(Links to Bible verses go to www.Biblegateway.com, the New International Version.)
We all pretty much know the story of Adam and Eve: First God made Adam, then He made Eve. Take a look at some of the verses again:
18 The LORD God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.” ... 21 So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.”
24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.
25 The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.
The point here is that God created marriage. In fact, I feel that marriage gives us God’s second gift to man: companionship. For the Politically Correct crowd, first, I’m quoting the Bible here. Second, I will skip about three sermon’s worth of explanation (and I’m not a preacher). Just go with the fact that neither Man nor Woman were designed by their Creator to be alone. To turn a phrase, Guys and Girls were “Meant” for each other.
To me verse 25 points out that both Adam and Eve, and the rest of us married people, have an intimate relationship with our spouse. (Intimate is much more than sex.) We live together, and we share our lives together, without shame, in a way not shared with other people.
Many patterns repeat themselves in the Bible. Lets turn all the way now, to the last Book: Revelations and see how Adam & Eve’s relationship represents even more. (But first, a word about these verses. There’s lots of imagery here, and some important things that can be discussed in another article. But not here.)
(This is after all the battles and other scary stuff in Revelation)
7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.
8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.”
9 Then the angel said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!’ " And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (emphasis added)
The Lamb here refers to Jesus. Looks like He’s getting married! Who’s the Bride??
9 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” 10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. (The passage continues with a description of Jerusalem.)
Jesus’ Bride is not the city of Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem represents Jesus’ Church. This image isn’t new with St. John. St. Paul used this picture, too:
(I’m trimming the passage to highlight Jesus and the church. You can read the complete passage by clicking the link just above.)
24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, … 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, …. 29 After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church— 30 for we are members of his body. 31“For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” 32This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church.
Paul is so detailed in his description of a marriage, that he needs to remind us it’s not marriage, it’s the relationship between Christ and His church he’s taking about!
Putting this together, God designed marriage for mankind – it’s not good to live a solitary life. The world is a much better place for two people – husband and wife – to share and enjoy together the world that God gave us in the beginning. On top of that, marriage is also a picture of Jesus Christ’s relationship with the Church!
When you participate in a communion ceremony, you know it is a picture of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Realize this: your very marriage, that you live daily, is a picture of how much Jesus loves us! God has granted us, in marriage, a relationship of such love and intimacy that it is as close as we can get to heaven here on earth.
What’s that, you ask? If marriage is so beautiful, why is my marriage breaking up? Why can’t my spouse understand this? Why is my marriage going to Hell in a hand basket? Things have changed since God put Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Sin entered the picture not long after the Adamses moved in, and God has been working with us ever since. He even sent His Son to save us. The people writing and participating in GlassGloves.com are with you. We pray often for the ones looking for answers here. Educate Yourself.
This topic needs some input.