Shabbat Shalom, everyone. Please turn with me to 1 Timothy, Chapter 2. We are reading today from verse 9 to verse 15, a passage which oftentimes became a complicated passage for many among the people of God. There are many views, many opinions, many ways whereby some interpret certain passages of Scripture, including 1 Timothy, Chapter 2, verses 9 to 15, the woman's role in the assembly among the people of God. Now, this passage is very important, especially, beloved brothers and sisters, as we live today in the days of the Laodicean days, where just like in the day of the judges, every man did that which is right in his own eyes. In the Laodicean days, in the church age, it's very much similar to the history of our people Israel, where every man has his own view and his own opinion, and it's so difficult a time to just simply take a passage graciously, with the help of the Spirit of God, and take it as before the Lord.

And so I'm reading 1 Timothy, Chapter 2, verse 9. The Apostle Paul writes to Timothy, and he said to him, "In like manner, also the women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety, not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array, but which becometh women professing godliness with good works. Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffered not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. For Adam was first formed, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and love and holiness with sobriety." And I'm going to stop here.

1 Timothy, Chapter 2, verses 9 to verse 15. A reminder for us all that Timothy was left in the city of Ephesus. We read it in Chapter 1, verse 3. "Do I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus? When I went to Macedonia, the damn mice charged some, and he began to give him a list in the whole epistle of Timothy of the order in the local assembly of the city of Ephesus." In chapter 3, which we have read this many times, in verse 15, Paul said, "But if I tarry long that thou mayest known how thou artest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth." So here is the Apostle Paul, beloved brothers and sisters.

He left this younger brother Timothy in the city of the Ephesians in Ephesus, and he had to go to Macedonia, and he left him at Ephesus, so Timothy will be help among the people of God. You see, after all, the Lord used Paul to preach the message of the Gospel. Paul spent three years in the city of Ephesus. He ministered to them with tears day and night from house to house, and he worked among the brothers and sisters in the city of the Ephesians, but now he had to go, and he saw already that things began to go wrong. And when things began to go wrong, what would a man who is serving the Lord want to do except to correct things, to help the brothers and sisters.

Out of love and concern for them, he wrote this letter to this young man by the name of Timothy. The letters to Timothy and to Titus are pastoral letters. They are letters that were written by Shaul Paul to help the local assembly, to help you, to help me, to help the brothers and sisters of the Ephesians, so they will be able to grow and to be blessed, and that the Lord will be honored, and there will be a testimony around the world, and there will be good messengers of the Gospel of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. But it doesn't take too long, like everywhere at every time.

The enemy works full-time among the people of God. He knows very well how to turn the people of God away from him. He knows very well how to sow seed of discord. He knows very well how to creep in among the people of God and to disperse the people of God. And all of us who have been in ministry know it from history, how often time there is a building, and there is a building, and there is a building, and then the tower falling apart. And then you build, and you build, and the tower falling apart. It's almost like a reciting things. It's carrying on again and again in the history.

It was in the history of our people Israel, and it's not different in the history of the ecclesia of the church these days. Well, remember 1 Timothy 2, he is speaking both to male and female, to the brothers and to the sisters. He just finished to say to Timothy in 1 Timothy 2:8, which we have studied in our previous meeting, "I will therefore that men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting." The word here for men is the Greek word A-N-E-R, which is specifically masculine. He's really saying men, brothers, you take the leadership in the local assembly, set an example specifically in the context when it's come to prayer.

Take the public prayer seriously. Pray for all needs that are existing, for all men, for all the kings and all that are in authority in order that we will live a peaceable and a quiet life here in this world. So he addressed the brothers, the men here in verses 1 to 8, but now he's addressing the sisters in the local assembly. And I'm telling you, brothers and sisters, I've listened to many messages about this passage. I've heard many opinions about this passage by many believers, and there is such a diversity of views and opinion about this passage, that one can say, well, how can the very same passage mean so many things to so many believers?

And yet I think and I believe that if we will read the text for what it says, as it is written for us by the Apostle Paul, we will be able to get help from the Lord. But before I'm going to read that text, I want to mention a few things about the women in history, biblical history in the time of Israel or in the time of the church age, how much blessings the people of God have been blessed through the sisters, through the women, the godly women that the Lord had raised throughout the ages. A verse that came to mind, if you just turn with me to Proverbs chapter 31.

