The Scourge Of Racism
Paperback Book
Released October 5, 2023
Get Your Copy
Now In The Strong Man Store!
Satan’s lie that to call out sin is to hate the person guilty of it has kept many married Christian men from calling out a wife or daughter’s adoption of worldly feminist values. Single Christian men face the same problem as they pray, seek out and wait on God for what the wisest man on earth three thousand years ago described as “An excellent wife,” (Proverbs 12:4a, NKJV). Now, while the times in the world may have changed in just one, short generation since the hard launch in the 1960s of what has flowered into 21st century feminism, it is not for the better for Christians seeking suitable mates! Still, there is hope for those that will be the person of God’s design and proceed His way.
Marking the one year anniversary on October 8th of the roll out of The Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study,1 as the author, I can assure prospective what current users already know: the content is fully biblical as is my writing motive in love for God and women. Truly, I could not be misogynistic (hateful) toward women as the accuser would have it if I wanted to since the God of the Bible I serve charges us who love Him like Him, to also love even our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48)! 2 Thus, the slanderous accusation of being “inauthentic” in celebrating women as God designed by a Facebook content monitor during our spring promotional campaign or anyone is thoroughly satanic.
In the power of the Holy Spirit and His assignment through this Ministry’s cause to restore men, their families and communities, I have cried out in zealous love against Satan’s wicked scheme through feminism to destroy them. As I have repeatedly written, feminism of the world is diametrically opposed to God’s design of men, women and the family; negatively impacting communities as we see today in the ghastly extent of disorder, dysfunction and destruction. What God did for mankind in His original design at the beginning “was very good,” (Genesis 1:31, NKJV). Now, under fallen, proud humanity wiser than God, things have degenerated to the point of total collapse unless He intervenes.
I joyfully write instructing men and women about the great woman of God first in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.3 She is a marvel of divine design as the potential excellent wife Solomon writes about that “is the crown of her husband,” (Proverbs 12:4a, NKJV). Indeed, because such a woman is built of the excellencies of character and dedication to her husband and family in accepting the divine order, her roles as well as responsibilities within it, she is prized to the degree later in the Proverbs that the question is asked, ‘“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies,’” (Proverbs 31:10, NKJV).4 This woman was rare millennia ago and still is today!
Conversely, Solomon pens, “But she who causes shame is like rottenness in his bones,” (Proverbs 12:4b, NKJV). Surely, a wife that causes shame to her husband is one that lacks a life changing relationship with the living God and the consequent inner beauty He works in her. An example of this kind of woman Solomon writes about is one that is “contentious” (Proverbs 19:13, 21:9, 25:24, NKJV). Systemic to worldly feminism is contending not to be under male headship--a non-starter in biblical marriage and a guaranteed source of strife in all but those marriages where the husband submits to the headship of his wife contrary to God’s order of mankind (1 Corinthians 11:3).5
Nevertheless, the aspiring great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ is virtuous and equipped to be that excellent wife. In the women’s group study, the Lord leads me to introduce the way to knowing Him through salvation, His will and design of woman along with His nature displayed and character He constructs in her with the resulting demeanor! To inspire and help females going through the group study see Christ’s character traits, they are presented individually as displayed in select godly women in the Bible. Naomi in the book of Ruth for example, is chosen to represent Christ’s character trait of empathy as she displayed to her widowed daughters-in-law (Ruth 1).
Not presented among those aforementioned godly women is Ruth, who easily displays all of the individual character traits of the women’s group study in composite form! She is from among the idol worshipping Moabites who are descendants of Lot (Genesis 19:30-38). After living with her Jewish husband before his death and around his mother, Naomi, some ten years, Ruth insists on returning with her to Judah, Israel. Ruth’s famous statement of devotion after Naomi bid both her daughters-in-law stay in their own land includes a clear turning from idols to the God of her mother-in-law, Israel and the Bible (Ruth 1:15-18)! From this point on, Ruth shows herself for example, humble and submissive to Naomi; so much so, all the people and one important man notice (Ruth 2).
As Naomi intuitively knew, Boaz was interested in Ruth. Through her counsel, Naomi set widowed Ruth on a path to the blessings of biblically sanctioned marriage, motherhood and eternal fame. For she bore a son to Boaz who would become the grandfather of king David and in the line of the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, his Descendant (Ruth 3-4; Matthew 1:1-17). Who can find an excellent wife? The aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ who like Boaz, has his eyes and ears open to see and hear her. She will be aspiring to be a great woman of God in the image of Christ in nature, character and demeanor. She will be found in His Word; studying it and seeking to live it out. She may not be a “brick house,” but she will be built right by God (Proverbs 19:14)!
1 This important group study for females is available with the corresponding male group study at all major internet book sellers and in the Strong Man Store. However, only the Strong Man Store has the important accessory Power Point help for the instructor on CD-Rom. While examining the group study resources in the Strong Man Store, be sure to click the links for more in depth information.
