John Piper titled this sermon Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin. In the beginning of this sermon he said,
"The other reason I think this is a good question (i.e., God's
intention for manhood and womanhood before sin) is that in the New
Testament Jesus and Paul, when they use the Old Testament to answer
questions about how man and woman should relate to each other, go
back to what things were supposed to be like before the fall. They
don't take the messed up relationships of Genesis 3 and make them
normative. They come back to Genesis 2 and talk about how it should
have been from the beginning."
He makes a valid point that both Paul and Jesus refer back to Genesis 2:24 when speaking of marriage. The rest of the sermon focuses on events that occurred after sin, which according to his own statement this messed up relationship of Genesis 3 should not be taken as normative. This means that his entire argument hinges on what we have explored in the last two posts- man was made first (maybe) and God only gave his instructions to man (probably not.) Even though there is nothing *in the text* to indicate that either of these statements, if they are even true, have any significance to the intended relationship between man and woman, this is what complementarians use as their foundation for "biblical" marriage roles.
The Man is Interrogated First
Piper says:
"Make no mistake: God does hold the woman accountable for her
actions. She is a personal, morally accountable being in the very
image of God. And what man does or fails to do relieves her of no
personal, individual responsibility to know and to obey God. But in
their relationship to each other God looks to the man and says,
"Have you been the moral and spiritual leader you ought to have
been?"
Is that what God said?
In Genesis 3:9-11 God asks some pretty straight forward questions:
Where are you?
Who told you that you are naked?
Did you eat of the tree that I commanded you not to?
Basic, clear, personal questions. No hint of anything about leadership or any responsibility for Eve's actions.
Why did God talk to Adam first? I don't know, because it doesn't say!. Maybe he flipped a cosmic coin.
Does it matter who God spoke to first? I think if it did, he would say so.
Let's assume for a minute that Piper is correct and the order in which God spoke to Adam and Eve has some meaning.
God goes on to deliver the serpent's consequences before Eve's and Eve's before Adam's.
God continues to show no discernible pattern throughout the Bible, and here is one example:
In Luke 1:27 an angel comes to Mary to tell her that she will give birth to Jesus.
In Mathew 1:18-1:20 an angel tells Joseph about the baby, after Mary is already pregnant.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin Part 2
The Man is Given the Moral Pattern
In this sectioin, Piper claims that Adam was given the instructions for how to behave in the garden (Genesis 2:16), because he had a "primary responsiblity" for their actions. He says that God trusted Adam to pass these instructions on to Eve.
In my last post, I raised the strong possibility that Adam was a man/woman being that was separated into man and woman distinctly in Chapter 3. If this is true, than God did, in fact, give both man and woman the instructions in verse 16. Let's assume for the sake of argument that God only gave these instructions to Adam and that Eve was created after that. Does this have significance?
Piper claims that this indicated Adam's "primary responsibility (not the only, but the primary responsibility) to receive and teach and be accountable for the moral pattern of life in the garden of Eden."
What does that mean? Really? In practical terms? Some patriarchs believe this and take it to an interesting extreme. They go so far as to believe that as long as a woman obeys her husband, she is off the hook with God for anything they do, because it is *entirely* the man's responsibility to make wise decisions. Obviously, this is not true, as we see later that Eve bore consequences as well as Adam. Complementarians see this logic and try to find a middle ground- Adam is only *mostly* responsible. But what does that mean? If someone has a good (or any) argument from a complementarian source on this I would love to see it, because I have yet to find one. I have seen multiple proof-texted arguments that attempt to show that Adam *does* bear most of the responsibility, but none that show what that means in practical terms. If Adam bears 51% of the responsibility and Eve bears 49%, is she 2% less dead than him at the end of the day?
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
So, did God tell Eve the instructions?
I believe he did, whether they were formed at the same time or not.
Genesis 3:8
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:"
I'm just speculating here, because the text doesn't actually say, but do you think this was a new occurrence? Do you think God just happened to show up that day after leaving them alone since the day of creation? Or maybe this was a regular thing, for him to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. I don't imagine that the one sentence of instruction was all he told them either. They both got to WALK and TALK with God, getting to know his character, and learning his instructions for life.