Think of the statement that King Solomon said many years ago about the godly women. Proverbs chapter 31. He says, you remember how it began in verse 10, "Who can find a virtuous woman?" But then we don't read the whole passage here, but if you go to the last verses, verses 29 and 30 of Proverbs chapter 31. Look what he says. This is the king of Israel, King Solomon. He says, "What many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excelled them all. Favor is deceit, and beauty is vain, but a woman that fears the Lord, she shall be praised." In Hebrew it says, "Isha Yirat Adonai Hitit Halal." It comes from the word Hallelujah.

In other words, already we learn from past history that a godly woman among the people of God, she is such a blessing to the believers, whether it is historically among our people Israel, or whether it is presently among the believers in the church age, a woman that walking with the Lord, a godly woman, is a blessing to the people of God. We just recently finished a study of the book of Ruth. And we saw what Boaz said about Ruth, the Moabite, how she had been such a godly woman and such a blessing to the people of Israel. We haven't studied it yet, but in the book of Esther, this godly Jewish woman who was in Babylon, how she helped to deliver all our Jewish people from the hands of this wicked Haman by taking a stand in chapter 4 when she went into the king and presented herself before him and helped Israel to be delivered, or the Jewish people to be delivered from Haman, this wicked man.

And then we have New Testament women that we have in the Bible, a woman like Mary Magdalene in Luke chapter 8, who served the Lord. And many other women with her, Elisheva, Elizabeth in Luke chapter 2, who was such a blessing, who could praise God when she heard of Mary or Miriam's coming to her and this baby in her womb. We can read of Priscilla. Priscilla was a sister, a woman who was helping Apollos. She was serving together with her husband and both of them have been such a blessing to the people of God. And we can go on and we can go on. Many women among our people, and we know very well today that most of the people who attend our meetings are Godly sisters who consistently and faithfully coming to the meeting to sit under the sound of the word and serving us all in so many ways.

So when we read such a text, we don't come from above claiming that one is superior and the other one is inferior. We simply read the text and receive the instruction from the word of the Lord. And so chapter 2 of 1 Timothy, from verse 9 to verse 15, Paul is really encouraging the believing sisters, the believing women, to show their subjection to the Lord in various ways among the people of God. And he gives us a list here of how does a godly woman ought to behave in the midst of the people of God, specifically collectively when we gather together as brothers and sisters to worship the Lord.

Notice he gives us a few things that are so precious here. The first thing we find out in verse 9 is her appearance. The sister's appearance when she is among the people of God. Notice what it says in verse 9. He says in like manner. Just like I spoke about the men in verses 1 to 8, specifically verse 8. In like manner. The same instruction that I've given to the men. Now I'm giving to the sister, to the woman. In like manner also that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with shamefacedness. You notice the word shamefacedness meaning modesty and reverence. And then in sobriety, not with broided hair or gold or pearls or costly array.

Paul began by saying to Timothy, Timothy, when you are instructing the local brothers and sisters at Ephesus, listen, I'm telling you that just the same instruction that you have given to the men to take public leadership in prayer and in teaching the word of God. Timothy, now I want you to speak to the sisters, to the women, and tell them that they are to have a modest dress and modest appearance in the local assembly. And you notice he's using a few words here. For example, that word shamefacedness really comes from the thought of being reverence in the local assembly. Why? Because when we come to meet together around the Lord, the attraction should be the person of Yeshua.

He's supposed to be the one that is attracting the hearts of all of us, rather than one attract attention to himself. And that's why he's saying to dress modestly. You notice without any elaborate kind of a style of dress. Why? Because we are coming to the presence of the Lord. And we want to be occupied with Yeshua. And we don't want to draw attention to ourselves. We want to draw attention to the person of the Lord, Jesus the Messiah. So, on the one hand, he says, with a reverence, a dress which will be modestly and revering God, and not a sobriety, sound way in which he presents herself in a meeting.

Now, brothers and sisters, after all, really, it is so important for us, you know, because we are human. We need to be attracted to the person of Yeshua the Messiah. And to get destruction on left and right does not help anyone. And that's why Paul is saying to them, they are to dress in such a way that they will adorn themselves with reverence, in a way that is revering the presence of the Lord, and that they will be sober, they will be modest apparel, and also in a sound mind, sound way that will produce a desire to be attracted to the person, to the person of the Lord.

