masculinity – Page 2 – 11:3 Restoration

Restoring Kol Israel: The Role of the Husband

As we continue our headship study we need to keep in mind that the Scriptures are almost completely opposed to our modern cultural understanding of family structure, morals and responsibility. One major aspect of this is the role of a husband in this thing we call marriage.

While we generally assume that ‘husband’ means ‘male spouse in a marriage,’ the older definitions, and especially the verb forms are quite instructive:

From Dictionary.com,

noun

a married man, especially when considered in relation to his partner in marriage.

British. a manager.

Archaic. a prudent or frugal manager.

verb (used with object)

to use frugally; conserve: to husband one’s resources.
to manage, especially with prudent economy.

Archaic.

to be or become a husband to; marry.
to find a husband for.
to till; cultivate.

Husband, in its purest form is a manager of resources or cultivator. One might specifically call to mind a vinedresser, or one who guards, prunes, trains and harvests from a vine.

Restoring Kol Israel: (Re)defining Terms, Marriage, Husband and Wife

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For most, the transition to Torah from typical Christian doctrine requires a major retooling or correcting of understanding regarding basic terms and ideas. As an example, most have been taught that the ‘Law’ is bad and therefore needs to be removed or in some way minimized so that we are freed from it. The revelation, early in the Torah walk, that ‘Torah’ means ‘instructions’ and not ‘law’ begins to reform, or re-form, our understanding of God’s loving expectations and desires. As we pursue this, we learn that the Father has specific ways that bring blessings when we understand them properly and apply them in our lives in the way He intended them.

In the beginning parts of this series considering headship and patriarchy, we have seen that God’s Word clearly reveals a particular plan for how families are supposed to operate in order to rightly reflect Him and His glory as well as the particular relationship between Him and His people. To paraphrase Paul in Ephesians 5, ‘the covenant relationship between man and woman should be a reflection of the Messiah and the Qahal/ekklesia/congregation.’

In other words, this thing we call marriage should be an exact representation of Yeshua and His people. The challenge is that so much false teaching and understanding at the hand of the enemy has led most Christians who claim to have ‘Biblical marriages’ to an understanding that is decidedly UNbiblical. We hear terms like ‘partnership,’ ‘egalitarian,’ ‘co-equal,’ and ‘mutual submission’ which are all radically contrary to Scripture from beginning to end. Rather, these are the very essence of the influence of feminism in the church, tendrils which trace to the Garden of Eden.

Does man delight in what God delights in?

This morning, as I commuted to my job for the day, I was listening to YouVersion read me the book of Job. I’m part of a small group listening through the Chronological Bible plan with some light discussion as we go. (If you care to join us in that plan, drop me an email and we can connect on YouVersion then I’ll add you.)

Anyway, as I’m listening to Scripture, because Jeremy and I are co-authoring a series on Biblical headship and family, I am hearing from a different perspective…. headship!

So, I’m a couple days ahead of schedule right now and was in the last section, beginning at chapter 38, wherein Elohim is dressing Job down for speaking presumptively. God begins,

Restoring Kol Israel: Covering

As we continue our headship study we will continue with the writings of Paul. Previously, we looked at 1 Corinthians 11:3, 7-10. Here we will consider the verses in the middle, often ignored or minimized as simply being about a cloth head covering.

Every man who has something on his head while praying or prophesying disgraces his head. [5] But every woman who has her head uncovered while praying or prophesying disgraces her head, for she is one and the same as the woman whose head is shaved. [6] For if a woman does not cover her head, let her also have her hair cut off; but if it is disgraceful for a woman to have her hair cut off or her head shaved, let her cover her head. [7] For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man.
1 Corinthians 11:4-7 NASB

As pointed out in the opening post of this series Paul upheld and taught the Torah. I believe we do ourselves and this passage a disservice when we only focus on the literal cloth head covering debate and ignore the deeper truths that Paul is teaching us in this passage. Remember, foundationally, a woman was always to be under the headship/authority/covering of a man. From the beginning, when Eve stepped out from under her covering, we see that she becomes vulnerable. The headship/covering is articulated over and over in Torah through numerous examples demonstrating that a girl was to be under the covering of her father until he released her into the protection of a husband.

Restoring Kol Israel: Creation Order

As explained in the introduction to this series, the most basic building block for the restoration of all Israel is the family. To begin understanding how this basic building block is supposed to work, we need to begin to understand the creation order, and for that, we begin in the writings of Paul.

But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. [7] For a man ought not to have his head covered, since he is the image and glory of God; but the woman is the glory of man. [8] For man does not originate from woman, but woman from man; [9] for indeed man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake. [10] Therefore the woman ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels.
1 Corinthians 11:3,7-10 NASB

We know that Paul upheld Torah so have you ever wondered where Paul is getting this from? I think we do this passage and ourselves a disservice when we only focus on the literal head covering debate. Paul is using a physical example to teach some very important spiritual truths. He is clearly teaching headship and authority structure and he references creation so we should be able to pick up on what he is talking about if we go back to Genesis.