Why Didn’t He Stop Her?

She took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.  Genesis 3:6b  ESV

The woman allowed the serpent to engage her, and as he did, she put up no defenses.  Was Adam there with her as she was tempted?  If so, perhaps he heard it all.  If he was distracted however, wouldn’t he have been shocked when he saw that she had eaten of the tree? Wouldn’t a sense of dread have washed over him?  And when she offered him some of it, wouldn’t he have felt alarmed by her suggestion?

There was a void of leadership in the garden and, sadly, there is a void of leadership today too.  Yes, there are men who pray for their wives and children before they leave the house.  There are men who ask God for spiritual intuition to understand the needs of each family member.  There are men who are spiritually street-smart about the enemy and how he preys on the weaknesses of those he loves.  There are men who pray strategically for their families.

They exist.  But they are the minority.  Perhaps the man you are married to does none of the above, even though he professes to be a believer.  Perhaps you are a single mother raising your family by yourself.  What then?  You have a bridegroom who offers all the things you need.  He leads. He prays.  He protects.  He pledges himself in enduring love and makes more vows than could be recited in any marriage ceremony.  Each vow is a promise He is incapable of breaking.  

The absence of leadership in the garden contributed to the fall of future generations.  The woman ate and bore the consequences.  Adam neglected to lead and bore the consequences.  Every baby born after that bore the consequences.  The dynamics of what happened to Adam and Eve in the garden still play out today in every home.  Though an ancient story, I can’t afford to ignore everything it begs to teach me.   

Help me craft the prayers that are needed for the men in my life.  In Jesus’ name, Amen