The Creation of Marriage

During the sixth day of creation, God created Adam, the first man. At first, Adam was alone, since there was no other human being besides him. Then God created Eve, the first woman. This happened during the same day, the sixth day of creation (Ge 1:27, 31). This is how it happened.

(Ge 2:18) And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

In the verse above, note the presence of the definite article "the" in "the man". The definite article appears also in the Hebrew text. The presence of the article in the Hebrew text indicates that Ge 2:18 refers specifically to Adam and not to all his male descendants. Examples of godly celibate persons in the Bible include Jesus and the apostle Paul.

(Ge 2:19) And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.
(Ge 2:20) And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

Based on verse 20, we can conclude that Adam gave names to the animals in the sixth day, the day in which he was created. Adam was created a mature man. Thus, Adam did not have a childhood. Adam must have been in many ways different from the men of our world, for our world is affected by the consequences of sin. He must have had superior physical and intellectual abilities. Verse 20 bears witness to his intellectual abilities: Adam was able to observe and give names to a very large number of creatures in less than one day. Not only Adam was different from the men of our world but also the entire creation was in various ways different from what we see today. For instance, Ge 3:1-5 mentions a serpent that could speak and Ge 3:14 indicates that serpents were able to go without creeping. After sin entered the world, the creation was changed. The abilities of man must have been severely diminished.

(Ge 2:21) 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;
(Ge 2:22) And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
(Ge 2:23) 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.
(Ge 2:24) Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

God formed the animals and the birds out of the ground (Ge 2:19). Adam also was formed out of the dust of the ground (Ge 2:7). However, the woman had a different origin. God did not form the woman from the ground but from one of Adam's ribs. Thus, woman is from man (1Co 11:8). Adam rightly said "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh". The origin of the woman testifies to the unity that God has intended for husband and wife. This also is emphasized in the statement " ... and they shall be one flesh". "Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder" (Mt 19:6). The New Testament refers to Ge 2:21-24 in passages teaching against immorality (1Co 6:16) and against divorce (Mt 19:6, Mk 10:7-8), and in certain places where it addresses the leadership role of the husband in his marriage (1Co 11:7-12, 1Ti 2:12-14). The fact that "they shall be one flesh" is applied in Eph 5:28-29 to describe the kind of love a husband ought to have for his wife, and provides an illustration for Christ's love for his church (Eph 5:30-32).

(Eph 5:28) So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself.
(Eph 5:29) For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

Marriage illustrates the relationship between Christ and the church.

(Eph 5:30) For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
(Eph 5:31) 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.
(Eph 5:32) This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.


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