1. Genesis 2 Corresponding (Different) in Function
Nurturing the Nations Reclaiming the Dignity of Women in the Building of Healthy Cultures
Genesis 2
Corresponding (Different) in Function
Introduction
Men and women are created equal and different. They are equal in being and different in function.
Genesis 1 reveals that Men and Women are equal in being. It is not only men who are made in the image of God, but women are made in the image of God as well. It reveals that the imago Dei: Male and Female have equal responsibility for the Creation Mandate and it’s subordinate social and developmental mandates.

2. Humankind Two complementary types of humankind
male-adam
female-adam
Both have been gifted differently for their community task, their complementary roles and functions are equally valuable
And necessary for fulfilling the cultural mandate
men and women are equal in being and their distinct difference are equally valuable in carrying out the Creation Mandate.
Because of this there is no room for
Sexism that says men are superior to women in being and function
Feminism which says because men and women are equal, there is no distinction in function

3. The Unfolding of the Story
Alone in Kind - Genesis 2:18a, 20b
The Counterpart - Genesis 2:20
The Creation of Eve - Genesis 2:21-22
She Shall be Called Woman - Genesis 2:23
The Sacred Mystery – One Flesh - Genesis 2:24
Naked and Not Ashamed - Genesis 2:25
1. Transition: Genesis 1 is the headline: God creates the heaven and the earth. Then Genesis 2 begins to give more details of the creation.

4. The Context for the Creation of the Glorious Eve
Set # 1 Genesis 2:1-3
Questions: What role does Genesis 2:1-3 have in the narrative? What does it reveal about God?
Set # 2 Genesis 2:4-6
Question: What are the things lacking in the garden as we move through this transition?
Set # 3 Genesis 2:7-8, 15
Question: How did God respond to this lack?
Small Group Work
Read one set of verses and answer the question(s).
Feedback
Genesis 2:4 picks up the story of the creation of Adam and Eve.
A transition is built into the story, with the statement that God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:4)
Then come the startling words “and there was no man to work the ground,…” (Genesis 2: 5b)
Then God creates man (Genesis 2:7): “the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. [1]
[1]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.

5. Play on Words: adam & adama
“Initially, God made adam out of the adama to till the adama (Gen 3:23), to bring forth life. The adama was God’s possession and under his care (Gen 2:6). Thus, the first adam (the man, Adam) and his family were to act as God’s servants by obeying him in maintaining the divinely created and intended relationships vertically and horizontally.”
Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament
We see the relationship between man and the cultivating of the soil and the creation of culture (as referenced in Genesis 1) in the language of Genesis 1-3. Here mankind is adam and the ground is adama. The Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament describes the play on words between man and the earth.
[1] Harris, R. Laird, Editor; Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament Volume; Moody Press, Chicago, IL, 1980; pg 11

6. Humankind: The Connection between Heaven and Earth
Man is the one creature whose eyes are towards heaven and whose feet and hands are in the soil. Man is the connector for the carrying out of the heavenly mandate on the earth.
1. This is the connection back to man’s purpose in his being made in the image of God. He is to steward – work and care- for God’s creation

7. Alone! Genesis 2:18a, 20b Questions:
Again, here is something missing! What is missing?
What is the relationship between these verses and Genesis 2:5b?
Is man really alone?
What does this mean?
Small Group Work
Read the passages and discuss the questions.
Feedback
More startling words.
Just as there was no man to work the ground in Genesis 2:5b), now there is no one to help the man in the Cultural Mandate.
Twice God states that the individual man Adam is alone, there is no woman-adam.
Genesis 2: 18a: “ It is not good for the man to be alone.”
Genesis 2: 20b: “ But for Adam no suitable helper was found.”

8. Alone in Kind! And yet Adam is alone! His counterpart is missing
He is alone in kind
The imago Dei is male and female
Adam is “incomplete”
There is counterpart in the Trinity.
And there is counterpart in the animal kingdom.
But for man there is no counterpart, another like him and yet different, a female-adam
There is no human community to fulfill the relational part of being the image of God and
There is no counterpart needed to fulfill the Cultural Mandate.

