Lady Babylon, Brought Low By God (Isaiah 47:1-15) Series

At the start of many movies and TV shows, there's a disclaimer. Portions of this program may be offensive. They bother particular kinds of viewers. And this program isn't necessarily in line with the network which hosts it.

This is the kind of sermon that probably needs lots of disclaimers. Six, in fact. I could do more, but six is almost enough to keep me out of trouble, hopefully.

(1) Today's passage assumes a very traditional understanding of men and women, husbands and wives. At a certain point in studying it, I realized I was just going to have to repeatedly risk offending people if I was going to explain it correctly. And so I've just decided to embrace that, and be pretty transparent about it.

(2) In today's message, I'm NOT saying anything about the complicated questions of headship and authority within the marriage. I will talk about roles, and responsibilities, but I'm not addressing the question of whether wives are equal partners to their husbands, or if they are more like assistants, or helpers, or sidekicks. Everything I say is compatible with what's called "complementarian" and with "egalitarian" understandings of marriage.

(3) Some of you will find that your own situation isn't reflected here. Some of you are single, either voluntarily or not. Some of you have chosen to give up marriage and children for the sake of Jesus, and God's kingdom (Matthew 19:29). This is a sermon that explores some of what you've given up, and it does so in a way that might bother you, but it's not a criticism of your choice. There is often a true loss that comes with being single, but Jesus promises that you will be generously repaid for your sacrifice.

(4) Some of you have a non-traditional marriage, where common roles of husbands and wives are to some degree reversed. No criticism is meant of your choice.

(5) Some of you are divorced, either of your choice, or your ex's. I imagine that every marriage falls apart for slightly different reasons, and no criticism is meant.

(6) This is a sermon that men might like more than women. Women might not be quite sure how to respond. But this is a message where men and women will both feel its bite, at different points.

Fair enough? Maybe?

Part of what it means to be a man, or, at least a man's man, and not a soy latte drinking man, is to protect your woman. Your goal, as a man, is to provide a world for your woman, where she has a safe place to live, and where she is shielded from some of the ugly things in life. Many men know that the best way to do this-- the easiest way-- is to take on a job that very few women would ever do. Men seek out the jobs that are gross, and hard, and scary, and stressful, with long days. They seek out the ones that they know do harm to them physically, that potentially take years off their lives. A coal miner is like the classic example. The poor people hand-mining cobalt for electric cars are another. The guys who clean out septic systems would be a third.

When I worked at Davey Tree, morning safety meetings were about things like staying clear of power lines so you don't get killed. They were about always being tied in so you don't fall out of a tree (and get killed). We had to learn how to avoid badly cutting yourself on a chainsaw or handsaw, and maybe most importantly, choosing the right work glove. It's easy for the open end of gloves to catch on things, and you had to pick a glove that came off easily, so that if the glove gets caught on a branch while you're feeding the wood chipper, the glove comes off before you feed yourself into it (and get horribly killed). A supervisor would check your gloves, and make sure they were okay.

Would I want my wife or daughters doing tree trimming, or working with toxic chemicals, or driving a truck in a ND winter? Absolutely not. There are lots of jobs that are 95% men-done, because men are willing to take on the gross, and nasty, and scary, and stressful, for one simple reason: it pays better. Those are the jobs that pay an extra 10 or 20 or 30 bucks/hour. Those are the jobs that make it possible to protect your woman from some of the ugly stuff in life. If she wants to work, your manly job lets her pick a job that she finds rewarding, and interesting, and flexible. Your job protects her health and beauty, and it will be part of why she outlives you by 10 or 20 or 40 years. It's also part of how you're able to buy her nice things.