More Than Medicine
More Than Medicine
DWDP: Gen 3:16. Questions that Teach
Ever wondered why childbirth involves so much pain? Or why couples seem locked in endless power struggles over who's in charge? Dr. Papa takes us on a fascinating journey through Genesis 3:16, revealing how Eve's choice in the Garden of Eden continues to impact our lives today.
Through what he calls "questions that teach," Dr. Robert Jackson demonstrates how everyday experiences provide opportunities to share profound biblical truths across generations. The pain of childbirth becomes a doorway to discuss sin's consequences, while marital conflicts reveal the lingering effects of humanity's fall from grace.
You'll discover a memorable biblical acronym—LSD (Lust, Sin, Death)—that captures the progression outlined in James 1:15. Dr. Papa uses this framework to explain how Eve's lust for forbidden knowledge led to sin and ultimately death, a pattern that has devastating consequences even in modern times. Before advances in medicine, childbirth mortality rates reached a staggering 50% in some contexts, making the curse's impact painfully tangible.
The episode shines when examining marriage dynamics through the story of "Buck and Beulah Mae," a couple whose conflicts mirror the curse described in Genesis. Buck's passivity and Beulah Mae's attempts to control illustrate the fundamental question hanging over many relationships: who's in charge? Dr. Papa offers hope through Ephesians 5, explaining how sacrificial love from husbands and respect from wives can break the cycle of conflict—though he acknowledges we all fall short and need grace.
Share this episode with someone who might benefit from understanding the biblical roots of relationship struggles and the path toward healing through Christ-like love and respect.
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Welcome to More Than Medicine, where Jesus is more than enough for the ills that plague our culture and our country. Hosted by author and physician, Dr Robert Jackson.
Speaker 2:Papa, can you tell me a story? Do you really want me to tell you a story? Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Well, you go, get your brother and your sisters and I will tell you a story. Welcome to Devotions with Dr Papa. Gather around, grab your Bibles and let's look into the written word, which reveals to us the living word, which is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Speaker 2:Today we're at Genesis, chapter 3 and verse 16. To the woman, he said I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth In pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband and he will rule over you. Today I want to talk about questions that teach, questions that teach. Every time you, mothers and grandmothers, see a woman laboring in great pain on television or in a movie, or discuss with a pregnant daughter or granddaughter their impending labor and delivery, you should ask them and their children why does your mother have such pain in childbirth? Why does your mother have such pain in childbirth? To be truthful, most folks never stop to ponder the reason why. This is your opportunity, mom and grandmom, to teach the gospel message to your children and grandchildren and to explain to them.
Speaker 2:Genesis, chapter 3, verses 15 to 16, the subject of last week's lesson and the subject of this week's lesson. Why did Eve, who was to be the mother of all living and who was commanded to be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth, along with Adam, her husband, and obviously before the fall of man? This would have been easy and without pain or discomfort. Why was the pain of childbirth greatly multiplied? Now, not only Eve, but every woman after her would suffer in childbirth. The question is why Can you explain that mystery to your daughter and granddaughters? Now here's another question. Do you know James, chapter 1 and verse 15, which says Then, when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death? This is where LSD is mentioned in the Bible. For, you see, l lust brings forth sin, which then produces death. L-s-d Lust, then sin, then death. Lust then sin, then death. That's the mnemonic that helps you and me remember James, chapter 1 and verse 15. You see, eve lusted for forbidden knowledge, which led to sin and rebellion, which then brought death. The penalty for sin is death. Even my third graders in my third grade Sunday school class know that the penalty for sin is death. Where did this pain of childbirth begin? It began when Eve lusted for forbidden knowledge and then she chose sin.
Speaker 2:For centuries, childbearing led to mother dying. Did you know that Childbearing led to mother dying due to infection or complications of delivery? The labor and delivery process was fraught with danger and filled with fear that you and I don't even comprehend in these days of modern medicine. Before the late 1800s, the risk of childbed fever, or as we doctors call it, puerperal fever. That risk was quite high, especially in teaching hospitals, where doctors and their students moved from one patient to the next with unwashed hands. Before the days of sterile technique and the doctors spread infection, with a 50% mortality among young postpartum female patients.