9. The Counterpart
The task of pro-creation and stewardship required not an identical one, but a similar one to complete God’s mandate!
We find, in response to Adam being alone in kind, God is going to create a suitable helper for Adam

10. “Suitable Helper”
Kenegdo: “suitable,” “like him,” “corresponding-to-him,” “matching him,” or “counterpart”
Ezer: “help,” “succor,” “assist,” “support,” “comfort”
Let’s look at these in their turn.
[1] Strach, ??????? pg. 23

11. Ezer
Question # 1: When you think of the word “helper” what images come to your mind?
Question # 2: What kind of status does someone who is a “helper” have in your culture?
Question # 3: What do you think the scripture means when it says that the woman is the helper of the man?
Small Group Work
Discuss each of these questions.
As a group, develop a picture that reflects what a helper means in your cultural context!
Feedback

12. Ezer Set # 1: Deu. 33:26, 29; Ps. 115:9-11; Ps. 121:1-2
Questions: Who is being called ezer? What is the nature of this ezer?
Set # 2: Isa. 30:5; Ezk. 12:14; Dan.11:34
Questions: What is an ezer doing in these passages? What does this reveal about the character of an ezer?
Small group work
Read one set of verses and answer the questions
Feedback
Question: Is being an ezer a virtue or a vice? Why?
Note that God is the ezer of Israel.
This is His “Mother-heart” being manifested.

13. Ezer Used 21 times in the O.T. 16 times for God
3 times for aid given to needy people
2 times for women
There is no sense of inferiority in this word.
It has been absolutely wrong for people to assume that a “helper” is inferior to the one helped.
This rules out any bigoted thought that the man is superior to the women as ezer is inferior to the man.
In fact the woman as ezer manifests the nature and character of the living God.
After all God is The Helper of Israel and of humankind.

14. The Divine Humility John Piper
“So it is with God. When He helps His people, He retains His glorious deity but (amazingly!) steps into the servant role, under us, to lift us up. He is the God who emptied Himself and came down to our level – below us, to the level of slavery – to help us supremely at the cross. Therefore, the fact that the Old Testament portrays God as our helper proves only that the helper role is a glorious one, worthy even of the Almighty.”
John Piper
Remember God is a servant God
In this and other senses, the Almighty God subordinates Himself to human beings. Our needs set His agenda (John 3:16)
Yet, in His humility, He does not cease to be God. No, He affirms His Divine Humility
This is a signature of godly humility, not inferiority. In fact, God is the humble God; He models this humility in the fact that He is our helper.
God is a Sovereign-Helper.
He is in authority over and at the same time is an assistant to humankind.[
1] Piper, John ???; Recovering Biblical View ??????? pg 104

15. Kenegdo The helper is a “suitable” helper.
This is the Hebrew word kenegdo. It means “like him,” “corresponding-to-him,” “matching him,” or “counterpart.”
Further synonyms: “suited,” “appropriate,” or “complementary.”
Just as the individual members of the Trinity are the ‘counterparts” of one-another, so the woman is the counterpart of the man. [1] Strach, ??????? pg. 23

16. The Creation of Eve
Genesis 2:21-22: “So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.”
Now we come to the formation of Eve, the completion of God’s creative activity. We will soon hear the Creator’s pronouncement “it is very good.” In Genesis 2:21-22 we read of
So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
2. This is the high-water-mark of creation, the crescendo of the symphony, the light in the Rembrandt painting

17. Source of the 2nd Adam
the first adam – male, came from the ground adama
The second and complementary adam-female was formed from the first adam
The man’s source was the ground. The woman’s source was the man.

18. Adam’s Counterpart
“She was not taken from the head, to show she was not to rule over him; nor from his foot, to teach that she was not to be his slave; nor from his hand, to show that she was not to be his tool; but from his side, to show that she was to be his companion.”
Pastor John Angell
She is to be his counter-part, his suitable helper.
She is not his property or slave.
She was designed to serve along side, thus it is appropriate that she was formed from his side
[1] James, John Angell; Female Piety; Edited by Rev. Don Kistler; Soli Deo Gloria Publications ?????; pg. 54

19. The Glory of Woman Here is no slave to be ill-treated.
Here is no property to be bought and sold.
Here is no sex object for male pleasure.
Here is one, not to be despised and crushed by Sexism, nor one to run from as does feminism.

20. The Glory of Woman Here is the crown of creation.
Here, in human form, from the hand of the Creator Himself, is the manifestation of the Mother-Heart of God.
Here is the Mother of all Living, the Wife of the first man.
Here is the prequel to none other than the Bride of the Son of God, the one who is worthy of God Himself.

21. The Crown of Creation The crown of God’s creation is adam.
The crown of adam-male is adam-female. Woman is the glory of the man!

