New Life Worship Ministries

                           By Char Scott

 

God's Truth About Women
Table of Contents
Lesson 1
Lesson 2
Lesson 3 - The Fall - Part 1
Lesson 4 - The Fall - Part 2
Lesson 5
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Lesson 1 of 5

It is essential for us to understand the truth about man and woman in God’s eyes from His Word. We cannot come into full blessing and purpose as God’s people until we know and walk in this truth. Throughout history there has been confusion and misunderstanding about this issue that has caused much harm to both men and women, and to the Church. Hebrew tradition offers two opposing views about Eve’s original status. One describes her as equal with Adam before the Fall, co-ruling with him as a fully equal partner. The other tradition portrays Eve as a subjugated inferior because she was created after Adam and became the cause of Adam’s sin and death. Which one is right? What does the scripture say?

These two Jewish traditions are the same two accepted by the church. Although there are many examples in church history where women were accepted as equals, the majority of leaders in both Catholic and Protestant traditions did not accept this view. St. Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, the most influential writers in the Catholic church, held very low opinions about women. Both John Calvin and Martin Luther believed men were by nature born to govern and control women, and women were by nature born to obey. They even encouraged husbands to beat wives who disobeyed and had rules about the size of the rod that could be used for this purpose. Although this seems extreme to us today, there are many more subtle ways this perspective affects women in the church in our times.

We must begin at the beginning to understand God’s purpose in creating man and woman. As a Father, God yearned for a family created in His image and patterned after His Son. He also desired a Bride, a partner for Jesus, to share His throne in eternity. And Jesus, the Son, desired to give His Father many sons. The Father and Son decided to create mankind.

Let’s read Genesis 1: 26-29-- “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God said to them, “ Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

When God was ready for the crowning touch of His creation, humanity, scripture breaks into poetry for the first time, “So God created man in His own image, In the image of God He created him; Male and female He created them.” Hebrew poetry is not based on rhyme or the rhythm of sounds, but on the rhythm of parallel ideas. One thought echoes the preceding, enriching it from a different perspective. In this poem about God’s work, the first line emphasizes the image of God, the second builds on that saying this image was true for all humanity, and the third line reaches a peak, saying that humanity was created as male and female. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul said, “We are God’s workmanship.” The Greek word for “workmanship” is the source of the English word “poem.” Humanity, man and woman together, was God’s masterpiece poem.

There are two creation versions in the beginning of Genesis. The first gives a picture of the whole process and the second goes into more detail about the creation of mankind. Genesis 1:1&2 begins by emphasizing who the Creator was. Genesis 1:3-2:3 gives a broad panorama of what was created. Then Genesis 2:4-25 gives a closer look showing how God created man and woman. God had created everything by the spoken Word, through verbal command. But God’s approach to the creation of humans was different. First, God expresses His plan and purpose for mankind. He will create them in His image and then He assigns them the task of exercising dominion over the earth. Only after this description of purpose does God proceed to created man and woman.

The key to our understanding of Genesis 1:26 is the word “Ha’ adam” which is translated “man” here. The meaning of this word is “man” in the sense of “humanity or mankind.” So we would read “And God created mankind or humanity in His image. Male and female He created them. And God blessed them and said to them, ‘Fill the earth and subdue it and rule over it.” This was God’s original statement concerning humanity. The man and woman were both created in His image. It is not simply man as male, but man as male and female who reflect His image. There is no basis in Genesis 1 for confining the image of God to males alone. God is One, but lives in three Persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God created them, male and female, and gave both purpose and blessing. God gave both the responsibility to have dominion over the earth. The text gives no hint of a division of responsibilities or a distinction of rank.

In this passage there is no indication that God gave one authority over the other. The whole created universe, from the stars in space to the fish in the sea, is meticulously organized in a hierarchy of order. And yet, there is not the slightest indication that such a hierarchy existed between Adam and Eve. If this hierarchy existed, it would surely have been mentioned here. The definition of authority structures between man and woman was at least as important as their defined authority over birds, fish, and cattle. But nowhere is it stated that man was intended to rule over woman in God’s intended creation design. The fact that no such reference is made to authority roles between man and woman in a text otherwise permeated with hierarchical organization indicates their relationship was one of mutuality and equality. The idea of one being supreme over the other may not be imposed here. God did not delegate primary authority to man and secondary authority to woman. He gave them equal authority over and responsibility for His creation. If we look at this passage without any preconceptions, there is nothing here suggesting man controlling woman or woman controlling man. They ruled equally, sharing authority and dominion.

