Ah HA! Women and Men in Kingdom Relationship

Wow, I'm still in awe of what God is revealing.  I have been sitting in the question with God for some years now about Men and Women and what Kingdom work together looks like. Over the years, He's given me pieces of the puzzle (some of my earlier posts "The Genders" and "The Genders [another clue]" talk about a little on that).  In February I stumbled across a resource (the fact that the route taken to stumble across it was quite convoluted, shows me another amazing aspect of God's ability).  And it finally brought so many of the pieces I've been holding together in a complete and amazing way.

The "it" I stumbled across is a blog by Skip Moen. If you do not know who Skip Moen (a Messianic Jew and scholar) is and wish to become acquainted with him, his website is in my list of favorites.  He has a fine introductory to his work free of charge that's called "30 Days of the Hebrew Worldview".

In any case, there are many things I could share about Skip's materials and insights, but the quintessential thing that struck me is how our Bible versions in English have absolutely no ability to convey the fullness that was lost from the Hebrew.  When I read Genesis, I see Adam and Eve after the fall go on with their lives. There is not a lot of undertone or overt action that leads you to see how things are between them. Very little comes through the written English translation of the seething anger, hurt and mistrust that came after the fall.  When Skip dives into the nuances of both man and woman's choices after the fall it becomes evident what has happened and the implications are still ringing in our ears today!  Adam blames the woman  and God for giving him the woman for his predicament.  He takes no personal responsibility for his own failure nor does he forgive.  The woman wanting to be more, falls for the deception of the serpent - believing lies - she admits being deceived even though she knew what God had said.  Adam then, in an act we can't appreciate very well contextually in English - names the woman Eve.  First, the act of naming her and what it means - made his co-regent on the earth by God, in naming her he puts the woman under himself, as he did the animals.  Even the name Eve - while it means Mother of all the living, also has other less "regal" connotations in Hebrew. The woman is no better - she, longing for relationship now broken and alienated from Adam's isolating turns to her children as solace and replacement, even their names indicate her mind set.  In the process - the first co-dependent mom continues brokenness into her family and the world family suffers.  It is all so evident and resonant even today.  Men don't trust women to co-lead in the world along side them as God intended because of all that happened in the fall.  There has never been forgiveness for this.  Man has not forgiven woman, he has not admitted to his own part so that he can forgive himself either.  God told Adam and Eve what the outflow consequences of the fall were going to be - man alienated from the earth, in working and woman desiring man, but always being ruled over by him. Christ has restored all that the fall took from us - we can have right relation where love, forgiveness and honor rule.  We, like Abraham, could have always had it by faith, counted as righteousness.

At this point I find it so wonderful that God is working mightily on unity and honor in the body. These are watchwords in our time. The Bride of Christ will have no spot or wrinkle.  Those who honor, celebrate and rightly work in unity one with another, man and woman, across nationalities and through relationship in Christ shine forth a reflection of the fullness of God. He is glorified and honored when this happens and blessing is the natural outflow of it. The world is full of brokenness - but, the Bride/Body will shine the truth - she will be a brilliant reflection of her Bridegroom's love.  Foolish jokes, snide remarks, resentment, mistrust, control - all these things will go as the love of Christ fills His people and they embrace forgiveness and unity.  We will see where this healing is embraced because miraculous things will happen where it is!

When God saw that Adam had no kind of his own it was the one thing He said was NOT good - for man to be alone.   Man has tried to isolate ever since the fall, even making it seem culturally unmanly to be relational (which is a lie).  God made woman from the man - same bone and flesh as him and He named woman "Ezer Kenegdo" -  she was made to be the protector of man, the boundary setter and the one who guides him.  Her intimate design to be connected always with God was to be the benefit to man that he needed in relationship.  Man was always to - Remember what God said.  He was made for this. His design was to leave his mother and father and super glue himself to woman - they, in relationship with each other and God fulfill their design for dominion over the earth together - man cultivating and stewarding his substance of origin (the earth) in bringing the garden to cover all the earth and woman cultivating her substance of origin (the man and earth) through bringing relationship all over the earth.  We don't see a whole lot of this original design being lived out together in the way God intended.  Either men dominate and dishonor women out of fear and resentment or women over control or dishonor men out of fear or each may not live into who they are out of fear- all of this is wrong.  Mutual submission and honor - working things out - this is right and God honoring.  The idea that woman by default just by being women must submit to man as a final authority for decisions has no scriptural basis nor do scriptures say men are the sole spiritual leaders in church bodies and families. Sadly, until men embrace their Ezer Kenegdo for who she is they will not be fulfilled as men in their own right! Passages in the new testament written to specific churches regarding problems they were encountering have been used to create doctrine.  So much has been twisted, distorted and misaligned out of fear. And much of it has gone undiscovered because of our terrible translations.  Where love rules, things get worked out between people and there does not need to be an assigned "default" authority decision maker. Fear causes excuses for these things. It's time for these fears to go and for people to forgive and mutually recognize their portion of wrong, repent and come together in unity!  I'm excited to see this and be a part of it.  I didn't really want to be a part of it at the start of my recognizing it, but God has been so good to show me the brilliance of the outcome of obedience to His original design and intentions. The Bride is that outcome and she is breathtaking and will lift Jesus high, which will draw all those who are His to Him. 

Whew!  What a fantastic time to live.  I'm excited to see all God is doing to bring His Kingdom rightly through love and honor in men and women!