22. She Shall Be Called Woman:
Genesis 2:23: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Õishshah [ish-shaw’] ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of Õiysh [eesh] man.”
These are the first recorded human words, and they are Hebrew poetry. What do they express? The joy of the first man receiving the gift of the first woman: This creature alone, Father, out of all the others- this one at last meets my need for a companion. She alone is my equal, my flesh. I identify with her. I love her. I will call her Woman, for she came out of Man.” The man perceives the woman not as his rival but as his partner, not as a threat … but as the only one capable of fulfilling his longing within.[1]
[1] Piper; Recovering Biblical …. Pg. 10

23. “Called” – qara Hebrew word qara means “call,” “calling”
It is used in two ways
For calling into existence
For the process of naming
(Genesis 1:3-5): “And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.”
Note the dual use of word in Genesis.
Both are exercises of authority.
The first is to use “speech” to call things into existence: “And God said,” (Genesis 1:3,6, 9, 11, 14, 20, 24).
The second use of words, God named the things that he made.

24. The Concept of Naming
Naming establishes authority of the one who names
Naming identifies the one or thing named
Just as God establish his authority over creation by naming it, so His vice-regent exercises dominion over creation by naming the animals (Genesis 2:19-20).
We see this clearly in our own lives when we name our children.
The God of the universe recognizes our authority over our children by calling them by the names that we give them.
My wife and I discovered this awesome task after we named our first child, Nathan. It dawned on us, what would God call our son? He would call him “Nathan.” Why? Because that is the name that we gave him.

25. Word adam used in three ways
The generic name for the human species (Genesis 1:26)
The name for a particular human being, the first human being – Adam (Genesis 3:17, 21, 4:1, 25; 5:1)
A name for the male of the species (Genesis 2:5, 7, 8, 15, 16 18, 19, 20)
God names the human race (Genesis 5:1-2):
“This is the written account of Adam’s line. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. 2 He created them male and female and blessed them. And when they were created, he called them “man.” [1]
In the phrase “Adam’s line,” the Hebrew scripture use Adam [2], referring to his proper name.
The name given to the line of Adam, the human line is as well, “adam”
He did not name the human race Eve
[1]The New International Version, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House) 1984.
[2]Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.

26. God spoke and created the universe. Man speaks and creates culture.

27. Man’s Naming
adam – mankind establishes its authority of creation by naming the animals (Genesis 2:19-20)
Names woman
Generic name woman – Õishshah [ish-shaw’] (Genesis 2:23b)
Particular name for his wife - Chavvah - Eve (Genesis 3:20) meaning “life” or “living,” because she would become the mother of all the living.
[1]Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.

28. Õiysh – Õishshah
Õiysh is the Hebrew word for “male” and for “husband” (Genesis 2:23-24).
Õishshah is the Hebrew word for woman.
A Hebrew play on words: She shall be called Õishshah, because she has been taken out of Õiysh.

29. Õiysh – Õishshah
“this word play points to the fact that woman too is man –she man, womb-man, or female man.”
Counselor and Author Leanne Payne
On a physical/sexual level, the woman is the counter part of the man, the female of the male. This is inherently obvious.
On the spiritual/transcendent level the feminine is the counter part of the masculine,
the Mother-heart of God perfectly matches the Father-heart of God.
This is intuitively obvious
Because of the Creation Mandate, adam the imago Dei: male and female has ministerial, care-taking authority over the creation. Together, they exercise this authority through their pro-creativity and their dominion over adamah
Adam naming the woman signifies that he has loving-servant-authority over her. He is to husband his wife the way they are to exercise husbandry of the soil.
[1] Payne, Leanne: Crisis in Masculinity; Crossway Books, Westchester, Ill. 1989; pg. 86

30. The name symbolic of Yahweh’s relation to Israel
Ish
The name symbolic of Yahweh’s relation to Israel
Small Group Work
Read these passages
What do they reveal about God?
Feedback
Where does this pattern of Husband come from?
From the very self-sacrificing love of God for creation and for humankind.
The transcendent root of ISH is God Himself. I cannot shout loud enough this profound truth. God’s very nature is to HUSBAND. The Transforming Story reveals
God’s love fore his people in the O.T. and
Jesus love for the Church in the N.T.
Thus he created in Adam and Eve the first model of the transcendent. And subsequently, God’s intention has been for the human ish to lovingly-self-sacrifice himself for his wife.
The God of Israel is the Husband of the nation of Israel.

