Genesis 2
As we begin to think about the Biblical concept
of a family, we need to go back to the very start of the Bible, where God first created the family. Picture the action with me. God makes the man from the dust of the ground. He breathes life into the nostrils of this clay lump and mankind becomes a living being. Man and God converse and relate. God gives Adam (the Hebrew means ‘red’ like the colour of the dust he was created from) a command, and Adam seeks to keep it. God has a job for Adam to do as part of his leadership of all creation - name all the animals. Can you picture Adam pointing to the wondrous creatures of creation and naming them accordingly? Crocodiles, birds, bats, dolphins and so on.
But notice vs 20. It ends in a very strange way.
So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
God had created all the animals in their pairs so that they could reproduce and fill the world. As Adam worked his way through the creatures it would have dawned on him that he was alone. He was unique, different to the animals, but unlike the creatures, he was alone. What God knew from the very beginning slowly dawned on Adam - there was no suitable helper for this man. And with that realisation, God causes Adam to fall into a deep sleep and out of his own flesh makes him a suitable helper - the woman!
As Adam awakes God presents the woman to him and he bursts forth in excited jubilation and sings the world’s first love song!
God’s original intention was that one man and one woman would live together as one flesh in a mutual relationship of love and trust and respect. There were different roles in this ‘marriage’ but before God both the man and woman (see Genesis 1:27-29) were intrinsically equal. God loved them both and they were to love each other with this God-like love.
Prayer:-
ÿ Pray that God would bless the marriages in your congregation with a deep, God-like love that is sacrificial, loving.
ÿ Pray for the singles in the congregation as they struggle with specific issues and temptations. Pray that strong bonds of friendship and love will be formed and that there will be a depth of godliness and holiness.
Are you married?
If ‘yes’ do something today that will bless and bring joy to your spouse. Do something that says ‘I Love You’ to your spouse.
If ‘No’ do something to bless and bring joy to another believer of the same sex as you, for obvious reasons
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