Mablog in the Matrix

My two favorite bloggers are Douglas Wilson (Blog & Mablog) and Michael Bull (Bible Matrix). Bull, a graphic designer, is second to none in seeing Biblical patterns and structure while Wilson, a pastor, leads the pack in cultural analysis/treatment. This post is an experiment in blending the work of these two theological superstars in the lab of the imagination. Let’s see what happens!

In 2016 Wilson wrote a blogpost called “7 Reasons Young Men Should Marry Before Their 23rd Birthday.” For a long time it was the most viewed post on his blog. I highly recommend it, and it can be found here.

I thought I’d put Wilson’s seven reasons through Bull’s Bible Matrix, his name for the structural patterns he sees in scripture (for an introduction to the Bible Matrix check out these videos) to see how they fit. To do this, I used four of my favorite knives in Bully’s kitchen: Dominion Pattern, Days of Creation, Israel’s Feasts, and First Seven Books of Bible. Then I wrote what I saw, summarizing Wilson’s points but using language which reflects what is going on in the Matrix patterns, along with making a few observations of my own. As I ran this experiment, I was fascinated by how well it worked. Not only are Wilson’s points chiastic in structure, their content fits quite well with Bully’s Matrix. Check out the table, then read below to see what emerged in the lab!

Wilson’s Points	Dominion	Creation	Feasts	Books
Singleness	Creation	Light	Sabbath	Genesis
Porn	Division	Firmament	Passover	Exodus
Work	Ascension	Land/Plants	Firstfruits	Leviticus
Identity	Testing	Sun, Moon, Stars	Pentacost	Numbers
Children	Maturity	Fish & Birds	Trumpets	Deuteronomy
Expectations	Conquest	Land Animals & Man	Day of Atonement	Joshua
Feminism	Glorification	Rest	Tabernacles	Judges

1.) CREATION-LIGHT-SABBATH-GENESIS

There is no such thing as the gift of singleness. It is not part of creation. Singleness is, but singleness as “gift” is not. “It is not good for man to be alone.” There is nothing enlightened about being single; it is not a light unto itself. There is nothing ultimately restful about singleness per se (detached from the gift of celibacy).

Genesis begins with the creation of “Heaven and Earth,” and “Man and Woman”. It ends with God’s people living at peace within the world empire, a picture of a marriage (including Joseph marrying an Egyptian). And it all centers around an old married couple having a miracle baby.

2.) DIVISION-FIRMAMENT-PASSOVER-EXODUS

Porn is a division between real women and images of women. Looking at unclothed women is a removal of the firmament/veil. But, just as living in Egypt did not disqualify Israel from entering into the promised land, neither does struggling with porn disqualify a man from marrying. Rather, it reemphasizes his need to marry. The Israelites were not disqualified from going to Canaan because they were in Egypt. The problem was wanting to stay there or go back.

3.) ASCENSION-LAND & PLANTS-FIRSTFRUITS-LEVITICUS

The man has to go to work, and the woman helps him. He must “get up” and go into the land to work. This is the first fruit of the marriage: actual food on the table. There is a statistic that married men without a bachelor’s degree make more money than single men with one. Marriage is a wonderful motivator for productivity.

4.) TESTING-SUN/MOON/STARS-PENTACOST-NUMBERS

This is what it all centers around, and perhaps the main reason men don’t get married young. It is the question of where identity (or perhaps a better word would be authority—the sun and moon are governors of the sky) comes from. The governmental aspect of being a co-ruler results in a man’s old way of existing undergoing a new spirit. This is the purifying Pentacostal fire that makes him a different person. This is the testing in the wilderness.

5.) MATURITY-FISH & BIRDS-TRUMPETS-DEUTERONOMY

In chiastic opposition to #3, the man must work at home as well as outside of it. Children are swarms, like the fish and birds. They are an army and they are loud as trumpets. And they require parents to repeat the laws of the home to this new generation, and to be youthful enough to lead them in the battles families face.

6.) CONQUEST-LAND ANIMALS & HUMANS-ATONEMENT-JOSHUA

In contrast to the porn of #2, this is a warning against unrealistic expectations coming from within, rather than without. Unlike fighting porn which is like escaping the allures of Egypt, this involves conquering the fears of what is lurking in the Promised Land. It is overcoming the anxiety of that thing about the girl that falsely puts her in the category of unattainable or undesirable. Not seeing her sins and shortcomings as giant guardians, but believing that the Promised Land is worth whatever battles are required to obtain it. #2 was about being under the firmament, the covering of Passover blood, keeping the clothes on the girl. #6 is about being the firmament, being the atoning sacrifice, like Adam on Day 6, being cut in order to build a bride. It is about being the clothes for the girl, shielding Rahab as you take the city.

7.) GLORIFICATION-REST-TABERNACLES-JUDGES

Just as singleness is not created light, feminism is not rest from creation. It is actually a lot of work to be a feminist these days, simply to keep up with knowing what is “offensive” and what isn’t. It is not good for man to be alone, and is also not restful for women to be men. Israel was called to be a resting place for the nations at the Feast of Tabernacles, when all the nations were invited to come and pitch a tent. And I would add that being married brings with it a measure of gravitas which single people are drawn to. Young married people, in my observation, generally have a bit more weight to their words and actions, and in a sense rule over the world of singles around them. “In those days there were no young married men in the land, and everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Get married young and you might just find people coming to your tent asking to sit by your fire and to give them advice as your simple words slay the Philistine army of bad ideas they’ve adopted about gender, marriage, and mission.