2 See the May 3, 2015 post, Childish Arguments, under the category, The Cause, where I make the same genuine declaration. If through his children as Satan falsely ac- cuses (John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-10), any calling out of sin is hatred for the person(s) called out, how can parents correct their children any longer; a society its law- breakers? Such an accusation is absurd and w ickedly childish to the extreme; another reason I through the Spirit of the living God steadfastly declare feminism to be among the foretold latter day “doctrines of demons,” (1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV).
3 The book is also available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. Read the October 4, 2020 post, The Great Woman Of God, under the cate- gory, The Cause, to be introduced to her in this Blog.
4 See the October 11, 2020 post, The Great Woman Of God’s Character, under the category, The Cause.
5 Let every faithful Christian husband as the pastor-teacher of his house stand firm to speak “the truth in love” about feminism to his professed Christian wife and other fe- male family members that they may hear and avert disaster (Ephesians 4:14-15, NKJV)!
As I concluded in an October 2020 post, it is only fitting that females embracing worldly feminism taught by demons in these “latter times” as foretold should be part of the multi-faceted rebellion against God and His Anointed, the Lord Jesus Christ (Psalm 2:1-3; Acts 4:23-28; 1 Timothy 4:1, NKJV).1 Indeed, the rebellion against God in all of its forms is a manifest sign of the world now, being fully in its latter times just before His return as He has led me to assert in many posts from Bible prophecy.2 Worldly feminists in their rebellion against God and His Anointed are focused on undoing His purposeful and perfect design of the order, roles and responsibilities of mankind.
In rebelling against God’s assignment of male authority through the husband-father in His design of family order particularly, feminists seek to overthrow it and re-structure the family after their own design. In their design rooted in their rebel vision of equality, there are impossibly two family heads, no head and an equal sharing of authority or the acceptance of females just as capable to lead--a reality in many homes by deliberate male default to avoid drama or acquiescence in spiritual ignorance and/or weakness. Not only has this rebel vision of family authority impacted marriages, but it has left the children confused especially about their very important relationship with their fathers.
While in His design as the Lord has led me to write in other places, fathers teach the whole family His Word generally and their sons specifically about biblical manhood,3 they also have important teaching as well as leading, providing and protecting responsibilities to their not of age and single daughters at home. Full disclosure here for me in that much of what I am about to write I have learned after my daughters in a blended family became adults. I wish I had exercised the knowledge I did have more wisely in their youth with that which I have gained since. And of course, back then, I completely underestimated the extent to which feminism would consistently undercut my efforts.4
Worldly feminism has purposely set daughters against their fathers as in no other time in the history of mankind! In the short span of the mid-1960s until now, many females urged through feminism to resist male authority have also been rebelling against their father’s God assigned family headship over them up to the time of marriage (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:3-6). Godly fathers exercised authority over and taught daughters to value themselves and their bodies by staying virgins until given to husbands with their permission (Genesis 24:10-51; 1 Corinthians 7:34-38). They also provided for and protected them from lust driven, sex seeking males like me as an unsaved teenager.
The value of a female virgin was such that male family members would kill a man that soiled their sister who as today, were often traumatized (Genesis 34; 2 Samuel 13:1-33). God’s laws to Israel also reflected the female virgin’s value (Exodus 22:16-17). In my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, writing about the absence of women as lifelong celibates in the Bible the Lord leads me to present the sad case of Jephthah’s daughter who as a virgin, mourned not that she would die because of her father’s wrongheaded vow, but having kept herself pure, the fact she would not ever know marriage and family (Judges 11:29-40).5 Fathers and daughters valued their purity.6
However, the Women’s Liberation (from God’s order and morality) Movement born of worldly feminism and followed closely by the Sexual Revolution enabled through birth control and abortions changed everything! I am a living witness to and participant in these historical events which seemed like a boon to us males everywhere at the time, but as in so much of what feels good for the moment, the consequential aftermath has not been pleasant at all.7 Fathers that understood something of God’s ancient will for them were thrown aback. Suddenly, professed Christian females who had understood their value as virgins and intended to remain so until marriage were greatly challenged.
Still, in the midst of a world where our daughters are urged to scorn and rebel against us from every quarter, aspiring strong man of God fathers must stand firm in the fact God’s will, way and Word concerning His order, our roles and responsibilities are right! Start as young as you can teaching all your children to understand the realm of your home is different from the world outside because you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Let them know you would like to have them choose to follow Him also, but until then, your home is built on the values and life outlook you have from a biblical worldview that is non-negotiable (Joshua 24:14-15). Be consistent while also being relationally available and providing alternative activities when needed that are “fun.”
Make sure you affirm the value of your daughters as persons of worth and dignity. This does not mean pandering after them as even some Christian father-daughter gurus seem to suggest, but imitate God the perfect Father (Genesis 16; Numbers 12).8 Knowing His will for females to marry and bear children, encourage them to pursue an education and a line of work by which they can sustain themselves on their own until then. Otherwise, if they choose to stay home under your authority to further their education and/or work while waiting for God to bring His man to them, give them adult space, but with the understanding you and all house rules must be honored; a circumspect lifestyle maintained. In all this you work with God to build daughters into excellent wives (Proverbs 31:28-29).
