exodus vol 2

VOL

2

ISSN 2050-7720 ! (Print)!ISSN 2050-7739 ! (Online)!Image created by NATHAN PELZEL

2nd Edition of Exodus 1

The Lighthouse 3 - 4

On Restoring Eveby Lonnie Lane

What do you think of Eve? Do you see her as God’s proto-type perfect woman, as His consummate creation; His final masterpiece? Or do you see her as the ultimate ‘tempted temptress’ who is responsible for the Fall;

(7 - 11)

Profile of a Worshipper - The Annie Moses Band.

Exclusive interview with the Annie Moses Band.Find out who they are, how they came about and what they have to say to future generations.

(12-18)

The Biblical Woman

By John D. Garr, Ph.D., Th.D.

In order to place women’s roles in proper perspective that will bring glory to God, we must first restore to the church a truly biblical world view and mind-set.

(20-22)

Book Shelf 23

contents

Exclusive

Interview

www.breakthruinternational.co.uk

2nd Edition of Exodus

Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from

following after you; For wherever you go, I will go;

And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people

shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where

you die, I will die, And there I will be buried. The Lord

do so to me, and more also, if anything but death

parts you and me.

Ruth 1:16, 17 (NKJV)

1

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Dear Readers,

Welcome to the 2nd Edition of Exodus, as you are well aware our desire is to educate and to give

balance to topical issues, that may prove to be controversial. The role of the woman in the church

or any facet of society can lead many of us to think thoughts that are prejudicial. However, the bible

gives a clear undiluted message concerning the role.

Please read with fascination and tell us what you think.

Break!ru

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3

An atmosphere for…PrayerWorshipIntercessionMusic to awaken the heartBiblical reflection

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B R E A K T H R U



I N T E R N AT I O N A L



On

by Lonnie Lane

hat do you think of Eve? Do you see her as God’s proto-type perfect woman, as His consummate

creation; His final masterpiece? Or do you see her as the ultimate ‘ tempted temptress ’ who i s

responsible for the Fall; the one who got us into all this

trouble? Do you see her as weak and gullible, given to temptation and wanting to sabotage her husband’s wellbeing, after she herself rebelled against God? Do

you regard her primarily as the woman who brought about the curse we all have lived under since? I asked these questions in a women’s Bible study recently. The

answers about Eve ranged from weak, a failure, a seductress; to strong, able; competent. When I asked how their concept of Eve affected their own self-image as women, I heard groans.

If we believe that Yeshua paid the full price to do away with the curse that sin brought, we must also believe that He restored all humankind to the place of being

free from the curse….any curses whatsoever. “He redeemed us from the curse…having become a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13). That would certainly include

women. Too many cultures, however, have treated their women as if they were personally responsible for the sins of man; radical Islam for instance. Their position is derived from a partial or misreading of the Genesis

account.

Despite Yeshua’s inclusion of women, and women playing a role in the New Testament; shortly after the

first century even the church relegated women to places of ineffectiveness, while only men were thought to be called to do all the important things of God. The

women had little or no place of effectiveness or leadership of the church. Their place was caring for the children. That was women’s work. Leading the church wasn’t.

That has begun to change thank God, and women are again being entrusted with responsibilities in the Body of Messiah, and found worthy of their calling. The story

is told as an example of the deacon board who called a woman from the congregation into their meeting for some input on something; but basically just to put an

end to her nudging them about it. Lo and behold, they were so surprised to find that a woman’s perspective was just what they needed to round out a situation

they were missing parts of. They decided to make a place for women to have a say in the decisions of the church from then on.

What took place with Eve isn’t the whole story, of course. Adam played a part in that too, which could be interpreted as saying, the wellbeing of women is greatly affected by the spiritual condition of the men around

them. The opposite is true too, of course. Men are likewise affected by the spiritual condition of the women in their lives. We are inseparably linked by God’s

design. (Men, if you’re reading this, there is a good chance that your spiritual condition is a precious blessing to the women in your life, or you wouldn’t even

be reading this God stuff. So just because this is an article about Eve and her daughters, stay with me! This will be meaningful to you too.)

