The following is a message I wrote several years back as part of a class in Genesis.  It is a look at the Biblical pattern and design for marriage as God intended.  In our day and age of disposable relationships, throw-away marriages, and do what you want when you want behaviors,  we desperately need to be reminded of how this wonderful gift began and what it was meant to be.  Over the next few posts we’ll look at reminders that Marriage is Divine by Design.  -Blessings!

THE DIVINE ORDINATION OF MARRIAGE

Not only did the idea of marriage originate in the heart and mind of God, but He also ordained marriage. Look again at our Scripture from Genesis:

And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. And the man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.  So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place.  And the LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.  And the man 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.”

A. Man’s Desire is Foreseen by God. In the previous verse God realized that it “is not good” for man to spend his life alone, so he determines to create an ‘helpmeet’ to complement and complete man’s lacking. It is important to note that man has not yet realized his incompleteness and need for companionship, but that need is known to God, and He intends to fulfill that need.

B. Man’s Desire is Fostered by God. The first thing God does is to bring out that desire in Adam. He brought before Adam the many creatures He had made and gave Adam the task of naming them. As each beast passed before Adam he must have become aware that for each one of them there was a mate, and yet he had none. God deliberately awakens in Adam a sense of need, an awareness that he hungered for human companionship, and above all else that he needed and wanted a wife.

God is not a cruel God who would awaken a desire that He will not fulfill and satisfy in His own good way. Unfortunately we are an impatient people who “want it our way right now.” That is one reason it is so difficult for a young man or woman to remain pure in today’s sex-inflamed society. Natural, God given, desires and passions are fanned into roaring flames long before their time by the media and other influences. O, how happy are the man and woman who will let God lead them in that area of their life; who will refuse to “conform to the standards of the world, but will be transformed by the renewing of the spirit.”

C. Man’s Desire is Fulfilled by God. After God has foreseen the need in man and has caused that need to be realized by man he then sets about the task of fulfilling that need according to His plan. He causes man to go to sleep.

It’s interesting to me that God didn’t ask man what he thought an ideal wife would look like, or ask for input concerning her functions. This continues to demonstrate God’s love and concern for us in providing us with the very best. Husbands, consider your wives for a moment. Isn’t she the most perfect wife for you, completing who you are as a piece in a jigsaw puzzle? Wives, consider your husbands for a moment. Isn’t the same thing true about him. Sure we all have flaws. We all make mistakes, but isn’t it wonderful that even as God created exactly what Adam needed to complement him he continues to do that same miracle today. Take a moment right now and tell your spouse that he/she is the most perfect complement to your life, and look them in the eye when you do.

Matthew Henry emphasizes that God created woman from man’s side. Not from his foot, lest he should trample on her, nor from his head, lest she should rule over him, but from his side to be equal with him, close to his heart to be loved by him, and under his arm to be protected by him.^[1]

Now, look with me at the end of verse twenty two. “…an brought her to man.” What a vision! God has fashioned from man’s side an exact complement and then He brings her to him as a very special gift, a priceless treasure, a rare jewel, for man to love and to cherish. Next to His gift of Jesus Christ, my wife is the greatest gift that God has given to me.

D. Man Experiences ‘Love at First Sight.’ God has seen the desire for a companion that man would have. He has caused that desire to bloom and grow in man’s heart. He then provided a special gift to fulfill that desire. Then we have here the first recorded words of Adam as he beholds his lovely bride and he exclaims “THIS IS IT!!! THIS IS WHAT I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR!!!” and he breaks into a love song as the joy and exuberance spill out of him like water from an overflowing cup.

I remember when I first met my wife. She was fiery to say the least. In fact, in the very first words we exchanged she was yelling at me and telling me I had made a mistake. I should have learned from that moment, and I might have if I hadn’t first seen her eyes. Something–which I still can’t explain– touched me very deep inside and I was hooked, just like that.

I’m sure that must have been about what Adam felt that day God brought woman to him. This was his perfect mate, like my wife is my perfect mate, and your wife is yours. Husbands, turn to your wives and tell her now that she is a perfect mate for you, and you are grateful that God has brought her to you. Wives, you do the same. God is so good to us!

The entire concept of marriage originated in the mind of God, and He ordained it by bringing to the very first man the very first woman as a gift of love which indicated not only God’s approval but also His blessing upon this union. Man’s joy caused him to break out into a love song to God and his bride.

^[1] Matthew Henry’s Commentary in One Volume p. 7