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MORNING WINGS DAILY DEVOTIONAL GUIDE - Olusola ADEJUMO
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THE POTENTIAL IN THE RIGHT OF A MAN - Abomination of a Husband Series 004
Genesis 25:34, KJV
"Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."
Just like a birthright avails the first born certain privileges, being the husband at the home setting gives you some rights as well. You're actually privileged.
The birthright of Esau places him over and ahead of Jacob. So, Esau has preeminence. He's like an older brother to Jacob. If you're in a good cultural system, you'll understand that the elder exercises seniority over the younger and can even give instructions or be accorded watching over his younger ones. Because he's also older, he may be more benefited and treated as an adult and given adults' assets compared to his younger ones. He's also most likely the heir or the one the father wants to pass the family business or lineage blessing to. In the case of Esau, Isaac wanted to pass the blessing to him to continue the line with him but for the turning around of things suddenly when Jacob came in to supplant his brother. That desire of Isaac to bless Esau is occasioned because he was the first born and not the second.
This is also the truth with Joseph's children. Joseph refused Jacob, his father from blessing Ephraim over Manasseh (who is the first born). He removed his father's right hand from Ephraim's head to place it on Manasseh's and even told the father that Manasseh is the first (Gen.48:13-17). However, the flow didn't also flow that way also. So, it turned to another - the younger.
All these instances prove that there's a blessing in the birthright of the first born or any type of right given to anyone. In series one, I talked of the blessings as well as the responsibilities. A husband for instance enjoys certain rights. He leads the family and exercises authority and leadership over all in the family. You see, these are rights that are occasioned by his position or office as the husband and father. However, he has his responsibilities. He provides, loves, protects and teaches the family. He might need to work unrelentlessly to make ends meet for his family but that's the just obligation that goes with the privileges and says he has or exercises.
Paul once warned that he who won't work shouldn't eat (II Thes. 3:10). Same fits this illustration. A man should not be respected if he only enjoys exercising of rights and not performance of duties and obligations.
Being the man means being the head. The head gives dictates to every other parts of the body. That's who you are and that's what you enjoy. However, with it goes some responsibilities. It is the balance of these two when maintained that won't make you abuse authority or your rights. I once said it somewhere that, "responsibility can humble you." Responsibilities that are sitting on you pedals you to soft tread and not become a tyrant. It also makes you not to eat the food of idleness or laziness. You only eat what you pay for and seek to compensate for anything given you which you haven't afore paid for. A man doesn't abscond from obligations. If you like free things, you'll abuse the purpose of gift or grace somewhere.
Your right as the husband or the man should therefore be protected. It's a privileged position which should be ever beautiful to you. Don't sign it off to your wife. By nature and make up, God didn't make her to be the headman though she could be forced into this role. You have seen how uninteresting that is when a woman is a widow seeking to do it all. Even when she's financially buoyant, the voice, strangth and harnessing of a father is usually missed. The children would need that and herself might look up to being held together by a man's arms. That's why the Bible clearly calls her, "a helpmeet or helper". Helpmeet is found for someone or something that's in operation before the arrival of the help the helpmeet or giver is bringing. And when something helps, we know it is there to assist. So, it's not wrong for your wife to assist you but her call is not to be the header. And how do men make their wives the header? By simply absconding responsibility and forcing women and their wives into men's and husbands' roles. If you do this, you have fallen and have lost your rights. You'll have lost your grip especially what makes you exercise authority and godly influence at home. Once that's undone, you've given your wife the fat ground to contest and challenge to a large extent what you'll say or do. And that's because you gave your rights away - making your wife the husband.
PRAYER: Teach me the flow at the home setting. I receive properness of structure and how not to break the rank.
BIBLE IN A YEAR: Genesis 3:1-4:26, Matthew 2:13-3:6, Psalm 2:1-12, Proverbs 1:7-9
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