But the text doesn't actually say, so let's look at the rest of the Bible. Who does God speak to when he gives his instructions.
Exodus 6:6
Exodus 14:2
Exodus 27:20
Exodus 30:21
These are just a few of the examples of God speaking to "the children of Israel." He didn't call the men together and speak to them so they could tell their wives. He spoke to everyone.
In this sectioin, Piper claims that Adam was given the instructions for how to behave in the garden (Genesis 2:16), because he had a "primary responsiblity" for their actions. He says that God trusted Adam to pass these instructions on to Eve.
In my last post, I raised the strong possibility that Adam was a man/woman being that was separated into man and woman distinctly in Chapter 3. If this is true, than God did, in fact, give both man and woman the instructions in verse 16. Let's assume for the sake of argument that God only gave these instructions to Adam and that Eve was created after that. Does this have significance?
Piper claims that this indicated Adam's "primary responsibility (not the only, but the primary responsibility) to receive and teach and be accountable for the moral pattern of life in the garden of Eden."
What does that mean? Really? In practical terms? Some patriarchs believe this and take it to an interesting extreme. They go so far as to believe that as long as a woman obeys her husband, she is off the hook with God for anything they do, because it is *entirely* the man's responsibility to make wise decisions. Obviously, this is not true, as we see later that Eve bore consequences as well as Adam. Complementarians see this logic and try to find a middle ground- Adam is only *mostly* responsible. But what does that mean? If someone has a good (or any) argument from a complementarian source on this I would love to see it, because I have yet to find one. I have seen multiple proof-texted arguments that attempt to show that Adam *does* bear most of the responsibility, but none that show what that means in practical terms. If Adam bears 51% of the responsibility and Eve bears 49%, is she 2% less dead than him at the end of the day?
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
So, did God tell Eve the instructions?
I believe he did, whether they were formed at the same time or not.
Genesis 3:8
"And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day:"
I'm just speculating here, because the text doesn't actually say, but do you think this was a new occurrence? Do you think God just happened to show up that day after leaving them alone since the day of creation? Or maybe this was a regular thing, for him to walk and talk with Adam and Eve. I don't imagine that the one sentence of instruction was all he told them either. They both got to WALK and TALK with God, getting to know his character, and learning his instructions for life.
But the text doesn't actually say, so let's look at the rest of the Bible. Who does God speak to when he gives his instructions.
Exodus 6:6
Exodus 14:2
Exodus 27:20
Exodus 30:21
These are just a few of the examples of God speaking to "the children of Israel." He didn't call the men together and speak to them so they could tell their wives. He spoke to everyone.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin
This post is in response to Manhood and Womanhood Before Sin by John Piper. It was written in 1989, but conveys some beliefs that are still quite popular among complementarians. In this post, I'm only addressing his first argument.
The Man was Created First- Or Was He?
Genesis 1:26-27
"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 image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Scholars have offered several explanations for the placement of this creation account, since it is before Eve's apparent creation from Adam's rib. The Talmud offers this explanation:
Midrash Rabbah 8:1:
Rabbi Yirmeyah ben El'azar said: The Blessed Holiness created the first human being with both genders, as it is written, "Male and female [God] created them" {Genesis 1:27}.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman [agreed and] said: The Blessed Holiness created the first human being double-faced [with two fronts of the body], and then sawed them apart and made backs for them, a back for one and a back for the other.
Other scholars objected: It is written "[God] took one of his ribs" {Genesis 1:21}! [The word understood as "rib" is tsela- see Hebrew text below]
[Rabbi Shmuel] answered: It means "one of the two sides [of the double being]". As Scripture says, "For the tsela of the Sanctuary..." -- where the translation of tsela is "side".
This is the most likely explanation. The word used for man in Genesis 1 is Adam, which is used for humankind. It is not until Genesis 2:23, after the man/woman Adam was separated, that the word "iysh" is used for the first time to distinguish man from "ishshah" (woman). In addition, we are created in the image of God, and God is Echad or plural One, with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This explains how a man and a woman are to "become one flesh." In the beginning, they were literally one flesh, and marriage should be a picture of that unity.
