What's the Big Deal?: Presenting the Crucial Importance of Stay-at-home Daughterhood to the Kingdom of God Part 1

If you have not yet had the opportunity to read the previous articles released in this series, please click here and do so now, before continuing on with this one!

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You have just begun to read the 15th article in the stay-at-home daughterhood article series. Much time, study, prayer, research, writing, re-writing, editing, and replying to comments from readers have gone into this project. Why would I dedicate such time and effort to such a work as this? The answer lies in the importance which the Word of God places upon Biblical womanhood and its correlation with the doctrine of stay-at-home daughterhood. The practice of unmarried daughters remaining at home until marriage is so viciously hated in our culture today (the reason behind feminism’s hatred of stay-at-home daughterhood will be discussed in an upcoming article). As we know, the Adversary works tirelessly to alter the truths of God’s Word, to slyly deceive and cleverly trick us into following lies, and to keep us from living out the all-wise plan and design of the Creator God. This is why it is so crucial for us to grasp the depth of the importance of the Bible’s teaching on the roles of unmarried daughters, so that we might return to “the old paths, where is the good way” (Jer. 6:16).

The Importance of Stay-at-home Daughterhood to the Kingdom of God

The doctrine of stay-at-home daughterhood and obedience thereto is crucial for a number of reasons, the first and most important of which can be articulated as follows:

Stay-at-home daughterhood is crucial to the Kingdom of God because God Himself commands it.

This fact is the one which makes stay-at-home daughterhood so very important to the health and furtherance of the Kingdom of God. While other facts can (and will) be brought up which lead credence to the belief that stay-at-home daughterhood is important, no other fact is as crucial as the one illustrated above. Nor does any other fact give stay-at-home daughterhood the vast level of importance as this one does. Because God, in His Word, clearly reveals His design for Biblical daughterhood, it is imperative that we follow and obey it faithfully and with great diligence and joy, knowing God’s will to always be best.

There are many in our day who view this doctrine as archaic, with no relevance to today’s more “enlightened” and “progressive” times. However, nothing could be further from the truth. This stance arises from the belief that stay-at-home daughterhood is mere tradition from the ancient days of Judaism and that it therefore holds no bearing upon the Church. If this were the case, I would not take the time to write such a lengthy defense of stay-at-home daughterhood as I have in this article series. For, following mere human tradition has been what has caused such heresy and seeds of discord and trouble to arise in the Church through the past two millennia. For example, in Jesus’ day, the Pharisees (the Jewish leaders) were notorious for creating their own traditions, elevating them to the level of Old Testament law, and striving to enforce the people around them into following these human practices. By doing so, they were guilty of wicked legalism and of forcing the poor people around them into terrible bondage. Jesus was furious with the actions and teachings of the Pharisees. Time and again, He confronted them with rebukes against their legalistic teachings and man-made laws. In one such encounter, as recorded in Mark 7, Jesus chastised them with the following words, quoting the book of Isaiah, “Howbeit in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” (Mk. 7:7). He went on to say, “Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (vs. 9). What a disgrace it would be for Christians to be guilty of living and acting in such a manner as this! In like words, the Lord, in Deuteronomy 4:2 says, “Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.” Clearly, being guilty of adding to God’s Word through the following of mere man-made tradition and practice is a dire sin indeed! One who obeys, and likewise teaches, the doctrine of stay-at-home daughterhood, however, is far from guilty of this charge! Grasping this fact was one of the reasons why I felt compelled to begin this series. Observing how many in Christendom either ignore the Bible’s teachings on this subject or else describe it as archaic and the practice as legalistic and based on mere tradition, was alarming. As I began to study this subject and discover the teachings of God, as well as the teachings and plans of those who hate this beloved doctrine, I began to discover just how far Christendom has wandered from the design of God, that it might follow after the deceptive ways of the enemies of God. It was then, as I began to see the crucial importance of this doctrine to the health and productivity of Christendom, that I set out to formulate this series. From the very beginning, it has been my heart-felt desire to show you not only God’s will and teachings on this topic, but furthermore to express to you just why it is that Christians of the 21st century ought to obey them just as those Christians did in the 1st century or as those Israelites did at the time of Moses.