And then he says something that is amazing. He says, not with elaborate hairstyle. Now, can you imagine if you would be in the city of Ephesus 2,000 years ago, and it was a lot of paganism going on in that city. There are a lot of things that were going on that had been brought into the local assembly, and those influences began to influence others. And the sisters were exhorted not to dress in such a way that their clothing and their attraction will be to themselves. He's making a list for us here in verse 9. He says, not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array.

Now, can you imagine if a person is a well-to-do lady coming to the meeting, she looks like with gold and pearls and all this wealthy or rich clothing which is attracting attention to herself. It will be extremely difficult for the brothers, but even the other sisters, instead of all of us to be attracted to Yeshua the Messiah and be occupied with him, it actually is not helpful in the assembly. Now, modesty is essential, and yet it doesn't mean that the sister should not dress well, should not take care of herself and look very presentable. But the point that he's saying, if she's going to be a blessing to the people of God, she's not to attract attention to herself by the way she dressed, and also by the wealth that she might have, such as gold, such as pearls, and such as an expensive clothes, as it's mentioned here in verse 9.

Let me show you for a moment the opposite. If you turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 3, there Peter wrote, and he really wanted to show us what is important when the sisters are presenting themselves before their husbands or before the Lord. It says here in 1 Peter chapter 3, let me read those verses. "Wives, be in subjection to your own husbands, that if any obey not the word," 1 Peter 3 verse 1, "they also may, without the word, be won by the manner of life," by their behavior. "While they behold your chaste conversation, coupled with fear," Now notice verse 3, "who adorning, let it not be that outward adorning, of plating of hair, and of wearing of gold, of putting on of a pearl, but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, of great price." Now brothers and sisters, you see, the attractiveness of the woman is far greater when her heart is right with the Lord.

Peter says here, "Where it is not merely the outward person, but that which is the inward, that which is not corruptible, even an ornament of meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God, is of great price." See, Peter really mentioned the other side of what Paul wrote. Peter says, "Listen, God is not only looking on the outward appearance, but He is looking on the heart." He said in 1 Samuel 16, when they went to choose a king for Israel. And then Yishai, Jesse brought all the sons of Yishai before Samuel, and then Samuel had to say to Yishai, "Do you have any other children?" And then God said to Samuel, "Samuel, men look on the outward appearance, but God looketh on the heart." See, God desires that the inner man, the hidden man of the heart, which is in the sight of God, of great price.

You know, dear sisters, it's such a beautiful thing to see among our sisters a heart of love for the Lord, a heart of service for the people of God, a heart that is desiring to lead others closer to Yeshua the Messiah. That is so attractive. It is so precious in the sight of the Lord, and it's such a useful attitude among the people of God. And that's what the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy. If the believing sisters are going to be a blessing among the people of God, here is some of the things that they show submissiveness to the Lord. John verse 9, "by their modest dress, which will represent their heart condition of love for the Lord and love for the people of God." Now again, I want to say that others took it to such an extreme that they say, "Well, we will not take care of ourselves whatsoever." They do not appear proper, and that is exactly the opposite of what the Apostle intended.

They are to take care of themselves. They are to look appropriate. They are to dress well, but not to draw attention to themselves, as it's mentioned here in verse 9. Not with, as it says, "broided hair of gold and pearls and costly array." You can just imagine the Ephesians ladies who came from the pagan world and they became believers. It began to be a time and a place in a meeting where there was like a show of outward look. Who looks better? Who is more attractive? Instead of focusing on the person of Yeshua the Messiah. So, number one, Paul encouraged the believing sisters to show their submissions unto the Lord in various ways.

By their modest dress. By the way, that's supposed to apply to us as well, men also. We are to be modest in our clothing just the same. But here, Paul addresses the sisters, and that's why we are taking it in that way. Secondly, notice that in verse 10, not only their modest dress, but also their good works. Again, I'm reading now verse 10. But, speaking to the sisters, which becometh women professing godliness with good works. Now, good works doesn't save. But good works is an evident of a person who is walking with Yeshua, with the Lord. And here he is encouraging the sisters to have these good works.

