The Them In Him; Biblical Family Structure. Book 1. Second Edition; Dr. Gina Murray: Madrina Media, www.madrinamedia.com 2016, 373pp,;$17.99 (reviewed by BN SHMU ÉL (Chief Editor/Contributor, BN SHMU ÉL Publishing House/ Ha DBR Media, Inc.)
The Them In Him by Dr. Gina Murray is one of those books that will be around forever! The concepts explored in it are so clearly crystalized by the author in such a precise manner, that the reader can overlook them no more once the book is put down. Furthermore, those that read this will begin to act intentionally, rather than just living life accidentally. Not since the release of Ben Ammi Ben Israel‘s God, The Black Man, and Truth, forty years ago, has a text coming from the People of Yisrael been as influential as Dr. Murray’s The Them In Him. The book is 373 hard hitting pages of wisdom, insight, and instruction for not only those that seek to fulfill the requirements of marriage as commanded since the beginning of time, but also for those that seek to meet the necessary prerequisites for carrying out the directives to “let there be light”, “be fruitful”, and “multiply”. This is a text that every true believer in The Most High must study and implement immediately.
In The Them In Him, the first of a multi book series on Biblical Family Structure, a clear line of demarcation is made between common understandings of marriage and the actual biblical concept of marriage. According to Dr. Murray, “biblical marriage” is not in and of itself a piece of paper, a civil union, a white dress, a wedding ring, or a sharing of possessions. Rather, it is oneness, not only amongst those adjoined to the believing husband, but also a oneness visualized by their alignment with the will of The Creator, who is, in fact, the architect of the entire process.
Dr. Murray skillfully articulates the underlying principles undergirding the creation of Adam as articulated in the book of B’reshith (Genesis); namely the hierarchical differences between light & darkness, heaven & earth, the tangible & intangible, and ultimately the idea that the final duality created, female essence (n’kwevah) & male essence (zekhor), are the two elements combined that form Adam (man). Essentially Dr. Murray asserts that the process by which the two essences become one again is through the woman submitting to the will of the man that she has been selected for. When she (iyshah) causes her will to be his will, and he causes his will to be that of The Father’s, she becomes a bonafide “wife” to the husband, and the family then becomes a vessel that can be used by The Father towards nation building. If these steps are skipped then that family and those individuals disqualify themselves from greater things.
What must also be noted throughout the text is Dr. Gina’s piercing questions and admonitions posed to the reader – which pose real life scenarios, checkpoints (if you will), for the reader to gauge where they are or have been in their relationships/marriages. For example, she addresses, and simultaneously demolishes the common sentiment that Western society projects and champions for “godly” males, namely those encouraging him to “Be your own man!” or to “Think for yourself”. She argues that if men do not submit themselves to Elohistic council and leadership they will actually reject their own justification for being submitted to by others. In fact, she suggests that men should do this (submit) before taking on any relationship with women. The logic is that one cannot master submission if they themselves have not submitted.
“Function” is the buzz word used throughout the text. The hierarchy in the biblical home is not because The Creator values males more than females. Rather, the “difference in authority” says Dr. Gina, is intended “for the purpose of function”. The wife, she asserts, is a functional position having an actual job description, that requires her to use “her thoughts, feelings, will, and subsequent words to protect his vital organs.” The wife’s role, says Dr. Gina, is to receive instructions from Elohiym through her husband and to submit, or allow her husband to cleave to her. Along those lines, to wives, she offers the following admonition:
Wives, our definition of which thoughts, feelings, and ideas are good for consumption must be
in line with God’s word. Wisdom is to be sought from above and not from below. So many
married women have been deceived into a spooky religion where they claim to have a private
revelation resulting from direct interaction with the divine which is not supported by scripture
nor has it been confirmed by her own husband….If you have doubts about a potential
husband’s capacity to teach, model, remind, and rebuke you (and disavow your idle/erroneous
statements) as per the word of God. DO NOT MARRY THAT MAN! If you do, you will havee
to go through some suffering related to that decision. (61)
From her explanation of the various legal statuses of women in Torah as well as outlining the expectations for each – (each status is directly connected to that woman’s relationship to their father and/or husband) to explanations of the dowry system, (which the author asserts is intended to “prove the man’s effectiveness in the marketplace of the community first before taking a man’s daughter to wife.”) Dr. Murray takes on the common sentiment that the dowry diminishes a woman’s value. In fact, Dr. Gina asserts that “only a foolish woman would reject the dowry”. The book also details an in-depth explanation of what is meant by the scriptural declaration that the husband is the prophet, priest, and king in his home, including a detailed expose on why it rubs so many of the common understanding in the wrong way.
The text is a gem. It anticipates questions and scenarios that commonly arise from relationships and offers clear functional biblical instructions. The duty of a man to his wife and a wife to her lord is explained, including just what the phrase “keep his peace” means. The guessing game of common understandings of marriage are exposed by the author, while she, through an accurate reading of the text and experience, elevates biblical marriage to its functionality. Placed within the context of a framing of and labeling by what she terms as the “global satanic thought system” (GSTS) Dr. Murray confronts common intentional mischaracterizations around ideas of work, love, finances, submission, arranged marriages, divorce/separation, and popularly misconstrued scriptures (B’reashiyth/Genesis 2, B’Midbar/Numbers 30, Mishley/Proverbs 31, & 1 Corinthians 14). Also, as an added bonus, the text features four appendices that definitively answers any question one would have around matters pertaining to Biblical family structure and relationships.
Overall, Book One by Dr. Murray fulfills its mission. By it, believers (aspiring Husbands and Wives) have been furnished with the proper tools to confront those elements and ideas that only serve to distract and divert from taking on and being elevated by structuring family along lines demarcated by Biblical instructions. It is a must read, and given the current crisis in communities of Yisrael at home and abroad around matters pertaining to family and family structure, it is urgently suggested and highly recommended.
21 August 2020
Bn Shmû ÉL is a loyal son, a committed father, and the founder of HaDBR Media, Chief Editor at Bn Shmû ÉL Publishing House, and author of The Land Of Milk and Honey: The Heart Of The World. https://www.bn-shmu-el.com/shop .
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