By Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC

Gary and I read Scripture in the early A.M. We were in Genesis reading about God’s interactions with Adam and Eve.  I did the reading and after finishing, Gary said, “God uses the pronoun “he”—what about “she?”

I said, “Within God’s Word, ‘He’ always includes ‘she’ in the “he.” (Here C.S. Lewis would, say, “You are riding on a very tight rein here, Lady,” as the majority of languages do not use gender-specific pronouns.”)

He looked at me as if he was saying, “Wait a minute.”

There is more to say, of course. “When God made Adam and Eve, at first there was only Adam. Maybe God waited until Adam came to know there was something lacking in his life.  But the next happenstance is stunning: God put Adam into a deep sleep then took a rib out of him. (Rather than robotic surgery, it was “God’s rib-otics.”)

Next, He used the DNA of Adam’s rib to create a partner for him. And, Adam named her Eve “because she would become the mother of all living,” (Genesis 3:20).

Wow! That’s one very big accomplishment claimed for womanhood right at the start! Talk about power!

So God made them equally powerful. And “no.” a man does not have one less rib than a woman such as some claim. It is scientifically proven that both “a man” and “a woman” have 24 ribs.

Back to Gary’s retorts about the Genesis passage, specifically this one, “God took the “s” and put it in front of the “he.”

Hmm. Really. Is there some significance in this?

I am thinking “yes” because God wanted to make equality a clear message. He had said, “In Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

Scripture shows Adam to be God’s first human being created and therefore the first to hear the voice of God. (As God intended Him to listen and learn, which would happen for Eve as well.)

God decided (maybe this holds water) to speak to Adam as “He” leaned hard on their equality. He and she within their equality received the message as one. After all, she was “to be “bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh.”  Voila! Equality! One in God’s sight.

Note how God gave the most powerful ability to women, that of carrying new life within her body and therefore bringing children into life. Of course her impregnation came from Adam.

It seems the height of equality comes to the couple by God’s messages being addressed to “him.” And, “he” was intended to lovingly live out these truths–exemplarily. In this way, “she” sees how this works.

Of course, this works both ways. As “she” gets the message a woman can portray it to her husband by her words and actions day-by-day. Ephesians 5:22-33, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church . . .” Of course, if a man treats his wife without tenderly honoring her and loving her, it is hurtful, brings pain to both of them—and subverts God’s plan. (And this works both ways, for the woman as well as for the man.)

God’s ideal is for us to be with one another and love one another in a holy way, exemplifying His love as we team up and make the world a better place.

For sure, God is continually speaking to all people through the Bible, our Holy Writ, as well as to speak to us within our hearts.

Author information: Joy Le Page smith has authored four books. See these on her website: Healing-with-Joy.com where you will also find hundreds of helps to people who are hurting. Free as well as a story for children, The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places.

By Joy Le Page Smith, MA, BCC

Reading the Bible brings truth to the soul. It holds a lot of wonderful words full of truth and hope–promises that reach deep within prompting love toward God and towards others. The Bible is laden with concepts and conditions that heal our hearts and greatly enriches our lives.

Yet, God extends clear expectations and there are consequences when we ignore those directives and do whatever we please. This is as true for nations as it is for individuals. Take China for instance.

During the 70’s and the 80’s the government of this communist country decreed that married couples have only one child. Abortion was made available and heavy consequences followed people who defied the government’s directive. Consequently, this ruling curbed the birthrate.

Within the decades that followed couples espoused the stance of “one child only” and adapted to it. Given time, this took root in the depth of China. Couples came to believe that more than one child would create an unbearable load of work, timewise, taking more from their lives mentally, financially and physically than believed manageable.

Today, the Chinese government is doing all they possibly can to promote couples to have more than one child. They are now urging three children per family and monitoring couples closely, tracking the numbers.

In the very first chapter of the Bible, Genesis 1:28, we read that God blessed the men and women He created and said, “. . . be fruitful and multiply fill the earth and subdue it.”

A belief in God is not part and parcel to communism of course. Yet the Chinese government is presently pursuing God’s directive “be fruitful and multiply.” One of the posters governmental officials are using states, “Life is the continuation of love.” Sounds like something with which God could easily agree.

However, atheistic China is not promoting the love of God or the truths of Scripture. They are simply faced with a declining population that threatens economic growth. Consequently, China’s policy makers are once again inserting themselves into the lives and choices of couples pressing them to make babies. Guess what: they are no longer promoting abortion. The motive behind the switch of policy is not repentance over loss of many millions—perhaps even billions—of babies. Rather, it is about economic losses.

Their new practice of knocking on doors, questioning and supplying prenatal vitamins are now in place stating clearly, “Our country needs more people.”  They are trying to correct a huge mistake by pressing again into matters of procreation.

In 1 John 4:8, we are assured, “God is love.” And, we are “made in the likeness of God,” according to Genesis 1:27. Loving and the sharing of love are part and parcel to God’s plan. This element of humanity needs to be highly valued by all due to its all-inclusive benefits. Ideally, the rules of governments will respect and defend such “paybacks.”

After all, it is not “treasure on earth” or the power of “gross national product” that matters. What matters is coming to know what God wants of our lives and following it as best we can. We make mistakes, but can readily correct them. God totally forgives through the redemptive work of Christ—once we ask. Following Jesus’ teachings makes way for Him to do a glorious work in one’s life. The surprising part is the abundance of peace and joy that result!

About the author: Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. Her articles and blogs are read in 32 countries. Joy’s four books are available on her home page at Healing-with-Joy.com where readers can view FREE her children’s book titled, The Little Mountain Goat Who Was Afraid of High Places.