Men, Where Are You?
“When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
Genesis 3:6
From the beginning to the present men have been missing. Men are missing in homes today. Men are missing out in the lives of their children. Men are missing in the church and sometimes the work-place as well. When it comes to our communities today, men are missing as a result of violence and crime. Although there are many more reasons why men are missing, the real question is: “Where are the men?” If men are missing, they still are somewhere. In reality, they are somewhere else because it is evident they are not where they are supposed to be. This is not a new challenge. The absence of men has been a reality throughout the generations. The greater challenge today is whether men can be found, and restored to their rightful place in the communities of life.
The Bible reveals that God was serious about the role of the man. Although God made the man (mankind) male and female, He spent some additional time with the man. “The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. And the Lord God commanded the man, you are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it, you will surely die.” (Gen. 2:15-17) God spent this time with the man to reveal to him his responsibilities. Notice that the man was given the responsibility for the entire garden and everything in it. Notice also that God gave the man personal directions. The man was given the boundaries of God’s expectations for all of humanity. God gave these instructions to the man. The woman was not yet physically present in the garden, but she was on her way.
God taught Adam that he was responsible for maintaining God’s order in the garden God had placed him it. God revealed to Adam the limitations of his freedom and authority while sharing with him the consequences of his decisions should he fail to obey God’s commands. The man was present with God during this time. However, the man was never meant to be alone! He was not created to be alone with God. The truth is that God created the man as male and female. It was always God’s intention for them to live together in a relationship. More importantly, God planned that they would live together in relationship with Him. This would be a unique relationship because the man and the woman would have a personal relationship with each other and with God.
Adam had the responsibility to teach the woman the expectations the Lord had revealed to him. In other words, Adam was responsible for the woman in the same way he was responsible to God. The man was responsible for making sure that they both walked together in obedience to the commands of the Lord. For Adam to accomplish this, he would need to be present. He must be present to cover the woman. This meant he was responsible for providing leadership and guidance, protection and security, and to safeguard both the garden and the woman. Men today have to be reminded of this responsibility. The truth is this responsibility has not changed even though time has passed. Men are still responsible for maintaining God’s order in their homes and families. Men are still responsible for covering their wives and to, provide for their children. This responsibility has not changed. The man’s role will not change!
The point is simple—where is the man? Does the debate continue whether Adam was absent when Eve was deceived or present? In any case, it is clear that he failed in his responsibility to cover her and to protect her. Our focus must be on the consequence as opposed to the debate. Women and children are suffering exposure to danger because some men are absent even though they are present, while others are missing altogether. Men must be found and returned to their rightful place in the order God has established for them. But more importantly, every man needs to understand that his absence still jeopardizes the future of women and children.