My goal in writing this story is not to deal with the Fall,

and what happened in the Garden of Eden; but to see who God created Eve to be. For surely Yeshua intended to restore women to the same calling God had

originally ordained for Eve and for all women after her. A restoration to the body of Messiah of God’s original design obviously includes His design for woman, and is a

hugely significant part of the return to “one new man” (literally, one new humanity); which Paul sees as God’s imperative for humanity (see Ephesians 2:14-16). This restoration of “one new humanity” cannot be

accomplished without the return to an understanding of the Jewish roots of our faith. This means understanding the covenantal relationship between God and His

people; as well as God’s people with each other that Torah defines and which Yeshua embodied. It is in that context that women will come to occupy the place that

God originally planned for them.

So what kind of woman did God create Eve to be?

So what kind of woman did God create Eve to be? How would you answer that question? To begin with,

when God created anything He declared that it was good! Good from God’s perspective means to be entirely good and entirely without anything that isn’t

good. So Eve was created as good as it gets. God had created both Adam and Eve; that is male and female, equally in His image. Together they were to “fill the

earth and subdue it and rule over…every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28).

W

8

Quite a task, wouldn’t you say?

She was created to be Adam’s helper, His counterpart. What God wanted for Adam’s counterpart was

someone who was of the same essence as Adam; who could fulfill the same calling of majestic responsibilities of being Vice-Regents over the earth together under God. God had declared that both man and woman,

having been made in His image, would have the same power to subdue what needed subduing, and the same authority to rule for God. She, along with and like

Adam, was to bear God’s image and likeness to the rest of creation. That doesn’t just mean they were in the image of God, as we’ve so often heard; because they

had intelligence, emotions, and the ability to reason; but it meant that they both would be the stewards-with-portfolio. That is to say they carried the authority to maintain God’s holiness, and perfection, and His loving

care throughout the earth; putting in order what might threaten God’s intended perfect, loving, and holy creation. The power to subdue does leads us to think

that there must have been something, or someone to subdue, doesn’t it?

When the serpent shows up with his insinuations that

she’s erroneously believing God when she could do better ; taking matters into her own hands, and looking out for her own welfare; we see that indeed there was someone they were meant to subdue: the devil. But

through his deception, lies, and Scripture twisting, he subdued her instead. So I’m thinking if she was made so perfect, how was it that she got sucked into that

deception and rebellion? And how is it that Adam did too? I’m not quite satisfied with the traditional interpretations of that whole debacle. So let me give

you another possible scenario.

God created Eve with the intention of making her a helper to Adam. The word in Hebrew is Ezer (pronounced ay-zer). It means to surround, to protect,

help, aid, or assist, to lend a helping hand. The word is used many times in the Tenach (Old Covenant) besides in reference to Eve. Other uses of the word that will

give us insight into Eve’s role were when Israel called out to God to come to their aid in times of need. Such as, “Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help (ezer)

and our shield” (Psalm 33:20); or when “Asa called to the Lord his God and said, ‘Lord, there is no one besides

Thee to help in the battle between the powerful and those who have no strength, so help (ezer) us, O Lord our God, for we trust in Thee…’” (2 Chronicles 14:22).

You can see that Eve was to be a helper to Adam in his times of need; to be as a partner with him, and even as a shield, if he should need it. She was an emotional strength to him, as well as a powerful force to deal with

because, as you saw, the word ezer also has military significance. She was to be not only a help to his own soul as a shield, but as a warrior when the situation

called for it. The word is used to refer to David’s “mighty men of valor” when they were a help (ezer) to David against a band of raiders (1 Chronicles 12:22). Sounds

like a pretty effective woman of God, yes? Sure doesn’t sound like she’s the “little woman” who has no thoughts or intentions of her own, does she?

What she is called to do and be takes insight,

intelligence, understanding, discernment, courage, and determination to overcome all odds. She shoulders the responsibility of God’s charge to them to be His

representatives in the world; fully equipped for the task, as one with Adam in their devotion to God, to His calling, and to each other; for they are to work as a

unit. The description of an ezer may give you the sense of Adam as being weak and needing her, but remember, they were equal in every way. So he would surely have been there for her, in whatever way God designed him,

as they were “suitable” for one another: “The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper (an ezer) suitable for him” (Genesis

2:18; my additions).

