Man, Woman, and the Order of Creation
Grace, mercy, and peace be yours in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Today we embark upon addressing a topic which is both challenging and reassuring if we seek to understand what God has revealed. The challenge is that the world does not want to accept what God says, and in fact is extremely conflicted in our modern age and desperately needs clarity.
The last half of the 20th century saw the affirmation of women and their role in society as that of being equal to man. It has been an extremely valuable advancement for women to be able to stand equal to men in this world. Sadly, the role of woman is being redefined today by those who want to confuse the reality of the biological distinctions between man and woman. The transgender movement has degraded women and robbed them of many of the advancements they struggled so hard to obtain for themselves over the past couple of generations.
If there was ever a generation of people who devalued women and treated them as objects rather than human beings, it was the Jewish world of the 1st century. Jesus sought to change that at every turn in His ministry. From the affirmations given to the Virgin Mary, to the care and concern He showed to Mary Magdalene, the role of women in his ministry, to the very first appearance of Jesus after the resurrection to the woman at the tomb, Jesus affirmed the value of women. When the men wanted to stone a woman to death, it was Jesus who caused them to pause and ponder their own sinfulness before casting a stone.
It was the Christian Church and not society which elevated women to a greater status in the world, that was until the church became a male dominated hierarchy which once again trampled upon the value of women. This is evidenced through the Middle Ages and up to modern times with women being relegated to subservient roles in the church compared to those entrusted to men.
I share all this because the words that Paul speaks to us today are words which are not spoken lightly, but they are not words which are received well in today's world. Paul begins in our text today to address the order of creation, and the unique responsibilities entrusted to men, as men. He also addresses the unique responsibilities entrusted to women, as women. Paul is not addressing these various roles as to the value or worth of a person, but to the created order that God has revealed to the world. If we truly believe God is just and fair, then we understand that the created order given by God is of value and beneficial for all who accept it.
Hear what Paul says.
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:2-3
Let us review a bit of history. Genesis chapter 1 gives a very quick overview of all God did as He created the world. Once creation was in place and ready, Moses writes this: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. . . . So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female” Genesis 1:27a-28.
It is in chapter 2 that we are given a detailed account of the most important part of creation, which is the creation of humans. “Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being” Genesis 2:7. God created the man first! Then God planted the garden and placed man in the garden to tend and care for it (2:8). The man was given dominion (not domination) over all creation. Part of this dominion was to name all the animals (2:19). Before the naming of the animals, God says this, Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him” (2:18). One aspect of the purpose of man naming all the animals was to reveal to the man his own uniqueness as he stood before all the created animals. With this uniqueness understood, God puts the man to sleep and creates the woman from his rib, “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man” (2:21-22).
Understand, the man was created first and then the woman for the man. Most hear what I just said and call me a chauvinist pig. The idea of the woman being created FOR the man seems archaic. However, if you correctly understand the order of creation and the purpose of the woman’s creation, it elevates women to the highest position in the world!
The man was to be God’s representative in creation and care for creation as God would, on God’s behalf. God created the man as the object or focus of His love. Every action of God was for the purpose of blessing the man and loving him fully. When the woman was created for the man, it was so the woman could be the object or focus of the man’s love. Therefore, every action on the part of the man was to love the woman fully.
The woman was not created to be a doormat for the man to use and abuse. This is the world’s perversion of what God has done. (The world always acts in a way which is opposite of God’s intended desire) The man was to place himself in the role of self-sacrifice to love the woman fully in every way. As God loves man, so man loves woman.
The order of creation is not demeaning to women! The order of creation elevates women to the place where man reveres her and honors her. Woman is to be provided for, protected and blessed by man. When a man acts in any way which is opposite of this God given design, he is sinning against both the woman and God Himself.
There is much more which can be said on this topic, and Paul will continue this discussion for the next several verses. Please pray and open your heart to hear what God says and what His design is for our lives together as men and women.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
Today we embark upon addressing a topic which is both challenging and reassuring if we seek to understand what God has revealed. The challenge is that the world does not want to accept what God says, and in fact is extremely conflicted in our modern age and desperately needs clarity.
