3 Minutes 16 Second Read | Author: Jeff Briner
We are going over five places in scripture where slavery came into the picture. The five types of slavery are female, debt, religious, governmental, and finally, sin.
February is Black History Month. The only slavery that is worse than the Atlantic slave trade and others of that type in the past; is slavery to sin. I don’t say this lightly because I can’t imagine living a life where I am not seen as human. But I know we got many spiritual hymns from those considered subhuman in which they had the freedom of spirit that only Jesus could give.
God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. – Genesis 1:27 NASU
God created both males and females in His image. Both were created as godly as the other in the image of God. Equal in the image of God.
The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. – Genesis 2:20 NASU
Here we find Adam working but finding no satisfaction because there was no equal among the animals he named. Adam needed someone who could connect with his spirit, soul, and body.
The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. – Genesis 2:22-23 NASU
From what part of the body did God take to fashion the woman? It was from man’s rib, which is significant as neither was superior or subservient over the other, but they should walk together through life. If God had made the woman from the foot, the woman would always serve the male. If God had made the woman from the shoulder, the woman would be leading the male. God planned that they walk together.
For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. – Genesis 2:24-25 NASU
God separated the male and female in the garden and then commanded them to come back together in one flesh. The male was the firstborn, so he was given the additional command to leave his birth family and begin a new one with his wife. There was no division between males and females before God separated them. And there should be an elimination of division now when the two come together.
The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate. – Genesis 3:12 NASU
Now the division begins. Adam blames Eve for his rebellion, lack of self-control, or some superior power over him. This blame game goes on today! Eve didn’t blame Adam but another force in the garden. Not sure why women always look to save their man from the consequences of his own decisions.
To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you will bring forth children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he will rule over you.” Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; In toil you will eat of it All the days of your life. “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; And you will eat the plants of the field; By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:16-19 NASU
Now misogynism enters the world. Equality was lost that day when women became treated as a second class as if men were superior at every level of humankind. Male and females are not created the same in all aspects of the human race. Yet, women have exceptional qualities over men and men over women. I wish I had time to show through the scripture the many differences, but another time.
Equality doesn’t come from being the same but from honoring the differences. Simply altering a few hormones and surgeries can’t change these differences.
Ever since that day, the curse has caused the female to identify with what the male says about her other than what God says about her. And the male gets his identification from the hard work he does and the women interested in him rather than in God alone.
In May, we will address the role of women in the family and the church but for now, let’s go to the second place where slavery came into this world.
To learn about the types of slavery going on in our world today that includes forced marriage, check out the following link. Slavery Today