Clay in the Potter's Hands

"God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis 1:27

If you are active in the Christian blogoshere at all, you are aware of the hailstorm that John MacArthur brought down when he made a statement about Beth Moore a while back.  He said that she should "Go home."  John MacArthur believes, along with the vast majority of church leaders throughout history, that Scripture teaches that men are given the task of preaching and church leadership. Women are given important and honorable work to do - in the home and at church, but it is not the work of preaching and pastoring.  This is very clear in multiple places throughout the New Testament.  My purpose here isn't to recount all of those, but rather to point to a disturbing trend.

Over the last 150 years (and more), there has been a subtle rebellion against the God who "created them male and female". This rebellion has often not looked like rebellion against God.  It has most often looked like the throwing off of shackles, like railing against repressive societal norms, like crashing through glass ceilings. Feminism has paraded itself as a champion of social justice, and - to be fair - it has done some good.

However, these actions have not been the primary aim of feminism. If you read Eve in Exile by Rebekah Merkle, you can see the whole history of feminism for what it really is. Merkle does a good job of showing that, at its root, feminism was, and is, a rebellion against the calling of motherhood, a rebellion against the law of God, and ultimately, a rebellion against God himself. Women wanted to throw off the natural consequences of childbearing that comes as a result of promiscuity.  They saw that men could sleep around as much as they wanted without being "burdened" with a child, and that made them angry.  Why couldn't they sleep around, as well, without consequences?

This led to the push for abortion on demand that came to a head in the 20th century. Once women were able to break the shackles of motherhood, deciding when to start a family and discarding the unwanted pregnancies, then they felt truly free to throw off all of the other feminine qualities to pursue the world of men.  Along the way, some good things have resulted from feminism: the right for women to vote, the ability for unmarried women to earn a living, the punishment of abusive husbands/boyfriends, and etc.

However, for every accomplishment, there have been a thousand regressions for the cause of womanhood.  For every unmarried woman who can now earn her living respectfully, there are thousands upon thousands of women who are forced into sexual slavery - many of them who started out pursuing "sexual freedom". For every abusive husband who has been sent to jail, there have been many, many more men who have had the freedom to abuse a girlfriend because she is unprotected by a father.  For the women who have had the right to vote, there have been millions of little women who will never have the right to vote or to make any other decisions; their lives were ended before they were even born.

Feminism has finally accomplished its primary goal.  Motherhood is no longer necessary or even honored.  But at what cost?  I say it was too great a cost.

The problem started in the rebellious hearts of women who did what the Israelites did back in Isaiah's day. They said that God had no right to define for them what they should be or do.  God said of the Israelites: 

"Shall the potter be regarded as the clay, that the thing made should say of its maker, 'He did not make me'; or the thing formed say of him who formed it, 'He has no understanding?' " Isaiah 29:16 

The early feminists - and feminists today - say with the Israelites that God didn't make them, therefore they owe no allegiance to Him. They say that God has no right to speak into their lives. And I can say that they are at least consistent in this.  If someone believes that their existence is the result of a random explosion of atoms, why would she accept the authority of a Creator?

The problem isn't with non-Christian feminists.  The problem comes when the church embraces destructive feminist teachings. The church might not say with the feminists that God did not make them, but they do say with the Israelites that "He has no understanding." They read the Bible, which is the very Word of God, and excuse away its teachings.  They say that certain parts of the Bible were written in a different time for a very different people and that we need to understand the culture - blah blah blah.

If God is all that we believe he is, if he is Sovereign, Eternal, and All Powerful, if he doesn't change like shifting shadows, then wouldn't his Word be eternal and unchanging as well?  If he truly is the Author, and if it truly is his Word and not the word of man, wouldn't it still be as true and authoritative as it was when it was written? Wouldn't he have the ability to write and preserve his Word for his people?  When we say that certain parts of the Bible are no longer culturally relevant, aren't we saying that God is impotent as the Author and preserver of his Word?

(Just to be clear, I am not talking about the parts of the law that are ceremonial - which were fulfilled in Christ, or about the parts of the law that were specific to the Israelites - which were also fulfilled in Christ.  I speak of the moral law, which was fulfilled in Christ, but is still required of his people. And I speak of the entirety of the teachings of Scripture, which are all in agreement.)

