Exodus 1:9. “And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”

 

According to the Scripture we just read, and in the context of what the Holy Spirit has inspired me to share in this article, there are two kinds of women; the Hebrew women and the Egyptian women. According to the testimony of the midwives, they were making a clear distinction here, they said the Hebrew women are lively, they are fruitful and they give birth without stress even before the midwives come to attend to them.

God speaking to the Woman in Genesis chapter 3 verse 16, “To the Woman He said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth; In pain you will give birth to children; Yet your desire and longing will be for your husband, and he will rule [with authority] over you and be responsible for you.” The experience the Egyptian midwives testified about concerning the Hebrew women was almost a direct opposite of what God had told the Woman in this verse. This means that while child bearing or fruitfulness could be difficult experience for some set of women, it is easy for another. This differences in the experiences of marriage is what this article is written to address.

In Genesis chapter 2 verse 28a Bible says; “And God blessed them [granting them certain authority] and said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth.” So, here we are seeing that to be fruitful, to be able to conceive and to bring forth a child is actually a blessing from God, geared towards fulfilling the instruction and command of God from the beginning.  This translation says God granted unto them; I.e. the man and the Woman certain authority. Having done that, He said be fruitful, when you are fruitful you will multiply and when you multiply you will fill the earth. That is Gods ultimate goal. If God has instructed man and has blessed him in this manner, what then makes it difficult for a marriage to be fruitful? What makes it difficult for conception and for child birth?

 

I would like to give a brief description or definition of two words that would be very profound and useful for this article. The words are fruitfulness and priesthood. What is fruitfulness? Fruitfulness talks about adding or multiplying what already exist. It talks about the capacity to reproduce an exact replica. What about priesthood? What is priesthood? It talks about an office or a position of a priest. So, when a priest is functioning in his or her capacity and authority it is described as priesthood. So, what is the relevance of this and how does it apply to our marriages?

Considering Genesis 2 verse 19 as the subject of our meditation; it says; “Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.”

I would like you to note this word; “Whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.”  What is a name? A name is a word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to. So, God gave Adam the responsibility of naming animals. In other words; his responsibility was to mention a word or sets of words that an animal is to be known or addressed or referred to. But I would like us to look closely at the words again in the Scripture. It says; “out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air.” I want you to also note that word “out of the ground.” The living creatures were formed out of dust yet he was required to give meaning, purpose or identity to such a living creature.

Then it says; “and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them.” Again, I want us to note that word “what he would call them.” Then it says; “and whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name.” God didn’t dispute it; God didn’t argue it out with the man.

Seems as if whatever name the man calls the animal was the same name God intended or purposed in His heart if He were to be the one to name the living creatures. No wonder Jesus said whatever you allow on earth is allowed in heaven. In other words whatever name you give any situation on the earth will also be recognized in heaven. But there is something so profound I noticed here. For a name to be heard or given there is a calling, it says; “to see what he would call them.” Bible says God calls the things that be not and they came as though they were.” So, it means a name is a short code that summarizes words by which a person is known or addressed or referred to. And by a name you can command or enforce obedience.

This explains the reason why when God wanted to change the experience of Jabez He changed his name, when He wanted to change the experience of Abaraham and Sarah, He changed their names to Father and Mother of nations. What about Jacob? It was changed to Israel. The names and different scenarios and encounters between God and men are numerous to mention. This means that names are very powerful, it gives identity, meaning and can also shape destinies. I will would love us to note that names are given based on what the giver of the name desires to be seen or recognized.

So, Adam having become aware of the authority God has given Him, utilized and maximized his priesthood as a husband. I noticed that Adam named his wife twice. And each time he does that, he gave a reason to it. The first time he recognized her in Genesis 2 verse 23b, he said; “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Did we see that? “She shall be called.” See the name Adam called His wife; “Woman.” And the reason is because she was taken out of him. See what the verse says; “because she is the bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.” Remember, I defined a name as a word or set of words by which a person or thing is known, addressed, or referred to. So, Adam having recognized his wife he said she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of me. The Woman is a being taken out of the man and she is the other half that has the womb. So, that gives her the capacity to conceive and bear.

