God's word reveals to us the importance of relationships.
23 "At last!" the man exclaimed. "This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh! She will be called 'woman,' because she was taken from 'man.'"
24 This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one. 25 Now the man and his wife were both naked, but they felt no shame.
In The Beginning when God created the world he didn't set out to give us the details of how his work was accomplished. All that we really need to know is that God spoke everything into existence from out of nothing. The story of the Bible is so much bigger than knowing any more details about our world than what God told us.
The creation story ends and from this point on the focus of the Bible is about God's favorite subject, it's all about relationships, the relationship between God and man and also the need for mankind to have human relationships.
We cannot imagine how it must have been to be able to relate to God before sin. It must have been amazing to have him walk in the garden and have him talk directly to you, we don't know how long it lasted but I am sure Adam always longed for the good old days.
We cannot imagine how amazing it was to have a marriage that wasn't affected by sin. Have you ever been in a fight with someone and stopped to wonder if the thing that you think is important isn't really what you are fighting about? Probably not. I think that we are clueless about how far reaching the effects of sin are on our world and how much it has damaged our relationships.
Adam had a special relationship with God that the animals couldn't have but God knew that Adam needed more. It is difficult to understand that some religions believe that their clergy should be without a wife because it is supposed to be a more excellent way to live when God makes it clear that it isn't good for man to be alone. If God says that about sinless man living in the most awesome neighborhood ever then it must be way more true now that we are living outside of Eden.
God gave the first bride away to Adam to fulfill his need for a companion, Eve wasn't a subordinate or a slave, she was created in the image of God with equal status and she would have the same work and the same commands to follow.
Many people decide that God's design isn't good enough, some want to make slaves of the woman, make her a lesser being or they want to disregard God's original design by taking a partner for themselves of the same sex.
Ephesians 5:25-27 For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean, washed by the cleansing of God’s word. He did this to present her to himself as a glorious church without a spot or wrinkle or any other blemish. Instead, she will be holy and without fault.Throughout scripture marriage is a metaphor for the relationship of God with his chosen people and for Jesus relationship with the church. Marriage is supposed to be a picture of his covenant love for his people. Adam's bride and the bride of Christ both came from their side, from Adam's open side came Eve and from the side of Christ came the church.
The metaphor doesn't work with same sex marriages, two Adam's or two Eve's can never illustrate the holy union and symbolism that God intended earthly marriage to be. If the marriage has two husbands or two wives then who is the head of the marriage that lays down their life for the other? Which one is going to be submissive as to the Lord?
Revelation 19:7-9 Let us be glad and rejoice, and let us give honor to Him. For the time has come for the wedding feast of the Lamb, and His bride has prepared herself. 8 She has been given the finest of pure white linen to wear." For the fine linen represents the good deeds of God's holy people. 9 And the angel said to me, "Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb." And he added, "These are true words that come from God."
The promised future restoration of our relationship with God is beautifully demonstrated in marriage. We will enjoy his presence again as we are united with him in a pure relationship that will never again be influenced by sin.
I have a peaceful relationship with God as his child because of Jesus but our relationship is still a struggle because I am still bound to this sinful world. Because of sin I cannot fully know him and relate to him as intimately as I will some day. I cannot love him or worship him as I will some day when all of the distractions of my carnal nature has been removed.
I have a peaceful relationship with God as his child because of Jesus but our relationship is still a struggle because I am still bound to this sinful world. Because of sin I cannot fully know him and relate to him as intimately as I will some day. I cannot love him or worship him as I will some day when all of the distractions of my carnal nature has been removed.
A husband and wife pursuing the gospel as their goal will grow closer than a husband and wife focused solely on their own happiness.Until that day, I need to show the world the love of God through my marriage, I need to pursue my relationship with my wife just as God pursued me and I need to love her sacrificially just as God has done for me.
-Richard Coekin, Ephesians For You
My appreciation and gratitude for the grace that has been shown to me through the gospel needs to be lived out daily in a covenant relationship so that the world can see the love of God on display.
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