… and they shall be one flesh…
21 And the LORD God caused a deep
sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed
up the flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God
had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone
of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was
taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his
father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one
flesh. (Gen
2:21-24)
Each and every ‘FIRST’ of God was perfect in its composition and beauty – this
includes that first Garden that God created eastward in Eden, and in which He
placed the man that He had formed from the dust of the earth. But beauty is so
much more perfect when it can be shared with another in love. The animals,
flora, and butterflies possessed unmatchable intrinsic beauty, but they could not
relate fully to the thoughts and emotions of Adam. So God would create a ‘helpmeet’
for Adam that would be every bit as much human and autonomous as was Adam. In
fact, the woman (womb-man) would also be one with Adam, and Adam would be one
with the woman. In the western nations, it is tradition that a woman takes the
name of the husband at marriage. This mandate is derived from the Holy Bible
for Eve’s name would also be ‘ADAM.’ 1 This is the book of the
generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God
made he him; 2 Male and female created he them;
and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when
they were created.
(Gen 5:1-2)
Today we find God’s first institution which He ordained and blessed in Eden. It
is so important in the eyes of the Lord it would serve as a model and example
of that Second Institution called the Church; for, just as Christ loved His
Bride, the Church, and gave His life for it, so should marriage constitute the same
values of love, commitment, and sacrifice. 22 Wives, submit yourselves
unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of
the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of
the body. 24 Therefore as the church is
subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. 25 Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 26 That he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 That he might present it to
himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but
that it should be holy and without blemish. 28 So ought men to love their wives
as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. 29 For no man ever yet hated his
own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: 30 For we are members of his body,
of his flesh, and of his bones. 31 For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be
one flesh. 32 This is a great mystery: but I
speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let every one of
you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she
reverence her husband.
(Eph
5:22-33)
Since we, as members of the Body of Christ, are One with
Him, and He is One with the Father, a separation of the Body from the Head
cannot occur without a resulting catastrophic result. But it is not possible
for the true believer to be severed from Christ for He will not lose a single
soul that is entrusted to Him by the Father.
21 And
the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. This deep sleep is not a
dreamy-sleep, but so deep that there is no consciousness at all. Adam had no
conscious role in the creation of woman. He could not even know to desire the
woman, but God knew that man was not a complete man without the other half of
his being (which was to be woman). Here we see another First of God –
ANESTHESIA! Did God rob Adam of his rib? Not at all! Adam was made by God and
all of his substance belonged to God. God simply took, in love, a portion of
Adam’s own being to create his own kind that would be a blessing to Adam. This
cycle of creation continues today as a tiny portion of man is taken to produce
another child of mankind (DNA). Presumably, a tiny part of Adam has never died
since it lives in that same DNA passed down from generation to generation.
Modern science, often unwittingly, confirms the reality of God’s Creation. 20 And Adam called his wife's
name Eve; because she was the mother of all living. (Gen
3:20) As we see in
this verse from Genesis 3, woman has become the pivotal figure in all of the
history of man since no man is born of man, but of woman. She has become God’s
progenitor for every child born upon the earth.
Please bear in mind God NEVER intended men to be drawn to other men in the
sense of marriage; nor of women to be drawn to women. It was not only
unnatural, but denied the Creative Model of the Maker. 2 Male and female created he
them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were
created. (Gen
5:2) God did not
create the first marriage as ‘male and male’ or female and female;’ but He
created them male and female! At the fall of Adam there would arise deviations
in character as a result of the poisoned blood of sin. Those deviations lent
themselves to inclinations to sin, that is, to lie, to steal, to murder, to
dishonor God, to commit adultery, to covet, and, tragically, for men to dishonor
their own bodies with other men. These are the natural fruits of the sinful
nature inherited from father Adam. But these inclinations do no arise to the
level of sin unless acted upon. But man does sin, and stands in need of a
Savior. In the Prescience of God, provision was made for that Savior in the
eons of time before Creation – the Lord Jesus Christ. Homosexuality is a grave
and lamentable sin, but the mere inclination (or temptation) produced by that
sin is not deadly until succumbed to by the sinner. In this sense, it is no
different from murder, or adultery.
The heart of God is an overflowing Fountain of Love. He perceived the
loneliness of man, and made loving provision for it. Adam, having awakened from
a sleep that seemed no different to him than all others, was unaware of the
beautiful gift God had prepared for him. I believe God, too, was made merry and
joyful at the thought of presenting this wonderful present to Adam! 22 And the rib, which the LORD God
had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. God knew that Eve would make
Adam the happiest man on earth (that is a certainty since Adam was also the
ONLY man on earth). The important principle herein is that marriages truly are ‘made
in Heaven.’ God made ONE woman for ONE man, or, if you please, One Man for ONE
woman. It matters not the order since they were intended to become ONE flesh.
It was never the intention of God that a man, or woman, has more than one mate
during their lifetimes.
What was Adam’s reaction to the wonderful gift God has given? 23 And Adam said, This is now
bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she
was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his
father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one
flesh. Being
taken out of man does not convey inferiority, but rather an exact likeness in
opposites. Only God can devise these wonderful attributes that cause the
science of nature to function. Marriage might be compared to electric current.
The current is valuable and produces great benefits, but the poles that are
necessary for electric current are opposites. The negative pole is no more, or
less, important than the positive pole.
Adam spoke his definition of marriage by inspiration of God since there were no
earthly parents of Adam and Eve – Therefore shall a man leave his father and
his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
ONE FLESH! This is a perfect definition of true marriage. It means more than
flesh – it means also ONE MIND, and that is how it most closely identifies with
Christ (the Bridegroom) and His Church, the Bride! When we have forsaken our
own self-wills and taken upon us the Mind that was in Jesus Christ, we, too,
shall be of ONE Flesh and Mind with Him. There can be no cause of division
among the brothers and sisters of the Church if they are fully conformed to the
Mind of Christ because Christ is not divided against Himself.
Today, along with other mundane affairs, marriage has become an option limited
by the will of man and not of God. Young couples enter marriage on the basis of
a ‘trial run.’ If the union satisfies the selfish needs of both parties, fine;
but, if not, they claim the privilege of ungodly divorce. Sacrifice, at all
levels of human society, is no longer a leading consideration. The church is so
blessed that God did not feel that the marriage of His Son and the Church was
not worth the ‘SACRIFICE.’
Observe that Adam was not deceived in partaking of the ill-natured fruit of
Satan in the Garden. He did so with his eyes open to the penalty. It was Eve who
was deceived. 13 For Adam was first formed, then
Eve. 14 And Adam was not deceived, but
the woman being deceived was in the transgression. 15 Notwithstanding she shall be
saved in childbearing, if they continue in faith and charity and holiness with
sobriety. (1
Tim 2:13-15)
So why did Adam partake of the forbidden fruit knowing its
penalty? I believe Adam, being an inferior type of our Lord, partook out of a
desire to share the fate of His beloved wife, Eve. This is consistent with the
love that compelled Jesus to die for His Love, the Church – the type in
perfection! The difference is that Adam’s death could not atone for the sin of
Eve, but the death of Christ was a full atonement and redemption for the
Church. Have you known this redemption and been sheltered by those Everlasting
Arms that only God can provide?
