“And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life…”
— Genesis 3:17
Hello, Friends. Many husbands believe that a “happy wife … happy life” is the way to live. But, when we look into when and where this sentiment started (though these words were not used) we see that Adam had this attitude and sensation for a very brief moment (when he decided to hearken to the voice of his wife, and eat of the tree in the midst of the garden of Eden). He had no idea that one moment of “happy wife … happy life” (so to speak) would have the strongest adverse effect on him and all mankind, since.
Ready to start? Good deal….
The time was during the beginning when Adam “hearkened unto the voice” of his wife to make her happy. The word “hearkened” means, to hear as well as to respond to what is heard — in an intelligent and obedient manner. He disobeyed what God said … “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” — Genesis 2:17
As a result of him eating of the tree the Lord said to him that the ground was cursed for his sake; in sorrow he will eat of the cursed ground all the days of his life…. (Genesis 3:17).
The word “sorrow” means:
- worrisomeness;
- labor and pain;
- hardship and toil.
Wow! Thanks Adam! His act of disobedience is the reason we have to work daily; and Eve being deceived had to suffer (with all women) the pains of child birth, and the greater agony of the desire to rule over her husband, but God said the husband shall rule over her (Genesis 3:16). The word “desire” in this verse refers to Eve longing to rule over her husband … since she took the lead in the transgression.
In the fallen state, she was to be subject to the will of Adam by the command of God — and he was to rule over her not as lord but as the one given the greater responsibility in the household; to help her manage the curse that will be in her for life; this curse was passed down from Eve to all women in all generations. Yes sir, we (the men) have to fight for them to overcome and not fight against them, which means, we must learn to forbear and forgive; to teach and lead our household by example so that the peace of God may be in the house to rule in our hearts—His word must have free course and be glorified.
Many men need to wise up to this one because God created the male (man) basically to guide the household and to serve the Lord with all the heart, and with all the soul; to keep the commandments of the Lord, and His statutes (Deuteronomy 10:12-13).
Adam knew with all certainty not to eat of the tree, but his wife’s voice was obeyed over and above the voice and command of God. His wife was happy … for a very brief moment. His life was NOT happy from the very moment he ate of the tree….
Then, the Lord said to him, “…Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” — Genesis 3:18-19
Enter misery … a bi-product of disobedience!
There is no joy in the “happy wife … happy life” syndrome because of the disorder it produces, which has strong effects against the guilty and the innocent. The ripple effect from when Adam made his wife happy caused all men to be born in his likeness, and after his image, which means, all men are born in sin and shapen in iniquity (Genesis 5:3; Psalm 51:5).
However, God provided the way to redeem us from death to life, and at the same time satisfy His anger against all sin — He shed His own blood and died; He was buried in a borrowed tomb; He went to hell and preached the gospel to those who are dead; He was raised up from the dead with all power in His hand (Matthew 27:59-60; Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 4:6; Matthew 28:18).
He had to be born of a virgin in order to make the only full and acceptable payment for sin … because the charge of disobedience was to the man (not the woman); no one but God was qualified and authorized to give His life for the remission of sin. Remember, it was Adam’s blood through which sin was passed to all generations. And for this reason, Jesus had to be born of a virgin …and… all who believeth on Him must be born again of the water and of the Spirit to have everlasting life.
The Father …hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. — 2 Corinthians 5:21
Men … please, do not desire to have a happy wife but strive to be the best husband for:
- A daughter of Sarah (1 Peter 3:5-6).
- An heir of the grace of life (1 Peter 3:7).
- A good thing from the Lord (Proverbs 18:22).
- A wise woman (Proverbs 14:1).
- A virtuous woman (Proverbs 31:10-31).
- A quiet and meek woman (1 Peter 3:4).
- A woman who maximizes her singleness (1 Corinthians 7:34).
Seek the Lord to know to flee from:
- The foolish woman (Proverbs 9:13-18).
- The angry woman (Proverbs 21:19).
- The contentious woman (Proverbs 27:15).
- The odious woman (Proverbs 30:21-23).
- The strange woman (Proverbs 2:16; 5:3, 20; 6:24; 7:5; 20:16; 23:27; 27:13).
Make sure that the woman you consider to be your wife is your best friend and is blessed of the Lord according to the scriptures — NOT according to your understanding, imagination, intellect, or loins.
It is a matter of life and death … because no one but God knows the ripple effect from one man’s sin. As it is written in Ecclesiastes 9:18, “…one sinner destroyeth much good.” If you are the one sinner who says, happy wife … happy life, you are playing Russian roulette (so to speak) with your household. And for doing this, you relinquish the power given to you by God to your wife. And, if you pray or prophesy, your head is covered by your wife instead of God (who is your head), and He is dishonored and not glorified (1 Corinthians 11:4).
The phrase “his head covered” is used metaphorically to mean, any person (or thing) supreme, chief, or prominent over his head, namely his wife, is usurping the authority God established in the man from the foundation of the world. In case you didn’t know, “husband” is a compound word — “hus” house, and “band” bind. The husband bands (or binds) the house together. And, if he is godly then the Lord will speak to him first as it concerns matters of the household. If the woman takes the head, she is usurping God’s authority, and the household is in danger of the judgment.
Bra’ man, if you are guilty, repent. The Lord is extremely compassionate and full of tender mercy. He commands that all things be done decently and in order. More importantly, He desires that all men be saved and come into the knowledge of the truth.
Now, please know and understand that, the godly husband is not the lord (or the taskmaster) of the house, but one who fears the Lord God; he loves righteousness; hates sin and iniquity; esteems others before himself, namely his household; fights the good fight of faith; strives to win and gain his household to the Lord; and hates every false way which includes, the happy wife … happy life.
Believe what God said in His word … and live!
In Christ We Do Remain
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