Marriage: Divinely Designed
BY MAX FERNANDEZ
Introduction
Companionship is one of the blessings of marital covenant. Implicit within the thought of companionship is the assumption that aloneness is not good. From where did this assumption come, and who made the solution for aloneness? The purpose of this first lesson will be to establish that God is both the Creator of aloneness and the Supplier of companionship.
God is both the Creator of aloneness and the Supplier of companionship.
A Divinely Designed Dilemma
In Genesis 2:18 we read the following words: “And the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Though God had created all things as good to this point, here God says that something is not good–aloneness is not good. God’s determination here is based on two important principles: (1) God is the Creator who reserves the right to determine what is good and what is not good and (2) God, as Creator, intentionally created this dilemma.
The meaning of the phrase not good means that there is incompleteness. Maybe when you hear the phrase not good you are thinking that man was made morally imperfect, but that is not the thought here. The inspired penman Moses is communicating that though man was a social creature who was created to be in relationship, Adam did not have a companion. Adam was incomplete.
As a New Testament Christian, please be very careful not to run off with the idea that all men and women are supposed to be married. Scriptures such as Genesis 2:18 have errantly been interpreted to teach that some people are of less value or less worth unless they find that special “one.” This kind of interpretation of Genesis 2:18 is not in consideration of the fulfillment of Christ’s gospel. For example, Paul speaks of the gift of singleness (I Corinthians 7:7), and it appears also that some would remain better as singles; thus, it is possible that not all people must be married.
A Divinely Designed Solution
Nonetheless, the dilemma of Genesis 2:18 is given a divine solution. Notice the words “I will make him an help meet.” God creates the solution by making a helper who would be suitable for Adam–as opposed to identical. Also, it is God who created marriage. Though the passage does not use the modern English term of marriage, the covenant is heard in the words from Adam in Genesis 2:23–“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.” Marriage is God’s solution of companionship for the aloneness.
Conclusion
There are a couple summarizing principles from this account: (1) Marriage was designed by God and not by man, and (2) Marriage is the divine solution and not a human solution. These two previously stated principles should cause us to conclude that mankind does not have the right to tamper with or change the God-created institution of marriage.
Mankind does not have the right to tamper with or change the God-created institution of marriage.
As the Creator of marriage, God is the foundation of marriage. Marriage is the covenant that should reflect the Creator and should be upheld according to His standard:
The most foundational thing to see from the Bible about marriage is that it is God’s doing. And the ultimate thing to see from the Bible about marriage is that it is for God’s glory. Those are the two points I have to make. Most foundationally, marriage is the doing of God. And ultimately, marriage is the display of God.¹
If God invented marriage, then those who enter it should make every effort to understand and submit to his purposes for it. We do this in many other aspects of our lives.² As previously stated, God is the Creator of the divine dilemma as well as the divine solution. God’s word must be the standard which is upheld for determining what marriage should be like.
¹Piper, John. This Momentary Marriage: A Parable of Permanence (Kindle Locations 215-217). Crossway. Kindle Edition.
²Keller, Timothy. The Meaning of Marriage: Facing the Complexities of Commitment with the Wisdom of God (p. 5). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.
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