1 Timothy 2:23
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve."
Does this contradict the explanation of the man/woman Adam? No, I don't think so. Adam got to keep the body that was formed first before Eve got her newly formed body. Paul's purpose in stating this was to refute a teaching that was circulating that woman was the originator of man.
1 Timothy 2:12
"I most certainly do not grant authority to a woman to teach that she is the originator of a man."
But let's just say that John Piper is correct and Adam was, in fact, formed first.
He claims, "Now God wants to say something more about the relationship between man and woman. And what he wants to say is that when it comes to their differing responsibilities, there is a "firstness" of responsibility that falls to the man."
There is nothing in the text to indicate that the purpose of this passage is to show us anything about who has more responsibility before God. This is entirely his opinion. All the Bible does is state the facts of who was created first (if Adam was indeed created first), but does not say why or that it has any meaning at all. He acknowledges that other teachers have pointed out that the animals were created before humans, so if being created first automatically implied a position of leadership, the animals should lead the humans.
He brushes this off by pointing out that "When the Hebrew people gave a special responsibility to the "firstborn" in the family, it never entered their minds that this responsibility would be nullified if the father happened to own cattle before he had sons." Of course not. Because being firstborn doesn't necessarily mean God will call you to be the leader. If you're an animal, you just might get sacrificed. If you're a human, there are special blessings and inheritances for the firstborn, however example after example shows that doesn't mean much when it comes to who God calls to leadership.
Abel and Cain
Noah's son Shem was the forefather of Jesus, even though Japeth was the oldest (Gen 10:21).
Jacob and Esau
Joseph and his brothers
Manasseh and Ephraim
And so on...
Mark 10:31
"But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
What do the Hebrew word pictures say?
According to Dr. Frank Seekins in Hebrew Word Pictures, the word for Father is ab or Alef Bet. "The word picture tells us that a father is the leader [first] or the strength of the family." (pg. 14)
The word for Mother is em or Alef Mem. "The word picture tells us that a mother is the strong [or first] water... the life giver." (pg. 62)
So there is strong evidence to indicate that man was not, in fact, formed first, rather Adam was a man/woman being who was later separated. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant to challenging the complementarian argument, however, because there is nothing IN the text to indicate that being created first has any significance. Certainly, if woman had been created first, patriarchs would have believed that indicated something as well. They would have said, "Of course the woman couldn't manage on her own! That's why God created man, because the poor helpless woman was lost on her own until God created the man to rescue her." Can't you just hear it now?
The Man was Created First- Or Was He?
Genesis 1:26-27
"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 image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."
Scholars have offered several explanations for the placement of this creation account, since it is before Eve's apparent creation from Adam's rib. The Talmud offers this explanation:
Midrash Rabbah 8:1:
Rabbi Yirmeyah ben El'azar said: The Blessed Holiness created the first human being with both genders, as it is written, "Male and female [God] created them" {Genesis 1:27}.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman [agreed and] said: The Blessed Holiness created the first human being double-faced [with two fronts of the body], and then sawed them apart and made backs for them, a back for one and a back for the other.
Other scholars objected: It is written "[God] took one of his ribs" {Genesis 1:21}! [The word understood as "rib" is tsela- see Hebrew text below]
[Rabbi Shmuel] answered: It means "one of the two sides [of the double being]". As Scripture says, "For the tsela of the Sanctuary..." -- where the translation of tsela is "side".
1 Timothy 2:23
"For Adam was first formed, then Eve."
Does this contradict the explanation of the man/woman Adam? No, I don't think so. Adam got to keep the body that was formed first before Eve got her newly formed body. Paul's purpose in stating this was to refute a teaching that was circulating that woman was the originator of man.
1 Timothy 2:12
"I most certainly do not grant authority to a woman to teach that she is the originator of a man."
But let's just say that John Piper is correct and Adam was, in fact, formed first.
