Types,shadows, and figures abound in the Old Testament to give a clearer concept and message of the Christ, Son of the Living God. Our study focuses on the first institution of God on earth, the marriage of Adam and Eve, viewing it as it prefigured the beauty of the relationship of Christ and the church, his bride. The record preserved by inspiration's pen fills in a number of unknowns for us. We would not know about the first marriage if God had not preserved the record with Moses as the writer. View the following Genesis 2:21-24: "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." This record produced by an inspired pen, shines forth a major stabilizing law for all humanity. This clears the clutter that can disrupt and destroy the first institution, as God would have it be. Notice the beauty and blessing of the addition of Eve. Not a Fit Mate Found Adam was created in the "image of God." He was the first son of God as recorded in Luke 3:38: "Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God." This helps to explain the statement of Genesis 2:20: "And Adam gave names to all...but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him." Some mates will not fit. All animals were available, but none fit man, thus man was not an animal and the life that an animal lives would not be fit for man to live. He is made in the image of God. Adam was the work of the Almighty, and the hand of God likewise produced the mate given to him. Eve was a result of the design and power of God. Adam was quite pleased with the "mate that fit" God had made for him. God made a woman for Adam and not a man as a fit mate, for a man would not fit in meet ing the needs of man. One can note that God chose to make Eve from material taken from Adam. The makeup of Adam would also be the basis of Eve. She was bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh. There was a great tie between the two. Her very existence was dependent upon the existence of Adam. There was an Adam without an Eve, yet there could be no Eve without an Adam. Notice with me three areas the first Adam shares with us about this very important relationship - marriage. Three Ingredients In Approved Marriages Firstly, Adam recognizes marriage involves priority if it is to be as God ordained it. By inspiration he shares the 1 / 5
following description of that prior ity "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother." Leave is defined as: "to loosen, i.e. relinquish, fail, for sake, leave." The priority of marriage shows the greatest fleshly tie is not the father to the children, not the mother to the children, not the children to the parents, not the person to society, but the husband to the wife. Herein is wis dom found to build strong marriages upon. When our mate is our first fleshly priority, a strong and permanent mar riage will ensue. Secondly, Adam also was aware mar riage was for life, thus he shares the point of the permanence of marriage: "and shall cleave unto his wife." The word used by Adam is defined: "to impinge, i.e. cling or adhere; figura tively, to catch by pursuit: abide fast, cleave (fast together), follow close (hard after), be joined (together), keep (fast), overtake, pursue hard, stick, take." Notice the definition. What do you do when you "abide fast with your mate?" What do you do when you "catch by pursuit your mate"? Is he saying in love so much as to daily pur sue her? What is he saying friend of this mate, this Eve God had made for him when he said "follow close to her"? What does one do when he "pursues hard" his fitting mate? Or "keeps fast" his mate? We see it don't we, and we wish the world and the church would also see this. There is a blessing when the husband pursues his mate's, his wife's love every day. There is a blessing when the wife pursues her husband's love every day. This is the guideline laid down for the safe keeping of marriage. Thirdly, Adam was heavenly directed to provide great insight to the purpose of marriage. What is the correct pur pose of marrying? "...and they shall be one flesh." To be one is defined: "properly, united, be one, alike, altogether, to gether." These words are part of the meaning and share the depth of love and devotion to be pursued by those fulfilling the design God has for mar riage. God's design for marriage will work. The purpose God has ordained for the man and the woman is to desire to have a fitting mate with whom their endeavor is to be one with." What a blessing if the world and the church knew that marriage is a partnership where the mates are devoted to being one with each other for life. The record of Eden's tragedy man's expulsion and death by sin reveals Adam's desire to "be one" with Eve even at the disapproval of God. Know ing better than what he did, Adam ate that forbidden by God. He was being "one" with Eve and it cost him dearly. Christ the Second Adam The grand apostle Paul places the first Adam along side of Christ to share a mutual truth and 2 / 5
