "Your desire will be for your husband". What exactly were women desiring from their husband's that was a result or consequence of sin. What is it that I have observed women to desire more then anything else from their husbands or men in general?

In my research, some said, "Sexual satisfaction". Ummm, no, I don't thinks so! I would say, to an extent, but that is more of a manly drive. 

Some said, "Women would have a desire to rule over her husband thus creating a conflict". Hmmm, no again! I don't think so! Some might, I suppose, but I haven't met too many wives who want to
rule over their husbands. 

Some others wrote just as clearly as the Bible itself states it, "She would desire her husband". In other words, she would always be seeking his affirmation! This made sense to me. 

This makes sense in the light of feminism! These women are seeking affirmation, plain and simple.
Because they didn't get it in a meek and humble way, they then determine to take it by force. It also makes sense among the girls who feel a need to sexualize themselves through their clothing or lack there of, the strange hair styles, and the goddy make up, or their inappropriate behavior, to get the attention of the
male folk. They want affirmation and having not gotten it in a Godly fashion, they have turned to making sexuality their lure. It makes sense for all woman to desire affirmation, because sin has separated us from God.

Can you imagine Eve, when she and Adam stood before God, already feeling guilty and alienated as a result of her sin? Do you not think that she was kicking herself for the sin she had committed, wishing she could undo what she had just done?

 Don't you think that it now became her greatest desire to seek RE-affirmation of Adam's love, especially after she heard him blame her? 

She must have been crushed! NEVER before had she EVER heard negative words about her come from the one who had always adored her every thought and action. How small she must have felt! How could she again gain his adoration after letting him down and being the cause of his fall? Now her desire was for her husband!  It was part of the natural consequence of her sin.

"Well", some might ask, "What is wrong with desiring your husbands affirmation and affection?" My answer: Nothing, unless it takes the place of your value found in Christ, and most of the world doesn't understand that! Our value is from Christ and Christ alone, and sinful man can never fill that empty hole that sin created. This is why Christ came to restore us back to the beauty of the pre-fall experience. Eve had never had to DESIRE her husband before. She had always HAD HIM, his deepest affections, and admiration. She had been complete in both God and Adam. Now, things had changed!

The consequences of Eve's actions were deeper then just a desire for constant affirmation. In connection with that, the Bible states that "He (her husband) shall rule over you!" In the light of this strong pull for affirmation and acceptance, can you imagine, the power that man now had over women?

Oh, some say, "He had rule over her before the fall, nothing new there". Well, in reading the writings of Paul, we gather that there was some sort of hierarchy by virtue of Adam being created first and then Eve from the rib of Adam. It is not hard to imagine that! After all, even within the the Godhead, God the Father claims Jesus as his equal but Jesus willingly subjects himself to his Father's will, in loving adoration. The Father lovingly points us to his son through the Holy Spirit, the Son points us to the Father, and around in circles it goes, each glorifying the other in a whirlwind of equality and love. No domineering, no power trips, and no need to "Rule" over the other!

So did Adam's Headship over his wife before the fall, equate with the curse or consequential "Rule over her" after the fall?
I don't believe so.

Lets have a look at the "Rule over her" aspect first.
Number 1. Remember this is the curse of sin! This is not a mandate but a description of what happens apart from Christ.
Number 2. The meaning I gather from the Hebrew translation is to Dominate, or have power over her.

This brings to my mind much of what I've seen while traveling around the world. I have been to India where it is certainly a male dominated society. I remember trying to sleep night after night in the heat with my windows wide open, hoping for at least a gust of air, but in so doing, unable to escape hearing women, somewhere out there, on the streets, screaming and begging for mercy as their husband's beat on them. When I would mention it out of concern and indignation in the morning, I observed only indifference and shrugs. "She must have been a bad wife!"

I recall opening a book on Hinduism one day, trying to comprehend the culture around me. I randomly picked a page and began to read. It was explaining the order of reincarnation, and that to be reincarnate as a cow or an elephant or a man was a pretty high honor, You must have done something good. On the other hand, to be reincarnated as a woman, you were worse off then if you had been a demon. I closed the book! No wonder they feel no guilt at throwing the baby girls in the Ganges. No wonder women are raped without consequence. No wander it is so easy to throw acid in their faces when they are tired of them. No wander!

In their sinful, Godless state, she clings to her desire for affirmation from her equally damaged husband, who feels a need to dominate and exercise his power over her. What a sad state of affairs! The problem is, it is not limited to India. It is the world over, to greater and lesser degrees, and even amongst acclaimed Christians. It has been for over 6 thousand years.

How can it be? God has lovingly put forth an example by coming to this Earth and demonstrating the image of Christ he wants to restore in us, the restored relationship between husband and wife. He wants men to see how He heads the church and to exemplify that in their relationships with their wives.

You see, there is a difference between the pre-fall headship, and the post-fall rulership! Christ as head and example to man, sacrificed himself for our gain. He gave his own life to re-affirm us, to love and to protect. He lived, died, and rose again to establish and confirm his promise to build up and restore. He came to make his people Holy! Amen!

Can you imagine?
After Adam realized his own fallen state, and how hurtful he had been in his words, both to his wife and to his creator God, he repented. 

I can only imagine the tears that flowed from his eyes as he realized and desperately sought to restore his wife's lost security in his love. I can only imagine his devastation, knowing he had just given her reason to doubt his devotion.  

Christ lead them to the alter, and their they saw death for the first time. There was the greatest consequence of sin. There they saw the example of Christ for his bride and there Adam comprehended what it meant to forgive and restore. There he saw the greatest example of what it was to be a husband this side of sin. There he learned to give his all for his wife!
I can not imagine otherwise then that, from then on he directed her to the saving lamb of God. His wife, his beautiful bride, could again find complete affirmation in him because of what Christ had done for them both by faith!!

That is the difference between the head and the consequential ruler!