1 See the October 11, 2020 post, The Great Woman Of God’s Character, under the category, The Cause.
2 Read the April 8, 2018 post, The Second Adam Rules And Judges, under the category, Bible Prophecy, along with the three-part post beginning April 18, 2021, Daughters Of This Age, under the category, God’s Creatures as examples.
3 See the June 13, 2021 post, The Heart Of A Son, under the category, Instruction and on July 11, 2021, A Father And Mother On Purpose, under the category, God’s Crea- tures.
4 No matter what my daughters that lived with me watched in the media or where they went--school, church, friend’s homes etc., what their father taught them at home from a biblical worldview such as I knew was challenged by the rebel views of feminism among others of this world! I know I am not alone in my experience and this is the reason, no doubt, the Lord in part has me writing this post to encourage and help a struggling Christian father; his daughter if she will give heed. For as aspiring strong men of God in the image of Christ we are not to just throw up our hands in exasperation caving into the way the world works in rebellion. But this too, is part of fighting “the good fight of faith,” (1 Timothy 6:11-16, NKJV)!
5 The book is available at your favorite internet book seller and in the Strong Man Store. The prospect of lifelong celibacy and sexual purity are are also discussed in The Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study available through the same outlets.
6 I will say it again here. Sons are also to be taught to value their virginity until marriage. Sinful men have historically allowed a wicked double standard I acknowledge and condemn in Christ.
7 Casual and no fault sex has led to unprecedented promiscuity, millions of out of wed-lock births and abortions (used as birth control after the fact when either unprotected intercourse or other forms of pregnancy prevention measures failed), unmarried couples living together in large numbers, inconsequential adultery, increased date and stranger rapes, an out of control porn industry with related addiction, sex trafficking, sexual abuse and perversion, widespread and incurable sexually transmitted diseases as well as a long trail of broken and ruined lives.
8 God never compromises righteousness while also being gracious and merciful. Having then, given the warning about pandering after daughters leading inevitably to a father compromising God’s standards of righteousness for the sake of being loving and accepting, I defer to the counsel of more qualified men such as Dr. James Dobson, Dr. Kevin Leman and Dr. Willie Richardson among other faithful Christians as experts to help. Under no circumstances do I encourage following the advice of anyone about raising daughters that is accommodating to the rebel values of feminism as though it will perpetually stand as the defining global norm. Truly, even “Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord” near at hand, the Lord is sending the prophet Elijah to restore fathers and children in Israel as well as the willing beyond (Mala- chi 4, NKJV)!
Why have some professing Christians and their leaders during the course of my thirty plus years of service to the Lord accused me of being too serious and strict; my biblical instruction, naive? Isn’t it because they are not very serious about the Lord nor seek to fully obey His Word as it is written? In the shallow waters of faithless superficiality through manmade Christianity the religion, compromise or the corruptions of falsehood, these accusers resent anyone who with zeal to proclaim and live out the light of biblical Christianity exposes their darkness. But praise be to the triune God, only faith and full obedience to the end have been and will be rewarded (Numbers 14:20-24, 30-38; Hebrews 3:5-19, 10:35-39)! Anyone that believes to the contrary is deceived.
Truly, what the Lord led me to write in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics and to reiterate in the following edited 2011 blog repost, the Bible as God’s Word is a lost book to many insincerely professing American Christians. Statistics on Bible study and other measures of biblically taught faithfulness compiled by those such as The Barna Group sadly still support my Spirit empowered assertion. Just as the many insincere 7th century BC Israelites for whom the Book of the Law became lost as they went astray from the Lord, so, too, many insincere professing Christians today who are willfully disobedient to the Word; living and doing as it pleases them.
Professing Christians and especially the men who are God’s chosen leaders in the home and churches beginning with every guilty pastor and elder must repent from abandoning God’s Word as it is written in disobedience! Sirs, as I challenge you in my book, it is time to stop hating the faithful and join us as a king Josiah to the church you serve. Otherwise, since as the Lord’s servant and yours I have been permitted to look ahead in His prophetic Word, I will tell you what I see: I see that your visions of grandeur and perpetual earthly legacy born of ego, pride and selfish ambition are about to be dashed against the rocks as God’s judgment in the churches continues and intensifies (2 Chronicles 34:19-25; Jeremiah 25:32-38; 1 Peter 4:17-18)!
In continuing disobedience, your eternal future is not any better than your destroyed earthly legacy unless you do repent (1 Corinthians 3:5-17)! Why should the men you shepherd view the instruction in my book as somehow new? And why are you so fearful of its contents? I write nothing in my book that is not already written in the Book of books! But again, since the Bible uncorrupted is lost to you as the direct source material of your instruction and equally important example, you scorn and scoff at anyone or anything faithful to God and His Word that shows your shortcomings and corruptions instead of repenting so His Spirit-fired revival might come to you. Know this going forward: only the repentant will enjoy God’s peace in what is coming (2 Chronicles 34:26-28)!
