The Beauty Of Marriage: The Husband
You know, I like the idea of love and romance. I like to talk about having beautiful marital relationships. I love that God made it a part of us and that he is pleased with it, when it's done His way, of course.
Recently I was rereading the account of creation in Genesis. You know how you can read a passage of scripture and always have another revelation of it every time you read? Well this was one of those times. I sat for a moment and just meditated for a while and God revealed to me the beauty that is marriage. This post is a bit long but I'm begging for your patience today because I think it's a subject of paramount importance.
In today's world it's so evident that most people do not regard marriage the way that God intended. I think most times we miss even the basics that form the foundation of marriage, much less to understanding marriage God's way,
God's idea for marriage was a thing of beauty from the beginning. He created everything including the animals and then He created man, His crowning act. Talk about saving the best for last. Then he told man to take care of all that He had created. He gave him Dominion over everything he had created, flowers, trees, as well as the animals. Dominion means to rule over, govern, control etc. That was the relationship, and the only relationship established for man with regard to the animals.
This lets me know without a shadow of a doubt that God never intended for man to get with animals. He never made animals suitable or adapted to us. He had made all the animals first and had given them their mate. It makes me wonder how some can we conceive to lay down with animals that God created lower than us? Is that all the value we place on ourselves? Yes, the animals are beautiful creatures in their own right. However, God made sure to make a mate that was suitable for Adam. Otherwise He could easily have told him to go lay with the animals.
God placed greater value on mankind from the very beginning because He gave him dominion over all the creatures that were created by Him. Genesis 1:26 says Let us make man in our image after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the foul of the air and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. He comes back in verse 28 and says it again; And God blessed them,and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
If you read in Genesis 2:18,it says, And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Here it is established that God's purpose from the beginning was marriage. He said that it wasn't good for man to be alone. Even before we knew ourselves and our desire for the opposite sex God had already placed that desire within us.
However, as we will see God did not just want us to grab anything that passes and settle with it. His method of blessing man with a companion was much deeper than that.
Consider what God did for a moment.
Let's go back and see how he put Adam and his wife Eve together. First, He put Adam to sleep. Adam was unaware of what God was doing. He had no part in finding himself a wife. That was completely God's doing. Am I saying men shouldn't go and seek out a mate? No I'm not. If you'll just be patient with me I'm getting to that. So God put Adam to sleep, then He took a rib and closed his flesh in the place where the rib was. He did not replace the rib with another new rib. After taking the rib from Adam God made Eve with this very same rib and then He woke Adam up and presented to him his bride.
Let's take a look at the biblical account. Genesis 2:21-23 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.
Man I'm telling you that is the most romantic thing I have ever read. There is nothing more beautiful than this account right here of how God made these two one flesh.
Just think about this. God went into Adam's body, took out a piece of him and made his wife from his very flesh and bone. Eve's body didn't reject Adam's rib because God was the one who had made them one. She was literally a part of him. Awesome! Amazing!Wonderful! Two people couldn't be anymore a part of each other than they were at that moment. That rib represented just how close the bond between them was. They were complete. One.A unit.They were never to be separated from each other.
God chose for Adam. Who could choose better for Adam than His own creator? God knew him best and knew what would be pleasing to him not just physically but spiritually as well.
Now as for men seeking out a mate or choosing their mates; a Godly man will let God choose for him. His will will be so in tune with God that He will not make any decisions concerning any area of his life by himself, especially when it comes to choosing a mate. When a man is spiritually mature and is already doing what God called him to do, he will naturally let God lead when it comes to choosing a mate.
Like Adam, he would have already been consumed with God's purpose for his life. Before God brought Eve to Adam, he gave Adam work to do. Adam had named all the animals and his charge from God was to dress and keep the garden and to take care of it. So he was busy doing God's bidding until God saw it fit to bless him with a help that was suitable for him. It doesn't matter where or how he meets his wife. God is the one behind the scenes working things out in a way that would bring them together.
A godly man will recognize his wife when he meets her for the first time just as Adam did. When Adam awoke he saw and knew who Eve was. This is a really significant point for us to remember. He realized how much a part of him she was when he announced, "...This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh...". It is interesting that although Adam was asleep when Eve was being made, he knew Eve was a part of him. How would he know if he was asleep? God had told Adam. So Adam listened to God and knew that Eve was a gift from God and that he ought to keep her close,cherish, love and protect her as such.
That was a powerful declaration made by Adam. He not only recognized that she was an intricate part of him but he also demonstrated that he accepted her without any qualms. There was no hesitation on his part since he realized she came directly from God.