You know that everything that is going on behind the scene here, in our meeting, in that case, is done by sisters. Who take the time to prepare for us so many things. Who arrange many things behind the scene. They are not public in our meetings, but they are such a blessing to the people of God. Their works is a fruit of their heart relationship with the Lord, because they believe that they are serving Yeshua the Messiah. And so, as it says here, it's not only a matter of my outward appearance in the manner whereby I dress or she dress the sister, but also by their good works.

I was looking throughout scripture and to find out about women who serve the Lord. The Lord. Go back to the Gospel of Luke. Look at the women in Luke chapter 8. In verse 1, it speaks about the women who followed Yeshua. It says in verse 1. And it came to pass afterward that he went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings. The message of the Gospel. The Gospel of the Kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him. Here is the twelve apostles. But notice what we read in verse 2 and 3. Certain women which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities such as Miriam, Magdala, for Magdalene, out of whom went seven demons.

Joana, in Hebrew, Yohanna. She was with him. And then it says here, and Shoshana, or Susanna in English, in Hebrew Shoshana, and many other women. And what does he say in the last part of verse 3? And they ministered unto him with their substance. You know, we don't read so much about the apostles or the disciples in such a way ministering unto him. But it was the women who have been there serving the Lord. It is the sisters. These women that have fell in love with Yeshua the Messiah. And they served him. And they ministered unto him. And they ministered to the people of God. If you will read Matthew chapter 27.

And it was the women that were at the cross. Serving the Lord up till the last moment of his life here upon the face of this earth. It is the women that were there. And so Paul is exhorting the sisters at Ephesus. And he's exhorting us all. And he says, listen. There are various ways in which one can show their submissiveness to the Lord. Number one, by the way they dress. Modest apparel. Number two, by the way they do good works. They serve the Lord Yeshua the Messiah in whatever form and shape. In Romans chapter 16, the apostle Paul wrote a long letter to the Roman believers.

In the last verses in Romans chapter 16, he mentions eight women. A list. A list. Woman after woman after woman after woman who serve the Lord with the apostle Paul in the ministry. But they were serving the Lord. They took their place in ministering unto the Lord and unto the people of God. And so there are so many areas that the women can serve in the local assembly that the apostle Paul is mentioning this here and elsewhere in the word of God. And so they are to show their submissiveness to the Lord. Number one, by their modest dress. Number two, by their good works. I want to read another verse in Galatians 3 to show us that there is no different when it's come to our relationship to the Lord between male and female.

Yet there is a different role that God has given to the man and God has given to the woman in the local assembly, in the local congregation. In Galatians chapter 3, in verse 28, it says there is neither Jew nor Greek, neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in the Messiah, Yeshua. Now what does he mean here? In the context of this chapter, the male and the female, the Jew and the Gentile, the bond and the free, all enter into the body of Messiah on the basis of faith in Yeshua the Messiah. No one came in in any other way.

No one is superior to the other. No one is greater to the other. But yet, beloved brothers and sisters, there are roles that God had given to believers, to the male and to the female in the body of Messiah. The same thing with Jew and Gentile. It says there is neither Jew nor Greek here. Well, a Jewish person does not stop to be Jewish when he becomes a believer in Yeshua. Just the same like the Greek or the Gentile does not stop to be a Gentile when he becomes a believer in Yeshua. But we enter into the body of Messiah on the same ground. And the bond and the free, the same thing.

In the Roman Empire, when a person was a slave and he became a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, he couldn't say to his master, give me the key, loose me because I became a believer. He is still bond and the free one is still free. And yet, both of them are part of the assembly of the Church of the Living God. But they are still male and female. They are still Jew and they are still Gentile. They are still bond and they are still free. And yet, positionally, they are one in the Messiah, Jesus. So, the male and the female issue is not a matter of superiority or greatness, but there is roles that God had given to the brothers, to the male, and a role that God had given to the sister in the local assembly among the people of God.

So, we talked about verse 9. The sisters, the women, will show their submissiveness to the Lord. Number one, by their modest dress. Number two, by their good works. And now Paul builds up. And here is where we get some verses that we all seem to have sometimes struggle with this. Look at verses 11 and 12. This is the third thing by which the women show their submissiveness unto the Lord. This is verses 11 and 12. How do they do that? By learning or by their quiet learning. By their quiet and submissiveness learning. Let me read verse 11 and 12. It says, "Let the woman learn in silence, with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over men, but to be in silence." See, this verse, of course, so many views and opinions that many would have in the body of Christ, in the body of Mashiach.

