The Fruitful Bough - Affirming Biblical Manhood

By Warren A Henderson

When will a Christian man find the most joy and satisfaction in life? When he lives out that which he was created for - this is God's authentic man. If married, he will pursue biblical companionship with his wife, shepherd his children, and satisfy his family's needs. Married or not, the fruit-laden bough represents a spiritually-minded man who ser

• Language: English
• Publisher: Warren A Henderson
• Release date: Jul 24, 2016
• ISBN: 9781939770097

Book preview

The Fruitful Bough

—   Affirming Biblical Manhood 

Warren Henderson

All Scripture quotations from the King James Version of the Bible unless otherwise noted.

The Fruitful Bough – Affirming Biblical Manhood

By Warren Henderson

Copyright © 2008

Published by Warren A. Henderson

3769 Indiana Road

Pomona, KS 66076

Cover Design by Heidi Spragg

Cover Picture by Massimo Gravili

eBook ISBN 978-1-939770-09-7

Perfect Bound ISBN 978-0-9795387-4-2

ORDERING INFORMATION:

Gospel Folio Press

Phone: [phone]

E-mail: [e-mail]

A Study Guide and Teacher’s Guide are

also available for The Fruitful Bough.

Other Books by the Author

Afterlife – What Will It Be Like?

Answer the Call – Finding Life’s Purpose

Be Holy and Come Near– A Devotional Study of Leviticus

Behold the Saviour

Be Angry and Sin Not

Conquest and the Life of Rest – A Devotional Study of Joshua

Exploring the Pauline Epistles

Forsaken, Forgotten, and Forgiven – A Devotional Study of Jeremiah

Glories Seen & Unseen

Hallowed Be Thy Name – Revering Christ in a Casual World

Hiding God – The Ambition of World Religion

In Search of God – A Quest for Truth

Knowing the All-Knowing

Managing Anger God’s Way

Mind Frames – Where Life’s Battle Is Won or Lost

Out of Egypt – A Devotional Study of Exodus

Overcoming Your Bully

Passing the Torch – Mentoring the Next Generation

Revive Us Again – A Devotional Study of Ezra and Nehemiah

Seeds of Destiny – A Devotional Study of Genesis

The Beginning of Wisdom – A Devotional Study of Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon

The Bible: Myth or Divine Truth?

The Evil Nexus – Are You Aiding the Enemy?

The Fruitful Bough – Affirming Biblical Manhood

The Fruitful Vine – Celebrating Biblical Womanhood

The Hope of Glory – A Preview of Things to Come

The Olive Plants – Raising Spiritual Children

Your Home the Birthing Place of Heaven

Table of Contents

Title Page

Other Books By This Author

Preface

The Marital Union – A Covenant of Companionship

The First Marriage

Marital Companionship

To Marry or Not?

Marital Satisfaction

The Perpetual Problem

Husbandry – Caring for and Enjoying Your Fruitful Vine

Assisting Your Vine to Cling

Communion Among the Clusters

Enjoying Your Flourishing Vine

Fatherhood – Shepherding Your Children

God’s Chosen Leader

Shepherding Lessons from Genesis (Part 1)

Shepherding Lessons from Genesis (Part 2)

Tools of the Shepherd

Shepherding to the Good Shepherd

Godly Character and Ministry

Ministry Opportunities

The Portrait of a Godly Man

A Call to Purity

The Blessings of a Fruitful Bough

End Notes

Preface

This book rounds out the foliage trilogy on biblical family life: The Fruitful Bough – Affirming Biblical Manhood, The Fruitful Vine – A Celebration of Biblical Womanhood, and The Olive Plants – Raising Spiritual Children. The subject of biblical manhood was initially tackled in the later chapters of the book Seeds of Destiny; in this tome the subject is revisited in much more detail. What does it mean for a man to be a fruitful bough?

Joseph is a fruitful bough,

A fruitful bough by a well;

His branches run over the wall.

The archers have bitterly grieved him,

Shot at him and hated him.

But his bow remained in strength,

And the arms of his hands were made strong

By the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob

(From there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel) (Gen. 49:22-24).

Joseph was Jacob’s favorite son, Rachel’s firstborn. The prophetic fulfillment of Jacob’s blessing on Joseph was witnessed in the posterity of his sons Ephraim and Manasseh – both were tribal leaders with numerous descendants. Joseph was oppressed by his enemies; his own brothers disdained him and pierced his heart with arrows of bitter words. They plotted to kill him, but God’s grace intervened and divine providence directed him to Egypt. Though Joseph suffered thirteen years of sorrow in Egypt, God’s grace worked the difficulty into a greater good which would benefit everyone involved. Joseph was promoted to rule Egypt, second only to Pharaoh. His leadership and protection would preserve Egypt, the surrounding nations, and the Jews, God’s covenant people from demise.