illuminate the won derful accomplishment of God in mak ing a mate for the first and the second Adam. There are a number of beautiful figures expressed in the inception of marriage that closely relate to the church, the bride of Christ. The first created man and the only begotten of the Father share in God's provi sion their brides. As God viewed the available mates for Adam, there were none to be found that were fitting. A fitting mate could not be taken from the animals of this earth and neither did God choose to make Eve from any body or body part from an animal. Thus not finding a fitting one, He chose to make one from the material taken from the side of man. This is beautifully seen also in the life of Christ. There was not a mate on this earth that fit Christ. He like Adam while in a deep sleep, gave up the material from his side blood and water, to make his mate fitting him, the church, his body. Eph 5:30: "For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones." In baptism, one is baptized into the death of Christ. In death Christ gave up the material to make his Eve. We are baptized in water into his death to reach the blood of Christ. Rom. 6:3-5: " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection." Jesus "left" heaven and his Father to come to this earth and pursue the love of his mate. He left heaven and came to this earth and made it possible for him to be one with his bride, the church. That was his purpose in marrying her, to be one with her. In marriage God ordained the husband to be the head. Christ is the head of the church and the savior of the body. This marriage is one that Christ intends to last forever. Eph. 5:22-24: "Wives, submit your selves 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 savior of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing." The headship and name of recogni tion of the home, God ordained to be upon the man. This is clearly seen as the wife, in submission to God's ordi nance, wears the name of the head in that marriage, the husband. The church also wears only the name of its head Christ. The church is what Jesus declared he came to build. Like we take a mate and build a home and build our marriage, Jesus built the church, his fit mate, his fit bride. 3 / 5
Matt. 16:18: "And I say also unto thee. upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Christ declared, even death would not prevent him from building his marriage with his fitting mate, the church. Eph. 5:27: "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 blem ish." Christ's Love for His Bride Christ is unquestionably the greatest man to ever live and the greatest hus band of all times. His life supersedes all others before or after. Like Eve's very existence was de pendent upon the existence of Adam, the church's existence likewise de pended on Christ's existence in provid ing the material from his side for her existence. There was an Adam without an Eve, yet there could be no Eve with out an Adam. Christ existed before the church likewise. Christ's love for the church bench mark's God's requirements for love in marriage. Not all will work or wish for it, yet God has ordained love's duty for all involved in marriage. Paul penned the husband's requirement of love in marriage as he wrote the epistle to the Ephesians 5:25, "Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it." The love of Christ for the church can be identified in the way he acted toward her. His love was costly-he left heaven, gave up his life, etc. His love had a purpose "to sanctify her" meaning, to set her apart for himself from all the darkness and alienating forces of evil. His love was exclusively for her. Never did nor will he desire a mate that is not his. Without lust or lewdness he faith fully exercises his love and devotion for his body. His food for the body is wholesome and powerful. It builds and repairs the body as only his can do. He is truly the "bread provider" for the body. - His headship in this marriage is unique in that he is uncompromisingly right and will always lead her the church with her best in mind. Her best is an eternal salvation with God. He protects, provides, and promises life after death to her his bride the church. The Lord's faithful love will never allow him to love the church as some men would love their wives, or at least call it that. He will never allow her to have her way in areas of soul destruc tion. He will never agree with her when she is wrong or makes the wrong choices. His mediatorial position de mands his unwavering faithfulness. His love is one of allegiance for truth and right, the producers of real love. Christ's allegiance to truth musters him and his faithful to engage in an unceasing war against all that would destroy being one with his body and its purity, spiritual health, and wealth. His love for the church and his strength to provide proper protection will stop the invasive thrust of the devil to erode scriptural love. 4 / 5
Gal. 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." Conclusion Thru the life of Christ and under apostolic directive, the church became the light of the world and the salt of the earth. She became this because she is the wife of Christ. Like the first Adam, he follows a three step plan "priority, permanence, and purpose." He left his Father, he pursues the churches' love permanently, and his purpose is to be one with her. When we are one with Christ, we are one with the way, one with the "truth," one with the word, and one with life. Are you a part of the costliest institution on earth the church? You should be. "Lord, soften our spiritual soil that we may grow a good harvest and remove the wild growth that hinders." 582 Murray KittrellRd., Keadyville, TN 37149 5 / 5