As stated above, to follow a method or teaching that is based solely on human tradition or outdated practices and then to furthermore force others into following such a lifestyle is a grave sin which the Lord will not take lightly nor overlook. However, the doctrine of stay-at-home daughterhood, though first articulated in Moses’ day, is a never-ending commandment of God which is still to be practiced by Christians in our day. To illustrate this fact, what follows is a review and summary of what we learned in the 7 part article on the Biblical case for stay-at-home daughterhood. The following reveals that stay-at-home daughterhood is not only commanded in the Scriptures, but is also described and illustrated in various portions of the Bible. Not only this, but the Lord has also provided us in His Word examples of stay-at-home daughters.

The Roles of Women

At the very beginning of this series was a study of why woman was created-what she was created to do, what her purpose is, what the Lord expects of her, and the roles and responsibilities He has wisely and lovingly given solely to her. In that 4 part study, we determined that woman was given four specific roles-she was to be a helpmeet to man, a mother, a homemaker, and under the authority and protection of man, both prior to and during marriage. This revelation shows us that a woman’s life and roles all center around the home and family which, as presented in part 1 of the article on the Biblical case for stay-at-home daughterhood, reveals to us that young women, as well, are to lead lives which are occupied with duties to home and family. We discovered that as a result of woman’s roles, even if there were no passages in the Holy Scriptures dealing specifically with the issue of stay-at-home daughterhood, we could still deduce that an unmarried daughter’s life is to be like that of a woman at any age-it is to be characterized by ministry and work in the home, for the sake of the family and all others who enter that home.

Numbers 30

Numbers 30 is Old Testament law which deals with the responsibility husbands and fathers have of leading and protecting their wives and daughters. Interestingly, this passage lays forth the responsibility fathers have of diligently protecting and having authority over their daughters until the time those daughters marry. In other words, according to Numbers 30, daughters are to remain at home with their fathers until they marry, at which time they are to be led and protected by their husbands. Crystal clear through the reading of this chapter is that there is no time in a daughter’s life when she is to be off on her own, leading her own life and seeking to protect herself. Daughters are shown to be under the authority and protections of their fathers up until they are transferred to the authority and protection of their husbands. In other words, in Numbers 30, in the very law of God itself, there is no time in which a daughter is to be off on her own. If you would like to study this chapter and the implications thereof, I encourage you to read part 2 of the Biblical case for stay-at-home daughterhood article, which is dedicated solely to the teachings of Numbers 30.

As presented in the article on Numbers 30, while this chapter is indeed Old Testament law, it is nonetheless binding upon New Testament Christians today. There are indeed portions of the Old Testament law which are in no way binding upon today’s Christians, for Christ fulfilled them. An example of these would be the sacrificial law, the ceremonial law, the laws pertaining to feasts, and the various laws pertaining to Sabbaths. Christ was and is the ultimate sacrifice, the forgiver of sins, and the rest for our weary souls. Therefore, these areas of Old Testament law are not binding on New Testament Christians, and those who strive to bind Christians to the following of these laws are being as legalistic as were the Pharisees of Jesus’s time. Numbers 30 and other moral laws, and laws dealing with family dynamics, however, are binding to this very day. And if they are not followed by Christians, those Christians are sadly guilty of disobeying the commands of God.

Sons Leave, Daughters are Given

The Lord also presents stay-at-home daughterhood when, in His Word, sons are described as going out and finding wives of their own, while daughters are said to be given by their fathers in marriage. This is revealed in numerous passages, such as Genesis 28:1, 5-7; 29:1, 19, 24; 34:9. While sons leave the homes of their childhood, that they might search out a wife, daughters are shown to be remaining at home under the protection of their fathers until they give them in marriage. The Bible is replete with examples of this.

