The Curse upon Women

A Devotional Series from Genesis

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4/2 Reading Portions: Leviticus 5; Psalm 3-4; Proverbs 20; Colossians 3

Genesis 3:16

To the woman He said, “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

TURMOIL

After YHVH God declares the gospel in His curse upon Satan, He turns to the woman, whom the devil had deceived. Today, we will consider three consequences to sin as it pertains to the woman.

First, the woman’s pain will be multiplied in childbearing. The perfect and well-pleasing command of God to mankind was to be “fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Gen 1:28). What should have been a joy for women has now become painful and filled with sorrow. We’ll also see this reflected later as it pertains to man. The commands of God will not be received by fallen mankind apart from godly sorrow that leads to repentance unto salvation (2 Cor 7:10).

Next, a woman’s desire shall be for her husband. The question may arise: shouldn’t a woman’s desire be toward her husband? Indeed, it should; however, apart from God’s grace through Jesus Christ, that desire is soiled and perverted, basically becoming idolatry. Now, it may take many forms, which can be carried out to an ungodly and unnatural end, viz., calling other women “husband” (Rom 1:26-27). But the core of this curse is that someone other than Christ will be their desire—seeking comfort, counsel, and courage from someone or something other than Christ Jesus. We’ve seen a version of this curse even among men. When Rehoboam became king after the death of his father, Solomon, he sought counsel from both the elders and from the young men (1 Ki 12:1-15). He received poor counsel from both groups. The elders said seek to please the people with “good words,” while the young men told him to seek to elevate himself. Rehoboam should have sought counsel from YHVH God, as both Solomon and David had. The counselors, too, should have pointed to counsel from the LORD God.

Finally, the rule of the woman’s husband has been set over her. In the natural, fallen state of women, this is a burden that women have struggled with. And the most important reason that it is a struggle is because it reflects the gospel relationship between Jesus Christ to His beloved bride, His church (Eph 5:22-33). This last proclamation is both a blessing and a curse. It is a blessing in that every woman has a hope and refuge in the ultimate Bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Messiah. It is a curse in that, apart from the grace of God in the Lord Jesus, every husband is a weak, ungodly sinner who is the enemy of God apart from the grace of God in Jesus Christ (Rom 5:6, 8, 10). Though a husband has a responsibility to love and care for his wife, the man is still a sinner saved by God’s grace at best; and a godless, hell-bound rebel at worst.