I’ve always found a certain measure of comfort in 1 Tim 2:14: for Adam was not beguiled, but the woman being beguiled has fallen into transgression. Comfort, you ask? Sure. At least Eve had to be tricked into sinning. Adam knew it was a sin and did it anyway.
But I think the bigger point is this: no matter what our culture tries to tell us, men and women are different. We have different strengths and different weaknesses. As you age, dealing with more people in all sorts of situations, it becomes more and more obvious. In fact, I have come to believe this: there is nothing worse than a bad woman, but there is nothing better than a good woman. Women seem to have the capacity for both infinite cruelty and infinite compassion.
It should also be comforting that most of the oracles in the prophets are aimed squarely at men—they were the ones in control, the leaders who bore the responsibility for how a nation behaved. So I found it interesting when one commentary pointed out that we do have four oracles specifically to women, and I thought it might be good to explore those oracles and make application to ourselves. After all, people really haven’t changed. We are still men and women with the same strengths and the same weaknesses.
For the next four Mondays look for “Oracles to Women 2 through 5” here on the blog. Let me warn you: this will not be comfortable. In order to make an application we can relate to, I will be specific and sometimes brutally honest. I guarantee you will recognize these women. You see them around you every day—sometimes in the mirror. Yet I hope we can all learn to be better by these inspired words from God’s prophets.
Every wise woman builds her house; But the foolish plucks it down with her own hands, Prov 14:1.
Dene Ward
But I think the bigger point is this: no matter what our culture tries to tell us, men and women are different. We have different strengths and different weaknesses. As you age, dealing with more people in all sorts of situations, it becomes more and more obvious. In fact, I have come to believe this: there is nothing worse than a bad woman, but there is nothing better than a good woman. Women seem to have the capacity for both infinite cruelty and infinite compassion.
It should also be comforting that most of the oracles in the prophets are aimed squarely at men—they were the ones in control, the leaders who bore the responsibility for how a nation behaved. So I found it interesting when one commentary pointed out that we do have four oracles specifically to women, and I thought it might be good to explore those oracles and make application to ourselves. After all, people really haven’t changed. We are still men and women with the same strengths and the same weaknesses.
For the next four Mondays look for “Oracles to Women 2 through 5” here on the blog. Let me warn you: this will not be comfortable. In order to make an application we can relate to, I will be specific and sometimes brutally honest. I guarantee you will recognize these women. You see them around you every day—sometimes in the mirror. Yet I hope we can all learn to be better by these inspired words from God’s prophets.
Every wise woman builds her house; But the foolish plucks it down with her own hands, Prov 14:1.
Dene Ward
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