Guest post submitted by ancient_scribeThe sheer amount of entries pertaining to women on my blog might call into question the seriousness that I give to my vow of chastity. But I hope that those kinds of people will carefully read my vocation story and all of my previous blogs (since April at least) and realize that primarily because I love Jesus did I take this vow, and secondarily because I love women.
What I want to try to do with this entry in particular is, on the occasion of my birthday, I wanted to offer a gift to all the women on Xanga. I know that a vast majority of my subscribers are women, and I truly think it is a man's duty, in gratitude to God, to constantly remind women of their beauty, which is a direct reflection of God's own.
Adam was created, and when God realized his loneliness, he created a vast array of creatures to keep him company. But none of them were quite what he needed. Then God pulled out all the stops.
What I find interesting is that God did not create Eve from the earth like he did Adam; he pulled her from Adam, removing a part of man and fashioning it into woman. This idea, I think is so crucial, and I think it is why the longing between man and woman is so powerful- it is literally a part of us, because we are a part of each other.
I imagine that when Adam first beheld Eve, his first thought was, "My God!" Really! The only other thing remotely like her would have been God, who is far more beautiful that Eve, certainly, but here the beauty of God has come in a form that Adam could approach as a man, could love, care for, etc. What a gift!
Woman is the greatest gift of creation that man has ever received. When the warmth from the dawning of time still lingered in the stones of the earth and Adam could feel it in his feet, there came a second dawning at the dusk of creation, and it was not until this blazing icon of God's beauty had flared into the world that God rested. Can you really imagine what it was like to see Woman for the first time? I really cannot, I literally cannot imagine such an event, and I have a POWERFUL imagination.
Every woman, in my view, is like a mirror covered in condensation, such as the bathroom mirror after a hot shower. You look into this mirror and see your reflection, certainly, but it is not a full reflection, a complete revelation. So is Woman of God! Each woman is like a direct but incomplete revelation of God's own beauty, and it is through love that a man comes to explore this mystery, which is utterly bottomless because it is God's own. Only in Christ are we able to begin wiping away the condensation and witness glimpses of that greater beauty hiding just behind their flesh.
You, Woman, are the Crown of Creation! God created everything beneath your feet, beginning with light to reveal his glory to the darkness, and so on until creation became more and more like him, living and moving and having power to change that below it, until he gave it all to Man to rule. But then he lastly created Eve and put her at the very top of his creation, and placed her at Man's side, making them absolutely inseparable.
And poor Eve... can you imagine the envy of Lucifer, once the most glorious of the angels, when all of creation looks upon Eve in awe and glorifies God? To see Adam, in like way a revelation of the power of God, bowing even to her out of his gratitude to God and his love of her? I imagine Lucifer had designs to subdue Adam, but with Eve at his side and his gratitude to God swelling to burst, nothing could possibly take Adam's heart off of his heavenly Father.
But if Lucifer could corrupt Eve... she could easily sway Adam.
We know the rest of the sad story. I cannot imagine how beautiful Eve was before the Fall, nor can I imagine how glorious Adam and Eve were together, revealing a perfect and complete image of God to all the universe. Even the angels rejoiced! And Woman's role is not one of tragedy any longer, for just as Eve ushered in death, Mary ushered in our Life and again bore witness to the beauty of God.
In Part 2: The attack on Eve did not end in the bite of an apple – the difference between attraction and beauty.
Comments (91)
The most beautiful woman described in the Bible is the Proverbs 31 woman!
This is a beautiful post. A fine gift, indeed.
I want to point out one thing, which is that Adam was with Eve when she was deceived. He saw the whole thing and took part by choice.
Thank you for your lovely reminders of the inherent beauty of womanhood. I often forget this. In fact, I have wished countless times that I had been born male instead of female. I appreciate your thoughts.
