I recently listened to an excellent lecture by Elaine Ruffolo, an art historian, who spoke about Michelangelo’s women (the title of the lecture available on YouTube). In it she points out that the center of the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is not God’s creation of Adam (perhaps the most famous of the Sistine…
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 NASB To be alone – When I wrote Guardian Angel a decade ago, I wanted to correct the false claim that Paul was misogynistic. I wanted to demonstrate that the common Christian…
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Genesis 2:18 NASB A helper suitable– We have investigated a lot about the Hebrew phrase ‘ezer kenegdo. We discovered that these words spoken by God about the creation of the woman are filled with royal language,…
The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. Proverbs 31:11 NASB Trusts – What does it mean to “trust” your wife? How will that turn out to be prosperous for the husband? In the past we examined the Hebrew word bāṭaḥ in the context of the ‘ezer kenegdo, God’s design for…
I will ask the Father, and he will give you another helper who will be with you forever. John 14:16 NASB Another helper – We all know this Greek word, Paraklete, “the Helper.” Growing up in the Western Church, we were told that this is a circumlocution for the Holy Spirit. This verse in John…
Thanks to Sandy Smail, Pam Staley and Jane Diffenderfer, I will be speaking in Kansas City on August 18-19. This conference is about the ‘ezer kenegdo, the foundation of all relationships. We will examine the Genesis text, Paul’s use of these ideas in the apostolic writings and what we have learned since the publication of Guardian Angel. We…
Guardian Angel is a terrifying book for men. It shouldn’t be, but it is. And not for all men, it seems. Some men just get it. Their relationships with their wives are on such solid footing that they recognize the blessing a wife can be and they welcome the biblical validation. But not most men….
“How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the Lord has created a new thing in the earth—a woman will encompass a man.” Jeremiah 31:22 NASB Encompass – I don’t like this choice of translation for the Hebrew tesovav (from the root sabab). “Encompass” makes it sound like a woman…
Then he said to me, “This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6 NASB Not – What is the connection between Genesis 2:18, Zechariah 4:6, Ephesians 5:23 and John Piper’s view of marriage? More than you…
Rebekah was listening while Isaac spoke to his son Esau. Genesis 27:5 In the next few weeks I will publish a book on the story of Jacob. This is an excerpt from one of the chapters. Isaac’s life is one of spiritual weakness. In the face of God, Isaac wilts. He is powerless. He doesn’t…