The last half of the 20th century saw the affirmation of women and their role in society as that of being equal to man. It has been an extremely valuable advancement for women to be able to stand equal to men in this world. Sadly, the role of woman is being redefined today by those who want to confuse the reality of the biological distinctions between man and woman. The transgender movement has degraded women and robbed them of many of the advancements they struggled so hard to obtain for themselves over the past couple of generations.
If there was ever a generation of people who devalued women and treated them as objects rather than human beings, it was the Jewish world of the 1st century. Jesus sought to change that at every turn in His ministry. From the affirmations given to the Virgin Mary, to the care and concern He showed to Mary Magdalene, the role of women in his ministry, to the very first appearance of Jesus after the resurrection to the woman at the tomb, Jesus affirmed the value of women. When the men wanted to stone a woman to death, it was Jesus who caused them to pause and ponder their own sinfulness before casting a stone.
It was the Christian Church and not society which elevated women to a greater status in the world, that was until the church became a male dominated hierarchy which once again trampled upon the value of women. This is evidenced through the Middle Ages and up to modern times with women being relegated to subservient roles in the church compared to those entrusted to men.
I share all this because the words that Paul speaks to us today are words which are not spoken lightly, but they are not words which are received well in today's world. Paul begins in our text today to address the order of creation, and the unique responsibilities entrusted to men, as men. He also addresses the unique responsibilities entrusted to women, as women. Paul is not addressing these various roles as to the value or worth of a person, but to the created order that God has revealed to the world. If we truly believe God is just and fair, then we understand that the created order given by God is of value and beneficial for all who accept it.
Hear what Paul says.
Now I praise you because you remember me in everything and hold firmly to the traditions, just as I handed them down to you. But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. 1 Corinthians 11:2-3
Let us review a bit of history. Genesis chapter 1 gives a very quick overview of all God did as He created the world. Once creation was in place and ready, Moses writes this: “Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. . . . So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female” Genesis 1:27a-28.
It is in chapter 2 that we are given a detailed account of the most important part of creation, which is the creation of humans. “Then the LORD God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being” Genesis 2:7. God created the man first! Then God planted the garden and placed man in the garden to tend and care for it (2:8). The man was given dominion (not domination) over all creation. Part of this dominion was to name all the animals (2:19). Before the naming of the animals, God says this, Then the LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper corresponding to him” (2:18). One aspect of the purpose of man naming all the animals was to reveal to the man his own uniqueness as he stood before all the created animals. With this uniqueness understood, God puts the man to sleep and creates the woman from his rib, “So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib he had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man” (2:21-22).
Understand, the man was created first and then the woman for the man. Most hear what I just said and call me a chauvinist pig. The idea of the woman being created FOR the man seems archaic. However, if you correctly understand the order of creation and the purpose of the woman’s creation, it elevates women to the highest position in the world!
The man was to be God’s representative in creation and care for creation as God would, on God’s behalf. God created the man as the object or focus of His love. Every action of God was for the purpose of blessing the man and loving him fully. When the woman was created for the man, it was so the woman could be the object or focus of the man’s love. Therefore, every action on the part of the man was to love the woman fully.
The woman was not created to be a doormat for the man to use and abuse. This is the world’s perversion of what God has done. (The world always acts in a way which is opposite of God’s intended desire) The man was to place himself in the role of self-sacrifice to love the woman fully in every way. As God loves man, so man loves woman.
The order of creation is not demeaning to women! The order of creation elevates women to the place where man reveres her and honors her. Woman is to be provided for, protected and blessed by man. When a man acts in any way which is opposite of this God given design, he is sinning against both the woman and God Himself.
There is much more which can be said on this topic, and Paul will continue this discussion for the next several verses. Please pray and open your heart to hear what God says and what His design is for our lives together as men and women.
In Christ,
Pastor Russ
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