Making a Differencewith Pastor Phil Erickson

Jan 1st, 2022 Two Become One

Today’s Passage – Genesis 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – Click here to view the passage from Blue Letter Bible)

(Second Milers also read – Matthew 1 – 2; Proverbs 1; Psalms 1 – 5)

Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Deuteronomy 32:4

Read the “0101 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.

Read previous posts from today’s reading – “In the Beginning;” “He Is Still Creating Me;” “Let There Be Light;” “Just Don’t Do It;” and “Subdue and Replenish“

“And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. … And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. … And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” (Genesis 2:7, 18, 21-24)

Genesis is a Book about beginnings. In these first three chapters, we discover the beginning of our universe and earth, with all of the living things, including men and women, created by God in those first six days, six thousand years or so, ago. Unfortunately, we also learn about the beginning sin in chapter three, which brought about physical death and a spiritual separation from God.

In chapter two, we see the beginning of marriage. God actually created out of Adam’s own body the perfect spouse for him. Had sin not entered into the world, they would have experienced a perfect relationship and a perfect life together.

Let’s notice a few things about this first marriage. First of all, notice that the woman was created to meet a need that God knew that Adam had. He was alone. All of the animals had mates, but Adam had no-one to experience life with. God states that Eve would be “an help meet.” The word “help” is a noun, meaning helper, and the word “meet” means suitable or appropriate. God made Adam a suitable or qualified helper. She would be able to meet all of Adam’s needs. She would be his companion as well as his helper, and she would bear children for him. I full realize that the description that I just gave is not popular in our culture today, but it is what is taught here in Genesis 2. You can either believe what God says, or accept the world’s position on the matter. Paul referred to this in his letter to the Corinthians:

“For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man.” (1 Corinthians 11:8-9)

Now before you ladies get mad at me, let me say that I do not believe that God created Eve to be inferior in any way to Adam, and I also believe that Adam, though created first, was designed to meet every need that Eve would have as well. Adam and Eve would complete each other. The man and the woman were each uniquely designed by God to fulfill the areas where the other may have lacked. 

The second point that I would like to make regarding this first marriage is that these two individuals were created to become “one flesh.” This means so much more than just the physical relationship, though physical intimacy is an expression and a picture of the married couple’s being “one flesh.” But “one flesh” means so much more. It means that the couple is together in every area and every decision is to made together, or at least with consideration to the other’s wishes. True intimacy goes well beyond the physical relationship and includes our innermost thoughts. My wife and I can often finish each other’s sentences because we know each other so well. This “one flesh” relationship should supersede all other earthly relationships, and no other relationship should be permitted to come between the husband and wife.There should be no secrets in a “one flesh” relationship; no separate bank accounts; no pre-nuptial agreements, just in case things do not work out. Marriage is an “all in” relationship. That is why it should not be entered into lightly. It is the biggest earthly decision that you will make in this life.

Today is the first day of a new year. Those of us who have been blessed with marriage should spend some time this year reflecting on the relationship that we have with our spouse. Ask yourself if your marriage relationship is a picture of what God intended by “one flesh,” or is it more of what the world would say marriage should be. We should all resolve this year to have a marriage relationship that paints a beautiful picture of Christ and His Bride, the Church. Consider what Paul stated about marriage in his letter to the Ephesians:

“Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” (Ephesians 5:21-33)