Daughters of Grace (week 1)

Our MOTTS group is diving into the Daughters of Grace book, and it's truly amazing to witness how God speaks to each woman and powerfully uses them. As we study these women of the Bible with fresh eyes, I'm inspired to share what I've learned and hear from others about what God has revealed to them. Throughout our 6-week study, we'll explore these incredible ladies, and I can't wait to see how they impact our lives.

Big Ideas:

•  God uses women in a mighty way
•  God uses imperfect women to fulfill HIS plans
•   God sees everyone as equal
•  Everyone that comes to HIM is changed forever
• Our faithfulness is always rewarded with HIS faithfulness
•   Our lives are a testament to HIS grace
•   In their stories, you will see God’s love, grace, and mercy
•   HIS plan may not always be the easy one, but it will always be worth it
•   God will use us right where we are with the gifts and talents he has given us.
•   God keeps HIS promises
•   NO ONE is insignificant to GOD
•   Our imperfections will never override God’s promises
•   God can redeem your story
•   God will use you for HIS glory if you let HIM.
•   God can use us even when we seem like a different choice.
•   Even when we don’t understand His plan, we can trust him.
•   God does hear us, and HE will answer
•   God has taken us from outcasts to daughters
•   The promises of God are not dependent on us.
•   He has uniquely created us to fulfill the role that he has made for us
•   When we feel forgotten and alone, we are seen by the lord
•   God uses ordinary people who surrender to HIM
•   He sees us serving in the simple things
•   He uses women who have felt pain and sorrow, women who have been raised in the ways of the Lord, and women who have been redeemed from darkness. 

Week 1

 Eve

• The first mother of humankind
• First dressmaker (fashion designer)
• First woman, first wife, and mother
• Made in the image of God (displayed certain characteristics of God) 
• First female- she showed a special relationship with God 
• Had co-responsibility with Adam over the creation 

 Weaknesses

•  Curiosity is bigger than obeying
•  Eve was beguiled and led by Satan (the serpent was crafty and fed her doubt, Did God really say you must not? restriction; speaking as God is a God of restriction) Gen 3:1
•  Acted impulsively without consulting God or Adam
• She blames others (snake) instead of saying I did it (accountability)
• Not only sin but wanted to be like God
• Allow Satan to show her discontentment (she allowed satan to subvert her trust in God).
• She didn’t know her authority in Christ (she could have sent the snake away)
•  Lack of knowledge of God’s rules

Lessons from her life

1) The female is created in God's image; feminine qualities are part of God's character.

2)      She was created to be a suitable helper & was brought into being to strengthen & powerfully help Adam

     a) the Hebrew word translated “suitable,” kenegdow, carries much more meaning than simply “fit” or “appropriate.” This word also means “opposite or contrasting.” This implies that the two beings were designed to work and fit together perfectly, not just physically but in all ways. The strengths of each compensated for the weaknesses of the other. It was “not good” for the man to be alone (Genesis 2:18), but together, Adam and Eve were something far stronger and more magnificent than either of them could have been alone. Adam had to lose a rib, but he gained so much more.

3) The enemy wants us to believe a couple of misunderstandings about God, if we have misunderstanding about God then we certainly have misunderstandings about our circumstances. (Gen3:1)

a) Lie #1: We serve a God of extreme restriction

b) Lie #2: God's word is hard to understand and live out.

4)      She is every bit a perfect creation as man, every bit as patterned after God’s image and likeness

5)      Teaches us that God wants us to choose him freely & to follow & obey him out of love

6) God used Adams's rib to form Eve to show that they were the same created beings, two halves of a whole.

7) Marriage is God’s idea; therefore, Adam and Eve are created similarly because they are partners, working together under God.

8)      She did not have parents or family to guide her, only God and Adam.

9)      His plan prevails despite our sinful nature

10)      God presented Eve to Adam (He was awake, God the matchmaker)

11)      God clothed them with animal skin; he always provides, and his ways are better than ours.

12) There’s grace and restoration in their story. They die spiritually, but it was just because he loved us so much that they received punishment for their disobedience. He still showed grace and gave them promises.

13) We are men's influential companions; therefore, we must remind our spouse of God’s word and speak life.

14)  Adam spoke hope & future over Eve, naming her after her fall.  (Eve means breathe, to live)

a)      what names do you call your spouse when he/she messes up & imitates you?

