Life Matters - October 4, 2023

What is a man? His description varies depending on who we ask, so let’s begin with a Biblical window into what God says about a man, who He meant for us to be, as recorded in His Word.

There are 2,628 references in the Bible to man, with a significant number of those being simply a short form of mankind, which we understand so by the context, such as in Titus 3:4, “after that the kindness and love of God toward man appeared,” and then goes on to speak of what God through Christ has done for all of us. As we are assured of in John 3:16. The same is true for men, the plural rendering of the same word used in the same way. When we go to the word male however, it is always, in all of its 47 references, gender specific. The Bible leaves no question about there being two specific genders, male and female, and the separate but equal and blending roles of each. Equal in value as in Ephesians 3:28, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.” After having prefaced that encouraging word with “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.”  The promises, blessings and warnings in the Bible are for both men and women. The roles, however, are separate as in Genesis chapter three where God first spoke of those separate roles after they fell for satan’s lies about their own personal wisdom in the garden of Eden. In Genesis 3:16 God said to the woman, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception, in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children and thy desire shall be to thy husband and he shall rule over thee.” And unto Adam he said, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it; cursed  is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt  thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; For out of it wast thou taken; For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” (Genesis 3:16-19) This separate but blending of roles is reiterated in the New Testament, notably in Ephesians chapter six where Paul, by the inspiration of God, instructs wives to submit and husbands to lead. The value of men is understood in the context and the value of women is specifically stated several times, as in verse 25, “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it,” and in verse 28, “So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies.” Us men love our bodies so much that when we get cold, we look for heat, when we get hungry, we look for food, when we get thirsty, we look for water, when we get overheated, we look for cool. And we plan ahead for such things. Inherent in the context is the man’s role of provider. Not solely, perhaps, but he is to lead out, to be responsible. He is to value his wife as the weaker vessel and of equal value to himself.

The feminist movement possibly had some good things about it, but the overall effect has been the devaluing of women and their fascinating role in making a house a home. The sexual revolution, meanwhile, has cheapened women’s bodies, devalued by promiscuity, many are increasingly and in ever-changing areas, immodestly baring themselves to lustful men whose ”love” goes only skin deep and their conquest often has no more commitment than a “one night stand.” Or only to marriage as long as there are peaceful, easy, good feelings.

So what is a man? In value, he and his woman are equal. In role, he stands out as the leader. As a Biblical rule to go by. There are times when he cannot, such as when in a coma for three weeks, then a long recovery from brain trauma, (and yes, I know what that’s like). During which time God’s grace is sufficient (to which, my wife can testify). Biblical Truth, blended into his home, is a highly valued treasure at such a time. I should know. I’ve been there. Life Matters!