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Marriage was made in heaven. It all began in Paradise. God saw
that man’s aloneness was not good, so He made him a “helper
comparable to him.” And when God brought the woman to him, the
first marital relationship began. Adam and Eve shared the wonderful
garden paradise God had created for them as husband and wife.
Here is how the Bible says it all began:
The Lord God said, “It is not good that man should
be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” . .
. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and
he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh
in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from
man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man (Gen.
2:18,21-22).
Eve was made to be Adam’s “helper comparable.” She is described
with the English word helper, which doesn’t express all that
is poured into the Hebrew term. Sometimes it refers to someone
who helps another find fulfillment. In one instance, it was
used to tell of someone who came to the rescue of another. On
another occasion it was used of God Himself. It’s an expression
of honor showing that Eve was brought to the man to complete
him and to rescue him from his aloneness.
As a comparable helper, Eve was Adam’s qualified, corresponding
partner. God made her to be a suitable friend and companion
to the man. She was, as Charles Swindoll described it, the “missing
piece in the puzzle of his life.”
In that first relationship, our Creator gave us a realistic
pattern that set a course for both the challenges and essentials
of a healthy marriage.
The Genesis account of the beginning of marriage concludes with
a statement that expresses four elements that should be part
of every marriage (see Gen. 2:24-25). They are as follows:
A Cutting Off “Therefore a man shall leave his father
and mother.” The marital partners leave their parents.
A Bonding “And be joined to his wife.” The picture of
the first marriage includes the idea of a gluing, a permanent
bonding.
A Unity “And they shall become one flesh.” The two are
to see themselves as one. The old family units are broken; a
new one begins.
An Intimacy “And they were both naked . . . and were
not ashamed.” Their absence of self-consciousness enabled them
to enjoy one another and to meet each other’s needs without
any sense of embarrassment or rejection. |
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©1986-2001
RBC Ministries —Grand Rapids, MI 49555 Printed in USA
Used with permission.
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