What did he do next? He gave her his name.Yes! In case you were wondering where the name change in marriage came from , here it is right here. He said she would be called 'Woman' because she was taken out of man.The beautiful thing about Adam giving his name to his wife shows of the love he felt for her that moment and that his desire was to keep her as close to his heart as he possibly could forever. That right there is just cause for me to shout, Praise Jesus! This sealed his decision to accept her and to be responsible for her! It was also a reminder to them both that they belonged to each other. It was an even greater reminder to Adam that God required him to take care of her. This responsibility meant that Adam was accountable to God for the way he led (treated) his wife.
Husbands have such a grave responsibility. They are accountable to God for every decision they make in their home, every word, every action, every thought. A man is so closely connected to his wife that if even he hurts her in any way God will not hear his prayers. This is how much God demands that a man treat his wife in a way that is pleasing to him. In 1 Peter 3:7 it says, "Like wise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Here Peter encourages husbands to honour their wives, which means husbands are also to show respect towards their wives since this is honorable to God. Can it be conceivable to us that the very same God who gave Eve as a gift to Adam would be pleased if he dishonored her? Of course not! It is very much in line with God's principles that husbands honor their wives.
So what can we take away from this as women?
Let me highlight a few things that God wants us to keep in mind about marriage concerning the husband. Ladies, when we are doing God's will and we allow Him to choose for us, we must choose a mate who possesses all of the qualities that God is pleased with.
And if you don't know what is pleasing to God then you aren't ready for marriage.You first need to spend time in his word and get to know him.Then you will recognize your husband when God is ready to present you to him.
In our singleness our purpose should be to please God with our lives and to be so consumed with him in a way that our main passion is for him rather than marriage. Yes, marriage is good and God-ordained, but we can be so consumed with it that it becomes an idol, a distraction. Sometimes even entertaining false ideas or over romanticizing it. It was not meant to be a distraction but a blessing; and as long as we do it God's way, it will always be.
I shared a follow up post to this one that deals with the wife so you can click right here to read it.
OK my loves. Blessings to you! Have a joy filled day!
PRAYING FOR YOU!!!
A Woman's Place!
Recently I was rereading the account of creation in Genesis. You know how you can read a passage of scripture and always have another revelation of it every time you read? Well this was one of those times. I sat for a moment and just meditated for a while and God revealed to me the beauty that is marriage. This post is a bit long but I'm begging for your patience today because I think it's a subject of paramount importance.
In today's world it's so evident that most people do not regard marriage the way that God intended. I think most times we miss even the basics that form the foundation of marriage, much less to understanding marriage God's way,
God's idea for marriage was a thing of beauty from the beginning. He created everything including the animals and then He created man, His crowning act. Talk about saving the best for last. Then he told man to take care of all that He had created. He gave him Dominion over everything he had created, flowers, trees, as well as the animals. Dominion means to rule over, govern, control etc. That was the relationship, and the only relationship established for man with regard to the animals.
This lets me know without a shadow of a doubt that God never intended for man to get with animals. He never made animals suitable or adapted to us. He had made all the animals first and had given them their mate. It makes me wonder how some can we conceive to lay down with animals that God created lower than us? Is that all the value we place on ourselves? Yes, the animals are beautiful creatures in their own right. However, God made sure to make a mate that was suitable for Adam. Otherwise He could easily have told him to go lay with the animals.
God placed greater value on mankind from the very beginning because He gave him dominion over all the creatures that were created by Him. Genesis 1:26 says Let us make man in our image after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the foul of the air and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. He comes back in verse 28 and says it again; And God blessed them,and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
If you read in Genesis 2:18,it says, And the Lord God said, it is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. Here it is established that God's purpose from the beginning was marriage. He said that it wasn't good for man to be alone. Even before we knew ourselves and our desire for the opposite sex God had already placed that desire within us.
However, as we will see God did not just want us to grab anything that passes and settle with it. His method of blessing man with a companion was much deeper than that.
Consider what God did for a moment.
Let's go back and see how he put Adam and his wife Eve together. First, He put Adam to sleep. Adam was unaware of what God was doing. He had no part in finding himself a wife. That was completely God's doing. Am I saying men shouldn't go and seek out a mate? No I'm not. If you'll just be patient with me I'm getting to that. So God put Adam to sleep, then He took a rib and closed his flesh in the place where the rib was. He did not replace the rib with another new rib. After taking the rib from Adam God made Eve with this very same rib and then He woke Adam up and presented to him his bride.
