God's Mentoring Mandate for Women

God established the Mentoring Mandate for Women! The bible says the elder women are to teach the younger ones to love their families, keep their houses, and make a profit. Profitable women helping other women! And it's not just isn't a Biblical suggestion, it's an order!

Welcome to the 21st Century! Women are moving to the forefront as business owners and mentoring is the new hot thing. Right?

Wrong.

Women business owners and the principles of mentoring are as old humanity on planet Earth. We need reconcile Century 21 culture with Proverbs 31 principle. We need to settle that God's divine plan is that women own profitable businesses; that women are to be encouraged by those who go before them; and teach those that follow behind.

21st Century America still struggles with the proper place of women in society. The women's fight for equality often confuses the concept of equitable with the concept of sameness. Men and women were created as equals but we were not created to be the same. We not only look different but God also "wired" us differently. We have the same status but we have different purpose.

There is a principle of Bible study called the "law of first mention." This principle states that the first time a thing is mentioned in the scripture is significant and defines or provides foundational structure for that concept throughout scripture. God's mentoring mandate for women is first mentioned and established in Genesis 1.

In Genesis 1:26, (creation day 6), the Bible records "And God said, Let us make man in our image....." The word translated "man" is adam. The word, adam, is not a name. It is a Hebrew word which means human being or person. The next verse makes this point even more clear. Substituting the phrase "human being" for man, we read Genesis 1:27 as:

"So God created a human being in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them."

That understanding of the word- adam, allows the verse to make more sense. God created humans as males and females. He did not make a male-man and a female-man.

Man and woman were created on the sixth day- the male first and then, the female. God created adam-male. He showed him the garden; he had the adam-male name all the creatures. But then, God says something interesting. God says, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him." Gen 2:18 NKJV

The first part- "It is not good that the man should be alone;" can be more accurately translated, "This human being is not sufficient or complete alone;" The second part is critical to God's plan for women and our understanding that plan. "...I will make him a help meet [helper] for him." The phrase translated "help meet" is the Hebrew term, ezer cenegdo.

If you will bear with me for a bit, we need to take a short side trip. We need to pick up a concept we are going to need to fully understand this topic.

The words we use and the words we choose can limit how we think and what we are able to think about. In Scotland, they have a word, "smirr." Smirr refers to tiny droplets of moisture found in a brisk wind- similar to frozen mist. These droplets are enough to dampen without making you wet. And while it's not truly ice, it stings as it hits your skin. There is no English word for smirr. The lack of this word limits your ability to think about it. If I had tried to explain the weather condition to you on English, I would have to call it rain or mist. You could never have a complete understanding of smirr because neither of those words fully explains the event.

The Bible is like that sometimes. Smirr is not the same as rain. Ezer cenegdo is the not same as "help meet." The word translated help is ezer. Ezer means to aid and surround with help and protection. The word, ezer, is used 22 times in the Old Testament. Twice it is used in this story about the creation of woman and the other twenty times it refers to "help from the Lord." The word ezer comes from a combination of two ancient root words. One means "power"; the other means "strength." The word cenegdo is commonly translated as "mate." The fullest understanding of cenegdo is "a face to face, completing counterpart."

The English word- "helper" doesn't begin to touch this term, ezer cenegdo! Woman was created to be a counterpart of equal stature, an all-surrounding, strong, and powerful aid from the Lord.

Women were not created to be diminutive or lesser "helpers." We were created "in the image of God" as ezer cenegdo. God created woman as adam-female. He calls her to be ezer cenegdo to adam-male. Woman was not created to be inferior assistants to the male. Woman was created in order to complete the male with her sufficiency. Woman is different from man but neither less than nor greater to.

Oxford University Dictionary defines the word, mentor as "a wise and trusted advisor and helper" A mentor is a helper and, therefore, women are by definition uniquely and powerfully equipped to be mentors!

The Old is in the New contained...

There is an aphorism if Biblical study that says, "The Old is in the New contained; the New is by the Old explained." It simply means that the Old Testament and the New Testament are absolutely connected and the principles found in one Testament are reflected and explained in the other.

