Several weeks ago, we began a series of study on the human family. Some of the subjects we’ve covered so far were, “Man in God’s Image,” “Man in Dominion,” and “God’s Purposes for Marriage.” The basis for our discussion of these subjects was the opening chapters of Genesis.
In our study today, we’ll begin to examine the topic, “Biblical Manhood.” In both the wider culture and in the church, there is a serious shortage of real men. I’m not talking about the “real men never cry,” macho persona. I’m talking about men who search out and understand God’s design for their lives and then diligently strive to live out that design.
Many books have been written and even organizations started to address this issue of biblical manhood. It would hardly be possible to list all the books (there are so many). I have yet to see lasting impact on men in general and especially the evangelical church. That’s not a put-down, just an observation.
So where do we go to find out what God really had in mind when He created men? Since our topic is “Biblical Manhood” there’s only one place to go: the Bible. That doesn’t mean that the writings of men have nothing to offer. It simply means that for their writings to be of value, they need to be securely grounded in Scripture, not human philosophy, or psychology. One of the resources I’ve come to appreciate is the website of “The Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.” Their name explains the purpose for their existence.
As I mentioned earlier, our series of study on the human family has largely been centered on the opening chapters of Genesis. Our basic understanding of biblical manhood will also be found here, particularly in Genesis chapter two and verse fifteen. It is helpful for us to see God’s original design for Adam BEFORE sin entered the human family. That gives us an ideal to work toward in our understanding of “Biblical Manhood.”
Read Genesis 2:7, 15-17
In this text, and especially verse 15, we discover two primary RESPONSIBILITIES delegated to men that will greatly enhance our understanding of “Biblical Manhood.”
The First RESPONSIBILITY is,
To Work
Some people think that work was a result of the fall, a result of the curse of sin. But that’s not true. In the perfect environment God created, Adam was given meaningful work to do. The Hebrew word here is avad. It’s a very common word in the Old Testament and appears both as a verb and a noun. When used as a verb, it most often means work, serve, labor, cultivate, or perform acts of worship. When used as a noun, it usually refers to a servant, an officer, or a worshiper.
As I’ve said before, it’s important for us to understand the context in which this responsibility to work is delegated. Adam is living in the Garden of Eden so we must consider how the term applies in an agricultural setting. Adam is commanded to cultivate or till the ground, probably with the view to making it more productive. How that’s possible in a perfect environment, I don’t know. But the command does agree with God’s earlier command for Adam and Eve to “be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it…”
Most of us have had a least a little bit of exposure to working in the soil. We know that a farmer or gardener tends their crops. They work the soil, breaking it up to receive the seed. After the planted seeds sprout and push through the soil, they are carefully tended. They may need to be thinned, or fertilized, or supported in some way. The work of the gardener makes the plants strong, beautiful, and productive. He can see the results of his work.
When I was a boy, our family had a large garden. I...