When God created them, they were both equally created in His image: “Then God said, “Let Us make

man in Our image, according to Our likeness…God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created h im; ma le and female He created them” (Genesis 1:26, 27). So she, like Adam, was to be

God’s image bearer. Whatever she or they did, it was to bring the awareness of God, to spread the character and nature of God throughout the earth. And they

were to be as God to one another, not to worship, but to reflect His character and nature of love to one another, entirely selflessly. There is no conflict within

God, and there was to be no conflict between them.

On Restoring Eve

9

They were to align themselves with God and His purposes in everything they did and were. They were also to be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth with

their God-likeness; reproducing lovers of God and of others. The clear mandate is for man and woman to work together. They were created one for another to jointly and joyfully fulfill God’s purposes in creation

altogether.

But something sure happened to send all that in the wrong direction. Again I ask, why in the world with all

that godlikeness did she get duped by the devil-possessed snake? Could it be that the devil proposed to her just what God had made her to be already;

making it sound like she had to add something to what she already was? Isn’t that what he did when he tempted Yeshua? Offering Him a shortcut to what He already was by God’s design? Could he have tempted

her on the basis of whom she already was, and appealed to her as the ezer God had made her to be?

Could it be that

she, being innocent of anything being d e c e p t i v e o r

rebellious, thought that what she was being told by the s n a k e w o u l d

enable her to be of a greater help to God and to

Adam.

Whenever you feel a lack in yourself

the devil is always behind it..

She didn’t seem at all curious about the snake speaking to her, so possibly animals communicated with them before the Fall? Or until the Flood, because it wasn’t

until after the Flood and the water subsided that there was fear of man upon the animals (See Genesis 9:2)? Maybe Adam didn’t fully convey to her the ban on that

tree. Or maybe she never noticed it before because the text tells us, “God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food” (Genesis 2:9).

But she seems never to have noticed the forbidden tree was also “good for food and was a delight to the eyes” until the devil added that it was “desirable to make one

wise” (Genesis 3:6). What’s wrong with wanting to be wise? Wasn’t she already wise? As long as she was ‘one’ with God, His wisdom was imparted to her at every

turn. But the devil’s insinuation was that she wasn’t wise. Suddenly, for the first time, she became self conscious.

God consciousness has suddenly turned to self-

consciousness, and she’s seeing a lack in herself at the devil’s suggestion. (Whenever you feel a lack in yourself the devil is always behind it.) The sneaky snake is lying to

her; something she would not have been able to even conceive of, by telling her that God didn’t want her to have any part of that tree; because it would make her

like Him, and God didn’t want anyone to be like Him. He wanted the position all to Himself. Isn’t that just what Lucifer wanted; God’s position for himself? His words to Eve are rather biographical, wouldn’t you say?

She was, of course, already like God. She couldn’t have been any more like God. So she’s not trying to one-up God as is Satan’s intention.

The trouble came in when she acted independently of God...

Is it possible then that, while the devil’s design was to

get her to disobey God, she actually thought that what the devil proposed would help fulfill her role as ezer? And that she thought if she’s to be God’s image bearer, wouldn’t being more like God help her be more of an

image bearer? If she, being innocent, had no evil thoughts, it would be just like the devil to attempt to seduce her on the basis of her very identity. What he

offered her, or rather insinuated that God was withholding from her, was the very thing she was intrinsically operating in naturally? The trouble came in

when she acted independently of God, and moved out on her own rather than consulting God. Or even Adam. She turned to Adam after the fact. And so we live with the consequences of, not only the deception

she succumbed to; but since God had told Adam in the first place, not her, the restriction on eating from that tree, he too bore the consequences. The rest of the

story, as they say, is history.

But what are we to learn from this; without going into their shock at finding themselves now without the

glory, and hiding from the God they so adored until then?

She was to be not only

a help to his own soul

as a shield, but as a

warrior when the situation called

for it. The word is used to refer

to David’s “mighty men of valor”

when they were a help (ezer) to

David against a band of raiders

(1 Chronicles 12:22)

“

On Restoring Eve

10

What was it God intended for humankind that we can see from His original blueprint? To state it again, men and women were created to work together. But were

they always to be husband and wife? Are women only defined by their husbands, as has so often been the case throughout history?