The Hebrew word ben, translated bough twice in the above passage is normally translated son, but the compelling figurative language of the text necessitates an allegorical rendering of the word. James Strong describes the meaning of ben as one who is a builder of the family name.¹ In this respect a spiritually minded man, one who upholds his family, is likened to a strong fruitful bough – even secular hostility does not divert such a man from attending to his family and blessing others, for his faith is deeply rooted in God’s grace. As Jacob had practically learned, such a man draws his full strength from the well of God’s grace and practical wisdom from the skill of the mighty Shepherd – God Himself.

In comparison with his other sons, Jacob’s blessing of Joseph is the longest – Joseph is the fruitful bough and the prince among his brethren (Gen. 49:26). The imagery of Jacob’s blessing upon Joseph is simply fascinating – it combines all the main ingredients of biblical manhood into one word picture: a faithful servant who relies on God’s grace (pictured in the well), a bulwark of protection (seen in the wall), defender of truth (depicted by the bow), a tender leader (portrayed in the Shepherd), and a selfless supplier of blessing (the fruitful branches reaching beyond the wall). The fruitful bough’s crucial position in proximity to other objects, the bough’s activities, and even its prominent features form an intricate word-picture that illustrates many important principles and blessings of biblical manhood.

The whole of Scripture upholds marriage as God’s general rule for humanity. It is recognized that there are alternate sacrificial callings and sovereign determinations beyond the general – to these we simply bow in reverence. Men who remain single can pursue serving the Lord without being hindered by marital and parental duties (1 Cor. 7:32-33). Though singleness is not the general purpose for men, or women for that matter, those dedicated to serving in singleness are greatly appreciated and respected for their selfless love for the Lord Jesus!

It has been said that an ideal wife is any woman who has an ideal husband and a good husband makes a good wife. Just as woman was fashioned from and for man, biblical manhood advocates biblical womanhood. For a wife to achieve full femininity, she must comprehend the divine purpose for which she was created, her husband must be satisfying her essential needs, and she must be sustained by God’s grace for the strenuous responsibility. In God’s design, woman was created to be a helper for man, and man was created to satisfy her needs, thus assisting her to fulfill her God-given role. In the visible realm, few exhibitions of divine order can rival the loveliness of a wife settled in her calling and endeavoring to please her Creator through the pursuit of biblical womanhood, or the man who so identifies with Christ that his guidance and love for others, especially his wife and children, is selfless and tenacious. Such a man affirms God’s design for manhood.

The Book

The Fruitful Bough is divided into four major sections. The first section, The Marital Union, supplies the biblical foundation for the remainder of the book: Why was marriage instituted, and what was God’s best plan for marriage? The next two sections pertain to the main natural roles a married man will find the most joy in fulfilling – namely, being a companion to his wife, shepherding his children, and satisfying the spiritual and physical needs of his family. The final section contains a character sketch of a spiritually-minded man and discusses the types of ministries he is expected to engage in. God reveals both what He finds admirable in a man and what He expects him to do to please Him. May God grant each believing man wisdom and sustaining grace to live out biblical manhood; may each man be a fruitful bough in pursuit of his divine calling.

The Study Guide

The Study Guide provides sixteen lessons formatted with questions and exercises for each of the sixteen chapters of The Fruitful Bough. Weekly Bible studies are preferred; it is my recommendation to read one chapter of The Fruitful Bough and complete the associated lesson each week. Those involved in a group study should be encouraged to complete both the reading and the lesson before gathering for study.

The Teacher’s Guide

The Teacher’s Guide is the Study Guide with answers provided for each question. There is plenty of empty space after each answer for the study leader to personally respond to each question and exercise, and he is encouraged to do so. If you are the study leader, and have not led group studies before, you may want to obtain a copy of my book Your Home the Birthing Place of Heaven to better understand how to control study dynamics, deal with difficult situations, and ask follow-up questions to ensure good involvement. May the Lord Jesus richly bless you and your efforts to teach this important subject matter to others.

The Marital Union –

A Covenant of Companionship

The First Marriage

Chapter 1

"And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet [helper fit] for him" (Gen. 2:18). God observed Adam’s loneliness, and with fathomless wisdom He created the finest solution – woman. It would cost Adam a rib, but the sacrifice would be a reminder that he and the woman were now one flesh and that he would only find completeness with her at his side.