The woman's role as an ezer cenegdo is contained is Titus 2:3-5. While we were created to complete and powerful aid men, Titus 2:3-5 makes very clear that the elder women are also supposed to help the younger ones become strong and powerful counterparts to the male.

Titus 2:3-5 LITV Aged [more experienced] women likewise in reverent behavior, not slanderers, not being enslaved by much wine, teachers of good,
that they might train the young [less experienced] women to be lovers of husbands, lovers of children, discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, subject to
their own husbands, so that the Word of God may not be blasphemed[.]

These verses have been used for years to foist a cultural mold upon women. Culture teaches that "keepers at home" or "homemaker" is a position of weakness. Culture is responding to a mistranslation of "homemaker" or "keeper at home." The word translated as "homemakers" is the Greek word, oikouros. The word comes from two root words. The first word- oikos, means dwelling or by implication, family. The second word- ouros means to guard or protect. Titus is the only place in the New Testament that this word appears. Just like an ezer cenegdo isn't a minor assistant; the Titus 2 oikouros is no wimpy Susie Homemaker. She watches over her household to guard and protect it.

The Titus 2 woman is a force to be reckoned with- both young and old!

Titus 2 encompasses every area of a women's life. The more experienced women are directed to help the less experienced one manage all the areas for which women have responsibility. The elder are teach the young that all areas are supposed to work together to make one life. Life was never intended to be lived in isolated segments. God, husband, children, and work responsibilities are supposed to flow together and work together.

....the New is by the Old explained.

The fullest explanation of the Titus 2 woman is the Proverbs 31 woman. God's perfect plan for women is found in Proverbs 31:10-31.

¹¹⁾ The heart of her husband does safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

¹²⁾ She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

²³⁾ Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

She is truly an ezer cenegdo to her husband. He is aided, surrounded, completed, and protected by her love. Her husband is a better man because of her support.

¹³⁾ She seeks wool, and flax, and works willingly with her hands.

¹⁴⁾ She is like the merchants' ships; she brings her food from afar.

¹⁵⁾ She rises also while it is yet night, and gives meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

¹⁶⁾ She considers a field, and buys it: with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.

¹⁸⁾ She perceives that her merchandise is good: her candle goes not out by night.

¹⁹⁾ She lays her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

²⁴⁾ She makes fine linen, and sells it; and delivers girdles unto the merchant.

She is a successful businesswoman. She is a manufacturer of high quality goods. She is a shrewd realtor. She is involved in import. God's ideal woman operates retail operation and wholesales her merchandise to the merchants. She manages her employees for maximum productivity but always with kindness and pays them well.

²⁰⁾ She stretches out her hand to the poor; yea, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.

In her prosperity, she does not forget the poor and gives generously to the needy.

²¹⁾ She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²⁵⁾ Strength and honor are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

²⁶⁾ She opens her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

²⁷⁾ She looks well to the ways of her household, and eats not the bread of idleness.

The Proverbs 31 woman attends closely not only to the physical needs of her family but also to their spiritual and moral needs.

¹⁷⁾ She girds her loins with strength, and strengthens her arms.

²²⁾ She makes herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

God's ideal woman is not afflicted with a phony unhealthy "Self-sacrificing" attitude of false humility. She cares for her husband, her family, her household and business BUT does not forget to take proper care of herself.

¹⁰⁾ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

²⁸⁾ Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her.

²⁹⁾ Many daughters have done virtuously, but you excel them all.

³⁰⁾ Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

³¹⁾ Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

The Old is in the New contained; The New is in the Old explained.

The Proverbs 31/Titus 2 woman is certainly a woman worthy of praise. She is a capable, intelligent, and virtuous woman.

God's ultimate plan and design for woman is that she be an ezer cenegdo: An all-surrounding, strong, and powerful aid from the Lord. She is divinely created to be a dynamic guider, example, and helper. Woman was created as a mentor.

God's mentoring mandate for women is the fulfillment of His creative purpose for women. God established the Mentoring Mandate- particularly for women! The Titus 2 says the elder women are to teach the younger ones. Elder women are suppose to teach younger women to love their families, keep their houses, buy/sell, and make a profit.

Profitable women helping other women! And it's not just isn't a Biblical suggestion, it's ordained order of creation!