Originally Posted July 24, 2011
One of the most remarkable signs of the times pointing to Christ’s near return is His propheti-cally insightful rhetorical question about the spiritual climate of the world at His coming found in Luke 18:8. His question comes at the end of a parable He gives to encourage men of faith to never lose heart but to always persist in prayer with God. He asks, “when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” While we would be tempted in pride to say yes, Christ’s knowledge of the future and the now observable steady decline of authentic, biblical faith among professing believers confirmed by statistics, points to a sobering no to His question.
Christianity’s march from the 1st century to this hour closely spiritually parallels Israel’s march from Egypt to Babylon. Significant in both is the setting aside of God’s Word. In Israel’s case, the Book of the Law was lost in the Temple complex only to be re-discovered by priests who had been ordered to restore the Temple by a faithful king named Josiah. After having the lost book read to him, the king repented before the Lord and feared His righteous judgment for the spiritual situation was far worse than he had thought. They did enjoy a temporary revival (2 Kings 22-23:27).
The fact that I and many other authors are writing books calling Christians to turn back to God’s will, way and Word is evidence that the Bible is lost in many hearts and churches. Physically, the printed pages are everywhere. Indeed, the Bible is the best-selling book on the planet! But due to a lack of genuine faith leading to real repentance, conversion, salvation and obedience among other reasons, the Book is lost to many in plain sight.
I rejoice to have been commissioned of the Lord to write The Strong Man Of God: Back to Basics. But it is heart-breaking to see the faces of men I teach who profess to be Christians, acting as if what I am teaching about being a man is a new discovery. The teaching of my book is and has been in the Book, the Bible, God’s unchanging Word that is to fire our faith and obedience even until Christ’s return. We need to find God’s lost Book once again. You can begin in my book that for the sake of our men, families and communities we might enjoy at least a temporary revival.
Critical to a human family as God designed it in perfection is a devoted wife and mother. For while a man as the head of the family importantly initiates, gives visionary leadership and overall governance to it, a devoted wife and mother provides bonding love to all and excellent management skills that keeps it running smoothly. Regardless of family size, her job is incredibly challenging and requires all that God has designed a woman to be naturally and because of sin, supernaturally in nature, character and demeanor to pull off successfully! Therefore, being a devoted wife and mother as a woman is not something inferior or trivial, but very significant and precious to her family.
The struggle many women of child bearing age have today balancing education and career aspirations with the demands of being fully devoted wives and mothers is taking a devastating toll on them and their families. From personal mental and physical health issues to the multifaceted drama of marital strife often leading to divorce and traumatized children, many affected 21st century women attempting to live out 20th century feminism’s narcissistic ideal to “have it all” are suffering greatly. In the process, virtually gone are the days women as devoted wives and mothers joyfully gave themselves in self-denying, sacrificial service to their husbands and children and were still fulfilled.
From the 18th century industrial age women have been pressing their way into male dominated workplaces. While the Woman’s Suffrage Movement sought to politically enfranchise them in the 19th century, by the middle of the 20th century, feminist descendants expanded their objectives to include the right to be free from the ancient biblical, Judeo-Christian expectation of marriage and family. As I wrote in a previous Mother’s Day post, Betty Friedan is generally credited with voicing the rallying cry for “Women’s Liberation” from what she and others she surveyed felt were the mundane and dissatisfying tasks of just being wives and mothers especially for those that had been educated.1 2
Since Friedan in the mid-sixties, feminism has urged women to pursue their dreams in all fields of endeavor and to do so without guilt concerning marriage, family and their own biological clocks to find the significance and fulfillment they equally deserved with men. But there yet remains stubborn resistance by the large number of struggling women to an all out abandonment of marriage and family as a valid avenue of female experience. Indeed, among them are many professed women of faith who like others still wanting marriage and family as devoted wives and mothers in accord historically with God’s design for them, struggle too, because they cling to Satan’s lie in feminism.
For a generation women have heard the lie that they should not be satisfied and in related evil, envious and resentful toward men in authority. However, faithful contemporary women of faith find themselves in a long line of sisters that begins in the Bible who were well adjusted, satisfied and fulfilled as devoted wives and mothers of significance and blessing to their families. These women receive satisfaction from their God designed roles and praise from their families because they start not in narcissism with themselves, but Him as the woman of Proverbs 31:30. Interestingly, it is a mother’s instruction to her son that reveals why such women are relatively few (Proverbs 31:1-3, 10).
A woman that knows and fears God loves and is devoted to Him first! In that devotion, she is joyfully eager and willing in all submission to embrace the roles and responsibilities He has assigned in order to please Him and do His will. As a result, with His guiding wisdom and strength, this great woman of God purposefully commits her life to being the best possible wife to her husband and he knows it (Proverbs 31:11-12).3 With his trust, encouragement and support because he and the whole family also benefit, she works in and outside of the home using her God given talents to operate businesses without neglecting her family (Proverbs 31:13-24). Because she knows the Lord, she is a woman of compassion, strength, dignity, wisdom, kindness and diligence (Proverbs 31:25-27).
