Love and Marriage

 

God created man and woman at the same time. Genesis 1:27 says: “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” But for a while, Adam is physically alone in the garden. In Chapter 2:18, God says, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” He puts Adam to sleep, takes one of his ribs, makes it into a woman and brings her to him. So now the one man, Adam, becomes two individuals. It’s important to understand this as we look at marriage because immediately afterward Adam says, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

Notice that it was God who said that man shouldn’t be alone; Adam didn’t ask for anything. When God put Adam to sleep and took woman out of him, he developed two individuals that were incomplete. What he took out of Adam now resided in Eve; what was left in Adam, resided in Adam. Both men and women come from the same place, but they are different in nature. We think differently. We operate differently. But the Bible tells us that these two individuals complete each other. Immediately after Adam wakes up, he says, “She’s part of me—and for this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.” This is where we see marriage. The King James reference says that a man shall “cleave” to his wife. It’s a sexual term. You have two individuals coming together. Just think about that. It’s the second greatest decision any human being can make. The first is giving your life to Jesus Christ. The first is an eternal decision. It’s saying, “I make you my Lord and Savior, I give you my life.” The second decision is two human beings coming together and saying the same thing, “I give you my life while I’m here on earth to live and dwell together as one.” It’s a great decision. It’s not something that should be made haphazardly. It should be made with Biblical principals in mind: That you’re giving your life to one another.

God invented marriage. God invented sex. God invented the family unit. He has a plan for each and every one of us together. God joins a couple together. Adam didn’t go searching for Eve; God brought her to Adam.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll look at marriage: how men and women are different; what it really means for wives to submit; what’s expected of men; the importance of sex; and how God says you should prioritize your life (spouse, kids, job). Many people wrestle issues, such as: Should I put my kids before my husband? She’s always telling me what to do; shouldn’t it be the other way around? Why don’t we ever have sex? You’ll find great answers to these questions in the word of God. In fact, you may be surprised by what the Bible has to say, and how relevant it is today. Stay tuned.