Marriage as God Intended预览

The Creation of Marriage

God designed marriage for the fulfilment and flourishing of humankind. Despite the fact that marriage is in decline in parts of the world, it’s still part of God’s good plan for His people. Some folks seem to believe marriage is a restrictive, outdated institution, while others have overly romanticised ideas about marriage that inevitably lead to disillusionment. But God intended marriage to be a loving partnership of lifelong, mutual devotion, imitating the abiding love Jesus has for His bride, the Church. As such, marriage is something we should cherish.

The very first marriage took place at the dawn of time, in the Garden of Eden, between Adam and Eve. Adam was made from the earth, and before Eve arrived on the scene, God instructed Adam to work the earth and protect it. Eve, then, is created directly from Adam. (We might say Adam was the ‘basic model’ – the more rudimentary prototype – whereas Eve was the premier version!) It’s important to note that the man is meant to be a worker or provider, and he is also to be a protector – one who looks after and seeks the best interests of all those around him. Before humankind’s fall into sin, God gave us work to do and called it good.

After God had commissioned Adam to provide and protect, He voiced His concern over Adam’s aloneness. This was the only thing that was not good in a perfect, still-sinless world. This surely points to the profound importance of marriage. We need one another!

It’s also fascinating that Adam didn’t approach God seeking a companion. It’s God who recognised the need and provided. Sure, Adam had a beautiful, fertile garden and the company of birds and animals, but something was still missing. Wealth and property weren’t enough. Adam needed a helper, a companion, an equal with whom he could converse and commune. We can draw encouragement from this. God knows us, and He knows what we need better than we do ourselves, and He is more than able to provide.

If you’re not married and desire to be, pray daily that God would introduce you to your spouse. Take time to give thanks that marriage is not a human creation. It’s a gift from God to help us thrive in community and know deep partnership with another person. Marriage is an old institution, but not at all an outdated one. We have been created with a need for connection and union with someone equal, yet different. It was God’s good idea to bless us with the breath-taking beauty of life-long commitment.