This Mystery of Marriage #2: A Match Made in Heaven, Genesis 2:18-25 (Marriage & the Oneness of God)

Introduction: Two of the happiest days of my life have been at weddings. The 1st wedding was mine & Becky’s.

The 2nd wedding was my son’s wedding last year- May 11th, 2024. His wife is Allison; that’s my grandson Asher. She & Will have an incredible love story, & I play a small role in it. The previous year, exactly one year to the day, May 11th, 2023, we were about to hire Allison to be on staff at my previous church. That morning as I prayed, I wrote in my journal “Lord, I don’t know why, but I think Allison may be my daughter-in-law.” I tucked that away in my mind & waited. What I didn’t know then is that the day before, Allison also was praying about her future husband & wrote down that- he would be a youth pastor, would walk through the doors of the church, & look like Asher. And it happened!

When I told their story at their wedding, there was hardly a dry eye in the house. You can’t tell the story of their marriage without telling the story of God who brought them together. You can’t tell the story of any marriage without telling the story of God who brings people together. Today we’re going to look at the story of the first marriage-

A match made in heaven, from Genesis 2:18-25, And the Lord God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19Out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 21 And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LordGod had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man. 23And 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.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

God made marriage. He introduced the first couple. He gave the first bride away. He officiated the first wedding ceremony. From this text let’s talk about 3 ways that marriage is a match made in heaven:

1. The PURPOSE of Marriage, 18-20 | COMPANIONSHIP

Before we dig into these verses, let’s set the context for them. Chapter 1 is the creation story from a cosmic view. Chapter 2 is the creation story, from a more personal view, showing God’s connection with His creation.

We see this shift beginning in Genesis 2:4, “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” A shift happens from chapter 1 to chapter 2, the Creator is no longer just GOD (Elohim), but the LORD God (YHWH Elohim), the personal, covenantal God of Israel.

We see this personal connection in Genesis 2:7, the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” The word “formed” is different from created (bara, Genesis 1:1), make (asah, Genesis 1:26). Formed (yatsar)- to fashion. Then God breathed into the man the breath of life. This Hebrew phrase only occurs here in the OT. In chapter 1, it was the image of God that connected human life with God’s own life, now it is God’s breath of life that connects human life with God’s own life.

Another difference between chapters 1 & 2 is the word “good” (18). Good- (tov),merry, pleasant; desirable, usable, agreeable; God saw that the light was good; gathered the seas together & made land, & saw it was good; land produced all kinds of vegetation, & God saw that it was good; God made the sun, moon, & stars & saw that it was good; God made fish for the sea & birds for the air, & saw that it was good; God made all the land creatures & saw that it was good; Genesis 1:31, Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.

But when God saw that Adam was alone, He said that it is not good & would make him a helper comparable to him. Helper- assistance, one who contributes to fulfill a need or helps further an effort or purpose

What need did Adam have? Companionship, b/c he was alone. If companionship was all Adam needed, God would have given him a puppy, but He didn’t, God gave Adam a person.

“Alone” means piece, or part, God gave Adam a corresponding piece or part. Comparable-has the meaning of that which corresponds, or a counterpart. Without being crude, God made the woman to be like the man, but just different enough, so that they fit together as partners.

2. The PARTNERS in Marriage, 21-23 | STEWARDSHIP

Helper- ezer, broadly refers to rendering aid. Hosea 13:9 says that Israel’s help (ezer) comes from the LORD. Psalm 121:2, My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth. Perhaps you’ve heard of an Ebenezer-Here I raise mine Ebenezer; it means stone of help.

Ezer can refer to subordinates, but in no way does it necessitate inferiority. In marriage, it means a helper of equal importance. This reality of equality is reflected in how God made the woman.

Rib- side, other than this occurrence, it is always used in building contexts, e.g., Ark of the Covenant was made with 4 rings of gold at the corners, 2 on each side, the north side of the Tabernacle had 20 boards. God took the woman from the man’s side, i.e., rib.

God brought the woman from the man’s side. Not from the head so that she might rule over him, or from the foot that he might lord over her, nor from the back so that she should always be behind him; nor from the front so that she leads him; but from the side.

