The Wedding
When Adam awakened from his deep sleep, the Lord as the attending physician was standing over him. He had placed Eve, for that’s what her name would be, a distance away, perhaps hidden from view.
Then, possibly, without further explanation, but with Adam knowing that something wonderful had transpired, He presented the woman unto the man. This was the first marriage.
All of this implies the solemn bestowment of her in the bonds of the marriage covenant, which is hence called the covenant of God (Prov. 2:17), indicating that God is the author of this sacred institution.
As God was present at this wedding, He desires to be present at all weddings. The reason that over half of the marriages in this nation conclude in divorce is because God is not present at the wedding and is, therefore, little present, if at all, in the union.
If the young man and young lady will earnestly seek the Lord regarding their choice for a mate (earnestly desiring His will), to be sure, the Lord will answer this all-important prayer. Then, after marriage, if Christ is one’s Lord, such a marriage will be blessed and, therefore, fruitful. Sadly, most marriages aren’t in the will of God, so they little hold together.
Bone Of My Bones, And Flesh Of My Flesh
“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” (Gen. 2:23).
The phrase, “And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh,” refers to the fact that this one is proper. None of the animal kingdom would suffice simply because they were different.
However, this beautiful woman standing before Adam was bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh. He was meaning that Eve was man’s counterpart, not merely in feeling and sense (his flesh), but in his solid qualities.
In several of the Semitic dialects, bone is used for self. So, in essence, he was saying, “This is now self of my self, and flesh of my flesh.”
Martin Luther said concerning this moment, “The little word ‘now’ is very meaningful. It expresses the love of Adam, who longed for communion with a woman so full of affection and holiness. Today the bridegroom still longs for his bride, but his love is no longer pure because of sin. Adam’s love for Eve was most pure, cordial, and pleasing to God.”
Woman
The phrase, “She shall be called woman, because she was taken out of man,” presents a beautiful description of marriage. Everything that the man has, the woman has also. Both are of the same mind and good will toward each other so that the man differs in no way from the woman except by the dissimilarity of gender.
As someone has beautifully said, “God did not take the woman out of man’s feet to be stepped on as an inferior, or out of his head to be put on a pedestal as a superior, but from his side, close to his heart as an equal.”
She was to take her share of responsibility and to love him and be loved by him.
His Wife
“Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh” (Gen. 2:24).
This passage must be viewed as an inspired declaration of the law of marriage.
As it regards habitation, it is placed in the heart of a young man and a young woman to leave his or her parents and cleave unto a wife or husband.
“One flesh” points to a unity of persons, and not simply to a conjunction of bodies, a community of interests, or even a reciprocity of affections.
The phrase, “Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife,” proclaims the plan and sanction of God regarding marriage. Let it be unequivocally understood that this in no way places a seal of approval upon same-sex marriages, which, in effect, are an abomination in the eyes of God. Homosexuality is a grievous sin and cannot be condoned under any circumstances. As stated, it is abominable in God’s eyes.
In fact, it is so bad that the word translated dogs in Revelation 22:15 refers to homosexuals. The passage says, “For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loves and makes a lie.”
Homosexuality
Concerning the sin of homosexuality, Paul said, “For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense of their error which was meet” (Rom. 1:26–27).
Whenever legislators legalize same-sex marriages, they are, in effect, blaspheming God. They are making a mockery out of creation, which will ultimately bring upon their heads the judgment of God. Making sin legal doesn’t make it right; it only exacerbates the problem.
The hope for the homosexual, and any other sinner for that matter, in fact, for the entirety of the human race, is to come to Christ. He will deliver such a person from the terrible bondages of darkness, cleanse them, and set them free. It can only be done, however, in Christ.
Coming back to the original thought of the text, unless God unites the man and the woman, there is no real marriage but only an unhallowed connection, legitimized by man’s laws, but not sanctioned by God’s.
One Flesh
The phrase, “And they shall be one flesh,” pertains to one in unity and essence.
In effect, this phrase also explains the Trinity. While there are three persons in the Godhead—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit—they are one in unity and essence.
The “one flesh” is at least one of the reasons that premarital sex or extramarital activity is so wrong. Sex is to never be looked at as merely a physical pleasure. While it is that, it definitely is not merely that. It is the joining together physically of what has already been joined together spiritually. In that sense, if it is between a husband and wife who truly love each other and who truly love God, it is a holy thing.
In a broad sense, the sex act between a loving husband and wife, as stated, who truly love the Lord, is typical of one’s union with Christ. As marriage is not merely a psychological or philosophical union, but something far deeper, likewise, one’s union with Christ is actually likened by the Holy Spirit as marriage.
Paul said concerning this very thing,“Wherefore, my brethren, you also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that you should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Rom. 7:4).
As well, in a sense, believers are referred to by John as “the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (Rev. 21:9).
While the union of husband and wife is one flesh, the union of Christ and the believer is, in essence, one spirit.
Naked
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed” (Gen. 2:25).
The phrase, “And they were both naked, the man and his wife,” refers to clothing as we think of such presently.
Concerning God, the Scripture says, “Who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto” (I Tim. 6:16).
This passage tells us that God is enswathed in light. Inasmuch as Adam and Eve are made in the image of God and in His likeness, it stands to reason that their original covering was the same as that of God’s, which was light. In fact, this will probably be the covering of the glorified body at the first resurrection of life.
Sadly, the covering of light was lost at the fall.
Ashamed
The phrase, “And were not ashamed,” is said simply because there was nothing about which to be ashamed.
When we stand one day in the celestial Eden, where they neither marry nor are given in marriage, garments of such incomparable splendor will be ours. In the meantime, let us say with Isaiah, “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in My God; for He has clothed Me with the garments of salvation, He has covered Me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels” (Isa. 61:10).
This article is an excerpt from the book 'The Fall Of Man' by Jimmy Swaggart.
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