15)   Whether God created Eve from Adam’s rib or from his whole side, HE accomplished the act in such a way that showed the woman to complement & complete man in the integral union of marriage.

16)  God knew he needed a helper, HE gave him to desire Eve

17)  She was not made from his head to rule over him nor out of his feet to be tramped upon him, but out his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected and near his heart to be beloved.

18)  What God takes away from his people, he will, one way or other, restore with advantage

19)  No matter how far we fall or make mistakes, god has grace over & redeemed us. Nothing You can do that bad that God cannot fix.

20) In marriage, our husbands are the head (spiritual leader); in retrospect, they carry much responsibility and weight on their shoulders. We must be thankful for all they do and pray for them.

21)  Adam failed to lead/protect Eve from Satan & ignored his leadership responsibility.

22)  God intended mutual dependency in the relationship between Adam & Eve.

23)  God wanted Eve to learn HIS word by Adam

24)  God gave them free will, he knew what Satan was doing he knew it all but wanted them to choose.

25) We all can be like Eve, allowing Satan to show our discontent & our desires for worldly things instead of being thankful for what HE has given us.

 Sarah

• Submissive to her husband
•   Beautiful in appearance  Protected by God
• Recipient of the promises of God
• Praises God
• She was intensely loyal to her own son
• Was the Mother of nations
• The only woman, God changed her name from Sarai to Sarah, which means princess to all.
• Her faith grew over time, which led her to become a woman of faith and be known in the hall of faith. (Heb 11)
• She was half-sister of Abraham (same father, different mothers)
• She lived 127 years; she is the only matriarch whose age is recorded at her death, indicating her impotence.
• She dies in Hebron in the land of Canaan.

Weaknesses

• She was barren
• Lack of faith
• Schemer
• Harness (bitterness)
• Jealous
•  Idolatry
• Blame-shifting
• Lie to cover her sin
• Impatience when it came to believe god’s promises being fulfilled
•  Laughter of doubt, sarcasm?
• Fearful (Ishmael)
• Uncertainties
• Despise (Hagar)

Lesson from her life

1.      The promises of god are not dependent on us

2.      Abraham fail Sarah to remind her of God's promises

3.      God does not need our help to fulfill his promises

4. God's promises will come to pass

5.      Being barren is a cause of shame. it is an affront to the husband & a chastisement from god.

a)        She was probably bullied, humiliated, and pressured due to her bareness

6.      Twice God states I will bless her, he says that not only will she have a son but also that nations & kings of nations will come through her

7.       Seeing Isaac & Ishmael playing together causes her to feel bitterness, jealousy, and fear that she tells Abraham to cast out her slave & son

8. Abraham was upset, but God told him to do what she said (even in the midst of this situation, obedience and wisdom are exercised). God’s honor unity in the marriage

9.      Sarah was honored by god despite her imperfections

10.  We can be like Sarah, letting our emotions control us (indicators not indicators)

11.  God responds to faith even amid failure

12.  God is not bound by what usually happens; he can stretch the limits & cause unheard 0f events to occur

13. I easily doubt God when I focus on the circumstances instead of his promises.

14.  Abraham & Sarah teach us that god is in no hurry to carry out his promises, but He has a set time for their fulfillment

15.  Her commitment to marriage & love for her husband

16.  Nothing is too difficult to god

17.  We will not be judged by a moment of weakness

18.  You will never be too old to be tested by God

19.  He went from laughter of doubt to laughter of faith

20.  Sometimes you must surrender & give it to God

21.  It’s okay to doubt, but don’t stay there. It is important to know how to channel those doubts.

22.  Following god is not always easy, but it’s always worth it

23.  God’s call is best followed together

24.  Doubt is never good for marriage

25.  God promises will bless your marriage (lineage)

26.  Sometimes, our husbands make decisions that don’t make sense to us and that we don’t like, but we need to trust God to lead through our husbands and follow with good attitudes.

a)      Sometimes the end; results in prosperity or poverty, but either way, God will use those decisions to train using godliness

27.  God protects us even when our husbands make sinful, incorrect decisions

28.  Following sinful cultural ideas does not produce good fruit. By him following her suggestions, there was disharmony & jealousy in the home.