The law of first mention, an important principle in understanding the Bible, says the first mention of a new truth establishes the context for it when spoken elsewhere. If we apply this law of first mention to the understanding of man and woman in the Bible, we must conclude that both of them were to rule the earth together.

Let’s look again at the concept of mankind being created in God’s image. We must not make the mistake of making God in our image. God is Spirit. He does not have gender. We are made in His image in a number of ways, including His spiritual, intellectual, emotional, and moral image. We also share His image in exercising authority, but we are only a likeness. Man is not God.

God is neither male nor female, but both male and female are created in His image. In fact, the writers of the New Testament were always careful to describe Jesus as “human” (anthropos) rather than “male” (aner). Although God took the form of a male, He primarily became a human.

A study of the Bible shows us that God possesses certain characteristics that we have classified as feminine. These include the nurturer, the nourisher, the life-giver, the satisfier, the one valuing relationship and intimacy, and the one who values receiving. ( See Is. 66:13, Num. 11:12, Deut. 32:18, Is. 42:13-14, Is. 46:3-4, Jer. 31: 20, Gen. 17:1, Matt. 23:37.) The Hebrew word for the divine spirit “Ruach” is always feminine in gender. The fact is that women have these attributes because God does. Every man has some of God’s feminine image, and every woman has some of His masculine image. They contain both, but one is more prominent in each. Male and female together reveal the fullness of God’s image.

In Genesis 1:26-28, the Bible teaches that both man and woman were created in God’s image, had a direct relationship with God (God spoke to both of them in this verse), and shared joint responsibilities of being fruitful, bearing and raising children, and having dominion over the created order. In the Cross, we are united again--in Christ, there is neither male nor female. Because Jesus came to bring restoration and liberty from the penalty and results of sin brought on by the Fall, we can accept that equal
dominion is still God’s purpose for men and women today.

Lesson One Summary--

Genesis 1:26-29
“Then God said, “Let Us make mankind (Ha’Adam) in Our image, according to our likeness…….And God created mankind (Ha’Adam) in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

This was God’s original statement about humanity.
Both men and women (mankind) are created in the image of God. There is no basis in Genesis 1 for confining the image of God to males alone.

God is Spirit. God has no gender. God possesses both qualities we think of as masculine ( strength, initiative, logical thinking, etc.), and those we consider feminine ( nurturing, valuing relationship, responding, etc.). It takes both men and women together to reflect His image.

“And let them rule over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth…..God blessed them; and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

God blessed both and gave both the responsibility to have dominion over the earth. The text gives no hint of a division of responsibilities or distinction of rank. Although Genesis 1 is devoted to expressing the order and hierarchy of all creation, from the stars in space to the fish in the sea, there is no indication that there is a hierarchy established between man and woman. The fact that no such definition of authority structure exists here indicates that it did not exist in God’s original purpose.

God did not delegate primary responsibility to man and secondary authority to woman. They ruled equally, sharing authority and dominion.

Genesis 1 indicates that both man and woman were created in God’s image, both had a direct relationship with God (He spoke to both of them), and they shared responsibility to rule over the earth. Because Jesus came to restore creation to its original state and purpose, we can accept that equal dominion is still God’s purpose for men and women.  Back To Top

God’s Truth About Women
Lesson 2 of 5

There are two creation versions at the beginning of Genesis. Chapter 1 gives a simple declaration of God’s whole purpose in creating humanity. Chapter 2 tells how He did it. Chapter 2 is to be read with and in light of Chapter 1. In God’s mind, both Adam and Eve were created simultaneously; however Adam was formed first and Eve was formed later to complete the creation of Ha’Adam (mankind).

Genesis 2:7, “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”

Genesis 2:18-25, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.’ Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs (sides) and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib (side) which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.’ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”

Some would claim that because Adam was formed before Eve, he had authority over her. If this is true, it would be logical that the animals would have authority over Adam since they were created before him. This was clearly not God’s plan. Actually, woman was God’s ultimate achievement in creation.

The only time during creation that God said, ‘It is not good’ was when Adam was alone without Eve. God did not just realize this. He had planned for Eve from the beginning. The original idea for Eve was God’s, not Adam’s. Without woman, creation was ‘not good.’