Amazingly, because her significance is tied to her God’s love, acceptance and approval, the great woman of God is completely satisfied with her life. She also truly has it all since she uses every fiber of her being, knowledge, talents and skills to serve the purposes of God in her roles and responsibilities as a devoted wife and mother. Blessed, her family rises up to “call her blessed;” her husband “praises her” as does the watching community (Proverbs 31:28-31; NKJV). Foolish is the man that would oppress such a wife; treasure her, she is from God!4 My sisters that are guilty: repent from buying into the lie of feminism; put God first then your husband and children (Psalms 37:3-4, 111:10; Isaiah 55:1-3). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 See the May 11, 2014 post, Motherhood In A Time Of Rebellion, under the category, God’s Creatures.
2 Read about Betty Freidan and her impact on American feminism at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Friedan.
3 Learn more about the great woman of God in the image of Jesus Christ in my book, The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics available through all major internet book-
sellers, by order from your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man Store.
4 My grandmother, Eunice Campbell, featured on the Great Woman Of God Mothers CD cover worked nearly all of her sixty-six year life as have most black women from
slavery, including her daughter, my mother, Bettie Kelley and my wife, Mary, when our children were in the home. Momma as an aspiring great woman of God main-
tained an excellent Christian witness to her nominally professing Christian husband and family. While being an excellent wife, mother, homemaker and working full-
time as a Civil Service Food Service Worker with AAFES at the Fort Ord Army Base, she still went to mid-week and Sunday church services. She only took my siblings
and me to church as children on many Sundays where we were exposed to Christianity. Momma was overjoyed later when as a young adult, I came to Christ and gave
her a preview of my exercising the gift of preaching as a babe before her departure. We called her blessed while she was with us; I declare her so again in sweet mem-
ory of her this Mother’s Day! The Great Woman of God Mothers CD is available in the Strong Man Store.
The moment God brought the new creature from, like and for him to Adam as a wife, the joy was etched all over his face, displayed in any body gestures and fully heard in every syllable of the words that flowed out of his mouth as Scripture records (Genesis 2:21-25)! Thus, it is written: “He who finds a wife finds a good thing, and obtains favor from the Lord,” (Proverbs 18:22, NKJV). Men throughout history have only come close to Adam’s initial reaction to his new wife when they see their brides for the first time on the wedding day and later during the night, after they disclose their bodies to them in the intimacy of romantic love blessed by God (Song Of Solomon 3:6-5:1).
In the foregoing is found the beginning of the historical value of women to men! For woman was created by God to be man’s intimate companion; taking away his aloneness in lifelong marital relationship as they moved together in the divine wonder of oneness. Corresponding to him, he could transparently share his innermost being with her and her, him. Uniquely above the animals they could together imagine, dream, appreciate and create beauty as well as fellowship with their Creator. Created also to be man’s helper, by God’s design a woman helped most significantly when out of their intimacy children were conceived in her womb, brought forth, nourished and nurtured.1
After this, God intended for a woman to help her husband govern their family by managing the home under his headship (Titus 2:1-5). Most blessed have been the men with godly wives that managed the home well and were willing also to help them bear the weight of seeking God for their family vision and needs through much adversity (Proverbs 12:4, 19:14).2 For the fall of man to Satan, sin and death has made even marriage and family an experience of many sorrows and troubles as the judgment of God presaged (Genesis 3:16-19; Job 14:1-12). Even so, many women of faith in the Bible have been godly helpers par excellence to their husbands, sons, prophets and kings alike.3
With Noah as a 500 year old man of faith certainly was his wife. Though we do not know her name, her deeds of helping support for her husband are everywhere seen in the biblical narrative of their epoch. She bore Noah three sons and no doubt tolerated his long work hours while managing the home when she was not helping him in the task of building the ark God commanded over many years (Genesis 6:9-17). Scripture records no objections on her part whatsoever about Noah building or entering the ark with their sons, their wives and many animals large and small she too had to help with (Genesis 6:18-7:16). Compare Noah’s wife to Lot’s and Job’s (Genesis 19:15-26; Job 1:6-2:9).
Amram in Egyptian bondage sought out a wife from his tribe of Levi and married Jochebed (Exodus 2:1, 6:20). During Pharaoh’s strict edict to his people to kill every Hebrew male born by drowning, Jochebed conceived, bore Moses and out of a mother’s natural love with her husband hid him three months. When she could not hide him any longer, by faith in God she prepared an “ark of bulrushes” and set him adrift among river bank reeds in hope that an Egyptian woman would spare his life. God fulfilled Jochebed’s hope beyond her wildest expectations as her son grew up to be His vessel of deliverance for Israel (Exodus 1:15-3:10; Deuteronomy 34; Hebrews 11:23, NKJV).
