Welcome to EBible Fellowship’s Bible study in the Book of Genesis. This is study #14 of Genesis, chapter 3 and we are reading Genesis 3:10-13:

And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And JEHOVAH God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

From here we took a short detour into the New Testament into the Epistle of 1Timothy and we are looking at God’s commentary on the woman being deceived. Hopefully, we are going to learn more about Adam’s response to God’s question: “The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.” There is a deeper spiritual meaning why Adam said those very words and it points to the Gospel.

But, first, we are going to turn back to 1Timothy, chapter 2 and continue to look at the passage in 1Timothy 2:9:

In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel…

In our last study we looked at the word “adorn” and we saw that it appeared in Titus 2, verse 10 where God spoke of being adorned with doctrine. We also saw it used in 1Peter, chapter 3. In that passage the Lord instructs women not to adorn themselves with plaiting of the hair, and so forth, but to adorn themselves with the “hidden man of the heart,” who is Christ; He enters into the heart of a woman or a man at the point of salvation and the Spirit of Christ indwells them. So, in both cases we saw that to be “adorned” points to something spiritual and not something physical.

We also looked at the word translated as “modest apparel.” It is the Greek word, Strong’s #2887 and it is only used twice in the New Testament. Once it is translated as “modest apparel.” It is a translation of one Greek word. The only other time this word is used is found in the next chapter in 1Timothy 3:1-2:

This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;

Here, the word we are looking for is translated as “good behavior” and, obviously, “good behavior” is totally different than “modest apparel.” It has nothing to do with clothing, but it has to do with how you conduct yourself and that fits in with what we read back in 1Peter, chapter 3. The Lord was speaking of a wife who has a husband that does not believe the Gospel and that he might be won by her “conversation” or “behavior.” Although it is not the same word, it has the very same idea as “good behavior.”

What is good behavior? We are accustomed to hearing that wording in relationship to someone that was in prison and they got out (early) due to “good behavior.” It would mean that that this person had followed the rules and obeyed the authorities in the prison system. Likewise, spiritually, “good behavior” is obedience to God’s commandments. It is following the Word of God. Whatever the Scripture declares for the woman, this is what the woman is to do. In the marriage, she is to be in submission and to recognize that the husband is the head of the home, and so forth.

So, once again, we see that when it says that a woman is to be adorned in “modest apparel” it is not referring to something physical – it is spiritual. “Good behavior” is not something you wear; it is not clothing that you wear. It refers to obedient action in relationship to the Word of God.

Also, in Isaiah 61, it sums up or defines spiritual adornment. It says in Isaiah 61:10:

I will greatly rejoice in JEHOVAH, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Salvation is a garment and Christ’s righteousness is the covering. This is the bride’s adornment and what “women” are to adorn themselves with is the “hidden man of the heart.” You cannot find “garments of salvation” in your closet, no matter how many times you change your clothes. I know women often change their clothing several times in order to find that right dress, but no matter how often you change your clothes you cannot find the “garment of salvation.” It could only be obtained by the grace of God as He granted salvation to His elect. When He grants it to “women” He has adorned them with salvation and He has adorned them with a robe of righteousness. This is the adornment that is in view.

Let us look at just one more verse that fits in with this. It says in Revelation 21:2:

And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Now we know exactly what is in view. The New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, refers to all God’s elect that have now been properly adorned. They have all obtained salvation. They have all been equipped with the robe of Christ’s righteousness as pictured by the beautiful white robes that are without spot or blemish; there is no sin upon the bride because God has adorned them with these garments of salvation. This is the point that God is making concerning “women.”

In the Bible, being a woman or a wife or a bride has a spiritual meaning. Adam’s bride Eve typified the bride of Christ or all those God saved. The bride of Christ is made up of both men and women and old and young. It is made up of people from every nation, tribe and tongue and we are all part of the bride. We are all the “woman” and as God speaks of a woman adorning herself with spiritual adornment, this should be the case for all God’s elect and this is what should show forth to your “husband.” The “hidden man of the heart” should reveal Himself through your life. God is speaking to women on one level, but He is speaking to all believers on another level because we are typified by the “woman.”

Then it goes on to say in 1Timothy 2:11:

Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.

God says it twice. He says, “Let the woman learn in silence,” and He says, “But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.”

The word “silence” is Strong’s #2271 and this word is used in 2Thessalonians 3:10-12:

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

The word “quietness” is the word translated as “silence” in our verse. With “silence” they work and eat their own bread. Is God speaking only to women here? No – He is talking to men as well as women. First He lays down the Law that if any do not work, he should not eat. Then he says, “For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.”