What about the single women? Are they too not called

to be ezers in God’s great scheme of things? Of course, they are. Eve was the proto-type woman, not just the proto-type wife. God’s plan for humankind was

that the attributes of both men and women working together would fulfill His purposes in the earth.

The Bible tells us of many women who were ezers with

no mention of them being married, or if they were, no mention of their husbands being a part of their ezer-ing. Consider Miriam, Rahab, Deborah, Yael, Abigail, Priscilla, or Junia, to name a few. A woman does not need to be

married to be a great help to the body of Messiah, or to work along side of her spiritual brothers for the good of the work of the Lord; or to affect those around her in a

godly and significant way, as she bears the image of God, and reveals His righteousness to a needy world. We are still called to subdue the earth. There are many

evil and dark forces throughout the earth; but courageous women stand against them in prayer, in witness, and in declarations of God’s truth; whether it be in a conversation or in a larger arena. As women

called to be ezers, we align ourselves with God’s purposes, and carry His glory in the integrity we live in, and in the confidence in God’s caretaking of us.

Yeshua has restored the original mandate and He is now, as His coming draws closer, calling His women to come forth, and exhibit the character of God; as those

who represent the Bride of Messiah, for whom He is returning. The emphasis on this article is women, but men are called in this hour to be no less image bearers, or warriors for God’s purposes; or for that matter, any

less the Bride of Messiah. He is restoring in this hour what God has called men and women to be in relation to each other; as spiritual equals, as those who have

mutual respect and honor for one another; relying on each other’s gifting and strengths to dovetail with their own. It is as men and women work together, as God

had originally created us to be, as co-workers for His purposes; that the Body of Messiah, the remnant if you

will, will accomplish the end time task that God intends. God gave the command to both Adam and Eve, to the original man and woman team to “be fruitful and

multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over…the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Isn’t that basically what Yeshua said after His resurrection; when He commanded His followers to basically multiply and fill

the earth when He told them to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). Wasn’t He telling them to in effect subdue the earth

and get the evil out when He said to “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons (Matthew 10:8)?

I’m not preaching kingdom theology that says the church will grow stronger until it fills the earth. I don’t believe that’s what Scripture says; but what it does say is that the men and women, who are called by His name,

who are born again of the Holy Spirit, and who are the disciples of Messiah Yeshua, will be the glory light of God in times of darkness. They will function as a united

front; men and women together, to be the bearers of God’s image to the earth for whosoever will accept Him. We each have our role to play, married or not

married. So ladies, hold up your heads and walk tall and strong. You’re the daughters of the King and have been given a magnificent calling – yes, even you – because we have a magnificent God, and we are His image bearers.

And gentlemen, such are the women God has put in your life to partner with; to enjoy as fellow-servants of the Lord, to look to when help (ezer) is needed.

Evidently, God meant for men to need the women as much as women need the men. This is not a sign of weakness. It’s the way God created us to be; unto one,

mutually dependent upon one another, “in His image, male and female” (Genesis 1:27), as we await the coming of the King.

Reprint of this article is permitted as long as you use

the following; Use by permission by Messianic Vision, www.sidroth.org, 2011.

11

On Restoring Eve

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AN EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEW WITH

ANNIE MOSES

B A N DINTERVIEW BY: BREAKTHRU INTERNATIONAL

PROFILE OF A WORSHIPPER

13

What are your names?

From oldest to youngest: Annie, Alex, Berklee, Ben, Camille, Gretchen, and Jeremiah

Why are you called the Annie Moses Band?

We're named after our great grandmother, Annie Moses, who began the musical legacy in our family. She inspires us to invest in the music of the next generation. We want to see the world of the arts transformed by young artists who embrace excellence for the glory of God.

15


How many are there in your group?

Nine performers, all related (except our drummer, Javier, who is almost adopted at this point!).

What inspired you to create a music group?

At first, we just wanted to do something alongside our classical studies that would be fun and creative. But very quickly, we found that the Annie Moses Band was tapping into something much deeper. The arts need Spirit filled creativity; that's what we want to bring to our audience.