29.  Before we make suggestions to our husbands, we need to think through clearly, realizing the influence we have on them, count the cost ahead of time & then make only suggestions that will encourage our husbands to glorify god with our lives

30.  We must not underestimate God; he can do wondrous & mighty things

31.  God can take care of us even when our husbands fail.

32.  Go does not involve us in all his dealings with our husbands and kids. We do not need to be involved in everything. Sometimes, we need to sit back, shut up & let god work. 

33.  Sarah had good reason to feel afraid, but 1 peter3:6 intimates that she was not afraid and that she followed fearlessly

34.  Waiting for God to act in our lives may be our hardest task. It’s also time we become dissatisfied when God's solutions do not match our expectations

35.  When we feel afraid or doubt, remember Gen 18:14, what god said to Abraham

36. Sarah's story reminds us that a time of waiting may be God’s precise plan for us.

Hagar

§  Mother of Abraham's first child, Ishmael, who became the founder of the Arab nations

§  Egyptian slave

§  Sarah’s handmaid

§  Abraham concubine (undefined wife rights)

Weaknesses

§  Jealous

§  Self-pity

§  When faced with problems, she tended to run away

§  Her punishment brought out strong feelings of pride & arrogance

§  Foreign & alone

§  Bitterness

§  Fearful

Lessons from her life

1.      God is faithful to his plan & promises even when humans complicate the process.

2.      God shows himself as one who knows us & wants to be known by us.

3.      The New Testament uses Hagar as a symbol of those who would pursue favor with god by their own efforts

4.      We tend to escape from our problems even though challenges are brought on by other people’s choices.

5.      She probably felt betrayed, hurt, angry and bitterness towards Sarah

6. She was mistreated, pushed down, pushed around, abused, and alone. I believe all she wanted was to be loved.

7.      She didn’t have a voice or rights; she expected to comply with the arrangements.

8.      God promises her I will increase our descendants that they will be too numerous to count; even though we make mistakes or circumstances happen out of control, God is always there to turn it around and give us his favor

9.      Twice Hagar was a recipient of God's promises (land & descendants)

10.  There is a parallel story with Moses

Moses                                                 Hagar

Prince to slave                                     Slave to princess

Prince to liberator                                Slave to wife

Flee to a well (Ex 2 15b)                     Flee a well (Gen 16:7)

a)      Both encounter god in the wilderness

b)      both are commanded to return, both receive a word of promise, and both experience a new name for God

c)      I am-----------------------------------El Roi (God who sees)

d)      Each is given a new role

e) Each sanctifies the expulsion. Expulsion includes a release from slavery, but this time, the wilderness is more threatening, and provisions are limited to what they can carry.

f)       Each run out of water

g) Each cries out to God, and God hears & provides water.

h)      They continued to live in the desert at risk but with God.

11. she hardly accomplishes her patriarchal duties, but her role as a recipient of covenantal promises gives one pause. Her role resembles that of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

12.   God appears to her twice; she is not an Israelite or a man, but God speaks to her and fulfills his promises to her.

13.  God does not just hear and respond to the cries of his people and his chosen people. He also hears and responds to the cries of the disinherited, the disposed, and the defend, less those who have been cast out.

14.  Our suffering does not go unheard

15.  God will use low points/valleys to humble us

16.  No matter how hard life might be, we do not have to live it alone

17.  God wants us to know salvation from the Hagar story; it is available to everyone

18.  If this insignificant slave girl gets a visit from the savior, everyone does

19.  God wants us to know about submission from Hagar's story; salivation is illustrated by submission

20.  God wants us to learn about struggle, sorrow, servanthood, sacrifice and shepherding

21.  Her life wasn’t better, but our outlook is

22.  Remind us that you will trust god with your needs

23.  A biblical reminder for single moms, abused, battered women, and loneliness

24.  True freedom is found only in God

25.  (pray) Open your eyes to the wondrous possibilities right in front of us & every miracle given by God’s generous hand.

 Rebekah

• Wife of Isaac
•  Mother of Jacob & Esau
• She was an initiator
•  Brave & resourceful
• Beautiful, courteous, and kind
• Servant's heart
•  She was accomplishment oriented(industrious)
•  When confronted with a need, she took immediate action
• Woman of prayer
• Woman of patience
• Protected by God
• Showed faith & courage
• Unwavering faith, brave and bold faith.