The word “busybodies” in the Greek is an interesting word. It is a compound word that literally means “working all around,” or you are working here and there and you are doing “this and that.” Yet, it was translated as “busybodies” and we have our own definition of that because we think of someone who is a “gossiper” and is into everyone’s business; they have to know everything that is going on and then they share it with other people. But, God then says, “Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.” We have to remember that this is the Bible. While on one level this passage has application to working at a job and making money so you can buy bread and take care of your family, but on a deeper spiritual level we know that Jesus is the “bread of life.” It said in Matthew 6, verse 11: “Give us this day our daily bread.” Also, it says in Matthew 16:11-12:

How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

It is amusing in a way because Jesus was, in fact, talking to them about physical bread, but then He added that they should know by now that He is not speaking just about bread, but they were to look for the spiritual meaning or spiritual truth. We should always be looking for spiritual meaning in the Bible. So, when it says in 2Thessalonians 3:12, “that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread,” we should be looking for a spiritual meaning. It does have a moral application, but, more importantly, it has the spiritual application of Biblical truth or doctrine and a right understanding of what the Bible is declaring and this is “bread.” Therefore, the work that is being spoken of is work in the Bible or work in the Scriptures. Our fingers do the work as we turn the pages, comparing Scripture with Scripture, here and there.

So, when it says in 2Thessalonians 3:10, “if any would not work, neither should he eat,” we need to work for our daily bread. Yes, we can pray that the Lord would give us our “daily bread.” By the way, that prayer in Matthew 6, verse 11 is repeated in Luke, chapter 11 and it is couched in the framework of a petition for salvation because that is when Christ taught them how to pray during the day of salvation. In Luke 11, after giving the Lord’s Prayer, Christ went on to illustrate another petition with a parable that is in the context of “midnight” when the door is shut. The request was for “three loaves” and that would be a request for “bread.” With that parable in Luke 11 God is instructing us how we ought to pray in the Day of Judgment. That is where we are now as we live on the earth in the Day of Judgment since May 21, 2011 and, yet, we still receive our “daily bread,” which is expressed by the “three loaves.” It is the purpose of God for revealing His Word to His people in the Day of Judgment and He indicates in that parable that He will continue to give us “bread.”

So, today we have the same commandment: “if any would not work, neither should he eat.” If we are not studying to shew ourselves approved, we are not following that commandment. How do we study the Bible? We open the Bible and we read and anything that interests us, we stop and we start looking up the words in the verse or chapter. We should have a concordance and if you cannot afford a concordance, you can find them on line. We can look up the words and start checking them out. Or, if you are listening to the teaching of EBible, we continually give Strong’s numbers in our word studies and you should be checking us out. You should not be accepting it as truth without verifying or proving it. This is what God tells us in 1John when He warned us of the time we are living in and He said in 1John 4:1:

Beloved, believe not every spirit…

By the way, that is a statement that is said in Matthew 24 when someone says Christ is “here or there,” we are to believe it not. That is actually a formula statement, as God goes on to explain in 1John 4:1:

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

When we see the phrase, “believe not,” it really means that you are not to accept it without verification. You can listen to the study or listen to the doctrine they are presenting, but do not believe it until you “try the spirits.” You “try the spirits” by checking it out and seeing if it is so. You listen carefully to the verse and check out the words used. Again, that is why we continually tell you the Strong’s numbers so that you can check it out. What if you do not check it out? Then you are not “working.” The listener or the reader of the Bible that is under any kind of teaching has a responsibility. I know that sometimes we are busy and, perhaps, we do not have time to do a Bible study every day, but Sunday is a good day to put aside time to check things out. We are always talking about the fact that Sunday is the Sabbath Day and how it is a time for spiritual activity like reading and studying the Bible and prayer. Sunday is a day you can check things out. You have heard a study and you can take a couple hours on the Lord’s Day and start checking it out. Wonderfully, a lot of these audio players that you use to listen online can be “paused.” I know some people say I speak too fast and I give too many verses, but you can pause it and you can go and search it out to see if it is so, like the Bereans. The Bereans proved things out when they heard it; they “believed it not” until they had proved it in the Scriptures. Once we have done that work, then we can eat that “bread.” Again, it said in 2Thessalonians 3:11:

For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

They are “working not at all.” Maybe they are dismissing all kinds of teaching because they think they know this or that, but they are not working and checking things out. That is a “busybody.” He may be listening to the pastor of his church or he is listening to commentaries on Scriptures or maybe he is listening to three or four individuals that have teaching websites and, even though he is “working all around” and he is all over the place, and, yet, he has not sat down with the Bible and done his own work. If that is the case, the Lord Jesus Christ exhorts him in 2Thessalonians 3:12:

Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

It is like he has been “unemployed” because he is not practicing proper Biblical methodology and performed his work as a Bible student, but the Lord is saying that you should begin to work and when you begin to work, you work with quietness or you work with silence. As you do your work in silence, then the result of the work will be “bread.” You earn the bread and then you can eat your own bread. You have done the necessary things and it is like the end of your two-week pay period when you can get your paycheck and go buy your food. You have put forth effort to learn and now you are learning. Yet, even when you work there is a guideline from God. You do not work loudly. You do not work noisily. When you are working in the Bible you are not working with some kind of loud noise of any kind, but you are working with quietness or with silence.

Why would God say that? Of course, when you are at home alone and you have your Bible and concordance open and there is no one else around, normally, and you are not shouting or making a noise. Well, sometimes, you can get excited and you might make a sound of excitement when you understand something, but, typically, you are working silently.

We will have to continue this in our next Bible study.