Saturday, October 03, 2015
"a woman will surround a man?"
Jeremiah 31:22
Mourning Turned to Joy
…21 "Set
up for yourself road-marks, Place for yourself guideposts; Direct your
mind to the highway, The way by which you went. Return, O virgin of
Israel, Return to these your cities.
22 "How long will you go here and there, O faithless daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth-- A woman will encompass a man."
23 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, "Once again they will speak this word in the land of Judah and in its cities when I restore their fortunes, 'The LORD bless you, O abode of righteousness, O holy hill!'…
------------------------
Question: Could you please explain what it means
when it says in Jeremiah 31:22,
"a woman will surround a man?"
Response: This is a very much disputed verse, and has been for centuries.
Assuming the text is correct (and I believe that it is) "a woman will
surround a man" is represented here in Jer.31:22 as "a new thing", a
change in the natural order of things, at least as far as the world is
now constituted. This is starting point of C.F. Keil's explanation and
he gives a good parallel in Is.43:19. Keil stresses this verse in its
symbolic meaning, namely, Virgin Israel (cf. v. 21) will "surround"
(i.e., give loving attention to) her "husband", the Lord.
This is
certainly correct as far as it goes, and does, as Keil points out,
provide motivation for Israel to "return" to Him in their hearts
(i.e., with the prospect of a new, closer relationship with Him
than has ever existed before as an incentive).
However,
based on the parallel of Isaiah 43:19 and the very concrete nature of this
prophecy, it seems clear that we are also (and first) to take these
words to mean some clear change in the way things work at present.
For
women to give solicitous attention to men (in terms of protection,
provision, affection, what have you), instead of the other way around,
indicates a new set of circumstances in which the brutish, dangerous and
materially restricted mode of living in the world has given
way to one of such justice, security and plenty (as will be the case during
the Messiah's reign) that traditional male protectiveness is no longer
necessary.
So we are not meant to understand any change of
male or female nature from these verses, but rather we are meant to
recognize with this prophecy that
life in the Millennium will be so serene that previous protective male
behavior patterns which have been universal (if occasionally muted in
highly
civilized societies) will be largely unnecessary under the perfect rule
of
Christ.
This verse, therefore, predicts the Millennium, by focusing upon the coming
human security and ease of that blessed time, just as Isaiah 43:19 does, by
focusing upon the ecological transformation that will also take place.
Thucydides says that "war is a violent teacher", noting that human
conflict makes people more brutish by taking away the ease and security
of normal life. While this is a secular appraisal, it stands the test of
history
and is not inconsistent with the Bible.
But in the Millennium, the
trend will
be in the opposite direction, and so much so that presently common
cultural behavior patterns of
males and females will change (though not their natures), and will thus reflect the
absolute security of this unprecedented time of
blessing and
peace. This is certainly something to anticipate for all believers in
Christ.
Please also see the following links:
Peace and grace in Jesus Christ!
Bob L.
