In the Beginning, God - Part 9

Although not clearly stated, I believe the picture God paints here in the garden can be likened to the garden we may find ourselves in today – the garden of family, and particularly in the position of husband/father.

So many husbands and fathers today have failed to complete their purpose in the role they find themselves. They have failed to dress their garden. They have failed to provide for their family. We see in I Timothy 5:8, “But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”

Again, in II Thessalonians 3:10 we read, “For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.” God’s plan is for the family to be provided for. We will see the purpose of the woman soon, but man’s purpose was to provide and protect. It is the job of the husband to protect his family from harm, from defilement, from abuse, from unsafe situations (either physical or spiritual). The list goes on.

I have no time nor respect for men who sit around all day and do nothing. I have no time nor respect for men who expect their wives to bend over backward to meet all their whims, send her out to work, and otherwise abuse the leadership position God has given them.

I certainly realize there are times when a man cannot work. There may be times of disabilities that would interfere with physical or mental work. I understand that, but the responsibility of providing for and protecting the family still falls to the husband/father. Be creative. In times of disability, you will still be able to fulfill God’s purpose for your life.

We'll look next time at the beautiful gift of marriage as we examine the first wedding. God, Himself is the officiant as He gives away the first bride. It is He who instituted marriage, so it behooves us to take a detailed look at His plan.

So . . . God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. It wasn’t long until the man found what God already knew was true. God instructed Adam to name the beasts of the field and the fowl of the air, and gave to him only one restriction – not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (we will study that a little later). Still, Adam was empty, not complete.

We see God’s remedy in Genesis 2:21-24, “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; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”

God’s plan was yet incomplete. Adam needed a helper, one meant to be a compliment to the role God had given him. What a beautiful picture as God performs the first surgery and removes a rib from Adam’s side. From this rib, God created Adam’s counterpart – Eve, the first female. It is noteworthy to remember that she was taken from the side of Adam, close to his heart. It is also noteworthy to consider that the only human bone that can regenerate itself is the rib.

Notice also, that God Himself brought the bride to the groom. In a sense, God ushered Eve down the aisle to give her away to her waiting husband. Eve was God’s perfect choice for Adam.

Although divorce and infidelity happen over and over in today’s society, God’s plan was always for one man to remain with one woman until death parted them. Jesus discussed this with the hypocritical Pharisees in Mark 10:2-9, “And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”

In this day, divorce is rampant because of the hardness of hearts. Why was it never God’s plan from the beginning? As God set the first marriage ceremony in motion, it was His plan for one man to live with one woman for the duration of his life. Why?

The reason – marriage is a picture of Christ and His church. And His church is to be pure. Ephesians 5:21-33 spells out the metaphor in detail. This can be summed up with two thoughts. The wife is to respect her husband, and the husband is to love his wife with a sacrificial love, even as Christ loves his church and was willing to die for her.

It works every time and it begins with the husband. If the husband truly loves his wife, his wife will respect him. As he senses her respect, he will love her more. As he loves her more, her respect deepens, and on and on. It forms the cement that holds marriages together. It is also the same cement that bonds Christ’s true church.

God's plan did not include divorce. It was the hardness of his Creation's heart that brought about divorce, and that is still the case today. Divorce happens on a large scale today. My heart goes out to all who have been affected by the separation of family, but it was never God's ideal situation for mankind.

We talk about falling in love, but in reality, love is not something we fall into. Love is not just an emotion that comes and goes. Love is a choice. When things get bad, we are to choose love. Love isn't dependent on the other person. Love depends on what I choose.

Jesus chose to love humanity even as His creation was nailing Him to the cross. He chose to love as they spit on Him, as they slapped Him, as they scourged Him, as they forced a crown of thorns into His head, as He bled and died for the very ones He came to save, for the very ones that were created by His own hand. Love is choice - sometimes a very hard choice.

Jesus makes another statement in Matthew 5:32, “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.”

It would seem to many people that God is putting His blessing on those that divorce because of adultery in the marriage. Not so. Jesus is simply saying that if a man (or woman) divorce his wife (or husband), and she has another man, he has caused her to commit adultery. But if she is already fornicating (“. . . saving for the cause of fornication . . .”), he does not cause her to fornicate. She has already chosen that action.

There is really only one reason for divorce, and that is found in I Corinthians 7:13, 15. Paul writes, “And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him . . . But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace.”