ONE The Image of Elohiym

By Rebecca R. Brown

This book is about God's creation of mankind and marriage. It takes an in-depth look at how the male and female are meant to be the image of God and why that image requires both the man and woman. It is a study involving His purpose for creating mankind, his individual design of the male and female, his purpose for the way he designed them (wire

• Language: English
• Publisher: Hupotasso Publications
• Release date: Jul 9, 2023
• ISBN: 9798887964874

Rebecca R. Brown

Rebecca R. Brown is a minister/teacher at the New Church of the Living God in Junction City Ks. She is a public speaker, singer/songwriter, and has authored five books, a Christian fiction, mystery trilogy, an in-depth Biblical study titled Tithing the Truth Revealed (first book in the Hidden Treasure series), and a children's book/parable titled Too Many Dragons. She is the wife of Dwight R. Brown, (deceased) mother of five, and grandmother of eighteen grandchildren. She is devoted to in-depth study of the Word of God and holds God and His Word to be the ultimate authority. Her purpose in writing and teaching is to present scriptural truth without prejudice influenced by denomination, opinions or desires of man.

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Reviews

Gabriel Wafula (Kenya)

The writer of this book is a prolific author who correctly divides the Word of God. She passionately talks about marriage from God’s perspective. The reader will learn important truths from the heart of God. After thorough study of the book one will realize that; marriage was ordained of God – Gen. 2:18. This institution, therefore, should be greatly honored. At marriage, husband and wife become one body. They are part of each other.

I have studiously read this book and used it to teach seminars on marriage. It has been amazing! I have seen marriages transformed as a result of embracing the divine truths contained in the book. In a world where the marriage institution is severely threatened, what is contained in this book is panacea. The world today seriously needs this truth in a concerted effort to strengthen the marriage institution.

This book should be studied prayerfully for the truth to be captured. The captured truth has transformational power. I humbly attest to this fact. People have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ after realizing they have been in captivity. Many marriages are thriving now because of important truths contained in this book. The reader will find great treasure contained in this book.

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Pst. Joshua Juma (Kenya)

Out of the many teachings I have ever had, this is the most powerful eye opener, now understood the purpose of God as far as creation is concerned, I have also understood the purpose of God concerning marriage. I know that I have a role as a man to minister first to my wife and children. In short, it’s taught me to realize my role as a husband. I used to think my wife was just to understand because we are to serve God, thus overlooking my role as a husband, which led to much conflict in my marriage. But after reading this notes, I now have peace with my family. Thank you, sister Rebecca. May God bless and keep you safe in his mighty arms as you help many people realize their position in this life.

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Philip Wekesa (Kenya)

After going through these studies together with my family and church, we have been nourished spiritually. May the Lord bless you with His abundant grace. SHALOM!!

Explanation of Study Helps

The King James translation of the Bible is used in this study. Throughout the study, the Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible is used for definitions of certain Hebrew and Greek words from which the Bible was translated.

The Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon is used once. And where the author has added emphasis through capitalization etc., there will be a notation in parenthesis at the end of the scripture, (e.m.) for – emphasis mine.

When the author adds a comment or other notation in a scripture verse, it is noted by (p.m.) for – parenthesis mine.

Copyright 2022

Hupotasso Publications

All rights reserved. Brief excerpts of this material may be copied and used for reviews, quotation, etc. Anything more may not be reprinted without written permission from the author/publisher Hupotasso Publications 785-210-7236.

Hupotasso Publications

ISBN 979-8-88955-211-6

Acknowledgments

I want to first give honor to God who sent His only begotten Son to save us from our sins. I want to honor Jesus, the living Word, who was sent from the Father and gave us great treasures directly from the heart and mouth of Jehovah, our self-existent, eternal God.

Psalms 107:20 He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

Next, I want to acknowledge and honor my husband, Dwight R. Brown, who is now in the presence of God. God used my husband as he shared knowledge that he received through the revelations of Jesus, the Word, to help create a hunger in me for greater knowledge and understanding. Now, I am thankful for the treasures I discovered that I had once overlooked. Thank you, my love. I look forward to our reunion one day.

I also want to thank my dear friend and brother, Gabriel Wafula, with whom I have shared the study contained in these pages, and who has become a dear partner in ministry. God has used Brother Wafula to encourage me in the work of the Lord. He took this study, even before it was edited and supplemented, as you find it here, and shared its message with many.