But look at the text. It's very clear. You don't need to go too far in here and to try to put something into it or to take something out of it. Notice these two verses, 11 and 12, began with quietness. And it ends with silence or the word quietness. Now obviously the word silence does not mean that a woman will not say a word because otherwise she could never say amen when we are saying amen or we cannot sing when we are called to sing together. That's obviously not the issue here. But the issue, beloved brothers and sisters, is to learn quietly to recognize the role that she has in the local assembly.

And so notice that the word for silence really should be or can be say quietness. She is to simply recognize her role in the local church, in the local assembly. We're going to see that in a moment for the reason for that. And she is the one to learn. You see, it's also very beautiful because when you think about years ago, 2,000 years ago, many women did not have even the privilege in the then world to study and to learn. But the women are to learn just like the men is to learn. They are to become disciples of Yeshua the Messiah just like the men is to become a disciple in Yeshua the Messiah and to learn and to grow spiritually.

It's not an issue here of superiority, but it's an issue that Apostle Paul trying to communicate the role of the sister of the women in the local assembly. If we are together on a basis of the word of God. Notice a few words that I think we can highlight here. Number one, the thought of silence simply means not teaching. The next thing is subjection, simply not ruling. God had given the ministry of public teaching in a local assembly to the men. There are so many other areas that the sisters can teach. They can teach children in their classes. They can teach women in their sphere where the special meetings that the ladies have.

They can teach in very other areas. But in the local assembly, God had given to the men that public place in teaching and in leadership. Does that mean that he is superior? Not at all. But it is, and we're going to see it in a moment, it is the role that God had given to men already from the beginning. For example, I want to mention, you notice that in biblical time, in the history of our people Israel, there was no queen that was leading the people of Israel. They were all kings, all male men. Now you'll find me someone, I'm sure you'll find that this queen was the mother who took her place there in the history of our people Israel, which was not hers.

What about the thought of priests in biblical history? You don't find in the Bible a woman being a priest or a priestess. Oh yes, you find it in the pagan world, yes. But not among the people of God, where God gave the scripture to the people of Israel. God gave instruction to the people of Israel that the king will be masculine, that the priests will be masculine. But notice, what about the prophets? Now I know what you're going to say. But let's look at this for a moment. And that's why we read today in the book of Judges in chapter 4, because Deborah was a judge among our people, the people of Israel.

But you know, it is so interesting that when Deborah was a judge among the people of Israel, it was in a time of the judges. Where our people of all, the people of Israel have been away from the things of the Lord. They have been far from where they should have been, where every man did that which was right in his own eyes. And God raised the judges to lead among Israel for a while. And then when Israel was restored to the Lord, it didn't take too long when the judge died and the new generation rose. And again, they left the Lord. And again, God had put them by the hand of their enemies.

And again, they cried to the Lord. And again, he raised another judge. But you remember what we read in Judges chapter 4. And I want to turn with me, please turn with me to Judges chapter 4. Deborah, who was a judge among our people of all, the people of Israel. Look what it says, what she said. I think she's so commendable when we think of the words that Deborah spoke there in chapter 4 and verse 4. And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidot, she judged Israel at that time. And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Beth El in the Mount of Ephraim. And the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

And then notice that, beloved brothers and sisters, you can see that Deborah understood her place. Because immediately it says, and she sent and she called Barak, the son of Abinoam, of the Kadesh Naphtali. And she said unto him, has not the Lord God of Israel commanded, saying, go, speaking to Barak. You go and you draw toward Mount Tabor and take with thee 10,000 men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun. And I will draw unto thee to the river of Kishon Sisra, the captain of Yavin's army, with his chariot and his multitude. And I will deliver him into thine hand. But notice what Barak said.

And Barak said unto her, if you will not go with me, then I will not go. Deborah offered him to take the leadership. And instead of taking the leadership, Barak said, no, if you're not going to go with me, I will not go. And then she said, verse 9, I will surely go with thee, nevertheless, notwithstanding. The journey that you take shall not be for thine honor, for the Lord shall sell Sisra into the hand of a woman. Barak, you are called to take leadership. Go ahead and lead the people of Israel to victory against the king of Canaan and against Sisra. But instead of doing this, Barak did not want to take his place.

