The First Marriage
The First Marriage
In the famous movie Jerry Maguire there is a moment where Jerry (Tom Cruise) utters a famous line in an attempt to win back his wife. You remember this line, right? Jerry says “You complete me.” To which his wife responds “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello.” Is this the way that love is supposed to work? Are marriage relationships really meant to complete us? Welcome to the world of Genesis 2:18-25
In Genesis 2:18 we have the first instance in the Bible of something being called “not good.” God looks at Adam and says that it is not good for Adam to be alone. In fact, God goes further to say that he will create a helper that is suitable for him. In the Hebrew, this word for “helper” is not a weak word. In fact, it is the name that God gives to himself as he comes to Israel’s aid throughout Old Testament history. In no way is this helper a weak helper – this helper is meant to be strong. This helper is an ally.
This ally, of course, is woman (Eve) and she is made from the rib of man. The best explanation we have for why God chose to do this is that Eve was formed from the side of man because she is meant to be his partner and his strong ally in life.
In verse 22 when Adam sees Eve he does something remarkable: he breaks into poetry. He sings the world’s first love song to Eve when he first sees her. Remember, that this passage is before the Fall – this is marriage as it was intended to be.
After the Fall, marriage, like everything else in the world became corrupted. Now, our relationship to marriage begs it to carry a weight that it was never meant to carry. This reality is why we get movies like Jerry Maguire telling us that all we need is another person to complete us. Man and woman were never meant to complete one another. Complement each other? Certainly! But to be everything to each other – that has always been God’s role.
In Ephesians 5, Paul quotes this passage and says that marriage is a “mystery” and that it actually points to the mystery of Jesus’ relationship to the church. In other words, marriage is a picture of the gospel. Jesus is the groom who never leaves his bride (the church) even when she is unfaithful to him. Although he knew death awaited him, Jesus submitted to death on a cross because he was thinking of, and loving, his bride – people like you and me. Jesus is the ultimate spouse who gives up his life so that you might have life. Whether you are married or single (which is also a good gift! See 1 Cor. 7:8) this is good news.
In the famous movie Jerry Maguire there is a moment where Jerry (Tom Cruise) utters a famous line in an attempt to win back his wife. You remember this line, right? Jerry says “You complete me.” To which his wife responds “Shut up. Just shut up. You had me at hello.” Is this the way that love is supposed to work? Are marriage relationships really meant to complete us? Welcome to the world of Genesis 2:18-25
In Genesis 2:18 we have the first instance in the Bible of something being called “not good.” God looks at Adam and says that it is not good for Adam to be alone. In fact, God goes further to say that he will create a helper that is suitable for him. In the Hebrew, this word for “helper” is not a weak word. In fact, it is the name that God gives to himself as he comes to Israel’s aid throughout Old Testament history. In no way is this helper a weak helper – this helper is meant to be strong. This helper is an ally.
This ally, of course, is woman (Eve) and she is made from the rib of man. The best explanation we have for why God chose to do this is that Eve was formed from the side of man because she is meant to be his partner and his strong ally in life.
In verse 22 when Adam sees Eve he does something remarkable: he breaks into poetry. He sings the world’s first love song to Eve when he first sees her. Remember, that this passage is before the Fall – this is marriage as it was intended to be.
After the Fall, marriage, like everything else in the world became corrupted. Now, our relationship to marriage begs it to carry a weight that it was never meant to carry. This reality is why we get movies like Jerry Maguire telling us that all we need is another person to complete us. Man and woman were never meant to complete one another. Complement each other? Certainly! But to be everything to each other – that has always been God’s role.
In Ephesians 5, Paul quotes this passage and says that marriage is a “mystery” and that it actually points to the mystery of Jesus’ relationship to the church. In other words, marriage is a picture of the gospel. Jesus is the groom who never leaves his bride (the church) even when she is unfaithful to him. Although he knew death awaited him, Jesus submitted to death on a cross because he was thinking of, and loving, his bride – people like you and me. Jesus is the ultimate spouse who gives up his life so that you might have life. Whether you are married or single (which is also a good gift! See 1 Cor. 7:8) this is good news.
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