Marriage Is God’s Invention

Chapter 2 of Genesis is a story. If we are careful to examine the symbols and how the inspired author writes the story, we’ll discover that marriage is God’s invention. He intended this lifelong, exclusive union between a man and a woman to become the foundation upon which a family is built. This first of all human relationships goes all the way back to creation.

God placed the solitary human male in a garden that would supply his every physical need, yet His evaluation was, in effect, “He still has a need.” So the Creator said, “I will make him a helper suitable for him.” Notice two words in particular: “helper” and “suitable.”

Adam needed a helper. Now I can almost hear the gasps, but before we read too much English into the word helper, we need a little help from Hebrew grammar. “Helper” sounds menial, even a little pathetic. We think of one person having the knowledge and skill to accomplish a task while the “helper” merely makes the job easier. But that’s not how the Hebrews used it. The word ezer has the idea of supplying something crucial that is lacking, and it most often refers to God (Psalm 30:10, 54:4).

“Helper” in the Hebrew mind is anything but menial. God saw Adam and determined that something crucial was missing. Humankind was incomplete. His aloneness was not good. We know from Genesis 1 that humans were to multiply, fill the earth, and rule over it. Adam was made for a purpose that he could not fulfill alone. The song of life was to be sung as a duet, in harmony, but Adam was only one voice. His solo wouldn’t cut it.

Furthermore, only the right kind of voice would suffice. Notice that the helper must be a “suitable” helper or, more literally, “one according to his opposite” or “one corresponding to him.” This second human creation would have to be a very different being than any that had been created.

So God created the woman from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:21–23). Once Adam “recovered from surgery” he opened his eyes and saw the woman. The Hebrew is emphatic so that his first words should be translated, “Now, finally, at last!” She perfectly complemented his every strength and weakness the way no other creature could. Adam’s declaration, “This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh,” is the basis for a Hebrew expression describing closeness, oneness, or intimacy. It communicates that she is the fulfillment of everything he desired. And having seen every other creature God had made, he was in a good position to know. This is a magnificent scene played out in an idyllic setting, and it’s the beginning of a wonderful love story.

Adam and Eve before the fall are our models. Pure, uninhibited, unselfish, blissful union enjoyed by two people made for each other. No barriers. No issues. No awkwardness. No hang-ups. Just intimacy.

Adapted from Charles R. Swindoll, Marriage: From Surviving to Thriving (Nashville: W Publishing Group, 2006), 29–35. Copyright © 2006 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.

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Accuracy, clarity, and practicality all describe the Bible-teaching ministry of Charles R. Swindoll. Chuck is the chairman of the board at Insight for Living and the chancellor of Dallas Theological Seminary. Chuck also serves as the senior pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, where he is able to do what he loves most—teach the Bible to willing hearts. His focus on practical Bible application has been heard on the Insight for Living radio broadcast since 1979.

ఖచ్చితత్వం, స్పష్టత మరియు ఆచరణాత్మకత అన్నీ చార్లెస్ ఆర్. స్విన్డాల్ యొక్క బైబిల్-బోధనా పరిచర్యను వివరిస్తాయి. చక్ ఇన్సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ కు బోర్డు ఛైర్మన్ మరియు డల్లాస్ థియోలాజికల్ సెమినరీకి ఛాన్సలర్. చక్ టెక్సాస్‌లోని ఫ్రిస్కోలోని స్టోన్‌బ్రయర్ కమ్యూనిటీ చర్చ్ యొక్క సీనియర్ పాస్టర్‌గా కూడా పనిచేస్తున్నారు, అక్కడ ఆయన చాలా ఇష్టపడేదాన్ని చేయగలుగుతున్నాడు-ఇష్టపడే హృదయాలకు బైబిల్ నేర్పిస్తున్నారు. ఆచరణాత్మక బైబిల్ అనువర్తనంపై ఆయన దృష్టి 1979 నుండి ఇన్సైట్ ఫర్ లివింగ్ రేడియో ప్రసారంలో వినబడుచున్నది.