"And the LORD said: 'Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men, therefore...the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.' " Jeremiah 29:13

We have people in the church - and I don't mean a few hidden wolves here and there but men in prominent national leadership - who do just what the above verse says. They honor God with their lips. They say most of the right words.  They claim to hold to the efficacy of the Gospel. They believe in the virgin birth and the resurrection on the third day.  They give lip service to God's Word and then gut it of his authority and power.  They deny the most basic teaching of Scripture - "male and female he created them."  Tickling the ears of their hearers, they agree with the godless feminists who say that there is no distinction between the sexes. 

Seeking to be "relevant" to the generation around us, these teachers jump into the current of our modern times rather than standing against it.  They have been deceived.  They believed the lie that says that the role that God put women into is demeaning and cruel.  They listened to the deceiver who said, "Did God really say...?"  They have been distracted by the wrong questions and have, therefore, given incorrect and irrelevant answers.

What was God's true intent for woman?  Was she really to be the doormat? Was she to be the meek and uncomplaining servant of every man she meets? NO.  This is not what Scripture teaches!

Unfortunately, in this format, I don't have the time to explain fully the intended "Glory of woman."  But I can give just a glimpse.  Woman was created to glorify and beautify the world, not just simply with her physical beauty, but with everything she touches.  Erick Gray got it at least partially correct with his well-known quote.  "Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater... If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.  If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal... She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her." (I'll leave off the part about the crap.)

Take a look at the world before the industrial revolution - the vast majority of human history.  Woman works side-by-side with her husband.  Her husband is physically larger and stronger than she, so he takes the brunt of the heavy physical work-load.  However, she picks up wherever he leaves off.  He builds the house and barn; plows, plants, and harvests the crops; hunts game; fells trees; and fights off the enemy - work that is physically demanding for the strongest of men.  But in the meantime, she plants a garden, milks the cows, carries in the firewood, keeps a cook-fire going, forages for nuts and berries - all while pregnant or nursing a child, cooking for the family, making clothes and keeping them clean, and teaching her children.  On top of all this, she is the hand that comforts the hurt child, the kiss that soothes away the nightmare, and the comfort and joy of her husband.  Somehow, in the midst of all this, she adds more beauty still - in a vase of flowers or a pretty tablecloth, in a fetching hairstyle, and in a thousand small ways.  This woman isn't decorative!  She isn't weak or unnecessary.  She is highly honored and valued. 

Even today, in an age where machinery does all the hard work, the strength of women is needed - more than ever - to take a paycheck and turn it into warmth, sustenance, and beauty.  Her duties of comfort, soothing, beautifying, and teaching aren't changed in any sense.  What an honor - to form and shape the future men and women of our world, to provide an environment of love and safety to the most vulnerable people in the world!  In God-fearing homes, where her importance is understood, her work is still satisfying and honorable.

As people of the Word, we have to stop taking the drivel that is handed to us as truth from an unbelieving world.  We have to stop allowing those outside the church to guide and form our thoughts and beliefs.  We have to read and believe God's Word as being just that - Words from the very mouth of God.

When the world tells us that women can and should do anything that men can do, including preaching and pastoring, we have to stand on the truth of God's Word.  We have to tell the deceived and misguided women who attempt to preach and pastor that God has a higher calling for us.  In desperate need, you can use a wrench as a hammer, but it is not its intended purpose and will not do the job well.  There are times that men have abdicated their roles and women are forced to lead their families.  Even in Bible times, Debra stepped into the role of leader when no men would take the lead.  But she said it was to the shame of the weak men around her.

However, when a woman promotes herself into the role of ordained church leadership, regardless of capable men around her, she stands opposed to the plan God has for her life.  She and the men around her are accepting a counterfeit.  John MacArthur spoke up when all of the men in Beth Moore's life have refused to do so.  He firmly and briefly encapsulated the most loving advice he could give to her.  "Go home." Go fulfill your God-given purpose.  Stop grasping after the "forbidden fruit". Stop telling the Potter that he has no right to decide the purpose of his pot.  He is the Potter, you are the clay.  Be moldable in the Maker's hands, and he will make something beautiful of you.

We need to pray that we are not deceived by the words of this world that sound so wise.  May we, as strong and capable women, cling to the Wisdom of God and truly fulfill the purpose of our Maker.