Genesis 2:16-18 - Family spiritual leader
Scripture:
Genesis 2:16-18
16 The Lord God commanded the man, saying, "From any tree of the garden
you may eat freely;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not
eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."
18 Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I
will make him a helper suitable for him."
NASU
Thoughts:
From the New Testament, we understand that in the home a man is to
be
the spiritual leader of his family. This includes discipling his wife
in the faith. However, this passage illustrates for us that this idea
is not unique
to the New Testament. Here, all the way back to the 1st married
couple, the man is placed as the spiritual leader. Adam is given the
one law that he and Eve are to obey (verses 16 and 17). He is given
this law before Eve has even been formed (verse 18). Logically then,
he was expected to share this with Eve and we can see as we read on
that he did.
Tragically however, just as men struggle in this role today, Adam also
did not do so well. When Eve attempts to quote this command, she does
not recall it correctly:
Genesis 3:2-3
2 The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the
garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the
middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch
it, or you will die.'"
NASU
She adds a further prohibition of even touching the tree, in her fatal
conversation with satan. It would seem that Adam had not communicated
God's law clearly
to his wife.
Prayer:
Lord, as a husband and father myself, help me to be a competent
spiritual leader in my home. Help me to educate, encourage, and even
gently correct, when necessary. I want to equip my wife and the
children You bless us with, to walk with You. Help me to lead the way.
Amen