JFB- “She was not made out of his head to surpass him, nor from his feet to be trampled on, but from his side to be equal to him, and near his heart to be dear to him.”

Marriage is to be a side-by-side journey of a husband and wife doing life together. God brings them together for companionship, but He gives them a stewardship. Genesis 1:28, Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.

When God made man, He put him in the garden to tend it & keep it. Keep it- maintain it; Tend it- to till it, work it. That’s a big job to do alone, so God gave him a helper. The primary responsibility was Adam’s & Eve, his helper, not the other way around (Show mowing picture).

That means, guys, housework is not women’s work, it’s our work. Raising kids is not women’s work, it’s our work. Ephesians 6:4, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord. Yard work is not just for men; women can help too. Both men & women have roles in the marriage partnership.

It’s the man’s role to take the lead, & the woman’s role to help. That looks different based on the personality, talents, abilities, & skills of each person. Just as no two people are alike; no two married couples are alike. In marriage, both partners have to figure out what they are bringing to the relationship.

3. The PROMISE in Marriage, 24-25 | RELATIONSHIP

The first marriage vows ever made were said by Adam in Genesis 2:23, 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- ish; Woman- ishah; JFB- Woman, in Hebrew is man-ess; or as my dad likes to say- Adam saw Eve & said Wo-man!

What we have in vs. 24 is Moses’ “therefore.” He’s recounting the creation story for the nation of Israel & for us. He’s giving the pattern for marriage as revealed to Him by the Holy Spirit, 2 Timothy 3:16  All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness…

There’s a pattern here, like a patent application for an invention- it includes a description, defines the scope of protection, any necessary drawings, & an oath of declaration. Description- 1 man & 1 woman for life; scope of protection- man is responsible & woman’s role is to help; drawings/pictures-dust of the ground & rib from man’s side; with an oath or declaration- this woman is part of me (she is my flesh & bones).

The pattern for marriage leads to the promise of marriage-a man will leave behind his family of origin with the intention of making a new one. He and his wife become One flesh- the idea is UNION, becoming ONE.

Marriage math says 1 + 1 = ONE. In marriage, two separate people become One Person. It can be painful when two people become one, because they bring everything, they have with them-

· Everything they got from their PARENTS: traits, mannerisms, actions, culture, values, beliefs

· Whomever they have become as a PERSON: emotions, identity, relationships, experiences, baggage, trauma

All that stuff from two individuals comes together into this one pressure cooker of life together- marriage, family, children, jobs, careers, bills, routines, hardships. In marriage, you’ve got to navigate all of that, & do it TOGETHER, but you don’t have to do it alone.

Becoming ONE can be painful, but it is also so beautiful. Deuteronomy 6:4, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! God is the only One (not 1st of many), & within Himself, He is ONE (Union). God is revealed in the unity of the Godhead as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, who are equal in every divine perfection. The mystery of the Trinity is hard to understand, & many metaphors have been used to describe it- 1 of my favorites is the "Dance of the Trinity”.

The concept of "The Dance…” comes from the Greek word for a Greek wedding dance- perichoresis. In an ancient Greek wedding dance, there were at least 3 dancers. The dancers start to go in circles, weaving in & out, in a beautiful pattern of motion. They go faster & faster, staying in perfect rhythm & synchronization with each other, eventually dancing so quickly & effortlessly that the individuals become a blur of oneness. Early Christian theologians saw the dance, knew the meaning of the word, & introduced the term to describe the reality of the Holy Trinity.

Marriage is an earthly metaphor of this heavenly reality- It’s where the purpose for companionship, the partners in stewardship, & the promise of relationship comes from. We couldn’t imagine one of the members of the Trinity being left out of the Godhead, we shouldn’t imagine that we can have a successful marriage & leave Christ out. Ephesians 5:21-25, submitting to one another in the fear of God. 22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord... 25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.

The Trinity of Marriage is a husband, a wife, & the Lord: 1+1+1 = ONE. When both people have been saved & fully surrendered their lives to the Lord, then you can have a match made in heaven.