Weaknesses

§  Her initiative was not always balanced by wisdom

§  She favors one of her sons

§  She deceived her husband

§  Relied on her own strengths & her quick mind

§  She overheard what Isaac was saying to Esau. (wrong attitude)

§  Manipulative

§  Clever, masterful wit

§  Doubtful, lack of trust

§  Rebekah sometimes thought God needed her help.

Lesson from her life

1.      Our actions must be guided by God's word

2.      God makes use even of our mistakes in his plan

3.      Parental favoritism hurts a family

4.      She was so in control she was out of control

5.      We think we can stand up to any adversary on our children’s behalf & weather any fallout.

6.      We should trust God rather than take charge

7.      Honor our husband rather deceive them

8.      Instruct our children, rather than run interference for them

9.      Don’t keep things from your husband (use discernment and wisdom)

10. Strong-willed wives & mothers have an excuse for their actions (this is not about me; we insist firmly I’m doing it just for your sake. If things go right, who takes the credit?)

11.  God uses imperfect women to fulfill his plan

12. Sometimes, pride, uncertainty, and fear overcome us and compel us to run the show instead of trusting God.     

13.   As moms, we are in charge in the early years, but that habit can sometimes be hard to break in the older years.

14.  Prov 14:11 rings true to Rebekah

15.  Psalms 19:12-14 helps us overcome those control tendencies.

16.  In their marriage, they lifted each other in prayer

17.  Beware of famine Isaac & Rebekah were struggling spiritually while raising children

18.  There’s a parallel in Isaac lying about Rebekah being his sister, just like his dad with Sarah fearing because she was beautiful.

19.  Rebekah still trusted Isaac even when he lied (trust your husband even if you think he made the wrong choice or decision)

20.  Trust that God will bring good out of a wrong choice or decisions

21.  God protected her while she honored her husband (followed his plan)

22.  Trust God to bring good in your lives when it doesn’t seem possible.

23.  Renew the passion you once had before life became complicated

24.  Isaac and Rebekah's marriage reminds us that we must support one another

25.  Patience is always necessary in receiving from god.

26. Rebekah was a woman of patience. Knowing when to lean on her husband was part of her strength.

27.  A godly woman should know the weaknesses in her husband & pray about them

28.  Be submissive to the will of God

29.  Marriages can start well, but effort must be made to keep them well.

30.  We must forgive each other (marriage)

31. Her story is a reminder of steadfast love and grace. Even though our faith may wave/shake, he still can use us.

Rachel

• She showed great loyalty to her family
• She mothered Joseph & Benjamin after being barren for many years
•  Rachel stood by her husband during her father’s deceptions
• Every indication was that she loved Jacob deeply
• First love at first sight with Jacob
• Handworker
• Beautiful
• Shepherdess

Weaknesses

•  Her envy & competitiveness marred her relationship with her sister Leah.
•  She was capable of dishonestly when she took her loyalty too far
• She failed to recognize that Jacob’s devotion was not dependent on her ability to have children
• She was manipulative to try to gain Jacob’s favor
• She also stole her father’s idols; the reason was unclear
• She compared herself too much with her sister
• She and her sister were caught up in a cruel contest (children)
• Barren
• Jealous
• Bitterness
• She compared her value and worthiness in having children
• Lack of trust
• Hurt

Lessons from her life

1. Loyalty must be controlled by what is true & right
2. Love is accepted, not earned
3. Parallel reminds Jacob’s past (He fooled his father by substituting himself for his sibling. Laban now fools him by substituting a sibling.
4. The impact of fraud on Rachel, Leah & Jacob is astonishing
5.  God takes care when we are going to meet our husband; God does the work; we are destined; we do not meet our husband by coincidence
6. You are valuable & so you are loved. A future husband should be willing to work for his future wife/bride
7. Rachel gave to her son reflects the sorrow & hurt she lived through. We must be careful of the hurts and emotional wounds that may hollow us from background & circumstances in life. (must be dealt with Jesus)
8.   Rachel had a terrible father, which shows that people will fail us but not God
9. Jacob waited 14yrs for Rachel
10.  She was vulnerable because of her desperation to have children
11. Rachel was so lacking in faith that she put her trust in mandrakes rather than the God Who made them.
12. What is interesting is that the Bible tells men not to look for a wife based on her beauty but on her godly character.  Proverbs 31:30 says, “Favor is deceitful, and BEAUTY IS VAIN: but a woman that feared the LORD, she shall be praised.”

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