The Book of Genesis
Part 7
Man, who was made lower than the angels and yet higher than the animals, was created, not only a creature responsible to God, but also a being representative of God in all creation.
His Headship In Creation
In this man was THE VISIBLE IMAGE OF THE INVISIBLE GOD: “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26). How like our blessed Lord Jesus, “Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high” (Heb.1:3).
THE ABSOLUTE MONARCH: “And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth” (Gen. 1:26b). Although man lost this dominion through sin, it will be restored to him in our Lord Jesus Christ, “Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under Him. But we see Jesus, Who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour” (Heb. 2:8-9). “For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet” (1 Cor. 15:25).
THE PERSONIFACATION OF WISDOM: “And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field” (Gen. 2:20). How like our Lord Jesus of Whom, under the guise of wisdom we read, “I wisdom dwell with prudence,… Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth:… When He gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass His commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him; and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him; Rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and My delights were with the sons of men” (Prov. 8:12-31).
THE FEDERAL HEAD OF THE HUMAN RACE : There are certain details here to which we might call attention:
Man’s headship through priority (1 Cor. 15:47; 1 Tim. 2:13-14).
Man’s headship in innocence (Gen. 1:28).
Man’s headship in sin (Rom. 5:12).
Man’s headship in spite of death (Rom. 5:14-17; 1 Cor. 15:22).
His Headship In The Church
We read, “Christ also loved the Church and gave Himself for it” (Eph. 5:25). Thank God for the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for every local expression of it. For such assemblies of the saints the Lord has established a definite spiritual order. “The Head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the Head of Christ is God” (1 Cor. 11:3). The headship of God is revealed in the unveiling of Christ; the headship of Christ is manifest in the uncovering of the man; the headship of man is hidden in the presence of the Lord by the covering of the woman. The covering on the natural head of the woman is the sign of the covering of her racial head, man; therefore, in the Church the subjection of the woman is the symbol of the submission of her racial head, man, before the headship of Christ. “For this same cause ought the woman to have the sign of authority, the authority of the man, on her head because of the angels” (1 Cor. 11:10). The subjection of the Christian woman to man, who in turn is subject unto Christ, reminds the angels of their subjection to their Creator Head, even Christ.
This principle is the basis upon which Paul asserts, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection, But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence” (1 Tim. 2:11-12). Paul then gives two reasons why the woman must remain silent in the assembly: First, man has a priority through creation, “Adam was first formed then Eve” (1 Tim. 2:13). Man is therefore the federal head of the race. In second place, the woman has a priority in sin, “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression” (1 Tim. 2:14). Her leadership is proved unreliable. The lovely submissive silence of the sisters in Christ to their brethren in the gathering of the saints forms the example of what man’s subjection to Christ ought to be.
His Headship In The Home
In an age when the woman seeks to be equal with the man in practically everything, it may be considered improper to restate facts which are viewed by many as old fashioned, but since they are taught in the Scriptures they cannot be ignored.
HIS HEADSHIP IN THE HOME ESTABLISHED: “For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the Head of the Church… Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything” (Eph. 5:23-24).
HIS HEADSHIP EXEMPLIFIED BY SARAH: “For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him lord” (1 Pet. 3:5-6).
HIS HEADSHIP EXERCISED WITH SYMPATHY: “Likewise ye husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered” (1 Pet. 3:7).
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Friendship with Christians is the highest type of friendship. Therefore, let us find our friends among those of whom Christ said, “Ye are my friends” (John 15:14).