Genesis - Day 7
The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him…..” But for Adam no suitable helper was found. So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
Genesis 2:18 & 20-22
Again we see how knowing our origins/genesis forms a basis for an objective answer to some of our deepest questions. This time, it’s the relationship between men and women.
God gave Adam the command to be fruitful and increase in number, to rule over and subdue the earth He created. I won’t go into the details but suffice to say that this isn’t something man could do alone. He needed a helper.
Understandably and thankfully, no appropriate helper was found among the creatures of earth. God had to make a woman, Eve, to be man’s partner in the pursuit of God’s purpose.
Critically, we need to see and hold that the term helper is not a statement of value. In Genesis 1, man and woman are made in God’s likeness - equally imaging Him. This is crucial. It gives no space for oppression of women as a lesser sex.
But, Genesis 1 also points to a difference in roles in the marriage partnership. Adam is responsible for outworking God’s command, Eve is to be his helper and supporter in the work. This can be held with the previous statement - because role is not related to value in God’s eyes (nor should it be in ours).
I’ll leave it there for now. Again, this is an area of theology that allows space for difference (at Village Church). But it is worth seeing that statements about the roles of men and women in the New Testament are not based on situational or cultural moments but are deeply rooted in God’s created order and in God’s purpose to show the love of Christ as He perfectly loves His bride, the Church.
For Today:
Pray:
Genesis 2:18 & 20-22
Again we see how knowing our origins/genesis forms a basis for an objective answer to some of our deepest questions. This time, it’s the relationship between men and women.
God gave Adam the command to be fruitful and increase in number, to rule over and subdue the earth He created. I won’t go into the details but suffice to say that this isn’t something man could do alone. He needed a helper.
Understandably and thankfully, no appropriate helper was found among the creatures of earth. God had to make a woman, Eve, to be man’s partner in the pursuit of God’s purpose.
Critically, we need to see and hold that the term helper is not a statement of value. In Genesis 1, man and woman are made in God’s likeness - equally imaging Him. This is crucial. It gives no space for oppression of women as a lesser sex.
But, Genesis 1 also points to a difference in roles in the marriage partnership. Adam is responsible for outworking God’s command, Eve is to be his helper and supporter in the work. This can be held with the previous statement - because role is not related to value in God’s eyes (nor should it be in ours).
I’ll leave it there for now. Again, this is an area of theology that allows space for difference (at Village Church). But it is worth seeing that statements about the roles of men and women in the New Testament are not based on situational or cultural moments but are deeply rooted in God’s created order and in God’s purpose to show the love of Christ as He perfectly loves His bride, the Church.
For Today:
- Do you think men/women are equally valued in the eyes of God?
- Do you think men and women have different roles in marriage?
- Why do you think what you think, what is the basis?
Pray:
- Praise the Father for His grace in making us valuable.
- Give thanks for Christ who loves His Church like a perfect husband, His bride.
- Ask God for His Holy Spirit to help you and others to understand, trust and honour God’s Word.
Posted in Genesis
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