Built Different

Genesis 2:18–24 TLV

18 Then Adonai Elohim said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. Let Me make a well-matched helper for him.” 19 Adonai Elohim had formed from the ground every animal of the field and every flying creature of the sky, so He brought them to the man to see what he would call them. Whatever the man called them—each living creature—that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all of the livestock, and to the flying creatures of the sky, and to all the animals of the field; but for the man He did not find a well-matched helper for him. 21 Adonai Elohim caused a deep sleep to fall on the man and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Adonai Elohim built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman. Then He brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bones and flesh from my flesh. This one is called woman, for from man was taken this one.” 24 This is why a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife; and they become one flesh.

Mother’s day is possibly the most celebrated secular holiday. Secular simply means that it is not “sacred.” But that doesn’t mean that mothers aren’t worth celebrating!

In every form from natural, to step, to foster, to spiritual it is a right and good thing to celebrate moms. And even though this holiday can be hard due to loss or strain, for most people Mother’s Day is a positive one.

Moms are a gift from God and I want to talk to you today about how women are built different.

One of the things it is important to recognize, however, is that women have been under attack since the fall, largely due to their potential. Especially their potential as mothers (Genesis 3.14-15).

If you recall, at the end of each day of creation, God called things good. But when the story focuses on Adam, God makes a different observation.

Genesis 2:18 EMPH

And Yahweh God said, It is not good that the man should remain alone,—I will make for him a helper､ as his counterpart.

For the first time in creation, it was not good. This was a problem. And what was God’s solution? Woman. What was the result after?

Genesis 1:31 AMP

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good (suitable, pleasant) and He approved it completely. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

After God made woman, He reviewed all that He had created and declared it very good. Before man came it was good. Then man was created but he was alone and that was not good. But when God made woman as a counterpart of the man, He looked at things and declared them very good.

Very Good

You could look at the history of the world since the fall and assume that according to how women have been treated and portrayed that they were in many cases anything but good.

This is because since the Fall, the devil has targeted women—

Genesis 3:14–15 NKJV

14 So the Lord God said to the serpent: “Because you have done this, You are cursed more than all cattle, And more than every beast of the field; On your belly you shall go, And you shall eat dust All the days of your life. 15 And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”

God declared that it would be through the Seed of the woman that the serpent would be defeated. It was because of the woman’s capacity and potential to carry life—to be a mother—that she became the primary target of the serpent.

What we see in history, culture, and even in certain theological circles in modern society are a continuation of the devil’s aggression towards women.

Historically many cultures treated women more as property than people. It is relatively recent history in the life of our own country that women have been given same right to vote as men. And yet even still there are arguments and discussions about pay gaps and power gaps.

Culturally there is a raging debate about the definition of a woman and a preoccupation and confusion about gender roles and identity.

In parts of the church there has been a public battle over whether or not women are allowed to teach or preach or lead.

Why is there such a struggle for women? Why is there such an attack?

We need to see and celebrate women as a gift from God. We need to recognize their potential and purpose and honor them for their unique contributions to humanity.

What we really need to know is that women are built different—that women together with men are meant to bring very good things into the world.

Built Different

Genesis 2:22 TLV

Adonai Elohim built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman. Then He brought her to the man.

This translation was chosen because of how it translates the Hebrew word bnh (pronounced ba-nah). This word is translated as “make” in many translations but if you do a word study you will see that 262 out of 377 times it is translated as to build. It is used to refer to times when someone built a city or built an altar unto God.

Literally, God built Eve out of the rib of Adam. Adam was taken from the earth and formed (in Hebrew yasar, a different word) by God. But Eve was built. The answer to the problem of man being alone was to build a sanctuary, a helper, a well-matched partner.

In Genesis 1.26-28 we will find some important insights into how and why and for what women were built for.

Women Are Built to Represent God

Genesis 1:26–27 NKJV

26 Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

This passage is important in many ways. This defines for us the value and worth of every human being. It also declares that both male and female are created in the image of God.

Prompt: potential place to address that gender was intended to be binary; anything other than this is not accurate or according to God’s design

We need to recognize that women as image bearers are equally as valuable and dignified as men in the eyes of God. He bestowed aspects of His nature upon them. He shares His attributes with them.

Illustration: Icon. When the Greek Old Testament translates this word it uses eikon. It is like the imprint of George Washington on a coin (cf. Luke 20.24). It is a picture, stamp, etching. It is meant to reveal and represent the likeness of someone.

There are aspects of God that are only revealed through the female human. In fact there are places in Scripture where God is spoken of like a mother.

Deuteronomy 32:18 AMP

18 Of the Rock Who bore you you were unmindful; you forgot the God Who travailed in your birth.

Hosea 11:3–4 AMP

3 Yet I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms or taking them up in My arms, but they did not know that I healed them. 4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love, and I was to them as one who lifts up and eases the yoke over their cheeks, and I bent down to them and gently laid food before them.

Women and mothers reveal God in ways men never can.

Women Are Built for Multiplication

Genesis 1:28 NKJV

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

One of the primary calls of humanity is to be fruitful and multiply. This is one of the purposes of marriage.

Malachi 2:15 NKJV

But did He not make them one, Having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? He seeks godly offspring. “Therefore take heed to your spirit, And let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth.

The Bible declares that children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127.3). Women, unlike men, can have children. Without them, there is no natural multiplication.

There is a principle of Scripture where the natural points to the spiritual (cf. 1 Corinthians 15.46, Romans 1.20) and I believe it applies here.

This is why we honor mothers in the natural and in the faith (cf. Deuteronomy 5.16). They are called to multiplication. They carry multiplication.

Women are built for the multiplication of blessing and life.

Women Are Built to Establish the Kingdom

Genesis 1:28 NLT

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”

In God’s initial blessing over Adam and Eve, He commanded them to govern the earth in His name. They were called to bring about God’s dominion and kingdom.

Women are not only built for multiplication but they are built to establish God’s kingdom.

Women were the first to proclaim the good news (Matthew 28.5-7). Example: right after the tomb.

Women led churches (Philemon 1.2, Colossians 4.15). Example: Apphia and Nymphas were both women who had a church in their home.

Women prophesied and operated in spiritual gifts (Acts 21.8-9). Example: The four daughters of Philip the Evangelist who prophesied.

Women helped equip and teach other ministers of the gospel (Acts 18.26). Example Priscilla and her husband Aquila with Apollos.

Women served in apostolic ministry (Romans 16.1-3). Example Priscilla (Prisca) was an apostle with her husband Aquila and a worker with Paul, additionally Phoebe a Deaconess here.

We need to recognize that women are called and anointed by God to establish His kingdom. They were pivotal in the advance of the kingdom even from the beginning as Christ’s disciples.

We need to understand that in Christ there is truly neither male nor female when it comes to purpose and calling (Galatians 3.28). They are co-heirs of the grace of life (1 Peter 3.7).

Conclusion

Man was fashioned, patterned, formed. But women were built different than man. God built them with His hand.

Women were built to represent God, to bear His image and show His attributes to others.

Women were built for multiplication. They are carriers of blessing and life.

Women are built to establish the kingdom. They are followers of Jesus with ministry gifts and callings.

Today is a secular holiday where mothers are honored. But if you are a Christ-follower you should honor mothers every day. And more than mothers, every daughter and every sister because God has built them to make the world very good.