What instruments do you play?

Annie plays violin, Alex viola, Ben cello, Camille harp and keyboard, Gretchen violin and mandolin, and Jeremiah guitar and double bass.

We want to see the world of the arts transformed by young artists who embrace excellence for the glory of God.

““16

How old were you all when you

began to play your instruments?

Each of us started around the age of four. That was an enormous benefit - science has shown that that children who study music from a young age gain extra brain power that enriches every part of life. Knowing the joy of performing an instrument is an experience every child should have.

What makes you different from other

Christian music group?

We don't worry so much about being "different" - what thrills us is to inspire young people to get involved in the arts. Our pursuit of excellence as a band is a vital part of realizing that goal.

The arts need Spirit filled creativity; that's what we want to bring to our audience.“

“

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What advice would you give to

aspiring Christian singers,

songwriters, musicians etc…?

Work hard! Dig deep roots in God's ways - there are far too many artists who have given away their soul to perform trivial music. Find the message God is calling you to share, work harder than anyone else to make your craft the very best, and then stay the course. You will find immense joy in what you do.

Why do you think you got this far in your career?

Our parents invested many hours in our musical education. We had no intention of starting a family band, but God opened doors, and we've been following His lead! We're very blessed by the opportunities He has sent our way.

How did you meet Jesus?

We were all saved at a young age. Nowadays it has become fashionable to "have a past". We're more interested in having a future and investing in the future through young lives! It's not just about meeting Jesus- it's about where you are going with Him. We are continually excited by the adventure He's taking us on.

For the latest tour information: www.anniemosesband.com18

http://www.anniemosesband.com

http://www.anniemosesband.com

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http://soundcloud.com/breakthruintl

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The role of women in the life and ministry of the church has been one of the most hotly debated issues in the history of the Christian church, and it remains among the

most volatile and emotionally charged subjects in the church today. From the one extreme of misogyny and chauvinism to the other extreme of militant feminism and everywhere in between, strident voices claim to speak for

God, giving the answer to a “woman’s place.”

For centuries, entrenched male bureaucracies have denied

ministry and leadership positions to women for a variety of reasons. The vast majority of church’s witnessing force has been imprisoned behind demands for “silence” and

“submission” by church doctrine and polity grounded in the prejudices and/or ignorance of self-serving leaders and “substantiated” by misinterpreted and misapplied Holy Scripture. The time has come for a reexamination of

traditional positions on this vital issue, not from a reactive standpoint, but from an apperceptive perspective. To find the answer for today and for the future, we must go back

to the past, to the venerable Hebrew heritage of Christian faith.

Beginning at the Beginning

In order to place women’s roles in proper perspective that will bring glory to God, we must first restore to the church a truly biblical world view and mind-set. Since the second

century, the church has developed its doctrine and practice from the world view of dualism that was introduced to the church by the neo-Platonist philosophers who had

converted to Christianity from the Hellenic world. This dualism pronounced the spiritual (or ideas) as good, the material as evil. In this construct, it was only a small leap of “logic” to label those who bring new life into the world,

trapping sparks of the divine in inherently evil bodies, as epitomizing evil itself. Women were so characterized in ancient Greece and other nations that embraced its

philosophy. Men with their lofty ideas were good; women with their materialism and fecundity were evil. Aristotle, high priest of Greek rationalism,

considered woman to be little more than a deformed man; therefore, men were superior to women, not only in intellect but also in physical attributes.

Soon the church extrapolated from this dualistic world view the idea that spirituality was achieved by separation from the material, giving birth to

vows of celibacy and monasticism. The physical body that God had declared “good” at creation the church now labeled essentially evil,

necessitating a holy withdrawal from conjugal relations. This self-abnegation created a vicious pendulum swinging from passion to mortification to passion and back again. It was relatively easy then for self-righteous men to embrace the

Greek idea that women were ipso facto personifications of lust and evil. If they were evil per se, then there could be no room for them in the higher order of the priesthood.

