Never in the history of the human race has mar­riage come under attack as it is today. There is no longer a realization of the importance of marriage nor of its necessity for the future of man on this earth. Divorce is easy and it no longer bears the stigma of the past. Many live together outside of the bond of marriage. What will this mode of life do to the generations to come? What is it doing to the life of people today?

It is true, of course, that marriage has been at­tacked throughout the history of man. Immorality has been present in the human race since man fell in­to sin. The history of Israel makes it clear that divorce was not unknown. The people of Jesus' day refer to the rules Moses had given concerning this matter, and, seemingly believe that these rules had divine approval seeing Moses gave them. Jesus in­forms them that they must go back to the beginning to see how things should be. That is the rule of Scripture throughout. It shows us the importance of the first chapters of the Bible. Man must not come with his arguments of principles being "time condi­tioned"! Time does not change the truth of God! Man is to observe and do those things which his God has instituted in the beginning. No one can go contrary to His rules and not suffer the consequences. We are to listen closely to the things He has taught us. To the law and the testimony ... and to the beginnings!

In the first chapter of Genesis we are told that God made man and that He made them male and female. We do not have a "second account" of crea­tion given us in this chapter, but some of the details are given us here. He made all His creatures male and female. However, that terminology is not suffi­cient to describe man. It is not a mere sexual dif­ference which can distinguish members of the human race as it does members of the animal world. No, this pericope shows us that man stands far above all other creatures in the relation of the one to the other especially in the relation of male and female. Therefore there is marriage among men and not among other creatures.

This section is introduced in a manner very similar to the way in which the creation of man is introduced in the previous chapter. God is communing with Himself. Something of the greatest significance is about to take place and our attention is called to it. God declares that it is not good for the man (male) to be alone. He can never attain his purpose alone.

Man was made "very good" but it is not good for him to be alone. Is this contradictory? No, man was in­deed made "good" and in the image of God. This "goodness" was proclaimed by God when He had made man "male and female". He will now reveal to us the importance of the distinction "male and female" and show us how He accomplished it. Seeing it is not good that man should be alone, He will make him "a help meet for him". He will give him one who will stand at his side and be his fulfillment physical­ly, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He has all the qualities to make him very good, but the com­pleteness comes only when he has a help meet for him. Therefore we mentioned previously that the image of God comes to its fullest expression in the marriage of husband and wife. It is not good for man to be alone because he is then not complete. This "help meet" will bring man to completeness.

We are now told that God formed all animals and birds out of the ground — very similar to the way in which man had been formed. Man is, therefore, similar to the other creatures in respect to the origin of his body. God now calls all these other creatures to pass in review before man to see what he would call each animal and bird. Man is given this task. By giving names to these other creatures is meant that the nature of every creature is defined. Man had the intelligence to know the nature of every creature he saw. He made no mistakes — what he called them, that was their name. It is so often stated by those who hold to an evolutionistic theory that man was very primitive in his earliest existence and that both his body and his mind have developed over the ages. Here we see the first man in a different light. He had a tremendous intellect! He knew and understood the creation of God better than anyone in the present day! Man did not begin at the bottom and work himself up to the level of the present, but he began at the top!

Having seen all the creatures which his God had made, and having understood their manner of life, man was not able to find a help meet for himself. This is not told us to give the impression that man was looking for a help meet among other creatures, but, rather, to make it clear to him that every other creature had a mate and to emphasize his own lack of a help meet for him. This took place on the sixth day of creation.

Now the writer tells us about the creation of woman. These verses have been subjected to ridicule by many. It is again a question: how do we approach the Scriptures? Are we given a fanciful tale or legend about the creation of woman or are we here too dealing with the inspired word of God which is able to build us up in the faith? We, of course, believe the latter. God causes man to fall in­to a deep sleep. He is anaesthetized. While he sleeps, God takes one of his ribs and of that rib he makes woman. Critics have sometimes claimed that this certainly cannot be judged factual because a man has just as many ribs as a woman! This is the kind of criticism which is not even worthy of an answer. What does God reveal to us here? He reveals to us that man was formed first and then the woman. (1 Timothy 2:13) This is the simple fact. She is not inferior to man. She was taken from man's side. Some, in­cluding Luther, have found important symbolism in the fact that she was not taken from his head nor from his feet, but, rather, from his side to be his equal companion. It is rather doubtful that all these things can be read into the text. The unity of man and woman is emphasized. She is to be the help meet he needs. Each one must recognize the proper role the Creator has given him or her. Whenever they lose sight of the purposes God has for each, the created order is violated. Man's "aloneness" has been taken away by the creation of the woman and the full potential of man will be realized in their life together.

