The next pages about our origins cannot be overlooked. This section is essential
reading for every woman. God created
male and female equal. The implications of this equality are staggering in
light of the creation narrative. As a
woman, have you wondered why God’s creative approach used to form a female was
different from the male? If God created males from the dust, why did God not
create female in the same way, creating her of the earth? Did God spend less
creative energy in the forming, shaping female when God used the flesh of
male? Does using the flesh of male, make
female subordinate to male? These questions and many others are reflective of
our ignorance of the creation narrative. Some of these questions will be
addressed as a part of the overall discussion in this book. Yet, we will find
ourselves still with many unanswered questions. I leave the balance of those
questions to people more educated and experienced than I.
Moving forward in our discussion, I
want to assert that equality of male and female as created by God is fully
revealed the creation narrative.
Gen
2:24-25 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to
his wife, and they shall become one flesh. ESV
The writer of Genesis, under the direction
of the Holy Spirit, captures the whole essence of equality in this single
verse. The Holy Spirit is pushing the writer of Genesis past the immediate
history of the writer. The Holy Spirit is driving the writer pass centuries of relational
distortions, cultic fertility abuses, religious and social bondage of women,
even pass the judgment of God in the Garden of Eden. The Holy Spirit compels
the writer, through holy inspiration, to declare the original holy relation between
male and female. It is unfortunate most commentators place such a heavy
emphasis on earthly marital functions of man and wife. Wondering out loud, I am
curious as to the translated language of “man” and “wife.” The Hebrew language
uses the word “woman.” The translation could be rendered as
“Therefore,
a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his woman,
and they shall become one flesh.”
The language of “man and wife”
drives thousands of years of social enculturation of women relegated to the
subordinate wifely functions in the eyes of men. Yet, is the writer of Genesis
revealing a greater purpose for a man and woman? What if the emphasis shifted to
emphasis man and woman becoming “one flesh”; to be the complete image of God
first and foremost? Would this not be more consistent with the overall creation
narrative that focuses on male and female as the image of God? Imagine if
husband and wives as one flesh focused on being the image of God, as the
co-regents of God in their respective gardens of life. Imagine, couples as one
flesh fully engaged in exercising leadership, dominion as commanded by God. Too
much of marriage is defiled by couples in pursuit of individual kingdoms and separate
regency activities. And that is the outcome of the rebellion in the Garden of
Eden. Our historical emphasis on the paternal and maternal nature of male and
female has robbed of the greater “one flesh” dynamic as the image of God and
our duties as the regents of God. Our obsession with the sexual aspects of male
and female relations continues to thwart male-female relationships from
discovering their significance as one flesh, as the image-bearers of God and as
the co-regents of God.
It could be stated that equality
between males and females is God-ordained in creation. The fall in the Garden of
Eden and the judgment declared by God does not negate the ordination of
equality between males and females. This ordination of equality is fully
restored back to its original purpose with Christ. To this very day, no other
creature in the creation narrative expresses the unity of male and female
becoming one flesh as the image of God. Let us turn our attention to the
dynamics of equality as expressed in the creation narrative.
“Gen 1:1 In the beginning, God created…” (ESV)
There are no more
important words written in scripture; the whole of the Kingdom of God is
founded and secured in these five words. Likewise, when addressing the issues
of biblical equality between male and female, we cannot ignore these words.
Within these five words are the origins of male and female as created by God.
These five words are so theologically profound, and yet, there is a sweet
simplicity that can be grasped by all readers. Within these five words is more
than a scientific assurance of God as creator; in these words, there is relational
assurance between God and his creation.
Equally, there is relational assurance between males and females. There
is relational assurance between all life created by God and between humanity
and His creation. The creation narrative reveals the amazing attributes of God[1],
especially God’s enduring and steadfast love. Psalms 136 reveals the impetus for
creation, God’s steadfast love that endures forever![2]
“Ps
136:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for
his steadfast love endures forever…
4
to him who alone does great wonders,
for
his steadfast love endures forever;
5
to him who by understanding made the heavens,
for
his steadfast love endures forever;
6
to him who spread out the earth above the waters,
for
his steadfast love endures forever;
7
to him who made the great lights,
for
his steadfast love endures forever;
8
the sun to rule over the day,
for
his steadfast love endures forever;
9
the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for
his steadfast love endures forever…” (ESV)
At the center of the
creative zeal, the wisdom of God is working and is also a revelation to
humanity. Therefore, there can be no real discussion of male/female equality without
understanding the creation narrative based on these five words. Let me state: All
that is biological (all life forms), physical (the earth and universe),
spiritual (the soul), emotional (all matters of the heart), intellectual (the
mind and cognitive abilities), male and female (all humanity) has its origins
in these five words. The Genesis narrative is much more than just a discourse
on the science of God. I offer a different discourse, a relational perspective
that will help us understand the origins of the equality inherent in the
creation of male and female.