He claims, "Now God wants to say something more about the relationship between man and woman. And what he wants to say is that when it comes to their differing responsibilities, there is a "firstness" of responsibility that falls to the man."
There is nothing in the text to indicate that the purpose of this passage is to show us anything about who has more responsibility before God. This is entirely his opinion. All the Bible does is state the facts of who was created first (if Adam was indeed created first), but does not say why or that it has any meaning at all. He acknowledges that other teachers have pointed out that the animals were created before humans, so if being created first automatically implied a position of leadership, the animals should lead the humans.
He brushes this off by pointing out that "When the Hebrew people gave a special responsibility to the "firstborn" in the family, it never entered their minds that this responsibility would be nullified if the father happened to own cattle before he had sons." Of course not. Because being firstborn doesn't necessarily mean God will call you to be the leader. If you're an animal, you just might get sacrificed. If you're a human, there are special blessings and inheritances for the firstborn, however example after example shows that doesn't mean much when it comes to who God calls to leadership.
Abel and Cain
Noah's son Shem was the forefather of Jesus, even though Japeth was the oldest (Gen 10:21).
Jacob and Esau
Joseph and his brothers
Manasseh and Ephraim
And so on...
Mark 10:31
"But many who are first will be last, and the last first."
What do the Hebrew word pictures say?
According to Dr. Frank Seekins in Hebrew Word Pictures, the word for Father is ab or Alef Bet. "The word picture tells us that a father is the leader [first] or the strength of the family." (pg. 14)
The word for Mother is em or Alef Mem. "The word picture tells us that a mother is the strong [or first] water... the life giver." (pg. 62)
So there is strong evidence to indicate that man was not, in fact, formed first, rather Adam was a man/woman being who was later separated. Whether this is true or not is irrelevant to challenging the complementarian argument, however, because there is nothing IN the text to indicate that being created first has any significance. Certainly, if woman had been created first, patriarchs would have believed that indicated something as well. They would have said, "Of course the woman couldn't manage on her own! That's why God created man, because the poor helpless woman was lost on her own until God created the man to rescue her." Can't you just hear it now?
Saturday, August 6, 2011
The Redeemers and their Counterparts
In both of the previous posts was the story of Esther and Mordacai. First, Mordacai was Esther's kinsman redeemer, by raising her as his own child when her parents died. Then Esther became a kinswoman redeemer for Mordacai and all of the Israelites. Though the name of God is never mentioned in the book of Esther, we can still see how they were both following His instructions. Mordacai obeyed God's command to be a kinsman redeemer to his uncle's daughter. Esther fasted and prayed and asked Mordacai and some other Jews to do the same, so that she could discern God's will in the situation. Both people were seeking to know God's will, or to be in unity with him, and they worked together in order for God to use them to do amazing things.
In the story of Moses and Miriam, Miriam acted as a kinswoman redeemer to baby Moses. While the Bible does not tell of Miriam seeking God's will in this case, Exodus 15:20 says the Miriam was a prophetess, so we know that she heard from God. She acted as a kinswoman redeemer to baby Moses who would later act as a kinsman redeemer to all the people of Israel including his family. God used Miriam to protect Moses, so that Moses could live and God could later use him to lead all of the Israelites out of bondage.
In 1 Samuel 25, Abigail's husband Nabal hardened his heart when Abigail told him what she had done for him and all of their family and servants.
"But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone." verse 37
God responded by killing Nabal. After he died, David heard about it and asked Abigail to be his wife. David thanked God for using Abigail in the way that He did.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." verse 39
David recognized that Abigail had listened to the voice of God and that God had used her to be a voice of reason to David.
"Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand." verse 33
David and Abigail found unity in listening to God's instructions.
Sarah is not mentioned in the passage that tells of Abraham being a kinsman redeemer for Lot, so I will discuss Abraham and Sarah in another post. They deserve a whole post of their own anyway as there are some beautiful pictures of unity found in their story.
Boaz and Ruth and Deborah and Barak deserve their own posts as well.