His reports of the wonderful things God has done through His Word and ministering this study have inspired me to carry on. It has made apparent the importance and value of the message contained in these pages. He has prayed and interceded for me, encouraged me through hard times, and inspired me not to give up but to continue in the work God has given me to do.

Thank you, Brother Gabriel, for pressing on, working in God’s vineyard, carrying the Word of God and the revelations contained in this study to hundreds of those Jesus died for.

Thank you, my son, Dwight J.R. Brown, for putting together the cover for this book. You used your talent and time, and as always, did beautiful work! I love you, son!

Forward

Dear Reader, within these pages, is valuable information that I want to share with you, and hope that it will bless your life. I became a Christian at a young age, but there were many things I was not taught about the purpose God had in mind when he made the first man and woman, and what that said of His purpose for me, let alone His purpose for marriage. Had I had a better understanding of these things when I married my husband at the young age of seventeen, it would have benefitted me greatly.

God blessed me with a loving husband who, though only twenty years old, was a man of the Word, from whom I learned more about the love of God than I had ever known. Still, we both came from homes with abusive fathers. We had a lot to learn and a lot to overcome.

I am thankful for the valuable truths about marriage God allowed me to know even at that young age, yet my understanding was limited. After eighteen years of marriage, we were in an automobile accident, when a drunk driver left his lane and drove into us. My husband swerved and took most of the impact. He and our four-and-a-half-year-old daughter were soon in heaven, and I had four children to raise on my own.

Though my husband and my children’s father was now gone, I still wanted them to know that their father’s value, and what he had put into our lives remained. God has been my strength. His Spirit, through His Word, has been my guide, help, and comforter.

However, it wasn’t long after my husband passed before I heard Christian people saying things concerning marriage that troubled me deeply. As I searched the scriptures for answers, I began to discover treasures I had not realized were in the Word of God. I call these treasures hidden in plain sight.

Now, I am convinced that much of the stress in the lives of multitudes of Christians is because of a lack of foundational truth that has been stolen by the same interloper who deceived Eve in the Garden of Eden. These treasures have been passed over by many because of piles of misconceptions that have gotten in the way and hindered their ability to see them.

The world over, people wonder what their purpose is. Christians wonder what it is that God wants them to do with their lives. Some worry that perhaps they have missed their calling, while some fear they never do enough to please God.

There are those who desire to keep the laws of God and do right, yet they remain unfulfilled personally, and in their marriages. They face contention and anxiety in personal relationships while trying to do the ministry they believe they have been called to. Something is missing. Could the missing link have to do with the marital relationship or the lack thereof?

The Bible tells men to live with their wives according to knowledge.

1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge….

But so many of us do not even understand how God created us or why, before we enter into marriage. We do not understand the basics of our own design, wiring, or purpose. How can women expect men to know things about them that they do not even know themselves? Nor do men often understand God’s design and purpose for their makeup either.

We enter marriage and want it to be all the beautiful things we imagine it’s supposed to be. We come to the Lord and receive His gift of salvation. We are often encouraged, if not urged to give our lives in service to God, meaning to get involved in ministry. We often try to fit into all these various areas and what we believe to be duties in life, without understanding what our priorities should be.

If we do not understand what God had in mind on the day He said Let us make man … then it is easier for the enemy of God and of ourselves to deceive us in many ways.

But dear brothers and sisters, there is peace to be had, and much more than peace. There is joy, victory, and calm assurance. But it may necessitate being willing to face God’s Word head-on and to compare what you have believed to the treasures you have overlooked though they were hidden in plain sight. These are treasures worth finding and worth taking the time to clear away all the debris, even pulling out roots of weeds that have grown over, around, above, and beneath the beautiful truth, you are meant to have.

For what our Lord has said remains true; the truth shall make you free. (John 8:32) And - If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed. (John 8:36)

Wouldn’t it be nice to just know why God made you physically, mentally, and emotionally as He did? Wouldn’t it be nice to find out that His plan for you started with you just, being you? And wouldn’t it be a relief to find out that one of the greatest witnesses of God to the world, could be the life you live with your spouse? Wouldn’t it be nice to face the days ahead in calm assurance that God was already working in your life, and that He will gently guide you day by day and moment by moment in the way He would have you to go?

If so, I invite you to go with me to find precious answers that give us a glimpse into God’s heart, in an abundance of beautiful treasures He placed right in His Word. Every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God is a gift to treasure, that can feed our spirit if only we will take it to heart and hear what He is saying to us.

My desire is that once you discover and understand these things, your heart will be enhanced, you will find greater peace than you have ever known, and will approach the days that are ahead with anticipation and motivation.

