How are men the Bride of Christ?
Accepting the role of God’s bride is easier for women than for men, especially since it is literal. In light of this truth, how can we explain the depth of intimacy with God to that of oneness with the male gender? First, a principal truth in Scripture is that we are neither male nor female in the eyes of God, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal 3:28 NIV). We established earlier that Adam was both male and female, even as God. Adam was made in the likeness and image of God, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them” (Gen 1:27 NIV). Eve was an external manifestation of the feminine part in Adam. So whether we are male or female we are the external manifestation of God’s image and are able to seek a relationship with God as Eve did with Adam and vice versa. In Hebrew, God’s name is the combination of the letters Yud and Hay. The name for Adam is Eish, which is spelled using the Hebrew letters Aleph-Yud-Shin. Eve’s name is Elisha, spelled in Hebrew Aleph-Shin-Hay. The Yud in Adam’s name is the male characteristics of God, not found in Eve’s name and the Hay in Eve’s name is the female characteristics of God not found in Adam’s name. Therefore, whether male or female we can have a relationship with Christ in the sense of intimacy, because we are all one in Christ. The “one in Christ” or “heis” is neuter, without regard to gender. Regardless of our gender we can become one with Christ as preached by Paul, “Do you not know that he who unites himself with a prostitute is one with her in body? For it is said, ‘The two will become one flesh.’ But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit” (1 Cor 6:16-17 NIV). Out of all the servants of God, David is the one of whom it was said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart” (Acts 13:22 NASB). It was not a woman after God’s heart, it was a man. Men, you are able to steal the heart of God with your love and passion for Him, just like David. All it takes is a heart devoted to know and love Him (Song 6:4-5).