In the story of Moses and Miriam, Miriam acted as a kinswoman redeemer to baby Moses. While the Bible does not tell of Miriam seeking God's will in this case, Exodus 15:20 says the Miriam was a prophetess, so we know that she heard from God. She acted as a kinswoman redeemer to baby Moses who would later act as a kinsman redeemer to all the people of Israel including his family. God used Miriam to protect Moses, so that Moses could live and God could later use him to lead all of the Israelites out of bondage.
In 1 Samuel 25, Abigail's husband Nabal hardened his heart when Abigail told him what she had done for him and all of their family and servants.
"But in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal, his wife told him these things, and his heart died within him so that he became as a stone." verse 37
God responded by killing Nabal. After he died, David heard about it and asked Abigail to be his wife. David thanked God for using Abigail in the way that He did.
When David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD, who has pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal and has kept back His servant from evil. The LORD has also returned the evildoing of Nabal on his own head." verse 39
David recognized that Abigail had listened to the voice of God and that God had used her to be a voice of reason to David.
"Then David said to Abigail, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me, and blessed be your discernment, and blessed be you, who have kept me this day from bloodshed and from avenging myself by my own hand." verse 33
David and Abigail found unity in listening to God's instructions.
Sarah is not mentioned in the passage that tells of Abraham being a kinsman redeemer for Lot, so I will discuss Abraham and Sarah in another post. They deserve a whole post of their own anyway as there are some beautiful pictures of unity found in their story.
Boaz and Ruth and Deborah and Barak deserve their own posts as well.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Kinswoman Redeemer
In the last post, I explored who a kinsperson redeemer is and what he or she does. S/he is a near relative, who takes responsibility for redeeming a person from bondage or danger, possibly risking his/her own life in the process. S/he takes responsibility for an orphaned child and avenges the death of a loved one. Only in the case of marrying a relative's widow, of course, must the kinsman redeemer be a man.
In this post I will explore the stories of kinswoman redeemers.
In Exodus 2:1-9 is the story of baby Moses being placed in the river reeds and his sister Miriam watching over him until the Pharaoh's daughter finds him and adopts him. While Moses was not an orphan, due to the circumstances his parents were unable to care for him. Miriam took on the role of the kinswoman redeemer, being the closest relative who took responsibility for his life and watched over him until he was safe and was restored to his family.
In 1 Samuel 25 is the story of Nabal, Abigail and David. David sent his servants to request provisions from Nabal, but Nabal refused. So David took 400 men and prepared to fight Nabal. One of Nabal's servants told Nabal's wife Abigail what had happened and told her that David's men had been good to them while they worked in the fields. So Abigail gathered up bread, wine, figs, meat, raisins and grain and headed towards David's camp. She met them on the road, as they were coming towards her home, prepared for battle. Abigail interceded for her husband and begged David to put the blame on her. She begged him to take the gift she was offering as payment for her husband's folly.
When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, "On me [fn]alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak [fn]to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. "Please do not let my lord [fn]pay attention to this [fn]worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. [fn]Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from [fn]shedding blood, and from [fn]avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. "Now let this [fn]gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who [fn]accompany my lord. "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days."
1 Samuel 25:22-28
She was completely innocent of the original transgression, knowing nothing of it until her servant told her. She then took it upon herself to redeem her husband and save his life as well as the lives of all their family and servants. Not only did she pay his debt, she asked that the blame be put onto her and asked that David forgive *her* transgression. That is a beautiful picture of our ultimate Redeemer, Yeshua.
In Judges 4 and 5 is the story of the prophetess and judge Deborah. The Israelites were being ruled by the king of Canaan and God told Deborah that he would hand the Canaanites over to her. She and Barak went into battle, Jael killed Sisera, and the Israelites were free again. In this case, Deborah was a kinswoman redeemer for all of the Israelites, including her family. She went into battle to rescue her family and people from bondage.