When we return to the biblical world view and mind-set, however, we discover a holy holism in which both the material and the spiritual are recognized as having been

created by God and labeled by him “good.” Everything that God created–men, women, and coital relations between them–is good when manifest within the parameters which God established. With this fundamental understanding that

things, including people and/or body parts, are not inherently evil, we have a basis for recognizing biblical roles for women, as well as for men.

The Biblical WomanBy Dr J Garr

By John D. Garr, Ph.D., Th.D.

For centuries, entrenched male bureaucracies

have denied ministry and leadership positions to

women for a variety of reasons. The vast majority

of church’s witnessing force has been imprisoned behind

demands for “silence” and “submission” by church doctrine

and polity grounded in the prejudices and/or ignorance of

self-serving leaders and “substantiated” by misinterpreted

and misapplied Holy Scripture.

“

20

One Adam, Two Equal Genders

When God determined to make adam (man) in his image and likeness, he created one being with two equal genders.

“God created the adam

When God determined to make adam (man) in his image and likeness, he created one being with ] in his own image, in the image of God he

dust of the earth was called adam from the Hebrew adamah (ground). When he received from the nostrils of God the breath of life and became a living soul, this ground-being was fully male and fully female, with all the genetic coding required to produce the cellular material of all subsequent human offspring. The sages of Israel observed that the adam was a single being who was dual-faceted (Eruvin 18a), consisting of a man and a woman joined together (Berachot 61a). When God had completed this the crowning achievement of his creation, he declared for the first time that it was

o remain in the state of solitude: the adam

Creator, he should need someone to receive and reciprocate love, the essence of the divine nature. The biblical term obscures its true meaning and gives rise to ideas of masculine superiority and feminine inferiority. The Hebrew phrase ( . This has given rise to

but the implication of ththis statement was that none of the previous creation had been a suitable partner for Adam.)

In the first surgery ever performed, God opened side, withdrew that which was

(tzela

may well have been a euphemism for uterus. At any rate, around that tzela, God formed a separate being that Adam immediately recognized as a part of himself by calling now his feminine counterpart, woman,

The woman was designed by the Creator to be a perfect complement to the man and vice versa. She was not intended to be a subject or an assistant. She was to be a partner. Man was to be her head only in the sense that he was her source, that from which she was extracted. Even after their

their joint struggle toward spiritual growth in the service of God. It has been suggested that because the first woman was formed from something that came from inside man, women have intuitive

Sin, the Great Unequalizer

When sin entered into the picture-ard her husband. The challenge for woman

was increased for loving partnership and tender guiding influence. Those men and women who have remained under the evil, serpentine influence have found themselves entangled in an addictive web of codependency of domination and submission, of an ever-widening chasm of sinful inequality that is little more than idolatry.

The record of history of the Gentile world has often been that which reduced women to often subhuman status to be bought and sold as chattel, used and abused as receptacles for masculine lust, and maintained as incubators for the procreation of the species. Or, it has been the elevation and

in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he

created them” (Genesis 1:27). The being that God formed from the dust of the earth was called adam from the Hebrew adamah (ground). When he received from the nostrils of God the breath of life and became a living soul,

this ground-being was fully male and fully female, with all the genetic coding required to produce the cellular material of all subsequent human offspring. The sages of

Israel observed that the adam was a single being who was dual-faceted (Eruvin 18a), consisting of a man and a woman joined together (Berachot 61a). When God had completed

this the crowning achievement of his creation, he declared for the first time that it was “very good” (Genesis 1:31).

Then God observed that it was “not good” for man to remain in the state of solitude: the adam needed

companionship. Since man was created in God’s image, it was natural that, just like his Creator, he should need someone to receive and reciprocate love, the essence of

the divine nature. The biblical term describing the adam’s companion, however, has been translated in a way that obscures its true meaning and gives rise to ideas of

masculine superiority and feminine inferiority. The Hebrew

phrase







(tzela








(ezer k’negdo) is translated “help

meet” (KJV). This has given rise to the title of “helpmate” for wives. The full extent of the term ezer k’negdo, however, is not manifest in either of these appellatives. The Hebrew

literally means “a helper over against or in front of him,” but the implication of the phrase is the woman was to be “a power equal to” the man. (The context of this statement was that none of the previous creation had been a suitable

partner for Adam.)

