PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

IN OTHER RELATIONSHIPS

In addition to the family, we have male-female relationships. The Bible shows that both men and women have a proper place. God ordains that there be order and authority between male and female. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 11 that God is the head of Christ, and the man is the head of the woman (v. 3). Between the sexes God has established authority. Paul said that every woman praying or prophesying with her head uncovered disgraces her head (v. 5). He also said that women are not permitted to speak in the churches (14:34). In 1 Timothy 2 he forbade women from teaching (v. 12). Yet today many women are teaching. It seems that the tendency for women to preach has been present from the beginning. God charges women to come under authority. Between men and women, the former stand for authority, while the latter stand for obedience.

IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM

We have seen God's authority manifested in various institutions-first, in human government, second, in the family, and third, in ordinary relationships. There is a fourth place where His authority is ordained-in the supernatural world, the universe. It seems as if we are conducting a Bible study.... The above four considerations show us clearly what authority is. The best example of submission to authority in the Bible can be found in the account of Michael's dispute with the devil over Moses' body as recorded in Jude 9. Michael was one of the cherubim. He was an angel who was given dominion over everything. God made him one of the archangels; yet at one time, he was Satan's subordinate. It was Michael's specific responsibility to contend for God's interest, but he was once a subject of Satan. He disputed with Satan over Moses' body. When Moses died, God probably entrusted his body to Michael for burial. According to the principle of 2 Corinthians 5, Moses must have resurrected on the Mount of Transfiguration. Michael probably was moving Moses' body to that mountain when Satan stopped him and argued with him. Michael was in a difficult position. He had God's order to bring Moses' body to the Mount of Transfiguration, yet Satan, who was once over him, would not let him do it. In reading Jude 9, we find that Michael "did not dare to bring a reviling judgment against him but said, The Lord rebuke you." Michael could not rebuke Satan himself. He could only say, "The Lord rebuke you," because the Lord's authority was higher than that of Satan. This is a pattern of how we should submit to authority.

Michael did not dare to rebuke Satan because Satan was above him in God's original ordination, not because he was afraid or powerless. Here is a lesson for Christians to learn; we should learn from Michael's submission. He only said, "The Lord rebuke you." He invoked a higher authority to rebuke Satan. He dared not rebuke Satan directly because he did not want to upset the order in the divine authority. If our eyes are blind to the way God upholds His authority, nothing more can be said. But if our eyes are opened to this matter, we will realize that God will sacrifice anything but His authority. Unlike Michael, we are the new creation, and we do not have to be under Satan. God has never entrusted man to Satan, but we still should learn the principle of submission from Michael. Michael would not rebuke Satan. He only said, "The Lord rebuke you." Those who have this kind of attitude know God's authority. The book of Jude teaches us to submit to God's authority in this kind of way.

...I feel that my utterance is still short. Within myself I know what authority is. Brothers and sisters, we have to ask for mercy to see authority. Our inner being has to be so fine that we will feel what Michael felt when he faced Satan's authority. The church on earth bears the testimony of submission. If the church does not submit, what will it be like? We have to learn to obey when placed under all kinds of circumstances and systems. We should never consider one who rebels and offends authority as a hero. A rebellious person is never a hero. If all the sons of God would stand on the ground of submission, the activities of the lawless ones would be suppressed. Second Thessalonians says that the mystery of lawlessness is now operating, but there is one who is now restraining (2:7). Who is this restraining one? He is not a nominal Christian or a rebellious Christian. Our obedience is what prevents the mystery of Satan's lawlessness from operating. This is a fundamental issue. If this issue is not resolved, no work can follow, because we will still be Satan's men. May the Lord be merciful to us so that we see God's authority in all human institutions.
Watchman Nee, The Collected Works, Set 3, Vol. 59, pp. 125-139

APPLICATION

1. Today, to what four things with respect to government should we Christians pay our full attention and why?

2. In which four books written by the apostle Paul does he stress the matter of submitting to authority and what aspects of our Christian life are touched in these epistles?

3. If the sons of God would stand on the ground of submission, what will be the result in all the activities of the lawless ones?