To be fully happy and complete mankind needs relationships and communication between equals. God knew this. Adam needed to recognize this need for himself.

“I will make a helper suitable for him.” The word “helper” here is the Hebrew word “ezer”. This word has no meaning or usage that indicates inferiority. Rather it refers to one who comes to be a strong support to another. It indicates one who surrounds, protects, aids, helps, and nurtures. Most other times this word is used in the Old Testament, it refers to God Himself, as in Psalm 121 when David cried out, “I will lift up my eyes to the mountains; From where shall my help come? My help comes from the Lord Who made heaven and earth.”

So the helper God made for Adam was to be a strong party supporting one in need. Adam had need of Eve to have someone like him to love and to share rule and authority. The partner God made for Adam was strong and powerful on his behalf. The idea of one ruling over the other is not expressed here.

“I will make a helper suitable for him.” The word “suitable”, in Hebrew “kenegdo” can also be translated “corresponding”. It means parts opposite to or answering each other, equal parts, alongside. If you place your hands together and fold the fingers down, you have corresponding parts together.

This partner for Adam is a picture of Christ and the Church. In creating mankind, God’s purpose was to create a Bride for His Son.

“Then He took one of his ribs ( sides ) and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib (side) which He had taken from man.” The Hebrew word here is “tsela”. It is used 42 times in the Old Testament, and this is the only time it was translated “rib” and not “side”. There was a strong Jewish tradition that taught that a rib was used to form Eve. “Side” creates a more clear picture of two complementary parts.
Since Eve was taken from Adam’s side, she is all he is, nothing more, and nothing less. It is also a picture of the Church who was created as Christ was pierced in His side.

“The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man.’ ” God did not make Eve separately from the dust. She would not have been exactly like or corresponding to him if He had. She would not have been
‘bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh.’ The Greeks and Romans both believed that woman was made from something other than man so she was inferior to him.

Adam immediately identified Eve as “like him.” He recognized the sameness rather than the differences. He understood that God was presenting him with a being like himself, the companion perfectly suitable to be his equal partner.

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” The man was to attach himself to the woman, not the other way around. A woman is of such great value, a man would give up everything for her. Jesus did this for us. Oneness implies reciprocal dependence, mutuality in equality. The notion of hierarchy is absent here.

“And the man and his wife were both naked and not ashamed.” They shared true intimacy, unhindered freedom in relationship to one another and to God.

Genesis 1:31, “And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” After God formed Eve, He declared that it was all good. There was no inherent flaw or weakness in Eve.

Genesis 2 reinforces two ideas:
Sameness of substance--Man and woman are created of the same substance.
Oneness and unity--they are to identify with one another and be joined as one. The man and woman supplemented and complemented each other and fulfill each other’s need.

The teaching of hierarchy and male authority are not found in Genesis before the Fall except where an interpreter forces them into the context. Man and woman worked together as equals until sin disrupted the harmony. Before the Fall, Adam and Eve acted like God, loved like God, cared for one another like God, and accepted each other as God accepted them. Strife, aggression, and domination came with sin. I Cor. 13:5 says, “Love does not seek its own.” Where this love exists, no one asks, “Who is in charge?”
After the Fall, the patriarchal pattern of social organization became institutionalized. Women now left all to become the property of men. This was not God’s original intent.

Genesis 5:1-2, “This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day when God created mankind, He made him in the likeness of God. He created them male and female, and He blessed them and named them both Adam (Ha’Adam mankind) in the day when they were created.”

Genesis 5:3, “When Adam lived ….” This now refers to the man, Adam.

Lesson Two Summary--

Gen. 2:7 and Gen. 2:18-25.

“The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone.”
The only time during creation that God said the creation was not good was when Adam was alone without Eve. Without woman, creation was “not good.”

“But for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.” God knew that Adam needed someone like him. He wanted Adam to recognize his need for himself.

“I will make a helper suitable for him.” The word “helper” (ezer) means one who comes to be a strong support to another. It was used most often in the Old Testament to refer to the Lord Himself. It does not indicate inferiority or the idea of one ruling over the other.

The word “suitable” (kenegdo) can also be translated “corresponding .” It means opposite to or equal parts alongside. This partner for Adam is also a picture of Christ and the Church. In creating mankind, God’s purpose was to create a Bride for His Son.

