Prt 2: Who Really Hates Women? Understanding God’s View on Women

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To read Part 1, click here. This article is really a supplement to part 1.

The reason for part 2.

There are so many posts from women who have had bad experiences with misogyny, and many, not all, deduce that the Bible teaches that the girl child, whatever her age, is a second-rate Creation in God’s eyes.

There is no doubt that violence against women and children is not a new phenomenon. In my immediate family, there have been prolonged periods of violence against my mother and my sister. As well as my brother-in-law, who married my sister.

The good old days were not so good for some people. But there are other stories for another time.

My goal here, if I manage it, is to show further Biblical evidence of where God stands on the issue of women.

I’m not ashamed to appeal to the Written Word of God as my ultimate Authority. There are professing Christians, even on this Medium platform, who say, “We know more now.” Non-believers may be able to use that argument, but professing believers have no leg to stand on.

Sexuality at birth is not the same as race.

There are different societies and cultures in the world, but only one human race, consisting of different groups having different amounts of melanin. Humans are created in God’s Image, so by default, they must be shown dignity. (Genesis 1:26–28)

How many sexes are there?

There are two sexes, male and female, based on genetics (X- and Y- chromosomes) and Genesis 1:26–28, where it is written:

"Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So, God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

There is mention of different sexes here, but no mention of different races. There is mention of subduing the Earth, but no mention of raping it.

Let’s get down to tin-tax.

Does God place a higher value on Males than He does on females?

Women walk with Highly Esteemed Company

Old Testament example

(Dead Sea Scrolls) It is written in Genesis 2:18

"And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper "

(H5828 — `ezer, עֵזֶר) comparable to him (H5048 — neḡeḏ)

H5828 — `ezer = helping carry the load.H5048 — neḡeḏ = what is in front of, corresponding to, opposite, and before, parallel to. NOT INFERIOR!

(Septuagint) Genesis 2:18

"And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper (G998 — boēthos, βοηθός) comparable to him.”

The Greek has the same flavour but not the grunt of the Hebrew because it doesn’t include the comparison, but read on.

New Testament example

It is written in Hebrews 13:6

"So we may boldly say: “The Lord is my helper (G998 — boēthos, βοηθός); I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

Jesus is our Helper, βοηθὸς boēthos, as shown in Figure 1. Eve was Adam’s boēthos.

In the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament, God gave Adam a helper, βοηθὸς boēthos in Genesis 2:20, shown in Figure 2. This is the same word as in Hebrews 13:6!

Obviously, the task given to women is no trivial thing.

Does a boy child have more value to God than a girl child?

No.

The offering demanded by YHVH is identical for both the girl and the boy. It is written in Leviticus 12:6–8

“When the days of her purification for a son or daughter are over, she is to bring to the priest at the entrance to the tent of meeting a year-old lamb for a burnt offering and a young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering. He shall offer them before the Lord to make atonement for her, and then she will be ceremonially clean from her flow of blood.“‘These are the regulations for the woman who gives birth to a boy or a girl. But if she cannot afford a lamb, she is to bring two doves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering. In this way the priest will make atonement for her, and she will be clean.’”

Using the Leviticus 12:6–8 perspective to review the apparent Divine Edicts against women in Scripture shows that they are protections for women in a misogynistic society. The women are protected from husbands who try to rush them into sex after a girl child in order to get a boy child as quickly as possible.

Having this insight, it is well worth re-visiting Divine Ordinances, which appear to show that women are unclean humans.

In a God-fearing Society, the tiniest female is protected from the biggest bruiser, randy male, by the phrase, “It is against God’s Law.”

From which sex was the Messiah intended to come?

Not the male.

YHVH informed the Shining One, as is written in Genesis 3:15

"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

This is a Prophecy of a spectacular miracle because, in nature, the male provides the seed and the female the egg. When the Messiah came, the Holy Spirit supernaturally eliminated the need for the man.

In Genesis 3:15 the promise is made about the “Seed of the Woman.” In Matthew 1 and Luke 3, the promise is kept with the “Woman of the Seed,” as shown in Figure 3.

The thread of Scripture from there shows that Satan planned to eliminate the Bloodline of the Messiah right up to the Cross.

Part of the process was the subjugation of women because one of them would be the one through whom the Messiah would come.

So why does Satan keep trying when he’s been defeated?

After the Triumph of the Cross, Paul uses the prophetic term “Fullness of the Gentiles” (God’s predetermined number of Gentile Christians) as the trigger for the beginning of the Final Judgement. (Romans 11:25)

There is another Prophecy (Hosea 3:4–5), which states that the Children of Israel will return to the Land and seek the Lord their God and David their king. Then He will come.