31. The covenant marriage between God and Israel (Exodus 19-24)
Exodus 20:1-2 The Bridegroom reminds Israel what He has done for her
Exodus God tells His people how they are to live as His holy people
Exodus 24:3 Israel says “I do!”
Exodus 24:9-11 Wedding Feast
Jeff Meyers describes this when he writes:
“The wedding service is recorded in Exodus Moses is the minister officiating at the wedding. He goes up on the mountain to hear the Lord’s word and brings it back down to the people. The husband’s part of the wedding service begins with the Lord reminding His bride of what He has done for her (Ex. 20:1-2). Then Yahweh tells the Israelites how they are to live as His holy people (Ex.20-23). When Moses brings these words to the people, they say basically, ‘I do’: ‘All the words which the LORD has said we will do!’” (Ex. 24:3) The wedding ceremony ends with a reception, a feast in the Lord’s presence (Ex. 24:9 –11). Then, once Yahweh and Israel are married, Yahweh moves in with His bride.”[1] [1] Meyers, Jeff; A Little Bit of Molech in My Life. TABLETALK; Janurary 2001; pg. 15

32. The Order & Ordinances of Creation
The order of creation reveals that the man was created first (Genesis 2:7, 18).
The woman was created for the man (Genesis 2:18, 20).
The woman was created from the man (Genesis 21-23a).
The woman was brought to the man (Genesis 22a).
The woman was named by the man (Genesis 23b).
Elizabeth Elliot observes five things that establish the husbands self- sacrificing headship over his wife:
The order of creation reveals that the man was created first (Genesis 2:7, 18).
Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 11:3 and in different context in 1 Timothy 2:13
The woman was created for the man (Genesis 2: 18, 20).
Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 11:7-9
The woman was created from the man (Genesis 21-23a).
1 Cor. 11:3, 7 Paul argues that this is the reason that the man is the head of the woman.
Paul also argues for symmetry between the man and the woman 1 Corinthians 11: 12. He argues that the first woman came from the first man, but ever since all other men and women have come from the woman, the mother. He than argues “But everything comes form God.
It must be noted that the order of creation (male first) and the ordinances of creation are normative for life and practice unless and until they are explicitly modified by subsequent Biblical revelation

33. Functional Distinctions
While men and women are equal in their being, they are different in both their pro-creative and developmental responsibilities of the Cultural Mandate.

34. Functional Distinctions
In the Cultural Mandate, adam-male will most fully manifest the Father-heart of God, while adam-female will most fully manifest the Mother-heart of God.
Together as imago Dei, the purpose of their creation – to create godly culture and be Vice-regents of creation, will be fulfilled.
Being created first does not mean that man is better. We must continually remind ourselves that in terms of significance, men and women are equal in their being. And, while there functions are different, those differing functions do not establish a superior-inferior relationship. They form complementary relationship

35. Complementary Roles The Husband: loving-serving-headship of his wife
The Wife: loving-respectful-helping of her husband
These are God ordained roles. They are not interchangeable
One of the differences is in the area of authority between the man and the woman in a very narrow realm in the realm of marriage
I will seek to argue that the husband Adam’s loving-servant-leadership role is over his wife Eve alone.
This sections of scripture, nor Genesis 3, Jesus, Paul or any other N.T. writer establishes a generic role of authority for all men over all women.
Women’s freedom for servant-leadership is found throughout the market place and the public square.
Male servant-leadership role is very narrow.
In fact, I will seek to argue that there are only two places in scripture where male authority over women is established and that is in the family, over their own wife (and no one else’s wife or single woman) and in the church as governing eldership.

36. Biblical Balance
“It is important that the cause of not imposing on women restrictions that Scripture does not impose should not be confused with the quite different goals of minimizing the distinctness of the sexes as created and of the diminishing the male’s inalienable responsibilities in man-woman relationships as such.”
J.I. Packer
[1] ???? Women, Authority and the Bible; Inter Varsity Press; Downers Grove, IL.1986; pg. 299

37. The Sacred Mystery – One Flesh
Genesis 2:24: “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one [echad] flesh.”
Ask Group
What is the word “therefore” therefore?
Because
God has made Adam and Eve for community,
Adam has recognized in this woman his counterpart
Therefore: leave, cleave, be united!

