1. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject

2. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject

3. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  The first human started out all alone  God also reveals to us how He felt about that Gen 2:18  When the Bible reveals a discussion about marriage, it points back to what took place “at the beginning” cp. Mt 19:8

4. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  The home is God’s first original “Divine Institution”  The home is the training ground for society  It is where we learn our social skills  It is where we learn our civil responsibilities  It is where we learn our spiritual obligations

5. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  It was “not good” Adam was alone Gen 2:18  Compare to Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31  This does not suggest God erred re: Adam  It simply emphasizes that God recognized Adam was incomplete…in need of a partner  “Meet” or “Suitable” = corresponding to; comparable; a “help of his (Adam’s) likeness”

6. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  It was “not good” Adam was alone Gen 2:18  God did not “parade the animals” before Adam in the hopes he would find his companion  God knew what He was doing  He wanted Adam to realize, after seeing the animals paired off together, how badly he himself needed a companion and mate

7. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  God let Adam fully experience his loneliness  Even though God’s wisdom was evident within each animal before Adam (Rom 1:18-21), Adam’s companion was not before him  This realization should help “modern man” be more appreciative of the “suitable” helper God has provided cp. Heb 13:4 1 Pet 3:7

8. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  God put Adam to sleep before creating Eve  God solved Adam’s problem of loneliness without any assistance or interference from man  If given the chance, what kind of “help” would Adam have requested?  Man’s help was made according to Divine wisdom and not according to what man thought, wanted

9. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  The significance of the first woman is seen in the timing of her appearance  She appeared only after everything was ready Ê A home Gen 2:8-10 Ë Provision for her maintenance Gen 2:15 Ì A husband who needed her, would appreciate her worth Gen 2:19-20

10. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  Adam’s reaction to his helper Gen 2:23  He recognized her uniqueness…not like anything he had already seen v. 19  She was indeed “suitable” or “comparable”  She was “bones of his bones and flesh of his flesh”…an acknowledgement of their likeness and a required loyalty cp. Gen 29:14 Judg 9:2

11. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  Moses states a universal law for all marriages of all time to be successful Gen 2:24a  Adam had no parents to leave  “For this cause” Ù the Divine purpose for male-female companionship…the necessity of it  So strong is this relationship that it supersedes any ties between parents and children

12. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  Moses states a universal law for all marriages of all time to be successful Gen 2:24a  There must be a “leaving” A termination or subjugation of an existing loyalty. This “leaving” must be physically, emotionally, and economically.

13. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  Moses states a universal law for all marriages of all time to be successful Gen 2:24a  There must be a “leaving” In many cases, the problem doesn’t seem to be daughters who haven’t “left” their fathers The problem in many early marriages is that a son has not “left” his mother

14. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  Moses states a universal law for all marriages of all time to be successful Gen 2:24a  There must also be a “cleaving” To be glued, cemented, or fastened firmly together. This is now the primary relationship.  Other Biblical references where this is quoted Mt 19:5 Mk 10:7-8 1 Cor 6:16 Eph 5:31

15. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  Man & Woman become “one flesh” Gen 2:24b  This signifies the closeness at which they are to operate, exist, function in their relationship  It certainly includes their sexual intimacy  It would also include their “oneness” in terms of their goals and joint-purposes for all decisions re: their family cp. Jn 10:30 17:11, 21-22

16. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject MARRIAGE – Love Designed By God  The physical “one flesh” Gen 2:25  There must be present between a husband and his wife a close, physical intimacy  Our bodies are not our own  They belong to our spouses to fulfill legitimate sexual appetites 1 Cor 7:2b-4  There is no shame in “marriage nakedness”

17. Biblical Examinations Of An Emotional & Controversial Subject