In a cultural era in which the definition of manhood is indistinct, Dr. Tony Evans teaches a divine approach to manhood in his Father’s Day address, “Returning to Biblical Manhood.” Dr. Evans reminds men of God’s definition and standard for manhood. In his message, he states that one of the great ailments of society is the lack of men who align their lives with God’s divine standard for manhood. As a result, men have wreaked havoc in the lives of women and children and in their communities, ultimately negatively affecting society as a whole. Dr. Evans’ message addresses this problem from a biblical perspective as he discusses the requirements and the rewards.
Men must seek to complete the maturation process toward manhood. The maturation process for men happens in three stages: “male-hood,” boyhood, and manhood. “Male-hood” refers to the gender or sexual identity that all men receive by the nature of their birth. It is their hardwiring. Men who function on this level of maturity are driven by their sexual desires rather than by self-control of them. Boyhood can be characterized by two words, immaturity and dependence. Men who function on this level of maturity continually make poor choices and depend heavily on other people for the necessities of life rather than seeking to provide the necessities themselves. These men have the mental and physical capacity to work but choose not to work. Manhood, however, refers to the stage of maturation in which men have reached maturity and assume responsibilities in life. How, then, does Biblical manhood differ, if at all?
Biblical manhood requires submission of a man’s life to divine authority. God works through a hierarchical system known as headship. Headship simply refers to the governing authority in relationships. The divine order of headship as it relates to manhood is stated in 1 Corinthians 11:3: “For Christ is the head of every man, man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ.” Biblical manhood necessitates that men live in submission to Christ in order to fulfill their God given role. In fact, a Christian’s manhood is tied to his spiritual subordination to Christ. What is Biblical manhood? Biblical manhood requires that man be willing to submit his manhood in every area of life to divine authority. In today’s scripture passage, God called all the men of Israel to convene three times a year in the presence of the “LORD your God.” They were to report for a life alignment to the Sovereign One. In other words, the men of Israel were to come to receive orders from the One who had authority over them. What is the benefit of living this way?
The benefit of living under divine authority is divine oversight. Living under divine authority can seem like risky business. Exodus 34:23 called for an assembly of all of the men of Israel three times a year. During these times, commerce, other governmental operations, and military actions in both domestic and national affairs would cease. This would leave the nation in a vulnerable state. Thus, the nation would have to exercise faith in the living God and demonstrate a degree of humility. The promise God made to Israel was that He would provide divine oversight over all of their affairs while the men were away. God would protect their land in their absence even to the point of changing the aspirations of others to keep them from even desiring the land of Israel. When we as men submit ourselves to the authority of Christ, we know that He will govern our affairs. It takes great faith, and it may be risky in relationship to the opinions of others and the adjustments that must be made in our homes; nevertheless, there is no substitute for men living in this way.
This Father’s Day, we as men should seek to live according to the definition of Biblical manhood. We must live a life of maturity; however, our maturity must not lead us to independence from God but dependence upon Him and His divine leadership. When we submit ourselves to God, He will take the reins to give oversight to the affairs that concern us. Only in this way will we reach the standard God has set for men to reach Biblical manhood. Once we commence to function in this way, we begin to bring healing to our wives, our children, and our communities. In the end, we will have a positive rather than a negative impact on society.