In the book of Esther, Mordaci told Esther that there was a decree that all of the Jews would be killed and reminded her that it included herself and her family. Esther 4:14
Esther risked her life to come before the king unsummoned so that she could invite him to a banquet. Esther 4:11 and 5:2
At the banquet he offered her anything she wanted and she asked only that the lives of her people and herself be spared. Esther 7:3-4
Esther risked her life to rescue the Jews, including her own family, from death. A true kinswoman redeemer.
In the next post, I will explore the unity presented in these stories.
In this post I will explore the stories of kinswoman redeemers.
In Exodus 2:1-9 is the story of baby Moses being placed in the river reeds and his sister Miriam watching over him until the Pharaoh's daughter finds him and adopts him. While Moses was not an orphan, due to the circumstances his parents were unable to care for him. Miriam took on the role of the kinswoman redeemer, being the closest relative who took responsibility for his life and watched over him until he was safe and was restored to his family.
In 1 Samuel 25 is the story of Nabal, Abigail and David. David sent his servants to request provisions from Nabal, but Nabal refused. So David took 400 men and prepared to fight Nabal. One of Nabal's servants told Nabal's wife Abigail what had happened and told her that David's men had been good to them while they worked in the fields. So Abigail gathered up bread, wine, figs, meat, raisins and grain and headed towards David's camp. She met them on the road, as they were coming towards her home, prepared for battle. Abigail interceded for her husband and begged David to put the blame on her. She begged him to take the gift she was offering as payment for her husband's folly.
When Abigail saw David, she hurried and dismounted from her donkey, and fell on her face before David and bowed herself to the ground. She fell at his feet and said, "On me [fn]alone, my lord, be the blame. And please let your maidservant speak [fn]to you, and listen to the words of your maidservant. "Please do not let my lord [fn]pay attention to this [fn]worthless man, Nabal, for as his name is, so is he. [fn]Nabal is his name and folly is with him; but I your maidservant did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. "Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives, and as your soul lives, since the LORD has restrained you from [fn]shedding blood, and from [fn]avenging yourself by your own hand, now then let your enemies and those who seek evil against my lord, be as Nabal. "Now let this [fn]gift which your maidservant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who [fn]accompany my lord. "Please forgive the transgression of your maidservant; for the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord is fighting the battles of the LORD, and evil will not be found in you all your days."
1 Samuel 25:22-28
She was completely innocent of the original transgression, knowing nothing of it until her servant told her. She then took it upon herself to redeem her husband and save his life as well as the lives of all their family and servants. Not only did she pay his debt, she asked that the blame be put onto her and asked that David forgive *her* transgression. That is a beautiful picture of our ultimate Redeemer, Yeshua.
In Judges 4 and 5 is the story of the prophetess and judge Deborah. The Israelites were being ruled by the king of Canaan and God told Deborah that he would hand the Canaanites over to her. She and Barak went into battle, Jael killed Sisera, and the Israelites were free again. In this case, Deborah was a kinswoman redeemer for all of the Israelites, including her family. She went into battle to rescue her family and people from bondage.
In the book of Esther, Mordaci told Esther that there was a decree that all of the Jews would be killed and reminded her that it included herself and her family. Esther 4:14
Esther risked her life to come before the king unsummoned so that she could invite him to a banquet. Esther 4:11 and 5:2
At the banquet he offered her anything she wanted and she asked only that the lives of her people and herself be spared. Esther 7:3-4
Esther risked her life to rescue the Jews, including her own family, from death. A true kinswoman redeemer.
In the next post, I will explore the unity presented in these stories.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
The Kinsman Redeemer
This last week I have been studying the "kinsman redeemer" picture in the Bible. The word "kinsman" in English indicates that it is a man and several commentaries specify that the kinsman redeemer is a "male relative." I had heard that before and never thought to question it, as it didn't seem like a relevant point to me, however earlier this week it was brought to my attention that it IS a very relevant point to those with a patriarchal mindset.
So rather than focusing on my original study of how the picture of the kinsman redeemer points to Yeshua, I decided to look to see if there was a picture of unity within the picture of the kinsman redeemer. Unity between the man and the person he was redeeming and of course, the most important aspect, unity between man and God. In other words, how does the picture of the kinsman redeemer reflect the relationship between Yeshua and believers?