38. The First Wedding
The glorious finale of the Creation story is the “wedding” of the first couple Adam and Eve
As a picture and model
For our lives
For the consummate history when Christ comes back for his bride

39. Two Hebrew Words for “One”
Yachid – “single,” “absolute,” or “indivisible” one
Echad – “united,” “compound, “ or “bound together” one

40. Hebrew “One”
This is a unity of diversity. The perfect fitting together of very different human beings. It is the very nature of Trinity – Complementarian.
This is not:
Unity of uniformity – the Feminist model - Monism
Absolute diversity – The Sexist model - Atomism

41. The Hauntingly Beautiful Words of Ruth to Naomi
“Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.”
Here is the bonding of a covenant relationship between three parties the woman, the man and their Creator.
This has all the intimacy of the emotional and soulish bonding.
Because it is a covenant relationship that includes the one who authored marriage, it is to be a faithful and lifetime relationship. It is to be with no other and is forever.

42. Three Paradigms In Secularism there is no soul, only flesh.
Dualism separates the soul from the body and says that the soul is good and the flesh is bad.
In Theism there is no split between the soul and the body. The body and soul reside together.
In Secularism there is no soul, only flesh
Sex is all there is. Sex is commercialized, women’s images and women themselves are merchandised
It is used by men to control and conquer women
Theism
The physical body reveals the transcendence of masculine and feminine
The “one flesh” is the mysterious fusion of two lives into one on all levels
Sex is glorious (not to be denied by prudishness)
Sex is made for the sacredness of marriage
Two books of the Bible deal exclusively with one flesh
the Song of Solomon, is dedicated to the gloriousness of sex.
Hosea, is given to the restoration of the marriage and the sacredness of the marriage bed.

43. Yada
Set # 1: Genesis 18:19; Deut. 34:10; Isaiah 48:8; Psalms 1:6; 37:18
Set # 2: Ex. 33:17; Deu. 34:10
Set # 3: Genesis 4:1; 19:8; Numbers 31: 17, 35
Small Group Work
Read one set of Scriptures
What does the Hebrew word Yada refer to in this context?
Feedback
The Intimacy of marriage
The Hebrew word yada is used to describe the intimacy of God’s knowledge of humankind (Genesis 18:19; Deut. 34:10; Isaiah 48:8; Psalms 1:6; 37:18).
“God know Moses by name and face to face” (Ex. 33:17; Deu. 34:10).[1] This is intimacy.
It is also a word used to refer to the intimacy of sexual intercourse (Genesis 4: 1a) “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain….”[2] It is used similarly in Genesis 19: 8; Numbers 31:17, 35 and other passages.
So the intimacy of marriage is a reflection of the intimacy between God and man.
God designed sex for marriage and marriage for sex.
[1] ibid TWOT pg 366
[2]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

44. Marriage a Holy Estate (Domain)
Ordained by God
Patterned on the Trinity
Is God-Centered
Between one man and one woman and God
For life
Not a social contract
Not merely a personal contract
Not patterned after animal behavior
Not individual- centered
Not between members of same sex
Not multiple partners

45. Three God-Ordained Institutions
Marriage: First institution existing to fill the earth and have dominion over creation
Civil Government: promote justice, civil order, social justice and protect against external threats
The Church: a community of love to represent Christ and His agenda in a broken world
Marriage is the first institution God created and the only one created before the fall.
After the fall, civil government was established to promote justice, civil order and social tranquility, to protect society from internal injustice and external threats
Later, the church was established to create a community of love to represent Christ and His agenda in a broken world.

46. Family – The Building Block of Society
“It is a life-long commitment that restrains self-centeredness, self-indulgence and self-gratification. It is the one relationship that effectively prepares and conditions us for community.”
[1] S. Michael Craven; Why is Marriage Important?; on the web at ; pg. 2
the Nation Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families

47. Marriage the Foundation for Social Order
By restraining self-centeredness and promoting love of another, marriage becomes the foundation for social order. Self-centeredness harms not only that relationship but also others as well until it spreads throughout society like ripples in a pond.”
Because the family is the basic building block of social order:
The health of the family will determine the health of the society.
Healthy families lead to health societies
Broken families lead to broken societies

48. Person-role-function Procreation One Flesh (both equally needed)
Different
Imago Dei
Dignity-value-worth
Person-role-function
Procreation
One Flesh (both equally needed)
Mother heart of God
Father heart of God
Dominion
Both vice- regents:
Co-Rule
Co-Steward
Create Culture
Man: loving-serving-headship
Woman: loving-respectful-helper
Mother-heart: Caring, nurturing, self-sacrifice
Father – heart: redeemer-kinsman. Provider, protector