Masculinity Is Very Good
Summary of Chapter 2
Genesis lays it out plain. It tells us what a man is, what he's for. You can't miss it unless you try. It's the first thing you read when you open the book. Everything that matters starts there—men, women, the world, and what God wants from all of it.
Ask a Christian and you'll get soft answers. "For love," they'll say. Or "for God's glory." Not wrong, but not sharp. They forget Genesis. Maybe they don't like it. Too old. Too rough. They stick to the New Testament, smooth and safe. But Genesis is the root. Without it, the tree doesn't stand.
Genesis 1:26-28 says it straight: God made man in His image to have dominion. To rule. To be fruitful. To fill the earth. Read it again. It's there, clear as day. God said, "Let us make man in our image, to rule." And He did. Male and female. He blessed them and said, "Rule. Fill the earth. Subdue it."
Rulership. Fruitfulness. The image of God. They're tied together, knotted tight. Man was made to stand in God's place, to work His ground, to carry His name. Dominion isn't just having authority. It's having the strength to use it. Look at Numbers 24:19, Psalm 72:8-9. Dominion means power. But not cruelty. Adam wasn't made to crush the world. He was made to tend it, to make it better. The world was good, but wild. It needed a man.
The Bible shows us the type. A warrior king. Look at Yahweh in Exodus 15:3. Look at Christ in Revelation 19:11-16. A King. A conqueror. A man who rules and fights. But also a man who serves. Christ washed feet before He rode to war. Both matter. Both belong.
Today they say masculine strength is toxic. They say it's a flaw. But they're wrong. The drive to build, to fight, to win—that's from the start. Before the fall. Adam was made to conquer, not people, but the world. Sin twists it, but grace straightens it. Ambition, courage, dominance—they're not curses. They're gifts. When aimed right, they're glorious.
Dominion isn't just about ruling. It's about filling. Have children. Raise them to know God. Fill the earth with His image. That's why the drive for sex is strong. It has to be. It's the engine of the mission. Look at Adam in Eden. He didn't just keep the garden; he grew it. Planting, pruning, harvesting. Life making more life. That's the pattern. In gardens. In families. In nations.
Genesis says it plain: Men were made to rule and to fill. To show the world what God is like. Strong. Just. Creative. A man who knows this doesn't have to wonder what he's for. He just has to get to work.
Questions for Reflection
What does it mean for a man to rule and fill the earth as part of God’s design?
How has the idea of dominion been misunderstood or misused, and what does it look like when it’s done the right way?
What’s one area of your life where you need to take responsibility and get to work, showing God’s strength and purpose?