Here is what I found:
There are three instances of the kinsman redeemer that are discussed the most often. These are Abraham's redemption of Lot, Mordecai redemption of Esther, and Boaz's redemption of Ruth. Of these, the story of Boaz and Ruth is the one that is focused on the most, as it offers a more complete picture of how the redemption process worked when a man was marrying his deceased relative's widow. Each of these stories has something unique to share, as they are a different aspect of the kinsman redeemer and they help tell the story of who the kinsman redeemer is and what he does.
It's important to note that the word kinsman redeemer is not used in the story of Abraham and Lot. The first time it is ever used is many chapters later in Genesis. However, we can see from the context that Abraham was in fact Lot's closest relative and that he redeemed or rescued Lot and his family. Gen 14:12-16
A kinsman redeemer is one who fights and risks his own life, to rescue his family from bondage or danger.
Mordecai is a redeemer of a different sort. He takes in his orphaned cousin, Esther, and raises her as his own daughter. Esther 2:7
A kinsman redeemer is one who takes responsibility for a child who is not his own.
Boaz marries Ruth after her husband died. He was not the closest relative, but the man who was the closest relative choose not to marry Ruth.
A kinsman redeemer is one who marries his family member's widow, in order to protect her and continue the family line.
Those three men portray three different types of kinsman redeemers, and we can see from their examples what a kinsman redeemer does. There are also several other verses that explain who the kinsman redeemer can be as well.
"Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger's family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself." Leviticus 25:47-49
So the kinsman redeemer can be a brother, an uncle, a cousin, or a blood relative. According to the Blue Letter Bible, the Hebrew word for blood relative is she'er and means:
1) flesh, food, body, near kin, near kinswoman
a) flesh
1) as food
2) for physical power (fig)
b) flesh relation, blood relation
c) self
It is translated in the following ways: flesh 7, near kinswoman 2, food 1, near 1, nigh 1, near kin 1, kin 1, body 1, kinsman 1
The two places in which it is translated to mean "kinswoman" undeniably mean woman as they are speaking of "your father's sister" and "your mother's sister." Leviticus 18:12-13
The word for kinsman that is used throughout the book of Ruth and in over 100 other places in the Bible, often referring to God, is the Hebrew word ga'al.
Ga'al means:
1) to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman
a) (Qal)
1) to act as kinsman, do the part of next of kin, act as kinsman-redeemer
a) by marrying brother's widow to beget a child for him, to redeem from slavery, to redeem land, to exact vengeance
2) to redeem (by payment)
3) to redeem (with God as subject)
a) individuals from death
b) Israel from Egyptian bondage
c) Israel from exile
b) (Niphal)
1) to redeem oneself
2) to be redeemed
What is interesting about this word is that it is a verb, yet it is translated into a noun in English. This word is about the action of avenging or redeeming, not about the one doing the action.
Numbers 35:19, Deut 19:6 and Joshua 20 all use the word ga'al when speaking of the kinsman redeemer as well.
"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Gen 9:6
In English, this avenger is clearly male, however the Hebrew word used is adam which means:
1) man, mankind
a) man, human being
b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
c) Adam, first man
as opposed to ish which is used specifically for male and ishah which is specifically female.
After studying this, I have to challenge the use of the translated word "kinsman." This kinsman can also be a kinswoman, so the more appropriate word would be kins-person or close relative.
Now we know who a kins person is- a close relative- and what he or she does- redeems property or people, rescues others from danger or bondage, avenges the death of a relative, and protects relatives. I was curious if there are any examples of a kinswoman redeemer in the Bible.
This study will be broken into 3 parts. This is the first part and it explored who the kinsperson redeemer is and what this person does. The next part will explore kinswoman redeemers. The third part will explore unity.
So rather than focusing on my original study of how the picture of the kinsman redeemer points to Yeshua, I decided to look to see if there was a picture of unity within the picture of the kinsman redeemer. Unity between the man and the person he was redeeming and of course, the most important aspect, unity between man and God. In other words, how does the picture of the kinsman redeemer reflect the relationship between Yeshua and believers?