Leviticus 22:13 and Other Assorted Passages

As stated previously in this series, there are passages throughout Scripture which state that daughters remain at home with their families until the time of their marriages, one of which is Leviticus 22:13. This passage, which states, “But if the priest’s daughter be a widow, or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father’s house, as in her youth, she shall eat of her father’s meat; but there shall no stranger eat thereof,” shows that it was normative for daughters to remain at home until marriage, as opposed to leading autonomous lifestyles up until marriage. Not only this, but protection of women is so important to our Lord, Who desires for women to never be alone, but to rather be lovingly provided for, that widows commonly returned to the homes of their families following the deaths of their husbands. Examples of this are Ruth and Orpah. Furthermore, women are so dear to the heart of the Lord Jesus Christ that, in the book of John, He commissioned John to care for His mother, Mary, after His death. From that moment on, Mary remained in John’s home, being cared for and protected as Jesus had commanded.

Psalms 45 and 144

In a previous article, these beautiful Psalms were discussed and studied. Psalm 45:10 shows that the royal daughter lived at home with her father until the time of her wedding. Furthermore, verse 13 reveals that in the palace, be that her father’s or her husband’s, she was glorious. She was not some household drudge. No, far from it! She was as the Proverbs 31 woman, who was a glory in her home. Psalm 144:12 presents the role given to each and every unmarried daughter-that of being a polished cornerstone in her father’s home. A daughter is to be preoccupied not with jobs, interests, and duties outside her home; but rather, her main priority is to be her home-she is to work there, minister there, and serve there. That is the glorious sphere which the Lord provided for her, and it is there where she can be glorious. These passages reveal to us the Lord’s will that daughters not only remain at home until marriage, but that they remain fruitful and productive there, ever seeking to strengthen those who enter therein.

1 Corinthians 7:36-38

The idea that stay-at-home daughterhood is taught only in the Old Testament is based upon ignorance and falsehood, for in 1 Corinthians 7:36-38, fathers are given the authority to choose whether they will give their daughters in marriage or keep them (thereby again implying that their daughters are at home with them until marriage). The KJV makes it clear that fathers and daughters are the subjects of these verses, while more modern translations such as the ESV, blur this truth and attempt to present this passage as dealing with people who are betrothed. However, many who staunchly defend the ESV nonetheless admit that the translation and interpretation of verses 36-38 should be understood to be referring to fathers and the authority they have over their daughters.

Examples of Stay-at-home Daughters

Not only does the Lord issue forth commands regarding the lifestyles of unmarried daughters and provide passages illustrating and describing stay-at-home daughterhood, He also places in His Word examples of daughters who remained at home until marriage. Women such as Rebekah, Rachel, and Zipporah, among others, are shown to have been productive, fruitful daughters who worked hard to serve their families and households.

In Conclusion

The purpose of this presentation was to reiterate the fact that stay-at-home daughterhood is presented throughout all of Scripture. Through revealing this to be the case, it should become clear that the main reason why stay-at-home daughterhood is so crucially important is because God has commanded and ordained this practice (Num. 30, 1 Cor. 7:36-38, etc.). God alone is all-wise; and therefore, He alone has the wisdom and knowledge to dictate what we are to do in order to flourish and further His Kingdom. We humans often attempt to serve God on our own terms, leading lives not according to God’s laws, but rather according to what we want to do. This, however, cannot accurately be deemed service. If we desire to advance the Kingdom of God and its causes, then we must live and serve on His terms and according to His design. It is therefore crucial that we unearth the long lost practice of stay-at-home daughterhood and once again live according to the dictates of God’s Word alone. When we do so, we may be surprised as to just how fruitfully we are able to serve the Lord and advance His dominion on this earth! We have an exciting opportunity before us-an opportunity to advance Christ’s Kingdom in amazing and exciting ways. To do so, however, we must live not according to what our goals may be or what the world expects of us. We must pattern our lives according to God’s unchanging Word and it alone. The question is-will Christendom be willing to give up the ways of the world, that they might serve and glorify Christ on His terms rather than our own? It is my prayer that this will be the case, both for the sake of the Lord and His Kingdom and for that of the world to which we are called to minister!

Happy 21st Anniversary, Mama and Daddy!

We are so proud of you and your wonderful example of Christian marriage. Thank you for the role models you are and for your unfailing dedication to your union, to the glory of God.

We love you!!