Please read this study prayerfully. Be blessed and let your heart sing!

Rebecca R. Brown

John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

Contents

Reviews

Explanation of Study Helps

Acknowledgments

Forward

Chapter One: A Journey of Discovery

Chapter Two: The Creation of Woman and Marriage

Chapter Three: What Died? What of the Body?

Chapter Four: Woman, A Vessel

Chapter Five: Woman, An Incubator - Nurturer

Chapter Six: Dissolving the Myth Concerning The Proverbs 31 Woman

Chapter Seven: The Problem of Headship and Submission Part One

Chapter Eight: The Problem of Headship and Submission Part Two

Chapter Nine: Does God Have an Opinion?

Chapter Ten: Feminine Pursuits

Chapter Eleven: The Hatred of Women

Chapter Twelve: The Destruction of Masculinity

Chapter Thirteen: Women, Obey Your Husbands in the Lord?

Chapter Fourteen: Marriage, the Death Sentence

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A Journey of Discovery

Chapter One

Dear Reader, I invite you to take a journey of discovery with me. Let us go back in time to the beginning of mankind and find treasures that were meant to be ours, yet somehow have been lost to many. The same interloper who entered the Garden of Eden has worked painstakingly to keep us from knowing all of the treasures our God has for us that can enrich our lives.

He used cunning deception to get the first woman whom God created to believe a false narrative. As a talented illusionist can cause a person to feel he is seeing something that is not really there, the enemy of God, using seducing words, presented Mother Eve with a lie that seemed real, and her perception was changed.

But today is a new day! Many have already learned about that first deception, and many of us have found our precious Lord and Savior. Still, there are more discoveries for God’s children to find. Not new doctrines, but treasures that have been overlooked. So, let us be on our way back to the Garden where it all began.

Can you imagine how exquisite the world must have been on the sixth day of creation, when Adam's eyes first beheld it, fashioned by the creator of the universe in flawless beauty? The very air he first breathed was sweet, fresh, and uncontaminated, with the firmament yet in the heaven above. (Gen. 1:6) The mighty, eternal God had created it all according to his own heart's desire before he took some dust and began molding and shaping the very first man whom each of us has descended from.

Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

In Hebrew the word ‘formed’ is yatsar (through the idea of squeezing into shape)… to mould into a form; espec. as a potter ....)

I once sat and visited with an artist as he worked with a piece of wax he held in his hands. In short order, he had shaped it into a cougar. How his hands could transform the wax into something of such design so quickly was amazing. He would later spend more time perfecting it, adding details, and eventually, a mold would be made, then a bronze. It started as wax and became a thing of value.

But the artist, who is Father God, shaped the first man out of dust. Yes, a man with all his internal organs, every hair of his head, every detail of the amazing human body was made from dust! Yet, what a tremendously beautiful man he must have been!

Indeed, God’s works are amazing! He works with purpose, unlimited ability, and power! He is meticulous and knows what He is going to achieve before He begins.

So, as we take this journey of discovery, let us look closely at what God did in the first week of creation, as well as his purpose for His actions. And let us consider what these things mean to our lives today. You may have a general idea of what happened in those first seven days, but sometimes we overlook beautiful details that can have a profound effect on our lives once we discover them.

Let us start with the creation of Adam. Have you ever thought about the personal connection God made to his man as He formed him, molding him out of dust? Whether He molded him with His hands, or the process took place by the sheer power of His words, the man was formed by God. He did not just appear without a specific action. We are here today because of the works of the Almighty God.

One of the treasures often overlooked is the fact that man was already man before receiving life. This is a treasure whose value will unfold more and more throughout this study. The first man was a thing of beautiful perfection. Yet he was lifeless, with great potential - if only ….

Ah-ha! Now here is another of those treasures to uncover – the ‘if only’…. We will look at two ‘if onlys’ concerning Adam. One of these is – if only he had life in him.

Notice that the Father made another special connection with his creation, his man, by giving him something of himself. He breathed into his nostrils and gave him his own breath of life. The heart began to beat, the blood began to circulate, and Adam became something more than he already was. He was already Adam, a creation of God. He was already a piece of art - God’s handiwork. But when God breathed His own breath into him, he became a living soul!

The Bible does not say that Adam received a soul to live inside his body. It does not say that a soul was waiting somewhere in Heaven for the opportunity to enter Adam's body. Establish this firmly in your mind and understanding; before the breath of life was breathed into Adam, he was already Adam. Once he received the breath of life, he became a living soul!