“Then he took one of his ribs (sides) and closed up the flesh at that place. The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib (side) which he had taken from man.” The Hebrew word here is “tsela” which is used 42 times in the Old Testament and only here translated “rib” rather than “side.” “Side” creates a more clear picture of two complementary parts.

“The man said, ‘This is now bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man.” God made Eve from Adam so there would be no question that they were made of the same substance. Adam immediately identified Eve as “like him.” He recognized the sameness rather than the differences. He understood that God was presenting him with a being like himself, the companion suitable to be his equal partner.

“For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” The man was to attach himself to the woman, not the other way around. A woman is of such great value that a man would give up everything for her, just as Jesus did for us.

Oneness implies reciprocal dependence, mutuality in equality. The idea of hierarchy is absent here. The word used here for “one” is the same Hebrew word (echad) used in the statement, “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is One!” This word refers to a compound unity, a united togetherness. The two are to become one as the Father, Son, and Spirit are One in the Trinity. Also, Jesus prayed in John 17:22-23 that we would be one as He and the Father are one. This concept of oneness implies an equality of the members, not a hierarchy.

“And the man and his wife were both naked and not ashamed.” They shared true intimacy, unhindered freedom in relationship to one another and to God.

“And God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” After God formed Eve, He declared that it was all good. There was no inherent flaw or weakness in Eve.

Genesis 2 reinforces two ideas:
Sameness of substance--Man and woman are created of the same substance. Oneness and unity--They are to identify with one another and be joined as one. The man and woman supplemented and complemented each. Back To Top


God’s Truth About Women
Lesson 3 of 5
The Fall--Part I

Genesis 2:8-9--”The Lord God planted a garden toward the east, in Eden; and there He placed the man whom He had formed. Out of the ground the Lord God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”

Genesis 2:15-17-- “Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it. The Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.’”

The Lord was looking for a people who would willingly choose to love and obey Him, who would live in the knowledge of His Lordship, and who would trust that He was good and only desired their best. He was fully aware of the risk He took in giving mankind free will, but it was the only way to have any voluntary lovers at all. God took the risk, and He Himself paid the price when mankind chose to sin. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a test, but it was intended as a blessing to humanity. It was intended to be a constant reminder of their opportunity to choose Him, to trust Him, and to lovingly obey.

Some have expressed the view that this tree was a test, a trick of the Lord to trap Adam. This is not true to the nature of the Lord. The tree was intended to be a blessing. God had granted total freedom to Adam except for one limitation--that this freedom be exercised in dependency upon God. If Adam were to exert independence and choose his own will above that of the Lord, he would be separating himself from his source of life, and the result would be death.

The Lord clearly spelled out the consequence of eating of the forbidden fruit--death. It would lead to death spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
Eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil would result in the loss of the sense of the Lord’s presence, separation from Him, and a life where mankind would be ruled by his own reason, senses, and emotions rather than by revelation and communion with God. Humanity would no longer be led by the Spirit of God or have the fruit of that Spirit in their lives. Rather than living in dependence on Him, they would be independent.

The tree of life represented Jesus. The Lord wanted Adam to be able to eat of this tree. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil represented judging for oneself rather than trusting the Lord‘s revelation of good and evil. In a sense we have the same choice today between grace and law, between love and judgment.

Genesis 3:1-6--“Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, ‘Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?’ The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ The serpent said to the woman, ‘You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

Satan tempted Eve to become more like God through her own efforts. She thought being like God was a good idea. She thought she could be even more of a blessing to both God and Adam if she was more like God. When Eve gave Adam some of the fruit to eat, she truly believed it would be good for him, too. She was not motivated by a desire to harm Adam. She was deceived which means she sincerely and completely believed what Satan had told her. He was a beautiful creature, and Eve was completely innocent. She had no experience with evil or trickery. When she began to trust her own reasoning and senses rather than the word of the Lord to her, she opened herself to deception.

Satan was skilled in deception. After all, he had convinced one third of the angels to rebel with him against the Lord. He appealed to her physical senses and her natural reasoning. She saw that the tree looked good, smelled good, felt good. He made it appealing to her. She could serve the Lord better if she were wise. Although Satan misrepresented the Lord’s heart, implying that He was withholding something good from Adam and Eve, Eve did not notice this. She chose to trust her own reasoning and senses instead of walking by faith in the word of the Lord, and the result was sin.