So she went ahead and she assisted him. And she said to him that the Lord will defeat Sisra and he will give the honor to the woman rather than to him as a man who should have taken the leadership. So while it is true, beloved brothers and sisters, that at a period of time they're in a condition that was very sad among the people of Israel, God did raise certain prophets in the midst of the nation of Israel, but it was not a common thing. You remember Miriam is called a prophetess when she was singing when Israel came out of Egypt there in chapter 15 of the book of Exodus.

There we read of her singing to the Lord, but it was not something that you have done on an ongoing basis. It was for a season and for a purpose. It was not something that was common in the life of the people of Israel. In second king, we have another prophetess by the name of Huldah. She also have presented something at that period of time, but it was not something that she have done consistently on an ongoing basis. And then, of course, we have Philip's daughters in Acts chapter 21. They have also prophesied. They spoke forth the word of the Lord. We never read that they were prophetess, but they prophesied.

They spoke forth the word of God in the book of Acts chapter 21 verses 8 and 9. So, what I wanted to mention here and to emphasize here with respect to the apostle Paul, he is encouraging the sisters to realize the role that God had given them in our assembly is not the same as the role that God had given to the man. But it has nothing to do with someone superior over the other. It simply means that the role of the woman is not the same role that God had given to man. And the more we understand it, it will help us in the serving of the Lord among the people of God.

So, number one, their modest apparel, verse 9. Number two, their good works, verse 10. Number three, their learning in quietness and in submissiveness. Now, here is the conclusion to these verses. In verses 13, 14, and 15, the women will show their submissiveness to the Lord by their respect of authority. Now, here is where the apostle Paul now presents two reasons why the man is to take the public leadership in the assembly. The first reason, of course, is in verse 13. Simply, it is a creation order. Why? Notice that, verse 13. For Adam was first formed, and then Eve. It's a very simple reason. Why is it that the men take the leadership?

Why is it that the men take the public expression in the local assembly? Simply, number one, because Adam was made first. And then Eve was made second after him. It is in the order of creation. Now, let's look at these verses for a moment. Turn with me to Genesis chapter 2, verse 7. And the Lord formed men of the dust of the ground. And he breathed unto his nostrils the breath of life. And men became a living soul. Verse 8. And the Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. Verse 18. And the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone.

I will make him and help meet for him." And then verse 21. And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon man. And he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and he closed up the flesh instead thereof. And the rib which the Lord God had taken from man made he a woman, and he brought her unto the man. Usually we read these texts when there is a wedding ceremony. And we read these texts where it says it's not good for man to be alone. After God created Adam, imagine, Adam was naming the animal kingdom, and he see a male and a female, and a male and a female, and a male and a female.

And he looked at himself, he says, "A male?" But there was no female. So what God did, God said, "It's not good for Adam to be alone, for man to be alone. I will make him a helpmate." It is a creation order, beloved brothers and sisters. By divine design, God simply made man, Adam, first. And out of Adam, you remember where he had to produce surgery. He cut him out, he opened his body, he took a rib, and he formed Isha. The Isha came out of Ish. Ish is a man, Isha is of a man. And he brought her to Adam. And you see how beautiful it says in here, in verse 23.

And Adam said, "This is not bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called Isha, because she was taken out of Ish, out of man." It is simply, Paul, in a very simple verse, verse 13 of 1 Timothy 2, he gave us a reason. Why is it that the woman is to dress modestly, to have good works, to learn in quietness, and to recognize the authority and the leadership of the men in the local assembly? Number one, simply because it is creation order. Paul takes us all the way, not to the law even. All the way to the creation order. To the time where God created Adam and Eve long before even sin came into this world.

It was creation order. He made men, and out of men he formed, he built a woman, and the head is the man, the heart is the woman. That's the first thing. Now another verse in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. I want to connect these verses. 1 Corinthians 11 verse 1. Paul spoke to the Corinthians and he says, "Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and you keep the ordinances as I deliver them unto you. But I would have you know that the head of every man is the Messiah, the Mashiach. And the head of every woman is the man. And the head of the Messiah is God." See, very simple.

