One Flesh
“Then they burned the whole city and everything in it, but they put the silver and gold and the articles of bronze and iron into the treasury of the LORD’s house. But Joshua spared Rahab the prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho—and she lives among the Israelites to this day.”
Today’s Text: Joshua 6:15-27 (Living Life Daily Devotional)
As it turns out, Rahab is one of the most important figures in history. Not only was she instrumental in saving the lives of the scouts sent to Jericho, she is one of the ancestors of King David. That is to say, she is one of the ancestors of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:5). And I always wondered if one of those scouts was Salmon, the husband of Rahab and the father of Boaz (of Ruth fame).
Rahab has always stood out to me as a pillar of the faith (Hebrews 11:31). However, she stands out even more today because of the “crisis” of faith among younger women in the US. Women used to be the pillars of faith in our churches too, but that is no longer the case.
A Barna study observed , “Long regarded as the backbone of church life, women have traditionally outpaced men in religious affiliation, attendance and volunteerism. Today, the opposite is beginning to take shape among Gen Z women.” Only 31% of females 18-24 read the Bible at all. Only 30% of females 18-24 attend church at all.
I can’t help feeling that this crisis of faith among women will be the greatest challenge facing the church in the foreseeable future. And as a pastor, I have always felt very strongly that the church needs more “Rahabs.”
But what is it that I can do to address that challenge and need?
The place that I need to start is to trust in God. And despite what people may think, trusting in God is “doing something.” It wasn’t that long ago that Christian pundits from around the world were sounding the alarm that the church was in a major decline. That decline was real, and it continues to be real, I think. But no one could have predicted the “revival” that is happening among the Gen Z, especially among the men.
And so we are reminded—and our theological brains tell us—that “trusting in God” is the greatest thing that we can do. But our hearts and our actions betray over and over again that we trust more in ourselves “doing something.”
At the same time, as I mentioned in yesterday’s blog, trusting in God doesn’t mean to do nothing, either.
So, back to the question: Trusting in God, what is it that I can do personally?
Right now, I haven’t a clue. But I will start by sounding the alarm. The “crisis” of faith among young women is a major issue. And I say that for the following reason.
In the beginning, God created humanity male and female and made them “one flesh.” Of course, the concept of “one flesh” applies to marriage. However, the concept of “one flesh” is significant beyond just marriage; it is the foundation of God’s design for humanity over all, and for human flourishing more specifically.
In other words, when even Christians stop assuming and believing that the “one flesh” concept is the very foundation of families, communities, and civilizations, the church will follow the way of Israel in the Old Testament.
Maybe the problem is that most people simply don’t understand what the “one flesh” concept is all about.
The significance of “one flesh” is seen throughout the Bible. But just to give one example, consider that the relationship between Christ and His church is symbolized as husband and wife. That’s not by accident. Why would God employ such symbolism if that relationship was not meant to be existentially significant?
And so, if the devil wanted to disrupt and corrupt and ruin churches, what would he do it? He would attack the very fabric of healthy and happy families, communities, and civilizations—that is, God’s design for “one flesh.” And the devil has been systematically tearing down the “one flesh” foundation of the church through the sexual revolution—sexual independence, economic independence, cultural independence, “two flesh.”
Throughout history, men have predominantly been in leadership positions in the church. But they never would have been effective in those leadership positions without the support of faithful women, especially their wives. Never.
Faithful women have always been an integral part of the Christian church. And that was by God’s “one flesh” design.
God made Eve to be Adam’s “helper”—in a similar way that God is our Helper (Psalm 27:9). And so (in my humble opinion) He made her more thoughtful and gifted than men in many ways, generally speaking. But God never intended her to live independently of man. In our world today, thought, many, if not most (both male and female) value the concept independence more than the concept of “one flesh.”
The family, community, ecclesiastical, and cultural significance of “one flesh” needs to be taught and ingrained in our churches from the day children are born to the day that we graduate to the Lord.
Father, Your ways are perfect. And as the song goes—and Your word testifies—our hearts are prone to wander. I lift up this “crisis” of faith among young women to You. As Your Spirit has sparked a revival among the Gen Z men, may You do so among the Gen Z women, as well. But also, give Your church wisdom to address this challenge at the core—not just with band aids. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
