Marriage DefinedGenesis 2:3 25‑

What would it be like to have a perfect world?

Can you imagine having the perfect environment?

Can you imagine having each crop produce to its fullest capability?

How is marriage defined?What is tolerance vs. intolerance enter our language?

What is tolerant and intolerant in school?

How is it defined and determined?

What is marriage?

Consider two competing viewsConjugal View: Marriage is the union of a man and a woman who make a permanent and exclusive commitment to each other of the type that is naturally (inherently) fulfilled by bearing and rearing children together.

Revisionist View: Marriage is the union of two people (whether of the same sex or of opposite sexes) who commit to romantically loving and caring for each other and to sharing the burdens and benefits of domestic life. It is essentially a union of hearts and minds, enhanced by whatever forms of sexual intimacy both partners find agreeable. The state should recognize and regulate marriage because it has an interest in stable romantic partnerships and in the concrete needs of spouses and any children they may choose to rear.

Chuck Colson“We Christians are very good at saying ‘No.’ But we’ve got to get better at saying ‘Yes’: showing how God’s plan for humanity is a blessing. That His ways, including faithful, life-giving marriage between one man and one woman, lead to human flourishing physically, emotionally, and spiritually.”

I. Habitation of un-fallen man 8 20‑The Whole world under man's dominion 8 9‑

Eden became his home

Adam was able to see God put the garden together for him

Adam's 1st knowledge of God

‑‑God loved Him

‑‑God provided abundantly for him

Two trees planted in the garden

Tree of LifeIf eaten will give immortality

Genesis 3:22 (ESV) Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”

This tree will be in the New Jerusalem

Revelation 22:2 (ESV) through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Tree of the Knowledge of Good and evil

Good for food

Pleasant to the eyes

It became the tree that made us know evil

(Man already knew good)

Description of the land 2:10 14‑

Eden must have required a large amount of water

4 rivers flowed from the water reservoir in Eden

God gave us the Greatest Gift--Right to Choose

Adam was created in perfect atmosphere

All physical, mental, spiritual needs met.

No need was withheld from Adam

Why was man created?God existed for all eternity without man

It is not up to us to figure out God. It is only God's business what He does.

God is a God of love He loves us‑‑

Love must be reciprocal

Love by its nature must be voluntary

If Adam is free to love God, he is also free to refuse to love God

Therefore, there must be a `probationary' period to allow that free choice.

The Choice of man 15 17‑We are all given the responsibility to preserve the universe.

Even in a perfect world, man was to work

Dress and Keep it

Given Work, supply of his needs

One minor restriction--do not eat of one tree

No excuse for disobedience

Incentives to not disobey

II. Method of creation of woman 18 22‑

This will lay aside all other thought that man is a part of evolution.

According to all fossil evidence, Man has always been man, Ape has always been ape

Last act of creation

v. 18 Not good‑‑ ‑‑

Does not mean sinful but does mean unfinished

All animals were male and female

Making of the woman 18 22‑God had Adam name and inspect all animals 18 19‑

Adam experienced loneliness No companion‑‑

God let Adam see His need

Flesh of His flesh, Made from man another blow to evolution‑‑

Creation of Eve is not as expected, Eve created from Adam's sideNot head suggesting superiority‑‑

Not feet suggesting inferiority‑‑

SIDE indicating equality and companionship

Genesis 1:27 (ESV)“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

AS GOD BROUGHT EVE TO ADAM, SO GOD WILL BRING THE BRIDE OF CHRIST TO CHRIST

III. Creation of MarriageGenesis 2:24–25 (ESV) — 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

“For the Court to strike down laws defining marriage as the conjugal union of husband and wife would be to abolish the idea that men and women matter—equally—in the lives of

the children they create. And it would be both a judicial usurpation of legislative authority and a federal intrusion into a matter left by the Constitution in the hands of the

states.”

Robert P. George is McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence and Director of the James Madison Program in American

Ideals and Institutions at Princeton University

Foundation of MarriageTruth of God's Word

Family is under attack

Husband and wife are considered only one of the ways have family today.

How would you define family?

--Husband and wife

--Children not necessary for family

IV. Marriage instituted 23 25‑Genesis 2:24

Integrity and permanence of marriage

Leave Cleave‑‑

Leave-loose, forsake, to depart from, leave behind, leave, let alone, deserted

Cleave—follow hard, to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch

History shows the permanence of a monogamous marriage is the ideal.

Man has tried to disintegrate that union

Polygamy, concubinage, polyandry, easy divorce, adultery, promiscuity, and other distortions of marriage.

Ecclesiastes 7:29 (ESV) See, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.

V. Both naked and not ashamed Genesis 2:25

No sin totally natural for them‑‑

No Guilt

No immoral thoughts

Perfect compliments for each other: Physically, Mentally, Spiritually

No sin and no shame

Shame came after the FallClothing now is a moral issue

Became painfully aware of their bodies

Need to cover is a result of sin

Nudity is not an artificial inhibition by conventions and civilization

It is the primeval awareness of sinIt is disregarded when the human conscience is so hardened to lose its sensitivity to sin.

How is marriage defined by God?Man (male)

woman (female)

Leave Father and Mother

Cleave to each other

One flesh.

ConclusionGod created man to have a perfect environment

He showed them what marriage is

What happened?

God is concerned about giving us His bestSent Jesus Christ to meet all our needsHave you met Jesus Christ?