A Great Mystery

It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make a helper suitable -- i.e. "perfectly matched"--for him (Gen.2:18).

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Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground."

 

So God created man in his own image

in the image of God he created him;

male and female he created them (Gen.1:26-27).

 

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This is now bone of my bones

and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called 'woman'

for she was taken out of man.

For this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh [literally, "a new creation."]

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The feminist movement of the 60's and 70's lied to all of us.  It was not based on any solid understanding of women or of philosophy or theology -- it was a rebellion against a male-dominated society which itself was not based on any understanding of men and women and their roles as reflecting the image of God. 

 

From the very beginning, God was portrayed in Scripture as neither male nor female, but a unity of Persons:  "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...."  This is a great mystery which few people have any interest in exploring.  And to be "man" is to be 'male and female in one flesh" -- diversity in union, a "new creation" in the image of the Godhead.  In that union is 'fruitfulness,' blessing, increase on the earth.  Without union, man is not fruitful. 

 

The Jews have always maintained (through revelation) that the first commandment is to "Be fruitful and multiply"  -- God's command to the entire earth.  What if the land stopped being "fruitful," or the animals, or the fish of the sea and the birds of the air?  And none of these are fruitful alone, but all of them with perfectly matched 'helpers." 

 

In union with one another, we are 'in the image of God."  We are complete, and we are fruitful.  This is a great mystery, to be contemplated before being understood.  Man is not to "rule over woman," any more than any Member of the Trinity "rules over" the other Persons, but together, giving and receiving, they are to rule over the earth, and to produce children wise enough to rule the earth in companionship with others. 

 

From the beginning also, there were two races (or 'generations'):  one that walked with God and listened to God, and one that went their own way, refusing to be in submission to the Creator.  And these two generations continue even today.  One generation "calls on the Name of the Lord" and is fruitful, blessing the earth; the other does not call on the Name of the Lord, and continually destroys the earth and all that is in it. 

 

Much to think about.....