So, having being called a Woman or womb man, whenever she finds it difficult to conceive or bear a child, she would either be termed barren or fruitful or the midwives would say she is either a Hebrew, a covenant Woman or an Egyptian. This is where the priesthood of the husband is required. It is the authority of the husband that determines the experience of the wife in terms of fruitfulness. The Bible says Jacob prayed for his wife and she conceived.

 So, as a husband, what kind of name do you call your wife? It is a pointer to the kind of experience you will have in your marriage. Whether you praise or insult her, she will reproduce exactly what you have said about. Remember we noted a word at the beginning; “whatever Adam called the living creatures that was its name.” So, because Adam called his wife Woman that was her name. And from that time forward the Bible including God began to call or refer to her as Woman. What kind of name do you call your wife? Remember his reason for calling her Woman was because she was taken out of the man. So, each time Adam calls her he remembers and acknowledges that his wife is the bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. Woman is a single word that embodies such a revelation about his wife.

Again, in Genesis 3 verse 20, The Bible says; “The man named his wife Eve and the meaning of that name is; (life spring, life giver), because she was the mother of all the living.” See the reason why he gave her the name; because she is the mother of all the living. Adam is setting an example for us here for us to learn; What name do you call the mother of your children? Even if she is barren and unfruitful, the name you call her matters a lot. I came to realize that that Eve had not given birth to any child at this point. This is after she was cursed and prior to chapter 4 before the birth of Cain and Abel.  Remember the pronouncement God made to the Woman in Genesis 3 verse 16? He said; “To the Woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth; In pain you will give birth to children.” What is childbirth? It is simply the process of bringing forth a child from the womb. It means fruitfulness, a process of bringing forth life.

So, the second name Adam gave to his wife was prophetic in nature. Even though a curse had gone forth, Adam took an exemption in Christ. Who is a life giver? From who does life spring from? Jesus Himself. So, the name was prophetic. This is the word or name that coverts an Egyptian Woman into a Hebrew Woman. See the authority God gave Adam, whatever name he gives any living creature, that was its name. The curse notwithstanding, or irrespective of where it is coming from, if your husband can stand to make his own decree as a priest concerning the wife, fruitfulness will become a perpetual experience. So, whatever name he gives his wife, that was her name. If he says you are fruitful, she becomes fruitful. Whatever experience he wants to see produced by his wife, he calls her the name and it becomes a reality and a possibility in the marriage. if you have been experiencing bitterness, quarrel and heated arguments in your home, it is time to review the name you call your wife. Change her name to sweetness or something sweet; you have successfully casted out the a nagging spirit out of her.

What is the implication of this on marriage. Your primary ministry is to your marriage, you are first a priest and a prophet in your marriage before anything else. If you are a teacher, teach your wife, if you are a prophet prophesy to your household and to your wife. If you are a priest build an alter and let the fire burning on it not go deem. Let the sacrifices of praise thanksgiving and prayers never cease on it.

Before this time, Adam called his wife Woman which could also mean womb man. But He didn’t just stop there, there was a progression. He with the pronouncement of the curse, Adam called her life giver, spirit of life, mother of all living. If you have been experiencing delay in childbirth, if you are finding it difficult to be fruitful; go ahead and speak to your womb give it a name. What experience do you wish or desire to see in your marriage? It is up to you to speak by giving it names.

Jesus said whatever you allow on earth is allowed in heaven. So, what do you allow in your marriage that heaven is allowing? What kind of experience do you desire in your wife, in your husband? Give it a name commensurate with what you wish to see. And you will hear the midwives say; she is not like the Egyptian Woman; she is like the Hebrew women; there shall be no delayed labor, you draw strength and grace from God because you are called life giver, spring of life; you take your immunity in Christ, you are the mother of all living because your husband; your priest in agreement with Jesus says so.     

Let me conclude by saying this; there are many priests, and there are many husbands; but only a few husbands serve as priest in their homes and marriages.

Thanks for the gift of your time, I am Apeh Francis Abah!

Feel free to share your thoughts or testimony in the comment box below. I promise to respond to them as soon as possible!