Where was Adam when Eve was being tempted? He was with her. He evidently did nothing to persuade her not to eat the fruit. He was not coerced or pressured to eat, but willingly and knowingly ate of the fruit himself.

Genesis 3:7-13“Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings. They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and woman hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?” He said, ‘I heard the sound of You in the garden and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.’ And He said, ‘Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?’ The man said, ‘The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.’ Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?’ And the woman said, ‘The serpent deceived me, and I ate.’”

The immediate result of the fall was shame. They both realized they were naked and sought to hide themselves. The second result was fear. When they heard the Lord come near, they were afraid to show themselves to Him.

God knew they had sinned but he still came looking for them. It is not true that God must separate Himself from sinful man. The truth is that God loves the lost and seeks them out. (John 3:16)

Eve was only more vulnerable to Satan’s ploy because she had knowledge of God’s command about the tree through second hand knowledge. The Lord had given it directly to Adam, and Adam had shared it with Eve.

Was Eve responsible for bringing sin into the world? Although both man and woman sinned, God held the man responsible, not because he had the right of authority over the woman, but because he had deliberately chosen to sin. Purposely, and without any evidence of temptation, deception, persuasion, or coercion, Adam turned from God to sin. He took the risk, knowing full well what the consequences would be. Paul wrote of this in Romans 5:12, “Through one man sin entered the world.” Again in Romans 5:15 Paul stated, “By the transgression of the one many died.” And in Romans 5:17 he said, “By the transgression of one, death reigned through the one.” Paul called Jesus the Last Adam, not the last Eve, clearly implying that Adam was the cause of sin and death.

The Lord addressed each of them individually, implying that they were each responsible for themselves. There is no mention of anything like Adam being responsible for Eve because of having authority over her.

When the Lord asked Adam about his actions, Adam blamed both God and Eve for his own sin. This was the first time the blame game was played between man and woman, putting responsibility on others for our actions.

When the Lord asked Eve about her sin, she answered honestly saying that the serpent had deceived her, and she had eaten the fruit.

Clearly in the story of creation, the Lord had authority over Adam and Eve. He wanted them to live forever in freedom in this loving relationship of dependence upon God. When they each chose to disobey His one limitation on their freedom and act independently, they experienced shame, fear and ultimately, death. And yet God, in His loving mercy did not allow the story of mankind to end in this state.

Lesson 3 Summary--

Genesis 2:8-9, Genesis 2:15-17

The Lord desired a people who would willingly choose to love and obey Him, who would live in the knowledge of His Lordship, and who would trust that He was good and only desired their best. He was fully aware of the risk He took in giving mankind free will, but it was the only way to have any voluntary lovers at all. God took the risk, and He Himself paid the price when mankind chose to sin. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was a test, but it was intended as a blessing to humanity. It was intended to be a constant reminder of their opportunity to choose Him, to trust Him, and to lovingly obey Him.

The Lord clearly spelled out the consequence of eating of the forbidden fruit. The result would be death--spiritual, emotional, and physical. Eating of this tree would result in a life where mankind would be ruled by his own reason, senses, and emotions rather than by revelation and communion with God.

Genesis 3:1-6

Satan was skilled in deception, and he tempted Eve to become more like God through her own efforts. She thought being like God was a good idea. Eve was completely deceived which means she truly believed eating the fruit would be good for her and for Adam.

Adam was with Eve according to the account. He evidently did nothing to persuade her not to eat the fruit. He was not coerced or pressured to eat but willingly and knowingly ate of the fruit God had forbidden.

Genesis 3:7-13

The immediate result of the Fall was shame. They both realized they were naked and sought to hide themselves. The second result was fear. When they heard the Lord come near, they were afraid to show themselves to Him.

God knew they had sinned. He did not separate Himself from them but rather sought them out. This is still true today. The Lord loves and seeks out the lost. (John 3:16)

Eve was only more vulnerable to Satan’s deception because she had knowledge of the Lord’s command through second hand knowledge. Although Adam had received the command directly and had shared it with Eve, the Lord held both of them responsible individually for their own action. There is no indication that Adam was responsible for Eve or had authority over her.