Elkanah had two wives--Peninnah who bore him children and Hannah who had not. He dutifully provided for Penninnah and their children, but out of love for Hannah gave her “a double portion” though, “the Lord had closed her womb.” He also comforted Hannah in her grief over not having borne him at least one son in the face of her rival’s many years of taunting. Finally, during the annual worship at Shiloh, Hannah poured her heart out to God for a son. God answered, blessing her to conceive and birth Samuel, who after she weaned, returned him to the Lord as promised. In fulfilled joy she praised God for having given her husband the greatest son of that day; her son, the best possible life as Israel’s last judge, God’s prophet and king maker (1 Samuel 1-2:11, NKJV).
David and his men were on the run from king Saul who wanted to kill his rival. While on the run he did good to fellow Israelites and one in particular named Nabal, whose sheep and shearers came under David’s protection. After asking for provisions and being harshly rebuffed by Nabal, David was on his way to murder him and his household. But Abigail, Nabal’s wife, was told of the matter and quickly sent David provisions. She also came out to meet him and plead for the family. Her godly wisdom as a woman of faith spoken respectfully to the future king stopped him from sinning. He wisely married her after “the Lord struck Nabal and he died,” (1 Samuel 25:1-42, NKJV).4 The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 As the Lord has led, I wrote in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics about mortal woman being created to be a companion and helper to her husband as being of
the highest honors. This is because these roles are in the image and likeness of and specifically imitate spiritually God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the triune
God! He is the intended eternal Companion and Helper to all redeemed souls He brings to new birth (John 1:12-13, 3:1-8, 14:16-17). Therefore, to treat these roles
with contempt is truly arrogant, audacious and high handed sin (Isaiah 45:9-10)! The book is available through all major internet booksellers, by order from your fa-
vorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man Store.
2 Get more biblical instruction on the roles and responsibilities of husbands and wives in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics.
3 I call such women “great women of God” in my book. The Strong Man Store now has available the newest Strong Man Of God Audio Resource, Great Woman Of
God Mothers, an expository message from the Lord challenging 21st century Christian women to aspire to be like these women. Be sure to listen to the message sam-
ple provided.
4 Of all the Old Testament great women of God, Abigail is one of my favorites not only because she was beautiful, godly, humble and submissive, but because she also
possessed the spiritual wisdom an aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ needs to help him make decisions that please the Lord and fulfill His will! Now,
such a woman is never to usurp or be used by her husband to replace the Holy Spirit as his first in order Companion and Counselor. But after prayer, he should find
his wife also led by the Spirit is in one accord with what the Spirit has counseled. Compare the counsel Abigail gave David with that which Jezebel gave her husband
and the outcomes (1 Kings 21).
Memorial Day causes us to look to the graveyard or if you will, the fields of the dead to remember with esteem those of the military who gave their lives serving our nation. So, I do with all others again this year. The ‘“cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre’” in Israel is the burial place of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and their respective wives Jews look to remembering the progenitors of their ethnic heritage (Genesis 49:29-33, NKJV). Jacob, God named Israel, fathered twelve sons by four wives, six of them borne by Leah who is buried with him. How this came about and on this Pentecost, the body of Leah’s greatest Descendant not in a tomb concerns this post.
Leah, daughter of Laban and sister of Rachel examined in last week’s post,1 was honored with burial in the patriarchal cave by her husband, Jacob. She had been his first wife through the deceit of her father when he switched her out for Rachel on what was supposed to be her younger sister’s wedding night (Genesis 29:15-30). For whatever all of the reasons including perhaps, the physical issue with her eyes noted in the referenced passage, Leah as the older of the two sisters had not yet married when Jacob arrived on scene. As with most women of her time, marriage and family were the twin aims of her life and surely the reason in part she cooperated with her father’s treachery.2
In the polygamous marriage to Jacob as his first wife, but second to Rachel because he loved her more, Leah found herself “unloved;” literally hated by her husband. Fortunately for Leah and all women in marriages where their husbands do not love them, God was watching and on the case for her. “He opened her womb” out of mercy, but kept Rachel’s shut (Genesis 29:31, NKJV). While His observation of women in marriages where they are unloved by their husbands is a universal reality that should spur them to prayer for help, God’s specific actions for Leah are not. He acts in accord with His sovereign will, wisdom, unique purposes for all who call upon Him and His glory!3
Leah rightly concluded that the Lord had seen her “affliction” of being unloved by Jacob when she bore him a son she named, Reuben, for that reason (Genesis 29:32, NKJV). However, her hopes Jacob would love her because of this son and the next two that followed were dashed (Genesis 29:33-34). From the seed of her third son, Levi, would come her descendants Aaron, father of Israel’s priesthood and God’s great lawgiver, Moses (Exodus 6:16-27). On her fourth son, Leah seemed to get that God should be praised for her fruitful motherhood and declared: ‘“Now I will praise the Lord.’” So, she named him, Judah, which means praise (Genesis 29:35, NKJV).
