Marriage is a beautiful relationship designed for us to be happy and to be ready to serve God.
In Genesis 2, God is looking for a suitable helper for Adam in the task of ruling and subduing. The animals area great, Adam rules over them and has the fun of getting being introduced but it’s not enough.
It’s really not good for Adam to be alone, he needs a suitable helper – not inferior but complementary. So God Makes Woman (verses 21-22a). And he did a pretty good job didn’t he?
Man is not simply a lonely person needing company or a half finished person. He is those things, but the focus is on the fact he needed a companion for the task to cultivate, procreate and relate.
The woman is brought to Adam by God and we have the prototype wedding. Adam says “at last” someone like me. He names her “woman” which in Hebrew (even more than in English), sounds like the word for “man”. Adam’s saying you are so like me... you complete me.
Moses, the author, tells us this marriage sets the pattern for all marriages - a man leaves his family and joins with a woman for life – one in sexual union and in partnership to serve God. Clearly, intimacy is for the grown up and the committed.
We are social beings and marriage is the usual way to fulfil the need for friendship in the shared purpose of working and taking care of the world.
If you want to listen to the full sermon click here
Sunday 6 June 2010
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