In the first surgery ever performed, God opened the adam’s side, withdrew that which was feminine, and formed

a woman. The description of the surgery is universally translated as “God took one of his ribs”; however, the

Hebrew word







(tzela








(tzela) is rendered “rib” only here. Elsewhere, it is translated “a side,” “a side chamber (of the temple).” It has the implication of an angular vault and may

well have been a euphemism for uterus. At any rate, around that tzela, God formed a separate being that Adam

immediately recognized as a part of himself by calling now his feminine counterpart, woman, for “this is now at last bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh.”

The woman was designed by the Creator to be a perfect complement to the man and vice versa. She was not intended to be a subject or an assistant. She was to be a partner. Man was to be her head only in the sense that he

was her source, that from which she was extracted. Even after their separation, they were to be “one flesh,” a condition manifest both in their conjugal relations and in

their joint struggle toward spiritual growth in the service of God. It has been suggested that because the first woman was formed from something that came from inside man,

women have intuitive insight to recognize things from the inside, a quality that each woman needs to be a “helper over against” a man to assist him in seeing the “bigger picture.”


When sin entered into the picture-perfect garden relationship, everything changed. Man’s ego would go

unrestrained, and woman’s desire would be toward her husband. The challenge for woman to be an “equal power” to complement (complete) the man was made greater, just

as the need in man was increased for loving partnership and tender guiding influence. Those men and women who have remained under the evil, serpentine influence have found themselves entangled in an addictive web of

codependency of domination and submission, of an ever-widening chasm of sinful inequality that is little more than idolatry.

The record of history of the Gentile world has often been that which reduced women to often subhuman status to be bought and sold as chattel, used and abused as

receptacles for masculine lust, and maintained as incubators for the procreation of the species. Or, it has been the elevation and ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s then are ye . . . heirs according to the

promise” (Galatians 3:28). Men and women share equal rights to inherit the promises, blessings, anointings, and appointments of God’s kingdom.

The Church’s Restrictive Polity

As the church was increasingly Hellenized and Latinized, its views toward women gradually drifted away from the Jesus

model.

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One Adam, Two Equal Genders

Misappropriating words of Paul that addressed specific situations of wifely manipulation and disrespect for

husbands in congregations of former fer tility cult worshippers, church leaders imprisoned women in mandates of silence and enjoined submission to male dominance both in home and in church. Scriptural passages

describing women as “weaker vessels,” enjoining feminine “silence in the church,” and requiring wives to “submit yourselves to your own husbands” were misinterpreted to

affirm female inferiority and divine demands for quiet submission. Sadly the only reason that such views that have persisted for centuries have not continued to the present

in much of society is not the result of spiritual activism in the church but of social activism in the secular world!

Time for Restoration

One of the signs of the imminence of the Messianic Age is

the restoration of all things voiced by the prophets since creation (Acts 3:20, 21). A revival of interest in the church’s Hebraic heritage is breaking forth around the world and

across denominational and ethnic lines. Christians are hungry for truth. That hunger is taking them back to the storehouse of riches in wisdom and knowledge of the God

of the Bible. They are being reconnected with the rich sap flowing from the Jewish roots of God’s family tree (Romans 11:17). For some this is a connection with the accouterments and practices of biblical and post-biblical

Judaism; for a growing number, it is a reclamation of truly biblical lifestyles founded upon the Hebraic world view and mind-set.

It is high time that the restoration message penetrate the entire church internationally, for only when believers are grounded in the Hebrew foundations of Christian faith can

they be equipped to come to “the full knowledge of the Son of God, to complete maturity, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Messiah” (Ephesians 4:13). The reason for the restoration spirit in today’s world is not to

exalt some soulish attachment to things Jewish but to return the church to the holistic life style of Jesus and the apostles.

Recovery of this biblically Hebraic lifestyle will force church leaders, theologians, and laypersons to reevaluate their relationship with God and with one another in the light of

Holy Scr ipture , r ightly divided. The Reformation hermeneutic based on the ancient Carthaginian School’s

grammatico-historical method will come to full flower as the Bible is interpreted in the light of the grammar in which it was written or thought (Hebrew) and in the context of

its Jewish history and culture.

