One of the worst temptations plaguing our society today is sexual immorality. Everywhere I turn, I am bombarded by sex. Sexually suggestive songs on the radio, sexual references in commercials, movies and television shows, fashionable clothing which leave nothing to the imagination. I often find myself feeling prudish or old fashioned when the topic comes up because I am highly opposed to sex being displayed to the world as something casual. Sex is very sacred and should be treated as such. The Bible gives us a multitude of examples and lessons to teach us the importance of sexual purity and the consequences for sexual immorality. Those examples and lessons continue to apply to our lives today.
This topic is very broad therefore I will break it up into segments. This particular segment (Volume One) will pertain to the first marriage documented in the history of humanity. The union of the infamous couple, Adam and Eve, can be found in Genesis 2.
The first marriage was between Adam and Eve. In the beginning, God created Adam out of the dust from the ground. Adam was designated by God to rule over the land and to manage all of God's creation. Adam was the only human being in the Garden of Eden and was unable to find "a suitable helper" among God's vast creation. God took note of Adam's dilemma and created Eve from Adam's rib. Adam found Eve to be his perfect match and they were united as husband and wife and lived happily ever after! Well, not exactly... (read Genesis 3 for further details)
We can read into the origin of Adam and Eve and learn significant lessons about what God intended marriage to be. First of all, God created Adam first and made him to be His "right hand man". God gave Adam a huge responsibility: to care for God's creation. Adam was given authority, power and leadership by God Himself! This was a pretty big deal and seemingly very overwhelming since Adam was in search of a helper.
Next we see that God, even though He had the entire world to oversee, took note of Adam's desire for a helper and fulfilled his need. God did not gather up another pile of dust and sculpt Eve in the same manner He created Adam. We read in the scriptures that Eve was created from a piece of Adam's body. God divided Adam into two separate pieces with the purpose of creating two separate individuals. It is noteworthy that God didn't select just any random body part, like a toe nail or a strand of hair. Eve was created from Adam's rib! Ribs protect all the body's vital organs and is considered an extremely important part of the body. Eve was designed to be Adam's helper. Eve was Adam's right hand woman as Adam was God's right hand man.
Finally, we learn from the scriptures that marriage reunites the man with his rib. Marriage makes two people into one person (1+1=1). Now that is a prime example of impossible things being possible for God! After Adam and Eve were married, The Bible states they were both naked and felt no shame. I imagine that could have a deeper meaning besides just running around with no clothing like a couple nudists. They were open and honest about everything with each other. They had an intimate relationship. They were truly a perfect match and "suitable helpers" for each other.
Now with all that in mind, we learn that God went through great lengths to first of all create us, but to also establish roles and responsibilities for us. We can also learn that the intimate relationship Adam and Eve shared was reserved for just the two of them to experience together. Being sexually intimate with someone who is truly committed to you, who loves you unconditionally, who God designed specifically and exclusively for you is the
Most.
Phenomenally.
Amazing.
Feeling.
Ever.
As a teenager, I often wondered what was the big deal about sex. Why were my peers so consumed with the desire to engage in such an act? Sex the world's way has no pro's and several con's. You will become infected with a sexually transmitted disease (STD). Some STD's are deadly or incurable. You will have an unplanned pregnancy and be forced to decide whether you should have an abortion, put the baby up for adoption or raise the child as a single parent. You will experience tremendous heartbreak and emotional distress (aka: unnecessary drama). So why do we bother submitting to the pressure of the world when we clearly see we have too much to lose? Who knows...
Sex God's way has no con's and several pro's! You can enjoy sex without worrying about contracting diseases. You can plan your family in a loving two parent household. You can feel secure in knowing you are sharing intimate moments with someone who values you, who is faithful to you and is committed to you. God knows what He is doing and as Christians, we need to trust His way and stop conforming to the world's way!
Another noteworthy tidbit is that when one suffers a broken rib, they suffer extreme pain. This pain does eventually heal on its own but it is a very slow process. It is important to receive adequate pain control while the broken rib heals to avoid further complications. We can compare this to divorce. Divorce is a painful event and the recovery process takes a great deal of time. And money. And energy. There are times when divorce is inevitable. When we make our spousal selection based upon our own wants and desires, which are usually subject to error, we can end up making a bad choice. We must wait for God to designate a spouse for us so that we can be sure we are uniting with our "suitable helper". Adam didn't go out and find a wife on his own, even though he was very lonely and maybe even desperate at times. He waited patiently for the Lord, the Lord heard his cry and granted his heart's desire the right way.
It is time for us (the body of Christ) to proclaim this sexual revelation to the world. As the light shines in the darkness, we are called to bring light to this dark world. We are not to go with the flow and ignore the instructions God provided concerning sex and marriage. We need not be ashamed or embarrassed by our beliefs out of fear of how the world will perceive us. We need to show unbelievers the right way to live through our lifestyle. We need to display godly behavior to our children so they will know what God expects of them. You can be the change this world needs. Let's get this revelation known now!