Thank you dear. :D
Thank you :)
As a woman, I really appreciate this. Thank you
@Pickwick12@xanga - actually... Adam didn't necessarily take part... Adam stood by and did nothing... and that is the sin of many a man... who stands by and does nothing to protect his world as it crashes down around him... he will have the proclivity of letting his wife disintegrate spiritual and emotionall, his kids degenerate socially and relationally... and he'll stand by and avoid, abdicate, or abuse his role... and for men like this are traitors and cowards... something I detest in myself and desire never to become one like Adam but to become like Jesus...
@leadworshipper82 - I totally agree. What I meant was that Eve gave Adam the fruit and he chose to eat it.
Your desire is a good one.
again, i think the woman in that picture is a little too sensual...
thank you for such a description. it is a blessing. but I have a question - you place the creation of the animals following Adam's creation. that was not the case, was it? but God did give the animals to Adam to name and care for following his creation.
@droftreeology@xanga - what do you mean by too sensual? do you mean to say that such a display isn't necessary to the point? or do you mean to say that sensuality is sinful?
I find that particular piece of art, which my cursor tells me is called "eve", to be an excellent depiction of the shame of her sin and nakedness. she bows her head and covers herself before God because she has fallen and is so completely aware of her inability to defend herself. without the sensuality of the piece, I don't think such a point could be made.
of course, it may be the case that the display of this particular piece of art was unnecessary to this post...
Oh yes, my friend. "It is better to cast your seed in the belly of a whore than to spill it on the ground." So while I wish you luck in your abstinence, do not befall the evils of masturbation.
that is so beautiful that i actually cried.
i heard it once said that Adam loved Eve so much that part of the reason he knowingly sinned after her deception was because he did not want her to be alone in the consequences of her sin. in a way it foreshadowed what Christ was going to do for us. Happy Birthday, by the way =)
I've been told my whole life that women are the most glorious creation of all the things that God made. I believe it. =)
your posts regarding women are awesome. your understanding is great. thank you. every single time. and thank you for every bit of encouragement you give me. :)
@Pickwick12@xanga - @leadworshipper82 -
There is no reference to whether Adam was nearby or not at the time the serpent came to Eve. The Scripture says Eve was deceived but Adam was not. From the Biblical account we can't say for sure where he was at the time. And there's no mention that Adam's sin is neglecting Eve, but rather his sin was eating the fruit.
(Granted, many men do not give their wives the attention and care they ought to, but I think it is a stretch to deduce that from this particular text, although I have heard many people do so.)
After the sixth day, God pronounced everything he made as very good, so that includes both Adam and Eve. To imply Eve was the crown of creation I think is a bit of a stretch here. Men and women are both created in God's image. They are both the crown of God's creation.
As a woman, I have to say I'm detecting a touch of a female chauvinism which I don't think is warranted based on the text surrounding the creation and the fall, or the Scripture as a whole. We have to remember that in Christ, there is neither male nor female.
@YouTOme@xanga - There's no Scriptural evidence to say Adam sinned because he didn't want Eve to be alone in her sin, and I'd never heard that and find that concept quite bizarre. Would you show your love for your spouse by becoming a cohort with him in his sin so he might not be alone in it? I certainly would not. That would be willful disobedience to God. The way to show your love for spouse when he sins would be point out his sin and gently restore him.
The pictures of Christ we do find in the fall are 1) God having to kill an animal in order to clothe Adam and Eve w/ animal skins (the shed blood foreshadowing the precious blood of the Lamb of God shed to atone for sin), and that God Himself is the only one who can provide a covering/an atonement for sin--man's attempts to cover or atone for his sin are not adequate, in this case the fig leaves were not sufficient; and 2) the prophesy of Christ in Genesis 3:15.
@droftreeology@xanga - this is the second time I read a comment from you about pictures of women posted here as being too sensual , too exposed ,etc . You remind me of a story , A doctor was drawing pictures and asking the patient to say what it is a picture of . The doctors draws a picture of a duck , the patient says it is a picture of a 2 people having sex . He draws a picture of a dog , patient says it's 2 people having sex . He draws him a cat , patient says it's 2 people having sex . The doctor finally says how come everything you see is about 2 people having sex ? the patient goes "hey , you're the one drawing the pictures !"
Do you get my point ?