From the seed of Judah came Israel’s second king, David, and an eternal, royal dynasty terminating in “Shiloh” God foretold first through Jacob and promised several centuries later by the prophet, Nathan, to the king (Genesis 49:8-12; 2 Samuel 7:1-17, NKJV). This Shiloh, is none other than He Jacob had wrestled with and who came to earth to begin to fulfill all that was written of Him forty-two generations after Abraham (Genesis 32:22-32; Matthew 1:1-17). Of the things written of Him were His birth to a virgin also a descendant of Leah through David and the first priority of His work as Israel’s final King embodied in His name, “JESUS,” (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 3:23-31, NKJV).
Indeed, Jesus Christ, King of the Jews, completed His work to save His people from their sins as foretold (Psalm 22:1-21a; Matthew 27:32-50; John 19:17-30). On the same day before sunset, He was buried in a rich man’s tomb and on the third day after God resurrected Him (Psalm 22:21b; John 19:38-20:18).4 Following that on the fortieth day, “He was taken up” and glorified; seated at God’s right hand to await His return to rule not only Israel, but the whole earth! On the fiftieth day, “Pentecost,” He sent the Holy Spirit to indwell those who believe and enable His apostles to preach the Gospel about as well as “be witnesses to” Him “to the end of the earth,” (Psalm 22:22-31; Isaiah 53; Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-20; Luke 24:36-53; John 20:19-29; Acts 1:4-2:40, 3:11-26, NKJV).
Leah continued to compete with Rachel for Jacob’s love through childbearing; making the same mistake as her sister in giving him her maid for a wife, but to no avail (Genesis 30:1-21). He did honor her above all at her death. Also, not only did Leah prevail in the fruitful bearing of six to Rachel’s two sons, but unknown to her God’s favor ran much deeper. She bore one from who would come Israel and history’s greatest King; even He who is “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,” (Revelation 5:5, NKJV)! From what God did through unloved Leah, both His aspiring strong men and great women in the image of Christ are reminded He has worked and wills to work in us far beyond what we could have ever imagined to His glory (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)!5 Let Him have you!
1 Read the May 21, 2023 post, Lessons From Rachel For Aspiring Great Women, under the category, The Cause.
2 Another reason was the universal reverence given to fathers and modeled by God as the heads over their daughters until marriage only rebelled against in this latter days generation (Genesis 2:18, 21-22, 24:47-51; Numbers 12:14-16) though, Leah out of greater reverence for God and as a matter of character could have objected to being a party to deceit.
3 Christian women please note how the Holy Spirit led me to write broadly of women in marriages with husbands that do not love them. In His perfect will and your obedience to marry “only in the Lord,” such a situation should not exist for you. However, if for whatever reasons you are in a situation like this, you all the more know seeking God in prayer is the first right step followed by doing what His Word teaches in longsuffering while you wait on Him to act as He wills. And yes, the same goes for any Christian man in similar circumstances as it is written (1 Corinthians 7:10-16, 39; 1 Peter 3:1-2, NKJV).
4 Because Christ is risen from the dead, we Christians do not look to tombs or graveyards to remember and honor Him as One still slain in battle. But we exalt and magnify Christ within our hearts as our living Savior, Warrior-King and Lord; fellowshipping with and serving Him who is “alive forevermore” as He promised (John 14:18-24; Revela- tion 1:17-18, NKJV). If as a professed Christian you are not inwardly enjoying the resurrection life of Christ, disobedience in sin may be the reason. Watch our latest Strong Man Of God Online Rally on YouTube, Return To The Lord, to hear His summons!
5 Learn more about this by reading my book, The Strong Man Of God; Back To Basics! Get your Hard or Soft Cover or E-Book Edition of the book as well as companion Strong Man Of God Men’s Group Study and Great Woman Of God Women’s Group Study in the Strong Man Store, among internet booksellers and brick and mortar book- stores.
As the Lord led me to make clear in my April 8, 2018 post, "The Second Adam Rules And Judges,"1 worldly concocted feminism is not a social-political ideology that can be safely tolerated by or integrated with biblical Christianity in the churches. Its origin is demonic, strategically deceitful and destructive; viewed on High as rebellion against God! For God purposely designed and created man and woman with roles and responsibilities in an order where they cooperatively fulfill His will for them in this mortal age.2 However, the 20th century rise of feminism blatantly challenges God’s will. Along with many other associated evils, puffed up feminists have created a “battle of the sexes.”
In this now, generation long battle as enemy combatants, women have struggled against men for power and position. Under withering true and false accusations of failure, shamed men have been yielding ground in ancient places of governance such as the family. The ruinous fruit of backing men down can be everywhere seen in the breakdown of the family and gender confusion in the wider culture, for example, as well as in the churches with professed Christian women in defiance of Scripture pursuing roles of authority over men in God’s house. In this edited May 2012 Commentary, I again summarize God’s design of woman and in four posts to follow, present her value to the continuing end of pulling down feminism as a stronghold of deceit in the churches (Philippians 3:1b)!
