1 Kings 2:1-4 (KJV)
Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon
his son, saying, [2] I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore,
and shew thyself a man; [3] And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to
walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his
judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses,
that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou
turnest thyself: [4] That the Lord may continue his word which he spake
concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk
before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there
shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
Which of your life goals or values would you like to see carried on by
your children? Before he died, David felt it was important to review his
chief priorities with his son Solomon. Without a doubt, death has an uncanny
way of shedding light on that which should be well regarded… Here we discover
a dying father's major concern for his son is his manliness. Yes, David
urged his son to be strong and show himself a man. In a sense, Solomon
would be responsible for the continuation of God's promise to his father
David, as verse four points out. Without manliness present in his life,
Solomon would struggle to undergo what lay ahead of him as a leader. Such
men are called upon to make up hedges, to stand in gaps, to execute judgments,
to defend against destruction, etc. Ladies, God looks for clear-cut character
traits in men that He may continue His Word, the Bible says. There is
much opposition to the Word of God that requires great strength to overcome…
Job 38:3 (KJV)
Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer
thou me.
As the heads of their home, God will place demands upon a man that will
never be placed upon a woman. A man must be inclined to firmly follow
the Lord and obey His commands if he would prosper. As far as David was
concerned, becoming a man that God can use should be the greatest goal
of Solomon's life. If Jesus Christ were not manly, it is highly unlikely
He would have endured the cross…
1 Tim. 2:5 (KJV)
For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ
Jesus;
What a great picture this verse affords us of the nature of our Savior!
Jesus Christ was not the least bit squashy or effeminate; He was every
bit strong, masculine, resolute and capable. Christian men should grow
to be more like their Savior, the MAN Christ Jesus - and women should
permit them! Ladies, there are specific things that God wants to do on
this earth and He needs valiant men to get the job done… Can you accept
that without having to challenge it?? Can you support your MAN in what
God has called Him to do, or do you always have to show him up or seek
out his inabilities? There should be no fear, no dread, no dismay, no
laziness, no weakness; men need the same outlook and stamina that took
Christ to the finish line so we could receive forgiveness for our sins
through His finished work. Overcoming sin and the devil and enduring hell
was extremely hard work and it took an extremely strong man to do it!
Aren't you thankful there was a MAN so capable as Christ?? The Bible is
filled with testimonies of men who accomplished some great works for God
and we should be thankful for courageous, godly headship. Far too many
women regard MEN as nothing more than a species to "put up with" and it
is a prideful attitude in females! As Proverbs 14:1 reminds us, a wise
woman would build her man, not pluck him down. Let your man play his part
for the Lord! Cheer men on…
2 Samuel 10:12 (KJV)
Be of good courage, and let us play the men for our people, and for the
cities of our God: and the Lord do that which seemeth him good.
Ladies, men are ever conscious of their responsibilities to their families
and their duties to God, as well as their weaknesses and their shortcomings.
Hence, it is natural to seek a way out of them. However, with a good and
godly woman standing behind him, a man may stay focused, believing in
His God and himself to bear the work he knows he must do. It has been
said that a man's true value consists in his likeness to God. What gives
value to his thoughts, his feelings, and his actions is the extent to
which they are inspired by God, the extent to which they express the thought,
the will, and the acts of God. When the Lord inspires your husband, what
do you typically do? Are you in the habit of expressing your doubts in
his manhood and God's ability to increase his manliness?
1 Cor. 16:13 (KJV)
Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
When Christian husbands begin to grow in the Lord, you will find that
their manliness will develop as well. They will begin to exercise "muscles"
they have not used before. Neither will they flinch in the face of difficulty
nor will their courage fall short for good cause. Unfortunately, women
prefer to "play the men" and are unwilling to give up a man's responsibilities
to embrace their own God given duties. On his deathbed, David made reference
to the fact that when things are done right, a man will not fail to be
on the throne. Who holds that position in your home, dear lady? It is
amazing to me how many unhappy women cry and pray to the Lord to change
their husbands and when they begin to show themselves as men in the home
or church, they resist the very growth for which they prayed! Are you
a hindrance to manliness, Christian woman? Have you contributed to the
advancement of effeminacy? Have you made it harder for your husband to
take his rightful place as man of the house? What we need in this world
today are more fathers who are sincerely concerned for their son's manliness
- and women who would not stand in the way of what it takes to come about!
Ezekiel 22:30 (KJV)
And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and
stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it:
but I found none.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah 60:1&2
Copyright 2002 Pamela A. Iannello
Revised 2004