God brought her unto the man! Marriage has been instituted! What man could not find God brings to him. It is His gift to man. God brings them together — and that is the true marriage. The 'wife' He gives the first man is his perfect help meet! God saw it and pronounced it very good! Not only is the possibility of multiplying the human race so made clear but man will now have a companion with whom he will be able to communicate. Together they will rejoice in their relationship with their God and their relationship to each other and they together will rejoice in the handiwork of God.

The man rejoices in this great gift which he has received from the hand of his Maker. He realizes at once that he needed this woman at his side. He also realizes the basic unity in which they stand. "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh". He is not the "boss" over her because she is part of him. Here is the basis for the true love which is to be found in the marriage relationship. No one has ever hated his own flesh — and she is his own flesh! He who loves his wife loves himself. This marriage bond is the closest bond known in the whole creation. Both man and woman bring not only their bodies, but they bring their hearts and minds and souls as well into the marriage bond. So is it intended by the Creator. It is not enough that man is created male and female (such as is found in the animal world), no, man is the image of God and his relation to his "help meet" is one of marriage. Great blessings will ac­company that relationship. It will later become the type of the relationship between Christ and His church! When marriage is attacked; or when the marriage bond is broken, the institution of God from the time of creation is violated. The destruction of marriage leads to the destruction of the human race.

He calls her 'woman' because she was taken out of Man. This is a play on words which we are not able to translate into our language. Man had a language, of course, but most likely it was not the Hebrew of later times and the language in which Moses wrote. In the language spoken in Paradise the term 'woman' meant — taken out of man. Her name (later made more personal) indicated the relationship in which man and woman stood to each other.

The words which follow are, by some, ascribed to Adam but we believe these to be the words of Moses as a comment upon that which has just taken place. The marriage relationship which God has instituted demands the complete attention of both parties. It is a relationship to which there may be no competitors. The later relationship of parent and child will be very close. Of the child the parent may also say that it is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. It too will be a relationship in which the parent will sacrifice virtually everything for his child and the child will respond with his love and, perhaps, later care for the parent. Yet, this parent-child relation­ship cannot be equated with that of marriage. When a man (or a woman) marries, he must leave father and mother. The former home, though ever so lov­ing, is no longer his. The wife must now be the prime object of his love. He must cleave to his wife and they are united in a bond closer than any other. They shall be one flesh.

Whenever these rules are not observed, troubles multiply. When parents are not able to loosen the former ties or when either a man or woman seeks to continue the former ties next to the marriage bond, difficulties come and marriage suffers. We must listen closely to the Word of God for without it we are adrift. The command to honor father and mother never ends but the relationship becomes a different one when the child enters into marriage.

So were man and woman made in the day that God created them and so was their relationship to each other. These are the facts we must know to be able to understand the history given us in the next chapter. Man is made to love and serve his God. He stands far above the rest of creation. He is united in a deep love relationship with his help meet whom God has brought to him. Both he and his surround­ings are perfect. God will not be the Author of sin!

At the conclusion of this chapter the author adds that both the man and the woman were naked and that they were not ashamed. These words may not seem significant to some, but the inspired writer is also told by the Spirit of God to add these words to this account. There was no need for shame. Both were made very good. It is indeed significant that they were ashamed as soon as they had fallen into sin. As sin progresses in the history of man he indulges in a certain shamelessness — as we see it today.

Questions for Discussion:⤒🔗

1. If it is not good that man should be alone, is it ac­ceptable if someone does not desire to marry?

2. What do you think of the first man's mental abili­ty? Do you think he was more brilliant than scien­tists today? Can evolution be squared with this revelation of man naming the animals and birds?

3. What do you think of this statement heard so often today: I know God doesn't want me to be unhappy and therefore it is better to get a divorce than to continue in this unhappy mar­riage?

4. What are the essentials for a true marriage? Can unbelievers really love each other in the marriage bond?

5. What does it mean to leave father and mother and cleave to his wife? Does this hurt former relation­ships?