(These notes were used with the Power of the Praying
Wife Study) – Week 3
"This is now
bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she
was taken out of man." Genesis 2:23
“But for Adam no suitable
helper was found. 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 then closed up the
place with flesh.” Genesis part 2:20-21
My commentary says:
God’s creative work was not complete until he made woman. He
could have made her from the dust of the ground as he made man. God chose
however to make her from man’s flesh and bone. In doing so, he illustrated for
us that in marriage man and woman symbolically become one flesh. This is a
mystical union of hearts and lives. Throughout the Bible God treats this
special partnership seriously. If you are married, are you willing to keep the commitment
that makes the two of you one? The goal in marriage should be more than
friendship. It should be oneness.
God forms and equips men and women for various tasks but all
these tasks lead to the same goal, honoring God. Man gives life to woman; woman
gives life to the world. Each role carries exclusive privileges; therefor there
is no room for thinking that one sex is more superior than the other.
Like a puzzle,
Together we are whole,
Stronger for that
But what else:
Matthew Henry: “God did not choose a piece of Adam's head,
so that woman would be over him; nor did He select a piece from Adam's foot, so
that he would step on her. Rather, our loving Creator chose man's rib, so that
woman was taken from his side--to be his equal...from under his arm--to be
protected by him...and from near his heart--to be loved by him.”
A paraphrased version of what I found on the Darrell Creswell
blog and Answers in Genesis
·
Rib covers the most important parts (vital
organs) of the body.
·
Using a rib symbolizing the wife’s role; significance
and importance of her nature to the protective covering over the lifeblood in
the home. Protecting the core of family.
Got questions - Furthermore, the Hebrew word translated
“suitable,” k'negdo, carries much more meaning than simply “fit” or
“appropriate.” This word also means “opposite or contrasting.”
·
To compliment and to challenge
·
But also to complete
·
Adam lost a rib but gained so much more
Ribs:
Ribs are also the only bone in the body that can regenerate
themselves. They are commonly used in bone grafts for this reason.
Removed from the periosteum (tissue)
By using a rib from him, both made from the same “dna”
and/or material.
We are the same,
·
Both Made
in God’s image. Genesis 1:27
·
Both Good – Genesis 1:31
·
Both came
from dirt and are nothing apart from
the breath of life. Genesis 1:7
Tied to Christ:
John 19:31-34
“Now it was the day
of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the
Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath,
they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down. The
soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been
crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus
and found that he was already dead (or asleep), they did not break his legs.
Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a
sudden flow of blood and water.”
So just as the rib taken from Adam to create his bride Eve, Jesus
was pierced on his side in order to create His Bride, the Church.
Let us not forget Paula’s notes from the Ellicott’s commentary
that said in Hebrew Bone & Self are the same or close and so it is a
reminder that God gave of himself as we should do the same.
(John 14:21) (John 10:18)
And finally- something that struck me about all of this is
that
·
From the very beginning, when Adam and eve were instructed
to eat from anything except the tree. It
was Eve who was deceived by the devil. But Adam knew better and deliberately
chose to defy God for the sake of Eve.
·
It is the woman who starts out wanting just a
little bit more than she already has.
·
It’s the man who first shows resistance to
authority, in an effort to follow a woman.
I don’t know how that thought speaks to you but my prayer
for you this week is that you are able to use your influence on your man (and
in your home) in a way that leads him closer to Christ and not away. M
May you be able to die of self this week so that you can
protect all that is good and life giving and holy in your homes.
Sites:
No comments:
Post a Comment