Today we’ll answer the question, “What does God really think about women?” Culture often says biblical Christianity demeans, diminishes women - but is that true? For some churches, it is.
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The biblical answer is clear: God loves women and from the beginning has worked to bless them. John 10:10
- John 10:10 (NLT) The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.
- This reflects God’s heart for humanity in Gen 1-2. We’ll see that today.
- But look at how the thief (Satan) is working against this plan - and he’s also been doing that from the beginning! We’ll see that today in Gen 3.
- But a lot of people think that the Bible lowers and denigrates women. This is what you would expect from an ancient document, reflecting ancient societal norms. For example:
- Ancient Sumerian proverb (circa 2100 BC): "Woman is a pitfall, a hole, a ditch," "Woman is a sharp iron dagger that cuts a man's throat."
- Plato in "Timaeus" (circa 360 BC): "And if a man lived well... and according to his appointed lot... they will make him a man again in his next incarnation... but if he lived a cowardly and unrighteous life... they make him a woman."
- Aristotle in "Politics" (circa 330 BC): "The male is by nature superior, and the female inferior; and the one rules, and the other is ruled."
- We’re going to see today that from the opening chapter of the Bible, God starts with the opposite statement. That’s incredible if you think about it. God’s purpose from the beginning was to give women a rich and satisfying life.
- The word for this is “blessing”, and we’re going to break it into two parts…
Equality
God’s first blessing was equality: he created women and men in God’s image, making them equal in dignity and worth.
- Many people mistakenly believe the Bible teaches that women are less valuable than men.
- Toxic masculinity example?
- Genesis 1:26-27 Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us....” So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
- What “Imago Dei” means (Pursuit L3): This means we are like God in certain ways, such as mentally (we have the capacity to think and create), relationally (we were designed to be in relationship with others) and spiritually (there’s a part of us that lives forever). Imago Dei is also a reference to humanity’s responsibility to “reign” and represent God to the rest of creation.
- That applies to all of us: male and female. But not animals. We are different from the rest of creation. Imago Dei sets us apart. People matter to God - men and women alike.
- In fact, over and over the Bible elevates women (shocking for ancient literature):
- Women heroes: Esther, Deborah, Naomi, Rahab, Hannah,...
