Ordained Order

The head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 1 Corinthians 11:3 (NKJV)

We've been seeing how the institution of marriage is a means of reflecting God's nature. Both are to be defined by diversity, unity, and harmony. This brings us to another aspect of God's nature that's expressed in marriage…hierarchy.

Our English word "Hierarchy" is derived from the two Greek words: hieros, meaning sacred, and arkho, meaning rule. It refers to a sacred organization of people into different levels of responsibility for the common good. In other words, hierarchy is an ordained order that's been ordained for everyone's benefit.

Two hierarchies are placed side by side for us in the verse above; a hierarchy within marriage, and a hierarchy with the Trinity. Let's look at the second one first. It says "the head of Christ is God." This is telling us that within the Trinity, there's an order where God the Son is subordinate to God the Father. This doesn't make Jesus inferior to His Father, it just means there are different levels of responsibility that exist within their relationship.

We see the same principle in marriage as "the head of woman is man." This is telling us that there's an ordained order in marriage, just like in the Trinity, where the wife is subordinate to the husband. Again, this doesn't make her inferior to her husband, any more than Jesus is inferior to His Father. It simply shows that there are different levels of responsibility that exist in their relationship.

Why this ordained order? God wants marriage to reflect His nature, and that nature includes different levels of responsibility and a desire to faithfully fulfill them. This hierarchy isn't something we should resist, but something we ought to receive…because after all, it's an ordained order that's been established by God for everyone's good.

Think about it…

What does this passage reveal to me about God? 
What does this passage reveal to me about myself? 
Based on this, what changes do I need to make? 
What is my prayer for today?

SPECIAL OFFER

Redeeming Relationships book

 

Tweet

• 
• 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 
  • 

Share with your friends