Jewish tradition held Eve responsible for bringing sin into the world. In fact, although both had sinned, scripture gives the main responsibility to Adam who had sinned deliberately. Paul wrote of this in Romans 5:12, 15, &17. Paul called Jesus the Last Adam, not the last Eve, clearly implying that Adam was the cause of sin and death.

When the Lord asked Adam about his actions, Adam blamed both God and Eve for his own sin. This was the first time the blame game was played between man and woman, putting responsibility on others for our own actions.

When the Lord asked Eve about her sin, she answered honestly saying that the serpent had deceived her, and she had eaten the fruit.

Clearly in the story of creation, God had authority over Adam and Eve. He wanted them to live forever in this loving relationship of dependence upon God. When they each chose to disobey His one limitation on their freedom and act independently of Him, they experienced shame, fear, and ultimately death. And yet God, in His loving mercy did not allow the story of mankind to end in this state.
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God’s Truth About Women
Lesson 4 of 5
The Fall -- Part 2

Genesis 3:14-15--
“The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you more than every beast of the field; on your belly you will go, and dust you will eat all the days of your life; and I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.”

Adam and Eve had both chosen to sin. The Lord had sought them out in the garden. Now they would learn the extent of the trouble they had brought upon themselves. First, the Lord addressed the serpent, who evidently had stayed close by to hear for himself what he had accomplished. Satan had simply used the serpent as a means to speak to Eve. Now the serpent, originally a beautiful creature, was cursed and became the lowest form of life. In the second part of this section, the Lord spoke directly to Satan. He declared that the woman, in spite of her sin, would be the source of the One who would bring deliverance and reverse the effects of sin. This is the first prophetic word about the Messiah in the scripture. When the Lord chose Mary to become the mother of Jesus, He was fulfilling this promise.

As a result of this covenant between God and women, Satan has hated women. He knows the end result of her destiny as the bearer of the Seed. Women also are a type of the Bride of Christ, of the Church, who will execute judgment on Satan in the end times. Throughout history, women have been subject to much oppression and difficulty because of Satan’s wrath and fear.

Genesis 3:16--
“To the woman He said, ‘I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth, in pain you will bring forth children; yet your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Some read this section as the Lord placing a curse on Eve as a result of her sin. Some understand it simply as a description of the results of the Fall. There are also other possible translations to consider.

All would agree that this section describes three changes in the life of Eve: pain would become part of her experience as a mother, she would desire her husband in a different way, and her husband would now rule over her.

This scripture has been the primary one used to teach that it is the Lord’s will that men rule over women, and women submit themselves to men. Ancient Jews believed that Eve had caused Adam’s death and destroyed his life. Therefore, God gave men the dominant role in life by virtue of God’s judgment on Eve.

There are several important things to consider. First, if it had been God’s original intention for Adam to have authority over Eve, this would have represented no change. If Adam had ruled over Eve before the Fall, this statement that “he shall rule over you” would have brought no change to her status. (He might have been a more loving ruler before the Fall, but she would still have been ruled over. This appears to be the goal in many Christian homes today--loving rule.) If Adam had ruled over Eve before the Fall, and she had been happy with that arrangement, she would have asked him about eating the fruit because sin had not yet affected the relationship. In fact, this is the first time such a hierarchical relationship has been mentioned. Therefore, this authority structure is a result of the Fall just as death was the result of the Fall. Death was not God’s desire for mankind; neither was the rule of men over women.

We also notice that the verbs used in this verse are in the future tense, not in the imperative. An imperative indicates a command. It is a strong possibility that God is not making this statement as a commandment, but as a prophetic picture of the effects of sin in the life of women from that day on. In fact, if it were a command, we could assume that the more forcefully a man ruled over a woman, the more completely he would be fulfilling the Lord’s command. God did not say man must rule over woman, but that they will.

God also did not say to Eve, “Because you have…” as He did when He addressed both the serpent and Adam. She does not receive a heavier sentence because of a more serious sin. He did not say that these things would happen because she had not submitted or because she was the cause of Adam’s sin. Eve is not reprimanded for having assumed leadership in the garden.

The Lord had already told Adam what the result of sin would be--death, spiritual, emotional, and physical. God is not adding to this pronouncement. He is describing some of the consequences of their sin in greater detail.

The judgment on women includes these three statements of fact-

1. Life will continue after the fall, but because of the presence of death, it will be a struggle from the beginning.

2. Her desire will continue to be for the “one flesh” relationship of intimacy with her husband, but instead he will tend to rule over her.