I mean, I don't know if anyone needs to be a theologian to understand these simple verses. The reason why God gave the men the public leadership and the public spokesmanship in the local assembly, it is because that's the way he planned it long before sin came in. He created men first. He formed a woman and he placed them together. The man is the head and the woman is the heart. Now I was always enjoyed the words of a rabbi who said many years ago, he says that the woman was not made out of the head of a man lest she rule over him. Neither was she made out of his feet lest he step over her.

But she was made out of his side. To be at his side as a helpmate. It's not an issue of superiority and who is more powerful. It's simply creation order. God concluded and instructed humanity that the man is the head and the woman is the heart. And the moment we reverse these roles, it produced chaos in this world. Look what's going on today in a women liberation movement. Where there is equality sought. Well, while it is true that there is an equality between men and women, but the roles that have been given to the men and the women are different. A man can never bear a child, but a woman can.

Somebody said a woman cannot sing bass, but a man can. God has formed us and shaped us in a different way. He made us differently. We appear differently. God gave us a role that he didn't give to the other. And Paul is trying to emphasize that why it was so important. Because the Ephesians began to deviate from what God had given to them through the Apostle Paul. And all sort of doctrinal teaching had been creeping in. There was no proper order. Prayer was not rightly in order. And then the place of a sister would come and you come to the meeting. And instead of being occupied with Yeshua the Messiah.

It became a place where there was almost a session. Where there was a parade in one's clothes and one's ornament. And one's wealth in the midst of the assembly. And the Apostle Paul said, no. We want to recognize the order in which God had given. The sister is to dress modestly. The sister is to produce good work. The sister is to learn in quietness, in submissiveness. Showing that she submits herself to the Lord. Now I know that this is not often being taken today lightly. And everybody has their opinion. But I'm just reading the text. Notice, as we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 11. Notice what it says in verse 8 and 9 of 1 Corinthians chapter 11.

It says, "For the man was not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman was created for the man." It's not an issue of superiority. It's simply an order that was given to us in Biblical time. Creation order. Adam was created first. As Paul said it here in verse 13. Now quickly, brothers and sisters, look at verse 14 now. The second reason why the women are to respect authority. The second reason, it's not only because of the order that we have in creation, but because of the fall order. It says here in verse 14. And I did not write it.

This is a writing that Apostle Paul placed here in the scripture. Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. Now remember what happened in Genesis chapter 3. And I would like you please to turn with me to Genesis chapter 3. Look at the verses in Genesis chapter 3. Verse 1 to verse 6a. It says in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 1. Now the serpent was more subtle than any of the beasts of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Has God said, ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?" And a woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God had said, ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die.

For God know that in the day that ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." And look what it says in verse 6. "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and it was pleasant to the eye, and the tree was desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and she did eat." You see, beloved brothers and sisters, what happened here when Satan had beguiled Eve in the garden. That's what Paul makes a reference to here in verse 14. In verse 14, it is not only because of the creation order that we have before the fall came, but when it's come to the order of the fall, it says here in our passage, "For Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived, she was in the transgression." And if you remember, as we just read a few things, you notice that in the first six verses of Genesis chapter 3.

First of all, Satan placed a doubt in the mind of Eve. Has God said? Is it really true that God said what He said? And by the way, when God said what He said about not eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, He didn't say it to Eve. He said it to Adam as the federal head of the human race before Eve was created. And Adam told this to his wife. But what happened, Satan? He came and he said, "Has God said?" The first thing. Secondly, you notice, in verses 2 and 3, Eve added to the word of God. God says, "The day that you will eat out of the tree, dying you shall die." In Hebrew.

But she says, "Not only that." Remember, she even added, "Not even to touch the tree." Thirdly, you notice in this verse 4 now, the first lie to men by Satan is found here. The serpent said unto her, "Woman," he says, "Ye shall not surely die." Satan in his craftiness began to beguile Eve, to trick her. And then finally, as it says here in verses 4 and 5, "Satan now appeared to the pride of Eve, and God know that in the day that you will eat of it, you shall be as God's knowing good and evil." And Eve thought, "Wow, we're going to be just like God's knowing good and evil." And that's where she took of the fruit.