For both of these to come to pass, there must be children born. If Gentiles could be obstructed from breeding and converting, Satan thinks he still has a chance. The same if Jews can be wiped off the map. This is covered in much more detail in part 1.

Does God have favourites in the Ecclesia?

No. It is written in Galatians 3:28

"There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

This verse actually elevates the status of women in the culture of the Acts Church — before that time, their value had been stolen by the misogynists under the influence of Satan.

Why could a Hebrew wife not divorce her husband, but vice versa was allowed?

Examination of the Scriptures shows that, in God’s eyes, marriage is a type of the Christ and His Church. (Ephesians 5:31–33) The names given to the Church are “Bride” and “Body.”

These melt into the “Bone of my Bone and Flesh of my Flesh,” of Genesis 2:23.

She can’t divorce Him and He won’t divorce her, i.e., a model of Eternal Security. Satan has been causing trouble since Genesis 3.

Why all the fuss about sex and adultery?

In the spiritual realm, God’s abhorrence of profane sexual activity is concerned with worshipping other gods. Man and wife — Adam and Eve — Israel as the wife of YHVH — the Church as the Bride of Christ — are all models of the relationship between God and mortals.

Our Lord is a El Kanna, a Jealous God. He is jealous of what is His. He will share our affection with no one. He knows that no one can love each of us like He can.

Ancient Hebrew Teachings

[Unfortunately, I have lost the reference for the next three paragraphs. They were told to me by someone who had studied in Israel.]

The original concept of the Bride Price WAS NOT, as some say, to pay the father of the bride for maintaining a valueless person, a daughter, until a husband would take her out of his hands.

It was potential alimony paid by the husband in advance. He paid the money to his bride (not her parents), and it was not refundable. She would lease/buy a field to generate income that was disposed of at her discretion — and hers alone. It was her guarantee against being cast aside. Unfortunately, this concept was hijacked by man.

The Bride Price was not the same as the Dowry.

The purpose of the latter was that the parents of the Bride gave seed money to the son-in-law so that he could generate income to maintain their daughter adequately. This was also allowed to be hijacked by Satan.

When a Hebrew couple was newly married (Deuteronomy 24:5), the husband was exempt from military and other duties for a year so that he could establish a relationship with his new bride.

Early Talmudic writings mentioned that sex was forbidden while a woman was menstruating. This was a protection from God that prevented the husband from forcing himself on his wife when she did not feel comfortable.

The rituals were that, at the end of the flow, the woman would cleanse herself by bathing in pure flowing water. She was then regarded as being a virgin bride, and her husband was expected to treat her as such. So, while he was no longer exempt from external responsibilities, the husband was expected to treat his wife as a virgin bride for a year.

But the process was repeated every month, so the husband was expected to treat his wife as a virgin bride, and the wife was expected to act as a virgin bride until death do them part.

That is God’s plan for keeping a marriage spicy. It is common knowledge that the marriage between man and woman is the shadow model for the relationship between Jesus and His Church. The Song of Solomon shows that Jesus desires primitive passion from His Spotless Bride.

Conclusion

It is clear from Scripture, at least to me, that husband and wife are synergistic (i.e., the whole is greater than the sum of the parts), but someone must take responsibility. In Genesis 3, it is Eve who initiated the Fall, but Romans 5:12–19 makes it clear that Adam is the one upon whom the weight of responsibility lies.

Satan has done a good job of getting each of the spouses to snarl at each other, but that was not God’s Plan. There is an old management proverb, “It is surprising what can be accomplished when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit.” It is obvious that most men, though not all, do not treat women well.

Christian men misinterpret the Scripture because of poor teaching. It is not so obvious that women mistreat men in a more subtle way by undermining the authority of men and demanding what the ‘culture’ says is their right. Because of these corruptions, both sexes of Christians will lose rewards at the Bema Seat before Christ.

The Pulpit has much to answer for in the Church. Good teaching would protect many women and children from needless suffering. Where are the Teaching Priests? (I feel the love.)

What sort of Marriage would it be if each side made a habit of trying to out-bless the other?

HOWEVER, THE BIG QUESTION

Why did/does God allow it to happen?!

Why doesn’t He just do a better job!!!!?

A perfectly valid question about many things. I have to admit that I don’t know the answer. The only thing I know is that it must be the best way because His Redemption Plan has cost Him so much. You may think that is a piss-willy answer, but it’s the best I can do.

The foregoing evidence has not been presented to convince any reader but to allow a personal decision to be made. There is much more to know about this subject. Perhaps you’ll pay another visit, sometime. All Glory to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

(We all have a plank in our eye. It’s bigger than we think.)

© ネ Brad Banardict

First published in The Dove on Medium. Revised and edited by Jane Isley.