Her Name is Woman
By Susan Klein
“So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”
Genesis 1:27 (NIV)
Her name is “Woman.”
God lovingly created her, just as he did “Man” (in Hebrew, iysh). Man named her “woman,” or ishah, denoting her feminine difference from his masculinity.
Scripture paints a beautiful picture of God’s love in the “how” and “why” she came
to be. Taken from the very flesh of Man, yet created in the image of God the
Father, she was formed and fashioned precisely and purposefully. She was tenderly
presented to Man as his helpmeet, or counterpart, like two separate pieces that
fit perfectly together as one. As God reflected on the masterpiece He had
crafted, He deemed it “very good.”
Today’s culture has
painted over this beautiful picture, at times, rendering it unrecognizable. Mankind
has skewed the image of God’s goodness and creation, as well as His purpose in
forming Woman. Some paint their pictures of Woman as “the weaker sex” which devalues
her worth, while others try desperately to paint her as “dominant” over man.
Still others take a different approach and try to paint her gender-less. The
pictures they paint are not as the Creator painted. They will never be the
masterpiece God intended. They are phonies, not “very good.”
While our culture
challenges us to repaint (or redefine) our roles as women, we need not succumb
to the confusing portraits they place in our line of view. We need only to
focus on the brush strokes of the Master Painter.
v He painted us as a counterpart to man, fitting
together, not clashing. (1)
v He painted us
feminine, to complement man’s masculinity. (2)
v He painted us with
purpose, or having jobs to do. (3)
The Woman God
painted is free to celebrate her own unique and specialized creation! Whether
she rules over a nation as did Deborah over the Israelites, or she tends a
garden as did the first woman Eve, or she raises children and practices
hospitality as did many women throughout Scripture…she can be confident in her
God-given role.
Which painting would
you prefer, a masterpiece or a fake?
GOING DEEPER:
1. Which brush
stroke/characterisitc of “woman” might
you be wrestling with in view of today’s culture?
2. Are you confident of your “masterpiece”
status, or has our culture tarnished your view?
FURTHER
READING:
Susan is married to Mark, and
co-leads an in-home small group. She serves as a mentor to young women, and is
a member of Oakwood’s Peace Team, helping people work through conflict.