~Bekah and Andrew

Upcoming Articles in the Stay-at-home Daughterhood Article Series

While the stay-at-home daughterhood article series is already comprised of 14 articles, many more are currently in the works and will be posted in the near future, at the rate of, Lord willing, one per week. It is my desire in this current post to share with you what you can expect to see addressed in this series in the near future. My hope is that you will continue to read and ponder the previous articles, diligently search and study the Holy Scriptures, and pray that the Lord would open your eyes to the glories of His truths. What follows is a tentative listing of the future articles in the stay-at-home daughterhood article series, provided here for you that you might prepare for the reading thereof through Bible study and prayer.



Lord willing, a new article will be posted on each subsequent Friday beginning April 23. The topics that will soon be covered include the following:




“What’s the Big Deal?: Presenting the Crucial Importance of Stay-at-home Daughterhood to the Kingdom of God”


This article, which will be posted in 2, perhaps 3, parts, will delve into the issue of why stay-at-home daughterhood should even be pondered so deeply or discussed at such length in our day. For many, stay-at-home daughterhood is viewed as an archaic, out of date concept which is of no importance or relevance to us today. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. Stay-at-home daughterhood is of just as much importance and relevance now as it was in the days in which it was written of in the Holy Scriptures. In some ways, it is of even more importance today, in an age in which feminism has so thoroughly and pervasively influenced each and every aspect of society, the most evident of which may perhaps be the home and family. In this article, I will work to reveal just why it is so important to ponder the implications of stay-at-home daughterhood and to work to carefully and diligently put its principles into practice. This portion of the article series may be very eye-opening!




“Feminist Fury: Why Feminism Despises Stay-at-home Daughterhood and How it is Attempting to Destroy It"


The concept of stay-at-home daughterhood is not only a sorely misunderstood one today, but is one which is severely hated and disdained. The question is, “Why?” Why is stay-at-home daughterhood so actively and staunchly hated by feminists of all backgrounds and belief systems? Feminists want you to believe that their rejection of stay-at-home daughterhood is due to their being afraid that such a lifestyle would enslave young women, keeping them from realizing and reaching their full potential, barring them from the opportunity to be highly educated, preventing them from having a positive impact on the world, and exposing them to abuse and perpetual childhood. However, when one studies the true history of the feminist movement, what is uncovered is that these are not the actual reasons for the feminist rejection of stay-at-home daughterhood. They are simply the reasons which feminists would have us to believe, so as to prevent us from fully understanding the roots of their disdain for Biblical daughterhood. In this article, which may very well be posted in numerous parts, you will be exposed to the true history and background of feminism and will come to understand just why it is that feminism not only dislikes stay-at-home daughterhood, but thoroughly and ruthlessly hates it. What you learn may surprise you!



“Industry and Commerce: Studying the Issue of Work and Whether or Not a Stay-at-home Daughter Should be Involved in Such Endeavors”


Does this title catch your interest? It should! This article, which, like others, will likely be posted in several installments, will cover such topics as:


• What is work? What is its Biblical definition?


• Is it Biblical for stay-at-home daughters to work? If so, what kind of work should they do?


• Biblically speaking, is it lawful for a stay-at-home daughter to work outside the home?


• Is a father required by God to provide financially for his adult daughters?


• How can a daughter, in a Biblical fashion, contribute to the economy and financial well-being of her family?


• What is a home business? Did women in the Bible own home businesses? How does a daughter go about beginning a home business? What are some practical options for the daughter who desires to begin a home business?


I hope that this will serve as a very helpful and practical article and that it will answer many of today’s common questions regarding the life of the Biblical stay-at-home daughter.




“What About College and Higher Education?”


A common misconception is that stay-at-home daughters, by being dedicated to remaining at home with their parents until marriage, are prevented from acquiring an extensive, in-depth education. Nothing could be further from the truth. In this article, I will seek to expose the lies of our culture which say that in order to be successful and productive, one must go to college. I will also work to reveal the many reasons why it is not only unwise for a young woman to be sent to college, but that in so doing, a daughter is actually hindered from acquiring a truly high education. I will also point out examples from history of women who never set foot on a college campus but are, still to this day, widely known for being erudite and for possessing a lofty intellect and knowledge. We will study the topic of where true knowledge comes from, and will also discover the ways in which colleges and universities-including many leading Christian ones!-are being overrun by humanists (as well as the religion of Islam!) who are diligently seeking to indoctrinate students in the lies of humanism. The topic of why college campuses are so dangerous will also be covered. Do not miss this article, as it is crucially important, for a young woman’s education is crucially important. While Christians commonly fail to understand this, humanists grasp the truth well-our educations will either prepare us to serve others and further Christ’s Kingdom, or else will furnish us for the task of furthering the Adversary’s plans and schemes.




