Biblical Womanhood – What It is

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Why do we even need a lesson in biblical womanhood? This past month I have witnessed – 

• A mom wondering about how to educate her daughter, fearful of the world’s philosophies that she might learn in public educational system.
• A mom thinking about adult daughter moving away – saying how weird she is feeling so emotional at her going or at her staying!
• Older woman got married after her husband left her 7 years ago.
• Two young teen girls walking hand in hand through a store.
• An older woman caring for her aging husband.
• A woman in 30’s longing to be married.
• A person in the store – half head was shaved, half long, beard on one side, smooth on the other.
• Rainbows everywhere having nothing to do with God’s judgment on a world of wickedness in Noah’s day.
• Social media, advertisements, political figures,  our school system and world in general shout wrong messages and agendas.

All this makes it obvious we need to answer the question, “What does it mean to be a woman?”!

Let’s look at creation –

God created the heavens and the earth, and we learn in Genesis 1:2 the earth was “without form and void.”  The first three days are days of forming:
separates light from darkness,
water from sky, and land from water. 

The next three days are days of filling:
He fills the heavens with lights,
the waters and seas with fish and birds,
and the land with creatures. 

Then the text climaxes in verses 26-28, 31: And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

Verse 31 – Male and female – this was God’s idea! – It was very good. He is infinitely wise. Gender is part of the beauty of his immaculate design. 

Notice verse 26: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’” The Bible doesn’t start with the differences between men and women but with our equality. This is the foundational truth about all humankind, all men and women: we are created in the image of God. 

Here are three things we can say regarding God’s creation of man and woman:

1. Essence – the image of God defines the essence of who we are. We are beings in the likeness of God. In other words, unlike the animals, we have personhood. We have a soul. 
2. Function – what we’re called to do.
   1.“Have dominion.”
   2. “Fill the earth and subdue it.” We’re not only like God – we stand as God’s representatives, ruling his world as stewards of his creation.
3. Relational – In the image of God marks us as relational beings. Verse 27: “Male AND female he created them.”
   God is a relational God – one God existing as three persons in perfect love and harmony. So it makes sense that God expresses his image in a race that is differentiated: humanity has a male “kind” and a female “kind.” As we’ll see in chapter 2, these two kinds relate to each other.  

Because of my love for dishes, I couldn’t help but think of how they could illustrate Biblical Womanhood.  Think about a china cup and a saucer.  Let’s let the saucer represent the male gender and the cup is the female gender.  
They were both made by the Noritake China Company. 
Its imprint is stamped on both pieces. 
These two pieces go together. 
They were made to relate to one another and to represent the Noritake Company beautifully.

When God made male and female, they were equally made in the image of God.  Right from the beginning of God’s Word, we learn that one is not more important than the other.  They both have value and are equal before God.

Male and female function best when they don’t try to duplicate each other, but instead highlight in each other the unique qualities that make for mutual enrichment.

Are YOU thinking biblically about the fact that God made you a woman? You were designed and created by a holy God to fulfill His perfect plan .

Be refreshed with the knowledge of how to live out the beautiful life of a biblical woman.

To be continued!