What’s Love NOT to Do (Part 3)–A Sensitive Subject

Some hold the thought (and teaching) that Scripture says God began by creating humans (male and female), but they don’t believe the Bible says these are the only two gender identities that God created in time. If we look at Genesis 1:27 (GWT), which has been included in their case, it says, “God created humans….” There is no “began” in this verse. “He created them male and female.” There are no other genders or gender identities listed as being created. “A unique feature of Biblical Hebrew is the use of the waw-consecutive or waw-conversive form of a verb in a narrative, as in these passages from Genesis. For example, in Genesis 2:7, the Hebrew word יָצַר – “yatsar,” means “to form or fashion,” and in the waw-consecutive, וַיִִּיצֶר –“and he formed.” The word in Genesis 2:22 is וַיִּבֶן – “and he built,” the waw consecutive of בָּנָה – “banah,” “to build.” The waw-consecutive is formed by the Qal imperfect of a verb with the waw prefix – ו. While the imperfect generally conveys the future, the addition of the waw converts the sentence to the past.”¹ God created male and female on the 6th day of creation (Genesis 1:27-31); He didn’t create anything else between then and when the Word reads, “The heavens and the earth were completed with everything that was in them” (Genesis 2:1 NETB).

I also find it fascinating that the Hebrew word for “male” or “man” is formed from the Hebrew word “zakar,” which means “remember.” The Hebrew word for “female” or “woman” is formed from the Hebrew word “naqab,” which means “to pierce, bore, appoint.” We see in Genesis 2:21-22 that God made a hole in Adam’s side (pierce/bore), took a rib out, closed up his flesh where He took it from, and “built” a woman into a particular form. Since “naqab” also means “appoint,” we know that God assigned women a job…a role. So, what was it, as a woman’s role in today’s society seems to be getting center stage? According to Genesis 2:18, women are:

* To be a physical helper to men. The Hebrew word for this, “azar,” means, “to help, succor” (to assist and support in times of hardship and distress).

* To correspond to men. Your version of the Bible may read, “suitable” or “complementary.” The Hebrew word is “neged,” which, in this context, means that it’s according to “what is in front of, corresponding to.” This helps us understand that women are equivalent to men in character and form, yet, in certain respects, they give more clarity to the full nature of God.

* Viewed by God as satisfactory in quality, just as man is/was.

In dissecting this meaning, it’s clear to me that if you were born a woman, the reason and way you exist, the way you look (including your shape), your small (but significant) qualities were configured not only as part of a particular group of people that God built with a purpose of helping, aiding, and supporting men, but also as a work of art, within this kind of people (Ephesians 2:10)…a visual to help others see and understand the full nature of God. I also observe, from the meanings of “male” and “female” and the Hebrew words they come from, that God’s purpose for man was to remember: 1) who created him (God), 2) that he was built/formed from the dust of the ground, 3) how and why God created woman, and 4) that his purpose is to work, guard, and protect as well as to visibly show the nature of God.

These are important factors in realizing God’s intention for the people He created.