Let's take a look at the biblical account. Genesis 2:21-23 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.
Man I'm telling you that is the most romantic thing I have ever read. There is nothing more beautiful than this account right here of how God made these two one flesh.
Just think about this. God went into Adam's body, took out a piece of him and made his wife from his very flesh and bone. Eve's body didn't reject Adam's rib because God was the one who had made them one. She was literally a part of him. Awesome! Amazing!Wonderful! Two people couldn't be anymore a part of each other than they were at that moment. That rib represented just how close the bond between them was. They were complete. One.A unit.They were never to be separated from each other.
God chose for Adam. Who could choose better for Adam than His own creator? God knew him best and knew what would be pleasing to him not just physically but spiritually as well.
Now as for men seeking out a mate or choosing their mates; a Godly man will let God choose for him. His will will be so in tune with God that He will not make any decisions concerning any area of his life by himself, especially when it comes to choosing a mate. When a man is spiritually mature and is already doing what God called him to do, he will naturally let God lead when it comes to choosing a mate.
Like Adam, he would have already been consumed with God's purpose for his life. Before God brought Eve to Adam, he gave Adam work to do. Adam had named all the animals and his charge from God was to dress and keep the garden and to take care of it. So he was busy doing God's bidding until God saw it fit to bless him with a help that was suitable for him. It doesn't matter where or how he meets his wife. God is the one behind the scenes working things out in a way that would bring them together.
A godly man will recognize his wife when he meets her for the first time just as Adam did. When Adam awoke he saw and knew who Eve was. This is a really significant point for us to remember. He realized how much a part of him she was when he announced, "...This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh...". It is interesting that although Adam was asleep when Eve was being made, he knew Eve was a part of him. How would he know if he was asleep? God had told Adam. So Adam listened to God and knew that Eve was a gift from God and that he ought to keep her close,cherish, love and protect her as such.
That was a powerful declaration made by Adam. He not only recognized that she was an intricate part of him but he also demonstrated that he accepted her without any qualms. There was no hesitation on his part since he realized she came directly from God.
What did he do next? He gave her his name.Yes! In case you were wondering where the name change in marriage came from , here it is right here. He said she would be called 'Woman' because she was taken out of man.The beautiful thing about Adam giving his name to his wife shows of the love he felt for her that moment and that his desire was to keep her as close to his heart as he possibly could forever. That right there is just cause for me to shout, Praise Jesus! This sealed his decision to accept her and to be responsible for her! It was also a reminder to them both that they belonged to each other. It was an even greater reminder to Adam that God required him to take care of her. This responsibility meant that Adam was accountable to God for the way he led (treated) his wife.
Husbands have such a grave responsibility. They are accountable to God for every decision they make in their home, every word, every action, every thought. A man is so closely connected to his wife that if even he hurts her in any way God will not hear his prayers. This is how much God demands that a man treat his wife in a way that is pleasing to him. In 1 Peter 3:7 it says, "Like wise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered."
Here Peter encourages husbands to honour their wives, which means husbands are also to show respect towards their wives since this is honorable to God. Can it be conceivable to us that the very same God who gave Eve as a gift to Adam would be pleased if he dishonored her? Of course not! It is very much in line with God's principles that husbands honor their wives.
So what can we take away from this as women?
Let me highlight a few things that God wants us to keep in mind about marriage concerning the husband. Ladies, when we are doing God's will and we allow Him to choose for us, we must choose a mate who possesses all of the qualities that God is pleased with.
- This man must love God above everything and everyone else, even you.
- He must demonstrate that he is not ruled by his passions and whims but that he goes to God for all his directions and answers.
- He must honor you in a way that is pleasing to God.
- He must understand the gravity of the responsibility God has placed on him towards you ( his wife) and that he is accountable to God for all his actions towards you.
And if you don't know what is pleasing to God then you aren't ready for marriage.You first need to spend time in his word and get to know him.Then you will recognize your husband when God is ready to present you to him.
In our singleness our purpose should be to please God with our lives and to be so consumed with him in a way that our main passion is for him rather than marriage. Yes, marriage is good and God-ordained, but we can be so consumed with it that it becomes an idol, a distraction. Sometimes even entertaining false ideas or over romanticizing it. It was not meant to be a distraction but a blessing; and as long as we do it God's way, it will always be.
I shared a follow up post to this one that deals with the wife so you can click right here to read it.
OK my loves. Blessings to you! Have a joy filled day!
PRAYING FOR YOU!!!
A Woman's Place!
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