Here is what I found:
There are three instances of the kinsman redeemer that are discussed the most often. These are Abraham's redemption of Lot, Mordecai redemption of Esther, and Boaz's redemption of Ruth. Of these, the story of Boaz and Ruth is the one that is focused on the most, as it offers a more complete picture of how the redemption process worked when a man was marrying his deceased relative's widow. Each of these stories has something unique to share, as they are a different aspect of the kinsman redeemer and they help tell the story of who the kinsman redeemer is and what he does.
It's important to note that the word kinsman redeemer is not used in the story of Abraham and Lot. The first time it is ever used is many chapters later in Genesis. However, we can see from the context that Abraham was in fact Lot's closest relative and that he redeemed or rescued Lot and his family. Gen 14:12-16
A kinsman redeemer is one who fights and risks his own life, to rescue his family from bondage or danger.
Mordecai is a redeemer of a different sort. He takes in his orphaned cousin, Esther, and raises her as his own daughter. Esther 2:7
A kinsman redeemer is one who takes responsibility for a child who is not his own.
Boaz marries Ruth after her husband died. He was not the closest relative, but the man who was the closest relative choose not to marry Ruth.
A kinsman redeemer is one who marries his family member's widow, in order to protect her and continue the family line.
Those three men portray three different types of kinsman redeemers, and we can see from their examples what a kinsman redeemer does. There are also several other verses that explain who the kinsman redeemer can be as well.
"Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger's family, then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, or his uncle, or his uncle's son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself." Leviticus 25:47-49
So the kinsman redeemer can be a brother, an uncle, a cousin, or a blood relative. According to the Blue Letter Bible, the Hebrew word for blood relative is she'er and means:
1) flesh, food, body, near kin, near kinswoman
a) flesh
1) as food
2) for physical power (fig)
b) flesh relation, blood relation
c) self
It is translated in the following ways: flesh 7, near kinswoman 2, food 1, near 1, nigh 1, near kin 1, kin 1, body 1, kinsman 1
The two places in which it is translated to mean "kinswoman" undeniably mean woman as they are speaking of "your father's sister" and "your mother's sister." Leviticus 18:12-13
The word for kinsman that is used throughout the book of Ruth and in over 100 other places in the Bible, often referring to God, is the Hebrew word ga'al.
Ga'al means:
1) to redeem, act as kinsman-redeemer, avenge, revenge, ransom, do the part of a kinsman
a) (Qal)
1) to act as kinsman, do the part of next of kin, act as kinsman-redeemer
a) by marrying brother's widow to beget a child for him, to redeem from slavery, to redeem land, to exact vengeance
2) to redeem (by payment)
3) to redeem (with God as subject)
a) individuals from death
b) Israel from Egyptian bondage
c) Israel from exile
b) (Niphal)
1) to redeem oneself
2) to be redeemed
What is interesting about this word is that it is a verb, yet it is translated into a noun in English. This word is about the action of avenging or redeeming, not about the one doing the action.
Numbers 35:19, Deut 19:6 and Joshua 20 all use the word ga'al when speaking of the kinsman redeemer as well.
"Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." Gen 9:6
In English, this avenger is clearly male, however the Hebrew word used is adam which means:
1) man, mankind
a) man, human being
b) man, mankind (much more frequently intended sense in OT)
c) Adam, first man
as opposed to ish which is used specifically for male and ishah which is specifically female.
After studying this, I have to challenge the use of the translated word "kinsman." This kinsman can also be a kinswoman, so the more appropriate word would be kins-person or close relative.
Now we know who a kins person is- a close relative- and what he or she does- redeems property or people, rescues others from danger or bondage, avenges the death of a relative, and protects relatives. I was curious if there are any examples of a kinswoman redeemer in the Bible.
This study will be broken into 3 parts. This is the first part and it explored who the kinsperson redeemer is and what this person does. The next part will explore kinswoman redeemers. The third part will explore unity.
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