It was only Adam into whom we are told God put something of Himself. Clearly, there were other living creatures, all of which required oxygen to breathe. But this is not to say that the breath of God is nothing more than oxygen.

In forming man and breathing His own breath into him, God was doing a very personal thing. He began a relationship with him. Then it was up to Adam to respond. So, keep in mind how God connected to the man by forming him and giving him part of Himself.

Once Adam became a living soul, God placed this new creation into a garden called Eden to do something he could not have done before receiving life from God. He placed him there to dress and to keep the garden.

Genesis. 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

God had Adam name all of the animals and watched to see what he would call them.

Genesis 2:19 And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

The authority position God gave Adam can be seen by how He had him to name all the animals. Parents have the privilege of naming their children when they are born because those children belong to them. They have the authority to name their children.

Adam was not the father of the animals, but God gave him a position of authority over them. This was God’s plan even before He created him.

Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. (e.m.)

And God demonstrated Adam’s authority even before He completed him.

WAIT! - BEFORE HE COMPLETED HIM?WHAT CAN THIS MEAN?

At first, such a statement may not seem to make sense. But upon taking a closer look at the God whom Adam was created to be in the image of, such a statement ceases to seem so farfetched.

When the scripture says that in the beginning 'God' spoke, saying, Let us make man .... what do you picture? Is it, perhaps, a magnificent, mighty, powerful individual looming in the atmosphere above the earth, speaking with a thunderous voice? Perhaps you envision him standing on the earth that He has just created with arms outstretched, speaking words that are powerful commands.

Actually, there was not just one individual present on that day. When the Bible said that ‘God’ said, Let us make man …. the word 'God,’ in Hebrew, is the word Elohiym, (eloheem,) which is the plural of the word elowahh.

This is important in discovering the treasures we want to uncover so they can bless our lives. God could have used the word 'elowahh,' the singular word for God, but He did not. He chose the plural form, which better describes Him. In fact, it is said that the word ‘Elohim’ (Elohiym) is in the Hebrew Bible 2,500 times.

Let’s look at a scripture that expresses this.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear O Israel: The Lord our God (elohiym, the plural form of elowahh or God) is one Lord. (p.m.)

Considering the definitions of some of the words in this verse, as given in the Strong’s Concordance, we can learn much.

The word ‘Lord,’ in Hebrew is – "Yehovah; (the) self -Existent or Eternal: Jehovah, Jewish national name of God: – Jehovah, the Lord."

The word ‘God’ is – elohiym; plural of elowahh.

Elowahh is - (Hebrew - Strong’s) – … a deity or the Deity: - God, god.

The word ‘one’ is – echad; a numeral from achad, prop. united, that is, one; or (as an ordinal) first …. (Hebrew - Strong’s)

So, putting all of this together, we might see this verse as saying,

Hear O Israel, the self-existent Jehovah, our plural God, is united (one) Jehovah.

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; are one composite being.

1 John 5:7 For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. (e.m.)

GOD IS ONE!

This being the case, this image of God that He determined to make, would need to reflect what He is, including the unity, love, and relationship of Elohiym.

In John 10:30, Jesus said –

"I and my Father are one." (e.m.)

They are united. They are one composite being. They are in relationship. Let me share something with you that is very interesting.

Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. (e.m.)

The Son of God, the Savior who was born to take away the sins of the world, was also called The Mighty God and the everlasting Father. Why would the Son of God be called the everlasting Father?

Because He has always been one 'with,' united to, and a part of the Father.

John 1:1-4 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The word ‘without,’ in verse 3 comes from the Greek word – choris, meaning – "at a space, i.e. separately or apart from (often as a prep.): - beside, by itself, without." (Strong's)

So then, the Father did not create anything without, or apart from Jesus, who is identified in John as the ‘Word.’ They worked in unison as truly as your right and left arms may work together to carry a heavy box. In that case, both arms carry the same box at the same time. Two arms that are both parts of one single body. So, in this sense, both Jehovah and Jesus created everything that was made. Being united and a part of each other, they are able to share the title ‘Everlasting Father.’

They were, and are, in relationship. A relationship has to do with a connection and association, as can be seen from definitions of the word in various dictionaries.

When God said, Let us make man, Jesus made. That is, He created. In him was life. It is the Spirit who gives life. The very words that Jesus speaks are life. Again, we see the truth of each member of the Godhead being one.