Originally Published May 2012
One of the things you learn right away as a maturing Christian is that Satan and his kingdom do not play fair. How ironic, since one of the enemy's major allegations in these last days concerns how unfair God is in many things, but especially His design of male and female roles and responsibilities.3 So persuasive is Satan on this issue that professing Christians, churches and related entities in growing numbers are abandoning God's biblical ship to embrace his lie. With his instigation, faithful teachers of God's Word on the issue are barely tolerated any longer and considered extreme. Nevertheless, God is judging rebels on this issue of rebellion as He is all others.
The Lord leading, I have written often over the years warning professing Christians not to believe Satan’s lie that God is somehow unfair (which attacks His character) or even worse has made a mistake (which questions His perfection as deity) on the issue of male and female roles. Be reminded and warned again that the issue has only come up because Satan has been successfully using this tact of attacking God’s character and questioning His Person from Eden (Genesis 3:1-5). It worked with a perfect woman; it has worked all the more with sinful humanity since then who in our fallen state are primed to rebel against God and seek to justify it by identifying supposed flaws in Him!
Satan has once again in these last days gone to the woman as he did in the beginning to stir up women and sympathetic men over God's apparent unfairness in making the man first and the head in human families (1 Timothy 2:13-14). But even if the accusation had some basis in fact (I feel ridiculous writing this), the greater issue is the defiant act by the creature to rise up in revolt to question its Maker (Romans 9:20) and declare war on His chosen head. As it is captured in the 1946 Irvin Berlin song used in various TV commercials, "Anything you can do, I can do better." Moses' sister expressed a similar mind and was immediately, severely rebuked by God (Numbers 12).
As I write in The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics, our Creator did not set out to create a rivalry between men and women when He created them.4 In His perfect design, men and women were to work in harmony to fulfill His will for them in the earth. The man was created first because he is the eternal creature, "man" in mortal form! To satisfy His plans for man to reproduce, God reached into him and made another of equal person, but with some important differences. Woman is taken out of the man as a female counterpart to be put back together with him in marriage so she might help fulfill God’s will for them to govern and fill the earth with mankind (Genesis 1:22-28, 2:18-24).
In the eyes of Adam and every aspiring strong man of God in the image of Christ, woman is an absolute wonder to behold (Genesis 2:23)! In general, woman is smaller and softer with beauty of face, longer hair and a body that by God's purposeful design excites her husband's sexual interest leading to procreation.5 She also corresponds perfectly to him in spiritual, mental and emotional make up complementing their relationship. Clearly, she is no afterthought or cast off left over from God's creation of man. But as man is the glory of God in image, she truly is his glory (1 Corinthians 11:7) to be loved, nourished and cherished as he does his own body (Ephesians 5:28-29).
To say that woman is the glory of man is not to suggest she bears nothing of the image and glory of God. Truly, God has caused woman made from man to equally radiate the divine image and glory including the impulse to lead and rule. This is shown in Eden when the serpent brings his case to the woman and she leads out in disobeying God (Genesis 3:6). In doing so, she willfully usurps her husband's prior standing as God's chosen head and is corrected (Genesis 3:16b). Later, in judging Adam, God integrates into his sin of failing to obey Him, the fact that he temporarily abandoned his role as God's chosen head to follow his wife's leadership instead (Genesis 3:17a).
God has designed woman on purpose with unalterable purpose for this present age. Every Christian woman who will live as God designed must resist embracing Satan's lie that either God or His Word are flawed on the issue. We are flawed in sin and inability to function as God designed in His ordained order, roles and responsibilities! Therefore, aspiring great women of God that would please Him and do His will joyfully submit to His will for them as a woman.6 You are granted of the highest honors to cooperate with God in being a wife and mother; fruitfully filling the earth with humanity (1 Timothy 2:15). Otherwise, as a rebel, His judgment will find you too (Hebrews 3:15-19). The risen, living Christ continues His cry among American churches, "Who is on the Lord's side?"
1 Find it under the categories Call To Repentance and Bible Prophecy.
2 Read the related July 3, 2016 post, Man As God Designed Him, under the category, God’s Creatures.
3 See the May 15, 2016 post, God Unfair?, under the category, God’s Creatures.
4 The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics is available through all major internet booksellers, by order from your favorite brick and mortar bookstore and in the Strong Man
Store.
5 Read the May 1, 2016 post, Natural Bodies By Divine Design, under the category, God’s Creatures.
6 I devote two full chapters in my book to defining and instructing on the great woman of God from the Bible. Additionally, the Strong Man Store now has available the
newest Strong Man Of God Audio Resource, Great Woman Of God Mothers, an expository message from the Lord I was blessed to proclaim. Check it out and listen
to the sample provided.
Join The Strong Man Of God Resources Conversation!
Get Your Copy Of The Strong Man Of God: Back To Basics Today!
Your purchase supports restoring men, families and communities through Strong Man Ministries!
Purchase It Now