The English word rib (found in Genesis 2:22) is not the best translation of the Hebrew word tsela. Tsela appears forty-four times in the Old Testament and is translated only here as rib; most commonly, it is translated side. God took part of Adam’s side to create woman and then closed up the remaining flesh. In the operation, God took flesh, bone and blood, for the life of the flesh is in the blood (Lev. 17:11). Adam’s first words to his wife confirm that more than a rib was taken: This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man (Gen. 2:23). Woman was created to be her husband’s companion and helper and to remain at his side from where she was extracted. She was drawn from under her husband’s arm, and there, too, she would find comfort and protection.

The woman was to be man’s companion, friend, and helper.  Praise God that Adam did not ask for a teddy bear, or some other flawed substitute, for the only creation that would meet his need for companionship and alleviate his loneliness was woman. Woman was designed not only to be man’s helper and partner for life, but so that she too would find significance and security in the companionship of the man. In His divine wisdom, God created woman to satisfy Adam’s need for companionship, and in creating the perfect partner for Adam, He also was planning the perfect mate for woman.

Everything that the woman became (spirit, soul, and body) was derived from Adam. When his companion was presented to him, he uttered Isha, or woman, meaning derived from man. Eve was as much a descendant of Adam as you and I are. By human procreation, everything that we are is derived from the dust of the earth and the original breath of God into Adam. Adam was created as an innocent living soul, but became degraded by personal sin. We, in him, are also depraved (Rom. 5:12). Depravity is hereditary and requires regeneration by the Holy Spirit to resolve. Satan initially tempted the woman to eat the forbidden fruit, but the ultimate target was Adam, as recorded in Genesis 3. Eve, as a descendant of Adam, was not responsible for the human race. Her sin brought death to her, but to her only; whereas Adam’s sin ushered in death to all who would be derived from him.

Prior to the surgical procedure, Adam had likely seen most, if not all, of the animals because of his task of naming them. How insignificant everything on earth must have seemed after one glimpse of his new helper! The experience for the woman was different: when she opened her eyes for the first time, she saw the Lord, for it was He who brought her to Adam. She knew nothing of her new world before meeting her companion, which allowed Adam to show his wife God’s handiwork and to have the opportunity to appreciate it with her. Man has escorted woman ever since. Life’s special moments are more wonderful when we have someone to share them with!

Man did not invent matrimony. God instituted marriage between one man and one woman in the beginning of human existence; thus, only His rules apply for marriage. Homosexuality is an abomination to the Lord and is nothing less than rebellion against His order (Lev. 18:22, 20:13; Rom. 1:24–32). Polygamy was never approved of by God (Deut. 17:17). Through the marriage covenant, God intended for one man and one woman to become one person; this union would protect and sanctify every part of their relationship.

In the same way, the Church finds her significance and security in Christ even as the woman found her beginning, purpose, and dignity in Adam. It only cost Adam a portion of his side to obtain his bride, but it cost Christ much more, His own life, to ransom His bride. Yet, both the first Adam and the last Adam (Christ) were pleased with what their personal sacrifices obtained for them, the former a woman and the latter a multitude of redeemed souls (Isa. 53:11). Both the first marriage of the Bible and the last marriage of the Bible convey God’s design for the integrity and permanence of the union. Henry Morris writes on this subject:

It is true, of course, that with marriage as well as with all other human activities, God hath made man upright; but they have sought out many inventions (Eccl. 7:29). Polygamy, concubinage, polyandry, easy divorce, adultery, promiscuity, and other distortions of the marriage covenant have permeated many cultures; but, as the Lord Jesus said: From the beginning it was not so (Mt. 19:8).¹

This one-person union is God’s plan for every man and woman entering into a marriage covenant. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2:24). In the beginning, God stated that this was His best for mankind, and later, the Lord Jesus confirmed that nothing had changed  (Mt. 19:5-6). Through marriage, one man and one woman become one flesh. One flesh is a singular noun meaning one person. Concerning this relationship, Scripture refers to them, but also acknowledges he and she. A husband and wife, though two different individuals, can no longer act independently. They cannot consider their own interests first; they must think and act as one person, which necessitates developing joint interests and engaging in activities together.

One flesh is pictured by two pieces of paper glued together after the glue has dried. When they are pulled apart, pieces of both sheets still stick to each other.

— Walter Trobisch

This oneness reality in marriage is at the heart of Paul’s exhortation: So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church (Eph. 5:28-29). When a man sacrificially loves his wife, as he is commanded or expected to do (Eph. 5:25, 28, 33; Col. 3:19), his initiating love will naturally return unto him. Wives love to love, but