@naphtali_deer@xanga - Actually, the Bible does say Adam was there:
Genesis 3:4-6 (NIV
"You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
It seems clear to me from this that Adam was right with Eve while this was going on.
Also, leadworshipper82 is a male, and I don't think he's a female chauvinist at all. Neither am I, but there has been a strong tendency to blame Eve for everything that happened in the Fall. I affirm that both Adam and Eve sinned, Eve after being deceived and Adam by his own choice. It does seem to me from Scripture that Adam was there and was passive when the serpent was speaking to Eve.
What beautiful imagery!
@naphtali_deer@xanga - how could Eve hand Adam the fruit if he wasn't there by her side? Which eludes to the theological principle that Adam in fact was by her side and did nothing to stop, prevent, protect, and lead his wife... which just happens to be the proclivities that all men suffer in today's culture and day...
@LoBornlite@xanga - I disagree with the tone. Not surprising, I guess
Of course the glory goes to God. That's precisely the point. Humans are, and were, glorious because we are made in the image of God. Anything that bears His image cannot help but be glorious. Women are uniquely glorious because in essence we are beautiful. We reflect the incomparable beauty of God. Men are uniquely glorious as they reflect God's power, authority, and strength. (I'm not saying there's no overlap.)
Even the ability to fall is a mark of glory because only humans have the overwhelming privilege of free will.
The bad things we do don't take away our stamp of glory; they make us glorious wrecks in need of an infinitely more glorious Savior.
@leadworshipper82 - I want to agree again
Have you read Captivating? The Eldridge's talk about this concept in that book. It's a really great look at womanhood. I highly recommend it for guys; it's right on.
@LoBornlite@xanga - Man was literally brought to life by the breath of God. The Bible declares that we bear the image of God. If God is glorious, how could anything that bear His image not have a stamp of glory?
The Bible says that we are crowned with glory. That's not something the original poster pulled out of the air:
Psalm 8:4-6 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
5 You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6 You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:
@leadworshipper82 - genesis 6 says that "she also gave to her husband with her and he ate" ..v. 12 says "the woman who you gave to be with me she gave me of the tree and i ate"
@Pickwick12@xanga - an old adage states that when Adam was awat Eve was led astray which can't be true... she HANDED Adam the fruit... and he did NOTHING...
something I'm fighting against in my own life as I prepare myself to be unlike Adam but everything like Jesus... it's tough... but isn't that what a man is supposed to be built for? to hold as much responsibility as his mind, spirit, emotions, and body will tolerate?
and since being a Christian... Christ will hold you with strength beyond what you're level of tolerance will be?
So in other words... any boy can have a girlfriend... it takes a man to have a wife... and it takes a real man to uphold the weight of full plate responsibility... which is something men are SUPPOSED to do... in other words again... it can be summed up with one word... HEADSHIP...
Adam failed... Jesus succeeded...
We as men are called to it...
that is how we show love to these crowns of creation... if and when these beauties become a wife to one of us... we are to lead with love and death... love them like Jesus loves the Church and at the end of the day die and die well for them so that they may live... i'm praying that I may do just that...
@YouTOme@xanga - the idea is this though... he ate and ADAM was held responsible for it... God called to Adam... not Eve... to which if you notice the less than subtle inference of Adam playing the blame game instead of owning up to the sin he committed... Adam blamed Eve and in so doing blamed God, "the woman who YOU gave to me to be with, she gave me the fruit..." Adam wussed out and played the wounded victim instead of manning up and saying, "Yes, I did, i committed sin and done this evil thing in Your site and I will take the full consequence of my actions..."
not males get this... and I for one am trying...
@LoBornlite@xanga - It's part of how we are made, as the verse says: made a little lower than the angels and crowned with glory and honor.
I have no idea what the point is of making the semantic distinction. God crowned us with glory when he made us; we all bear that crown. The fact that we are glorious brings glory to our Creator, God. It screams out to the cosmos, "God made these amazing creatures!"
I should probably stop discussing this. It's one of those agree to disagree things that you and I run into periodically
Our beliefs on this are certainly not crucial to salvation.