3. Before the fall, Adam and Eve had only been subject to God’s authority. Now Adam became subject to the soil from which he had been formed, and Eve had become subject to Adam from whom she had been formed.

There are several other worthwhile opinions to consider on the translation of Genesis 3:16. The word translated “pain” in Genesis 3:16 is the same word translated “toil” in Genesis 3:17, describing Adam’s new relationship with the ground. It is not so much physical pain in childbirth that is being referred to, but the sense of suffering and labor. It is not a more severe punishment, but a comparable one.

The word translated “desire” ( teshuqa) can also be “turning” indicating a tendency to look to her husband, to turn to him, rather than to turn to the Lord for the needs in her life.

There is another possibility for this verse. Because the original Hebrew only consists of consonants, there are at times several possible meanings for a word depending on the vowels that are filled in. Translators must determine the correct word based on the interpretation and context. One possible translation for Genesis 3:16 is “A snare has increased your sorrow and sighing. In sorrow you shall bear children. You will turn toward your husband and he will rule over you.” In this case, the snare was set by Satan to trap Eve.

Either way we understand the verse, the results of the Fall were the same. While God may not have directly cursed Adam and Eve, His words describe a curse operating in their lives as a result of sin. Even if God did place a curse on the woman that included the fact that men would rule over women, Jesus came to remove the effects of the curse. Did the blood of Jesus avail for all sin but that of Eve? No!

As Christians, we are delivered from the curse and its results. Romans 8:2 says, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” Jesus came to reverse the effects of the curse, to restore creation to its original plan and purpose. This includes the relationship between men and women.

Genesis 3:17-19--
“Then to Adam He said, ‘Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it’; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

God had not commanded Adam not to listen to his wife. God was unhappy that Adam had listened to her when she offered him the forbidden fruit. When it will lead to sin, none of us should listen to another.

Adam did not answer for both Eve and himself. God addressed each of them individually. If Adam had been responsible for Eve, it would make sense that God would have asked him about what had happened instead of speaking to Eve directly.

God had declared to Adam that the result of sin would be death. The other consequences were described in detail in this passage. Male domination of women was the result of Satan’s work at the Fall, not a part of God’s original design for relationships between men and woman. Jesus came to restore all to God’s original purpose and plan. This would include mutual dependence and harmony between men and women--the two shall become one.
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God’s Truth About Women
Lesson 5 of 5

In order to understand the truth about God’s perspective on women we need to have a clear picture of the revelation of truth in scripture. God’s revelation of Himself and of His will in scripture is progressive. His original purpose for mankind was reflected in creation (Genesis 1&2). The introduction of sin caused the disruption of this original creation. The Lord then established a covenant with Abraham and his descendants in preparation for the New Covenant which would restore all of God’s original creation purpose.

Creation>>>Fall>>>Redemption

Understanding this model provides an outline to help us understand scripture. We look at Genesis 1 & 2 to understand creation, Genesis 3 to understand the Fall, and the rest of the Old Testament to learn of the Old Covenant. The New Testament reveals the pattern of complete restoration.

The Old Covenant was a preparation for the New. The Old Testament contains an incomplete revelation of the whole truth. The New Testament contains a further revelation of truth. Therefore, we understand the Old Testament most correctly in light of the revelations of the New Testament.

God refused to leave fallen humanity without hope in the grip of the consequences of sin. In His eternal, abiding love, God established a plan to restore human beings so that His original plan could be worked out in their lives.

The Old Covenant was intended to prepare the way for redemption. Under the Old Covenant, those who trusted God could only look forward in faith to redemption. The Old Covenant also demonstrated types in its institutions that foreshadow the New Covenant.
The New Covenant is intended to restore the original purposes of creation through the ministry of Jesus and through the Church. This restoration began with Jesus’ birth, life, death, and resurrection. It will be completed at His second coming, when all the effects of the Fall will be removed forever.

The Old Covenant--
God began the process of redemption with a call to Abraham. He desired a people who would again chose Him and His ways rather than sin and Satan’s ways.

The Old Covenant reflected a dual set of characteristics. On one hand, the effects of the Fall continued to be evident in the Old Covenant community.
On the other hand, there were many positive features that prepared the way for the coming of the Redeemer and for the restoration of God’s original purpose. We see this dual set of characteristics in the Old Testament in the area of female roles and male/female relationships.