She did eat of it. But let me mention one thing here. As long that Eve ate from this tree, from the fruit, nothing yet happened. Because God attributes the fall, not to the woman, but to the man, because it says, "By one man sin entered into the world." Romans chapter 5 and verse 12. But the woman was here first, that had been beguiled by Satan, by the serpent. And that's why the importance of the woman to respect authority, because it's the two reasons. Number one is because of the creation order before the fall, but also the fall order after the fall happened. She was the first one to be beguiled by Satan himself.

Again, I'm going back to our chapter, brothers and sisters, first Timothy chapter 2 and verse 13 and 14, where it says in verse 14, "Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived. She was in the transgression." It was Eve who first violated the word of God by eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And she was beguiled. Paul uses this in this passage to say to the sisters to recognize that their place in the local assembly is not a place of usurping authority, of leadership, or not in a public expression, but their place is to be in quiet learning as before the Lord. Now, I'm going to conclude here with verse 15.

The nice thing that Paul doesn't close that session with a hopeless answer. He gives hope here. Notice that it says in verse 15, "Nevertheless, notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, holiness, with sobriety or discretion." Again, this is again one of those verses that are very complicated for us to understand, but here it's so precious how Paul is now addressing the sisters, of course, but he's addressing the whole local assembly, men and women, together. He says, "Nevertheless, in spite of the fact that the woman is the one that was beguiled by the serpent, by Satan, and she was first in the transgression, she was deceived and she was in the transgression, in spite of this," he says, "nevertheless, or notwithstanding, she shall be saved in childbearing." Obviously, beloved brothers and sisters, the Apostle Paul doesn't mean that she is going to be saved for heaven when she bear children.

Now, there were many who haven't had children, and they accepted the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, as their Lord and Savior, and they have been saved and forgiven. He doesn't speak about here salvation in a sense of eternal relationship with the Lord. The word for saved can be used, the word preserved or delivered. They can be, "nevertheless, she shall be delivered when she take her role that God had given to her among the people of God." Chapter 5 of 1 Timothy, please. Verse 14. "I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide their house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan." He is saying it in the first epistle.

What he is really saying, when the sister takes her role within the local assembly, she will be delivered from all that which is harmful among the people of God. But not only she. Because you notice it says here the word, "if they." Notice it says, verse 15, Because the whole subject here was men and women. The place of the man, the place of the woman. The place of the man, the place of the brother, the place of the sister. Now he's really saying this, If they, namely the man and the woman, take their God-given role within the assembly of the believers, they shall be delivered from all the mess that is going on in a disorder world in which we live in.

If they continue, notice, in faith, in love, in holiness, with sobriety. What Paul is really saying here, beloved brothers and sisters, in this very, very difficult text to expound, I must say, especially in the days in which we live in today, where much of it is not being acknowledged and accepted, Paul is simply encouraging the brothers and the sisters to take their role in a God-given role among the believers, the people of God. He's not criticizing anyone. He's not putting down anyone. He's not elevating the men and putting down the women. Sometimes people don't accept the Pauline teaching, saying, oh, Paul was a male chauvinist.

He's just thinking about himself, not understanding what the Word of God is saying. But nevertheless, beloved brothers and sisters, this is a divine order. This is the order of creation. This is the order in which God has set it. And this is a blessing for the people of God, that we can be delivered from all the chaos that is existing here in this world, if we will continue with faith in the Lord, with love towards the Lord and His people, with holy living, and with discretion or sobriety, to be sober, looking at things from a right perspective. And so, to conclude, I want to read just one verse, and I'm going to conclude.

Galatians chapter 4. Who is the one that brought to us the Messiah into this world? Whom the Lord used the Messiah to bring to the world is none else but the woman that the Lord has raised to bring us the men, the Messiah Yeshua, into this world. Galatians chapter 4 and verse 4. The many, many blessings that we have received from the women that God had raised in our midst, Paul says, look at this, in the fullness of time, God sent forth His Son, which was brought into this world of a woman, which was under the law, for the purpose to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive adoption of sons.

Do you think the woman is not important? We thank God for our sisters, and for the way in which they serve the Lord in so many forms and shapes. And just to remember, yet there are roles that God has given in the assembly, the sister and the brother in the local assembly, the head and the heart. Both are important. You cannot live without the head, neither can you live without the heart.