Thank you for the question on the foundation of gender, “What does the Bible say is the foundation of gender?”
The word, gender, refers to the sex of the animal or human being. The designation of gender of male or female is to describe the reproductivity of its own kind.
The Bible implies that the Creator God created animals with gender with the ability to reproduce its own kind. “ 22 God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there was evening, and there was morning—the fifth day. 24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so. 25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good” (NIV).
The word, multiply and fill the earth implies that the animals had the ability to reproduce. When God commanded Noah to bring the animal by pairs, it is assumed that the pair would be “male” and “female.” If Noah brought two males or two females, then those animals would be non-existent in one generation. It was God’s desire that they filled the earth. Thus, the animals were male and female in anatomy.
The continual creation to care for the animals on earth was through man and a woman. In the creation of humans, God created Adam first and later Eve continual in format. Genesis 1 says this, 26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. 28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground” (NIV).
The text states that God created them as being male and female. He further commanded them to be fruitful and increase in number, to fill the earth and subdue it. In Genesis 2, God reveals the order of creating the man and woman. The man was created in the image and likeness of God with the ability to interact with God and to care for the animals. The man saw that there was no one like himself among all the animals. He was alone. Thus, God created a complement for the man with the ability to reproduce after their own kind. God created a woman for the man. Man was able to interact with God, with another being like himself, and with the animals.
Certainly God could have created animals and humans as asexual being, being able to reproduce without any complement of its own kind. However, God designed the complementary of the sexes enable a dependence on each other for the reproduction of that animal.
On a side note, the blurring of the gender in our culture will lead to a further confusion of traditional roles. The denial of gender and roles will lead to a dehumanization of people in my opinion. If there is no gender, then the roles are relative. If a person can call oneself any sexual orientation and the avoidance of gender designation or role, then the likelihood that individuals will be given a letter and number. There wouldn’t be a need for a “name” but just write or say your identification letter and number. One’s gender or role is irrelevant. This may lead to an elite society whereby certain individuals are given a more distinct identification whereby others are view as “workers” for the system.
Summary: God saw that the preservation of gender enables the uniqueness of man and woman being made in the image and likeness of God with their define roles over and in creation.
-Kingston