Divine commandments were given to limit and contain the consequences of the Fall. God’s Word was applied to such sinful conditions as polygamy, patriarchy, and adultery not to condone them but to limit the damaging effects of these inevitable results of the Fall.

In the same way, God placed limitations on violence. In Exodus 21:23-24, Moses prescribed the formula an eye for and eye, and a tooth for a tooth. The intention was to limit revenge to only an eye for an eye, or only a tooth for a tooth. God was not endorsing this violence, but limiting it.

In the New Testament, the provisions of the Old Covenant are superseded by the law of love. (Matt. 5:38-39)

In the New Testament, these practices that are seemingly accepted in the Old, are totally rejected—

1. Polygamy--This practice is irreconcilable with the original marriage statement. A man was to leave his parents, join himself to his wife, and become “one flesh”. It only took 6 generations, from Adam to Lamech, for hierarchy to disintegrate into polygamy, the fullness of sin expressed in male-female relationships. Women had basically become the property of men, necessary to produce offspring. The ruler of a woman became the owner of a woman.

Abraham, Jacob, and David all had several wives. Although they are examples to us in other ways, they are not to be imitated in this. They lived in the limited revelation of their time concerning marriage.

2. Patriarchy--The Old Testament word for “husband” (baal) also meant “lord”, “master”, and “owner”. This indicates the status of wives.
Women were generally excluded from significant roles in the life of the community, both public and religious.
Numbers 30 describes the way contracts were enacted. A husband could nullify commitments made by his wife both before and after the marriage, with no regard to her wishes. A father could do the same for a daughter. Male children were not subject to the same conditions.
The legal status of a married woman was therefore that of a child in relation to the ruler of a house. The legal rights of the women of a household could be arbitrarily exercised by its male ruler without their consent and against their will.
Women did not generally have rights to inheritance. ( Job’s daughters were an exception.)

3. Double standard on adultery-- Deut. 22:13-30 ... Since a married man was ruler over his wife, she was in a sense his property. If a wife committed adultery, her unfaithfulness violated his property rights. An adulterous wife was to be put to death.

There was no such penalty for the man. His extramarital affairs were not considered an offense against his wife. A man was subject to death in the case of adultery only if he had relations with a married or engaged woman because he had then violated the rights of another man.

What Jesus taught about this practice (Mark 10:2-12) …
“Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them. Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" "What did Moses command you?" he replied. They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. "But at the beginning of creation God 'made them male and female.' 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. He answered, "Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her. And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery."

Prostitution was a persistent problem in the history of Israel under the Old Covenant. Although there are warnings about it and some limitations, it was not prohibited.

4. Trial by Ordeal--Numbers 5:11-31
This practice was common among ancient peoples. Only women were subject to this in the Old Testament.

5. Divorce--Deut. 24:1-4
Only men could initiate divorce. Men could easily divorce women, for a number of reasons. There was no procedure or grounds for a woman to divorce her husband.
Actually, Moses’ legislation was intended to protect wives from the arbitrariness of husbands. There had to be some reason and a legal document was required. Without this law, men could dispose of their wives without any concern for them.

What Jesus taught about this practice ( Matt. 19:3-8) ... Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?" "Haven't you read," he replied, "that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh?’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate." "Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?" Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery."

Positive elements of the Old Covenant--

Some females participated in the prophetic ministry, although there were no female priests. Examples: Miriam, Deborah, and Huldah.

Several women altered the course of history. Examples: Rahab, Esther, Ruth, and Deborah.

Some women were rewarded for overriding their husbands authority. Example: Abigail in I Samuel 25

The Song of Songs is a beautiful expression of mutual love and submission. There is no hint of domination, rank, or manipulation in their relationship. “I am my Beloved’s, and He is mine.”

The woman of Proverbs 31 is very strong and has the respect of her husband and others.

The time of the Old Covenant was a time of compromise. The Lord sought to limit the effects of sin and to introduce elements of the restoration of His original plan for women.
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*Many of the ideas in this lesson came directly from the book, Beyond Sex Roles by Gilbert Bilezikian.

© 2006 Char Scott
c/o newlifeworshipministries@comcast.net
 

Also recommended: 
Char Scott's meditations on the
Song of Solomon
 

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