In the first chapters of the book of Genesis, God made public His plan to make Himself known on earth through the foundational relationship of male and female (Genesis 1:26-28). He formed the first human (Hb. adam) from the dust of the ground (Hb. adamah) (Genesis 2:7). When God saw that the human’s aloneness was not good, He decided to make a helper (Hb. ezer) for him, an ally or rescuer. He divided the human into man and woman (Hb. for man is ish, for woman is ishshah), male and female (Genesis 2:18-24).
Jane Hansen Hoyt, in her study On Male/Female Reconciliation, * explains their relationship with each other and with God this way:
“When God created Adam, he was created fully in the image of God. When the woman was taken out of him, the image of God was not added to or subtracted from. It was divided… Now the image of God was male and female. Yet, they were one. They were open, naked, and transparent before one another. They were made for each other and their destiny would be fulfilled together.”
Satan, in the form of a serpent, strategically attacked the woman, the helper, by convincing her she needed wisdom apart from God. Falling for the deception, Eve offered Adam forbidden fruit, which he accepted despite knowing God had declared it forbidden. Instantly, they saw each other in the flesh, experienced shame for the first time, and became mistrustful and fearful. Their relationship with each other broken, they hid from God (Genesis 3:1-8).
When God looked for them, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent, testifying it had deceived her. They then learned the consequences of their departure from God’s plan: enmity between the serpent and the woman, and that because woman’s desire would be turned toward her husband (rather than God), he would rule over her (Genesis 3:12-16). Ever since, Satan has unleashed a torrent of hatred and violence against women.
Aglow excels in restoring women to their original God-given identity and purpose. Each woman can choose to make God the true desire of her heart, and when she does, she can stand face-to-face with the man as his helper and ally. Graham Cooke has developed a personal development program for Aglow called 21st Century GameChangers that releases women and men into fullness and abundance as they begin to see themselves and others the way God sees them. **
While the world and the enemy try to redefine maleness and femaleness, an unprecedented move of God in His Church is bringing us into wholeness and health as we find our identity in Him. Aglow International Canada is a significant player in this movement to return to God’s original purpose, and we invite you to join us.
*You can access some excellent resources on Male/Female Reconciliation, including the quoted article, at Resources/Free Resources/Handouts on Aglow International’s website.
**GameChanger resources can be found at Resources/GameChangers.