Speaker 2:Delivering a baby was fraught with danger and filled with fear. Why was that? It was because of LSD, eve's lust for knowledge, that led to sin and then death. The curse on Eve led to her pain in childbirth being greatly multiplied and, by extension, every pregnant woman after her. These are questions that teach, that remind our daughters and granddaughters of the dire consequences of sin. But let's move on. This verse also says that her desire shall be for her husband, but he shall rule over you. Now, doctor, whatever in the world does that verse mean? Well, here are the questions that teach. Have you ever wondered why grandma barks orders at grandpa like a marine drill sergeant at Paris Island? Have you ever wondered why he then bristles like a porcupine and looks at her and says woman, you're not the boss of me. And even though they've been married 40 plus years, you wonder if they're going to stay married for two more days as they glare at each other. You've seen that scenario played out and let me tell you about two of my patients. Now, this is not their real names, but we'll call them Buck and Bula Mae.
Speaker 2:They came to me for counseling and as soon as I came into the room, buck was leaning against the exam room table wearing a dirty white t-shirt and chewing on a plastic straw. Beulah Mae was sitting in a chair by the lavatory and she had on a real pretty yellow dress. She had her makeup on, her hair was fixed and immediately she said to me all he ever does is play video games and watch all-star wrestling on TV. He never helps me with the children at all. I do all the cooking and cleaning. I help them with their bathing and homework and he never helps me at all. And he took the plastic straw out of his mouth and pointed at her and he said little lady, I bring home the bacon. My daddy didn't do squall work and I don't do squall work. My daddy didn't do squall work and I don't do squall work. And her face got as red as a beet and she pointed at him and she said I work all day long too, just like you do, and I make just about as much money as you do. If you take your big truck payment and your boat payment and leave me and the kids, we'll do just fine. In fact, if we don't pay for your booze and cigarettes, we would save money. And then he looked at her and he said I'm the captain of this ship and you don't tell me what to do. And then she looked at him and she said well, I'm the captain of my ship, and if you don't treat me with more respect, then you won't get any loving until hell freezes over. Well, you could cut the tension with a knife in that exam room.
Speaker 2:What was the real issue between Buck and Bula Mae, between Grandma and Grandpa? Well, it was the same issue between all four of them and it was the result of the curse. You see, buck is passive and he's not a servant leader in his home, and Beulah Mae is trying to rule over her husband out of frustration and anger, and she shows him no respect. What's the solution here? The solution is in Ephesians, chapter 5, where the Bible tells us that husbands should love their wives as Jesus loved the church and gave himself sacrificially for her, and that wives should respect their husbands. Love and respect Sacrificial love and respect. If husbands I'm talking about spirit-filled husbands love and served their wives and children in the same way that Jesus loved and gave himself for his bride, the church, then I submit to you very respectfully that wives would love their husbands and would follow them without problem and submit themselves to their husbands just as gladly as they would submit themselves to the Lord, jesus Christ, but the condition is that their husbands must be like Jesus. If wives were to respect their husbands rather than trying to rule over them, in the same way that they respect Jesus, their Lord, then much conflict would be resolved.
Speaker 2:Now, why is this hard? Well, it's because we're all cursed by sin and we all fall short of the standard, and we have to extend grace to one another when we fall short. Have women been abused and subjugated by male-dominated cultures over time? Well, certainly they have. Yes, they have. Has this influence of Christianity elevated and protected women in westernized, christianized nations? Yes, it has. There's a delicate balance. In every home, the question hangs in the air who's in charge? Because of the curse, the woman inevitably seeks to rule over her husband and the man instinctively resists, resulting in interpersonal conflict.
Speaker 2:Moms and grandmoms? This is the question that teaches. Ask your adult married children why they butt heads in their home. Ask your married daughter why their son-in-laws say to them you're not the boss of me. Why do they say that to their wives? Ask your daughters-in-law why they speak to your sons like a drill sergeant, commanding them to get the diaper bag, check on the children and then watch your son-in-law bristle like a porcupine.
Speaker 2:You see, these are questions that teach, and that teach the dire consequences of sin that reach across thousands of years of time to touch your life,000 years ago, the bridegroom of the church. He was not passive. He actively loved his bride, the church, and gave himself for her that he might prepare for himself a bride without spot or blemish or wrinkle, clothed in snow-white robes of righteousness, the very righteousness of Jesus Christ. That bridegroom is easy to love, easy to follow, easy to respect. The challenge for all of us is to allow Holy Spirit in us to make us more like Jesus, more like the Master. You're listening to Devotions with Dr Papa. If you like what you hear, I pray that you would share it with your friends Follow, like or share, or even download it, and then I'll be back again next week as we continue our studies in Genesis, chapter 3. Until then, may the Lord bless you real good.
Dr Robert Jackson:Thank you for listening to this edition of More Than Medicine. For more information about the Jackson Family Ministry, dr Jackson's books, or to schedule a speaking engagement, go to their Facebook page, instagram or their webpage at jacksonfamilyministrycom. This podcast is produced by Bob Slone Audio Production at bobslone. com.