“What About Ministry?”


There are those who hold to the belief that if a daughter remains at home until marriage, she will be unable to further the Kingdom of God through Christian ministry to lost and hurting souls. This is an entirely false idea. This article will cover such issues as the following:


• What about overseas ministry?


• What if an unmarried daughter feels called to leave home in order to minister in a foreign country or different state?


• How do the Scriptures present the topic of ministry? Through what spheres did God ordain ministry to take place?


• Who is called to Christian ministry?


• What ministry options are open to the Biblically-minded stay-at-home daughter?


This will undoubtedly be a rather controversial article, but one must not shrink away from the controversial when God’s Word and the furthering of His Kingdom are what is at stake.




“What is a Stay-at-home Daughter to Do?”


Common is the view that stay-at-home daughters are chained to the home and lead lives of little use or productive importance. The belief is that such daughters are either couch potatoes or that they are having little positive impact on the world through their homemaking, cooking, and sewing. Both notions are false. In this article, which will be comprised of several parts, we will discuss what a Biblical stay-at-home daughter’s life is to look like. Now, the lives of all stay-at-home daughters are not going to look the same, nor should they. Stay-at-home daughterhood is not about faithfully filling some cookie cutter shape. Rather, it is about taking the principles of God’s Word and putting them into practice in one’s day-to-day life. Topics covered will be the importance of developing close relationships with siblings, serving the church, strengthening the household, serving and honoring parents, learning and putting into practice various homemaking skills, reaching out to the community, and more. As you will undoubtedly see, the stay-at-home daughter who lives her life according to the Bible and the priorities it places upon her, will not only live a full, fulfilling life at home, but will also be highly productive and happy. We will be joined in this article study by my dear mother, who will, via interview, speak on what she has learned regarding the importance of learning homemaking skills and preparing for a life of being a wife, mother, and homemaker from an early age. We will also likely be joined by my father, as well, in an interview on the topic of how a daughter can help, encourage, strengthen, and serve her father and his household.




“Stay-at-home Daughterhood Exaggerated”


Perhaps the most common reason why stay-at-home daughterhood is so hated in our day, is that there is a popular misconception abounding which says that stay-at-home daughters are retarded in their growth into adulthood by remaining at home. The belief is that they are somehow forced into a life of meaningless, perpetual childhood. While this may be true in some families, it is not the truth for the majority of stay-at-home daughters in the West and is by no means faithful to Biblical family dynamics. In this article, I will address the problem of exaggerating the doctrine of stay-at-home daughterhood into something it was never meant by God to be. I will also state that we must refrain from basing our beliefs, on the topic of Biblical daughterhood, upon the sinful practices of others.




“Representing Stay-at-home Daughterhood Well”


In our day, a faithful and Biblical stay-at-home daughter is a pioneer in every sense of the word. She is blazing a trail back to the “old paths, where is the good way” (Jere. 6:16). Though we live in an age when many stay-at-home daughters experience disdain and ridicule from family and friends who disagree with their lifestyle, this is not a mere discouraging and frustrating time to live. No, far from it! For the Biblically-minded, visionary stay-at-home daughter, this is a most exciting time to live! We, as 21st century stay-at-home daughters, have the unique opportunity to lead the Church, by example and through faithfulness to God, back to His life-changing Word. The intent of this article is to be an encouragement to stay-at-home daughters and to provide for them a vision of the exciting opportunities open to them to be a dominion-minded, fruitful pioneer. This article will also address ways in which a stay-at-home daughter can Biblically represent the doctrine and practice of stay-at-home daughterhood well. Common failures committed by daughters which cause others to disdain the practice of stay-at-home daughterhood will also be addressed.




