Adam and Eve: God’s Plan, Part 1

Jul 11, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

“Learn to love well to be well loved.”

This summer, Jim is preaching a series focusing on individuals in the Bible and what they would say to us if they could walk alongside us today. A couple of weeks ago, Jim and I spoke on Adam and Eve. What could the first couple teach us about marriage?

This human relationship is the only one God directly put together himself. All other family connections — from that first marriage relationship — He allows us to be involved in… to procreate. Siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc., He included us in, but the marriage relationship started it all…and this was created by Him.

Scripture says, “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being…The Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him…” Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he (God) brought her to the man.” Emphasis mine. God designed it and put it together!

So the first part of God’s plan for marriage is that He created a husband and wife to be partners together. God literally took a rib from Adam and created a woman and named her Eve. God gave Eve to Adam as a precious gift to live out his days and to continue creation in the world. They were chosen to work together – as partners.

In our family we love sports, so the idea of a team is important. I often think of our marriage as a team of two. Two individuals who are working side-by-side, heading toward the same goals and watching each other’s back along the way.

This idea reminds me of the childhood game we played, Tug-of-War. Each team gets on either end of a giant rope and tries to pull until the ribbon tied to the center of the rope crosses a specific line. Too often that is how we live our marriages. We get on either end of a situation, discussion, or point of debate, and we pull against one another.

A biblical marriage has both the husband and wife pulling on the same side of the rope. Everything we do must be to help each other and the team win.

Even when we are having a disagreement…okay, a fight… we need to stop and decide, am I just trying to win for myself or to prove my point or to be right?

Or do I want the best for our marriage?

What is my motivation?

It must be for the team to win.

Matthew Henry said it this way,

“The woman was made of a rib out of the side of Adam; not made out of his head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved.”

Are you and your spouse working with each other or against one another? God designed your marriage to be a partnership. Keep pulling on the same side of the rope.

Are you constantly working every day for your marriage team or for yourself?

To be continued on Tuesday, July 16. To watch the Adam and Eve sermon, click here.

~Jim and Jerolyn