Nowhere could this reappraisal of the authenticity of interpersonal relationships be more important than in husband-wife, man-woman relationships. It is time to clarify

once and for all that Paul’s instructions for female silence were directed toward wives’ usurpation of their husbands’ leadership roles in the home and not toward feminine

ministers. It is time to apply Paul’s instruction of “submitting yourselves one to another” to marriage as well as other relationships, making it at least equal with his “wives

submit” injunctions (Ephesians 5:21). It is time to acknowledge that the “weaker vessel” is really the expensive, delicate vase of feminine sensitivity that demands honor and protection (1 Peter 3:7). It is time to

affirm that a biblical helpmate is an equal partner in holy matrimony whose submission to her husband is a demonstration of her submission to God, not a rapacious

consignment to a bound-and-gagged inferiority. It is time to establish the fact that headship and leadership are designed by God only for protection and never for domination. It is

time that the church once and for all submit itself to the edict of prophecy and permit, yea, encourage its daughters to prophesy the Word of God (Joel 2:28). It is time to acknowledge that all the gifts and graces of God are

available to all, for one God operates “all things in all people”

church once and for all submit itself to the edict of prophecy and permit, yea, encourage its daughters to prophesy the Word of God (Joel 2:28). It is time to acknowledge that all the gifts and graces of

panta en pasin), distributing to each person (male and female) as he wills. It is time to affirm that ministry gifts are given not just to men ( medeis) but to mankind ( anthropos) for the equipping of male and female saints to works of ministry.

It is time that women be liberated into the intellectual and spiritual freedom of full equality with

command, (lech l'chah Gentile traditions and go to Jerusalem where there is freedom and equality for men and women in the biblical Hebraic heritage of our faith.





distributing to each

person (male and female) as he wills. It is time to affirm

that ministry gifts are given not just to men





but to mankind





for the equipping of

male and female saints to works of ministry. It is time that women be liberated into the intellectual and spiritual freedom of full equality with men that the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament guarantee. Let us hear

God’s command,





– (lech l'chah) “Get up, and go” and purpose in our hearts to leave Babylon’s Gentile traditions and go to Jerusalem where there is freedom and equality

for men and women in the biblical Hebraic heritage of our faith

©2012, John D. Garr. None of this material

may be reproduced in any form without the express written consent of the author.

22

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Lonnie Lane is a Jewish

Believer in Yeshua whose father was from the tribe of Levites. She considers her writing to be in her

genes, as a scribe for the Lord. She is the co-author (with Sid Roth)

of Heaven is Beyond Your Wildest Expectations (Destiny Image, 2012); Because They Never Asked (Xulon Press, 2004) which is an autobiography of her Jewish family coming to know their

Messiah; and The Majesty of Humility, a book of Yeshua-centered poetry. Peter said at Pentecost (Shavuot) that “Yeshua is withheld in heaven until the restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21). Lonnie has written over 250 articles on issues related to restoring Hebrew Roots to the Body of Messiah and a deeper relationship with Yeshua for the

Messianic Vision website: www.sidroth.org. Lonnie is an ordained pastor serving as Hebrew Roots and Women’s Ministry pastor at The River in Jacksonville, Florida, and also travels to share the message of restoration to help prepare God’s people for His

return.

Dr. John D Garr. is founder and

president of Hebraic Christian G l o b a l C o m m u n i t y (www.HebraicCommunity.org), an international, transdenominational, multiethnic

networking organisation that is a publishing and educational resource communicating information about the church’s Jewish roots to the greater

Christian community. Dr. Garr is also founder and chancellor of Hebraic Christian College (www.HebraicCenter.org), an institution of higher education that is focused on the Hebraic foundations of the Christian faith.

Book

She

lf

http://www.sidroth.org

http://www.sidroth.org

http://www.HebraicCommunity.org

http://www.HebraicCommunity.org

http://www.HebraicCenter.org

http://www.HebraicCenter.org

A publication of Breakthru International - Volume 2 - December 2012

exodus vol 2

Documents

t h r u i n t e r n

concept of eve

gods prototype perfect

yeshuas inclusion of

consummate creation

annie moses band

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ultimate tempted temptress