“Dealing with Difficulties: Living Biblically in an UnBiblical World”


In some ways, this may prove to be one of the most helpful articles of this entire series. Undoubtedly, there are many daughters out there who come from less than perfect family situations who are frustrated and discouraged because they want to fulfill the stay-at-home daughterhood model found in the Bible but think such to be impossible given the way in which their family currently operates. While I by no means have all the answers, it is my desire to, by God’s grace, be of help to daughters who may find themselves in hard times and discouraging circumstances. Difficulties addressed in this article, which will consist of several parts, include the following:


• “I know that, Biblically speaking, my father has the responsibility to lead, protect, and provide for me until he gives me in marriage. However, my father does not understand this, and desires to release me to be on my own once I turn 18. What hope do I have? What should I do?”


• “As a young woman of God, I know that my calling is to serve my father’s household, to actively work at home, and to be a true polished cornerstone there. My father desires for me to work outside the home, though. What should I do?”


• “My father wants me to have the experience of going to college, but the thought scares me. I prefer to further my education at home. I want to honor my father, but I also want to be faithful to what I believe the Lord wants me to do. What should I do in this situation?”


• “My father wants me to remain at home until marriage, but I don’t want to! What should I do?”


• And much more!


Again, I do not have all the answers, nor do I pretend to. However, I do believe that there are certain Biblical principles by which daughters in difficult situations can, through following them, have joy and, by God’s grace, live in a Biblical manner. I pray that this article will bring much joy, encouragement, and vision to young women, and that through it, they may gain the ability to faithfully persevere.




Interviews


Once the various articles themselves have been posted, an assortment of interviews will follow. I believe that these will be a great blessing to you, and will serve to encourage you to faithfully follow in the ways of God. Interviews will be conducted with various young women such as Miss Jocelyn Dixon from the “A Pondering Heart” blog and Feelin’ Feminine, Miss Jasmine Baucham of “Joyfully at Home”, sisters Breezy and Emily Rose Brookshire, and sisters Claudia and Blair Brown.




Giveaways


The stay-at-home daughterhood article series will culminate in an assortment of giveaways of Biblical books, CDs, and DVDs, all on the topic of Biblical daughterhood. You won’t want to miss these opportunities to acquire various encouraging, edifying resources!




In Conclusion


As you can see, the stay-at-home daughterhood article series is far from complete! Beginning Friday, April 23, a new article in the series will, Lord willing, be posted each Friday. Please spread the word about this series and pray that the Lord would open your eyes to the truths of His Word.


God bless you!

List of Upcoming Stay-at-home Daughterhood Articles Coming Soon!

As you can imagine, we have been very busy lately. I, for one, have much on my plate, as graduation is fast approaching! :)


Due to this busyness, along with the printer problems we have been having (which were finally fixed yesterday!), the stay-at-home daughterhood article has been delayed somewhat. I am, however, quickly nearing completion on a list of the upcoming articles in the series and will be posting this soon, so that you will all know what to expect throughout the rest of this project!


Thanks for sticking with me, everyone! :) Oh, and the retreat pictures? Those are coming soon, too, along with notes taken from the excellent speeches given at the retreat! Stay tuned! :)

Printer Problems

Well, the printer has decided to act up and thus not print my article as it should. I always print my articles out for my parents to read and edit, so this is a frustrating difficulty!  Therefore, there will be a delay in the posting of the special stay-at-home daughterhood article series announcement I was going to share with you all today.


In other news, I wanted to thank you for the recent comments and e-mails I have received; this has been a busy week for me, and thus the delay in my response. Stay tuned, though, as I will get back with you as time allows! :) Thank you for your patience!

2010 Vision Forum Father Daughter Retreat Pictures Coming Soon!

Stay tuned! :)

Blog Help Requested!

Recently, a sweet young women designed me a new blog header. The problem is, I can't seem to change my current one! When I go to the customize area of my blog and click to edit my header, nothing happens-the window does not pop up, and supposedly, pop-up blocker is not on at the moment.

Can any of you offer some advice? Thank you!