Creation, a Different Discourse
In the discourses
of Christianity, we have limited the significance of these five words to issues
of creationism as science. We use these words in the art of apologetics to find
equal footing with secular science. I offer a different perspective. When
reading the creation narrative as expressed in Genesis, chapters 1-3, I see the
creation of a relational hierarchy.
·
God at the apex of that relation hierarchy,
·
Male and female coequal in relationship to one
another, and
·
The balance of creation subject to the rule and
dominion of males and females as the coregents of God over the earth.
While there is a great revelation
of the creative powers throughout scriptures[3],
I believe the creation narrative in Genesis is more relational than scientific.
When we consider the creation narrative in Genesis, an additional scriptural revelation
of this relational aspect is found in Isaiah 45:18, which states:
Isa
45:18
For thus says the Lord,
who
created the heavens
(he
is God!),
who
formed the earth and made it
(he
established it;
he
did not create it empty,
he formed it to be inhabited!):
"I
am the Lord, and there is no other. ESV
The relational aspects of creation are
identified in the phrase,
“he
did not create it empty, he formed it to be inhabited!”
God created the earth to be inhabited
with life for humanity. Earth was a place to dwell, a place to remain, to
settle, to marry[4]. Consider
the following passage:
Ps
115:16
16
The heavens are the Lord's heavens,
but
the earth he has given to the children of man. ESV
God created the whole
of the earth to have a relationship with male and female. I fear our scientific
discourse on the creation narrative has caused us to lose sight of the compelling
love stirring the heart of God for a people to love, to express love towards,
to create male and female with capacities to love each other as God loves them.
I stress this point because, without a clear understanding of the origins of
males and females as specifically addressed in the Genesis narrative, we cannot
grasp the equality of males and females as created by God. It is for this very reason that I write this book.
From the very first verse, the Genesis narrative speaks of God’s love, the
compassionate, creative powers, and exceptional wisdom in forming male and
female. The issue of equality between males and females has its roots in this
most exquisite creation narrative. While I am compelled to speak more of this
creation narrative, I believe it is important, at this point, to identify a
great barrier that I believe divides men and women today.
The Great Barrier to Unfettered Equality
I believe there is a great theological
barrier impeding our understanding of biblical equality as established in the
Old Testament creation narrative. The picture below can help us better understand this barrier:
 |
| From the Cross to Creation |
As the New Testament
Christians, the above graphic tells us much about how we are to look all the
way back to the Old Testament creation narrative to grasp what Paul declares
that we are a new creation in Christ.
2 Cor 5:16-18 From now on, therefore, we regard no one
according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the
flesh, we regard him thus no longer. 17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he
is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
ESV
Unfortunately,
we have no real understanding, the grasp of what it means to be male or female
as created by God before the fall, as a new creation. Our theology continues to swirl around the
fall and the judicial pronouncements imposed by God in response to the
rebellion of male and female. Our theology of being a “new creation in Christ”
is stalled at the “fall of Adam and Eve.” We rarely preach about
the male and female as the image-bearers of God. Being born-again, being a new
creation in Christ, is to become the male and female as intended by God to be
His image-bearers. This topic will be addressed more fully in a later chapter
of this book. Yet, it is important to state early on that the failure to preach
and teach on the nature of male and female as created by God leaves us all
ignorant of as to what it means to bear the image of God. In particular, I
believe our ignorance of the pre-fall nature of male and female is what is the
major cause of gender inequality in churches, denominations, and other Christian
societies.
[1] [1]
The attributes of God are generally a collection of descriptions from Scripture
of who God is. An "attribute" can be defined as something God has
revealed himself to be. Colin Gunton correctly guides our thinking here,
reminding us that "it is not a matter of what we attribute, but of what he
reveals himself to be." [2] Thus, God's attributes are revealed truths of
who he is and are revealed in scripture through his words and actions in the
divine economy. Theopedia.com/attributes-of-god
[2] In
the ESV translation, Psalms 136 declares “for his steadfast love endures
forever” 26 time, one for each of the 26 verses of this Psalm. The reader would
be wise to take a moment an meditate on this Psalm.
[3] Many
creation passages in scripture are challenging and informative. Consider the
following passages: Job 38, Isa. 42:5, 45:18, John 1:1-3; Col. 1:16 and Heb.
11:3
[4] OT:3427
HEBREW> yashab (yaw-shab'); a primitive root; properly, to sit down
(specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to
remain; causatively, to settle, to marry: (Biblesoft's New Exhaustive Strong's
Numbers and Concordance with Expanded Greek-Hebrew Dictionary. Copyright ©
1994, 2003, 2006, 2010 Biblesoft, Inc. and International Bible Translators,
Inc.)
by Grace Alone! www.hcfcc.org
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