John 6:63 It is the spirit that quickeneth (gives life); the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life (p.m.)

Even when Jesus was on earth in the form of a man, the whole of God was in Christ.

John 14:11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ….

Colossians 2:9 For in him (Jesus) dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. (p.m.+e.m.)

Fulness means – (Greek) – "pleroma; repletion or completion, i.e. (subj.) what fills (as contents, supplement, copiousness, multitude) ... fulness" (Strong's)

In Christ dwells the completion, the fulness of the Godhead. Take note of the fact that all that makes up God dwells in him bodily, not just spiritually.

The Godhead is - (Greek) – … theotes; divinity (abstractly): - godhead. (Greek [Strong’s])

Bodily is – (Greek) – "somatikos; corporeal or physically: - bodily." (Strong's)

Corporeal, corporeous is, - Having a body; consisting of, or pertaining to, a material body or substance; material; - opposed to spiritual or immaterial. (Webster's 1913)

So, the fulness of the Divinity lives in Christ bodily - physically. He came to earth physically. His body was human. And in that physical state of being, all of God lived in him. The Father and Holy Spirit were always with Him.

John 14:10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. (e.m.)

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (e.m.)

Who does it say will come and make their abode with those who love Him? It is the Father and Son. And the Holy Spirit is always with and in them. It is the God who made man in Genesis - Elohiym!

The definition of ‘abode’ is - a staying, i.e. residence (the act or the place) ... (Greek [Strong's])

God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit will come and reside, or live, in the child of God.

Though it is hard for humans to see how the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit can be only one God, God purposely gave us an idea of how this can be in the way He created Adam and Eve, who were meant to be a reflection of him.

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion …

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (e.m.)

There are multiple witnesses to the unity, oneness, and relationship of God in scripture. Here, in the first chapter of Genesis, we find the plural pronouns ‘us’ and ‘our’ being used in reference to God. Indeed, Jesus was with God in the creation, and, at the same time, He was God. All of the Godhead worked in unison in the creation. They worked together as the composite being that they are.

John 1:1 begins with the same words of Genesis 1:1 In the beginning .…

In the beginning, the Father and Son were one – a composite being that is eternal.

Why have I spent all of this time considering the Godhead? Because this composite God was going to make man in his own image. Therefore, in order for Adam to reflect this amazing God, he could not be a solitary person. He was already in the image of, or a reflection of, Father God. However, God is a life-giver, and He designed Adam with the ability to 'father,' that is, give seed. But by himself, without anyone to receive that seed, he could not produce life.

Adam was wired with the ability, need, instincts, and characteristics to be a provider, protector, and leader – as is Father God. How do we know this? By looking at what God did with Adam.

Genesis 2:15 And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. (e.m.)

Scripture clearly tells us that God put Adam into the garden to do specific things. What does it mean to ‘dress’ and ‘keep’ the garden?

Dress, in Hebrew, is – "abad - to work (in any sense); by impl. to serve, till, ... execute, + husbandman ...." (Strong's)

A husbandman is - A farmer; a cultivator or tiller of the ground; one who labors in tillage. (Websters 1828 Dictionary)

So, he was told to dress the garden, or, in other words, to be the one to take care of it. We do not know what would have been involved in taking care of the garden in its state of perfection at that time, but that was the job God assigned to Adam.

And he was also told to ‘keep’ the garden. The word keep, in Hebrew is – shamar, meaning – "prop. to hedge about (as with thorns) that is, guard; gen. to protect, attend to, etc: - beware ... observe, preserve ...." (Strong's)

So then, Adam was also to be the guard and protector of the garden. This is an authoritative position. This position was given to him before the woman was created.

One thing we should remember as we go through scripture is that God designs, creates, and sets things in order according to His preordained plan. Knowing what He wanted men and women to do, He wired each of them precisely as was needed for them to be able to function perfectly in the roles He wanted them to perform.

For this reason, we can be assured that if He wanted man to be a provider and protector, He provided him with the instincts and abilities that were suited to do that job.

Now, also consider that before the creation of the woman, Elohiym said it was not good for the man to be alone.

Genesis 2:18 And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.

Now, remember that earlier I said that before God breathed the breath of life into Adam, he was lifeless, with great potential - if only …. And the first ‘if only’ was if only he had life in him.

Well, the second ‘if only’ was - if only he was not ‘alone.’ This is very interesting. What can it mean? Why would God speak of Adam being alone if he was with God and had all of the animals around him? Isn’t this how we picture Heaven to be? Or isn’t