Men

SAT., JUNE 24, 1995, 6:33 AM
FARM, STUDY

“… male and female He created them.” This is the non-specific description of the creation of humans in one of the Genesis stories. In this, it is not clear whether the order means that male was created first, and then female, or whether both “came forth” simultaneously. It does, however, imply an equality… at least a complementary relationship.

The other creation story has more detail, and that asserts that the male, called Adam, was created first, in the image of a male Almighty God. Then out of this male there was created a female, Eve, who was to be a help-mate to this first man, Adam. They were created as adults and were provided for by Me, as the Sustainer God.

As this story develops Eve is the more curious and more forceful one. She is the one who wants to live forever and know as I know. So she takes a chance and induces the weaker Adam to join her in this “first sin.” They are expelled from the Garden, and they have children, but all of those named are males. The women, out of whom came the children who eventually populated the earth, were My creations, of course, but how remains in mystery.

The Old Testament story accents men, clearly. A few women are named, and some have important roles in the story, but Abraham is the chosen one, not Sarah. Abraham fathers two sons, but it is Isaac, the son also of Sarah, who has My favor. Then I select Jacob over Esau, and the twelve tribes are each headed by a man, a son of Jacob. Later, David is more important than Bathsheba, who was the most “publicized” of his wives. Yet she prevailed in having their son, Solomon, become the next king. There are a few “books” about and named for women, such as Esther and Ruth, but there is no doubt that the story is mainly about My relationship with men.

The New Testament story is about Me, as Jesus, Who is conceived in an unmarried, virgin girl by Me, the Holy Spirit (so I do seem to be male). I am born in Bethlehem, David’s city, and in his lineage through Joseph, who took Mary, My mother, for his wife. It is recorded that I had brothers but only James is named (by implication one of those brothers) and becomes one of My active company. All of My disciples are men, and the women named and included in the story are important, but subservient.

The Samaritan woman at the well does not have a name. The woman caught in adultery is rescued and sent on her way without asking her name. Those named are mostly Mary. Men dominate the story.

In your “enlightened era” you are making an attempt to better balance the relationship between these two sexes. You want to see women as equal to men, at least in opportunity. Yet men continue to dominate, in government, in industry, in science, in higher education, in medicine and in law… certainly in the military. Men tend to be stronger, physically, but in the developed countries, women tend to live longer.