3 institutions in the Bible

Three God ordained institutions in the Bible are the family, the church, and the civil government. We are taking a break from Romans for a few weeks and looking at what the Word says about These three institutions.

prayer

Family Institutions

Today we will look at family, The first fundamental human institution established by God. The family is being attacked on several fronts today. The enemy (Satan) is going all out to try to tear the family unit down. It is the foundation of what society is built on.

The Bible presents the family as the primary unit for nurturing and instructing children in the ways of the Lord. This is how our faith is being handed down and kept alive from generation to generation. Let’s be sure we understand His design for our families. Let’s use God’s word to teach us.

Deuteronomy 6:6–7 (NKJV)

6] “And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 

7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

The way families work is established in Genesis and starts with marraige.

In Genesis 2:24 ,the institution of marriage is ordained:

Genesis 2:24 (NKJV)24

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

This union forms the basis of the family structure. There are so many ways our present culture where families have deviated from what the word says. So we are going through it to make sure we are centered on what God is saying to us:

Ephesians 6:1–4 (NKJV)

1Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 

2“Honor your father and mother,”

3“that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.” 

4And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

Ephesians 6:1-4 provides guidance on family relationships: 'Honor your father and mother' (which is the first commandment with a promise),

so that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.'

Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger; instead, bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."

These verses emphasize the roles and responsibilities within the family, highlighting the importance of obedience, honor,even some sensitivity, and godly instruction.

Proverbs 22:6

6 Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.2

Proverbs 13:24

4 He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.

Deuteronomy 11:18–19 (NKJV)

18“Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine (Teachings in God’s ways) in your heart and in your soul, and bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 

19You shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

The heart of this verse is that we, as adults, drink in God’s Word and store it in a way we can remember it when we need to be personally reminded of His ways. Next, we, as parents (grandparents) having this life-giving instruction stored and accessable, are to impart God’s truth to our kids and grandkids, while we are doing everyday life together.

Let’s go back to Genesis 2 starting in verse 18. We are going to look at this section of scripture a bit closer for a minute. Let’s turn there

Genesis 2:18 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. 

20So 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. 

“It is not good that man should be alone; - Adam’s single state was the only thing God created in the creation story that He declared not good. (chapter 1, vv. 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25).

I will make him a helper comparable to him.”  - Helper helpmeet[kjv] (suitable, adapted, completing) (Amplified).

God created woman to be a perfectly suitable helper to the man. This means God gave the plan and agenda to Adam, and he and the woman together work to fulfill it. Notice this phrase is in reference to the marriage relationship. The first marriage! This is the right way to look at it. A women is not required to be sumissive all men but rather to her own husband.

(1 Timothy 2:12–13).

1 Timothy 2:12–13 (NKJV)

12And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 

13For Adam was formed first, then Eve.

It isn’t as muchn of a matter of superior ability or gifting, but it is a matter of His order as lined out in His Word. A chain of command is provided to create and maintain order. To reduce conflicts and striving. this passage I read is concerning the way the church is supposed to operate, not all aspects of life. that would be an overreaching interpretation.

vv19-20 naming the animals —-taken From Jon Coursan’s Commentary “Mr. and Mrs. Giraffe, Mr. and Mrs. Rhinoceros, Mr. and Mrs. Orangutan, Mr. and Mrs. Hippopotamus”—Adam called out their names as the animals paraded before him. And as he did, there probably was a point when he came to the realize that everyone but him had a counterpart. “I gotta make something happen,” Adam could have said, searching far and wide find a mate. —but the closest he would have come would have been an orangutan or a chimpanzee.

And that’s what happens to a lot of people today. Aware of their single state, they say, “I gotta find somebody.” So off they go to Rockin’ Rodeo and they come back with an orangutan. “So she’s a little hairy? So he’s kind of big and overbearing, this is as close as I can get to a perfect match,” they say. That is no more God’s plan for us than it was for Adam.

21And 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. 

22Then the rib which the Lord God 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.” 

c. She was taken out of Man: Adam recognized that though he and Eve were one, she was not the same as him. He understood that two different people were becoming one.

1 Peter 3:7

Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.

This is telling us husbands to recognize that we are with someone different, someone whom we must understand: to dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel.

24Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. 

25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

IV. The First Marriage (2:18–25) Everything in Creation was “very good” (1:31) except the loneliness of Adam. “It is not good for man to be alone” points to the basis for marriage:

(1) to provide companionship;

(2) to carry on the human race;

(3) to help one another and bring out the best.

The word “helpmeet” (v. 18) refers to helper like him: one that meets his needs. This companion was not found anywhere in animal creation, thus showing the great gulf that is fixed between brute creatures and human beings made in the image of God. God made the first woman out of the flesh and bone of the first man, and He “closed up the flesh in its place” (v. 21, NKJV). The verb “made” in v. 22 is actually defined as “built,” in the Hebrew as one would build a temple. The fact that Eve was made from Adam shows the unity of the human race and the dignity of woman. It has been remarked that Eve was made, not from the man’s feet to be trampled by him, or from his head to rule over him, but from his side, to be near his heart and loved by him. Adam had named all the animals that God had brought him (v. 19), thus showing that the first man had intelligence, language, and speech. Now he names his bride “woman” (in the Heb. ishshah which is related to ish meaning “man”). Thus, in name and nature, man and woman belong to each other. How wonderful it would be if every wedding were performed by God. Then every home would be a paradise on earth.

Unfortunately the first Adam [the human race] fell in the garden, but what the marraige represents is a beautiful picture of Christ and the church (Eph. 5:21–33)

Christ, the Last Adam, gave birth to the church as He slept in death on the cross and men speared His side .

John 19:31–37

31 Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.

32 Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.

33 But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs.

34 But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out.

35 And he who has seen has testified, and his testimony is true; and he knows that he is telling the truth, so that you may believe.

36 For these things were done that the Scripture should be fulfilled, “Not one of His bones shall be broken.” 37 And again another Scripture says, “They shall look on Him whom they pierced.”

He partook of our human nature that we might be partakers of His divine nature. Eve was the object of Adam’s love and concern, just as the church receives Christ’s love and his ministry, Adam willingly ate of the forbidden fruit and was not deceived like Eve was. He was willing to become a sinner that he might stay with his bride! So Christ was willing to be made sin for us that we might be with Him forever. What love and grace! Note too that Eve was formed before sin came on the scene, just as we have been chosen in Christ “before the foundation of the world”

2 Corinthians 5:212 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV)

21For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Ephesians 1:4 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, If we look closely, we can see three pictures of the church in these verses, just as the church is pictured in Ephesians.

1] Eve was the bride (Eph. 5:21–33)

Ephesians 5:22–33 (NKJV)

22Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 

23For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 

24Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. 

25Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 

26that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 

27that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 

28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 

29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. 

30For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 

31“For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 

32This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 

33Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.. ;

2] she was also part of Adam’s body (Gen. 2:23;Genesis 2:23 (NKJV)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.”

Eph. 5:29–30)Ephesians 5:28–29 (NKJV)

28So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 

29For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

3] and she was made or “built,” which suggests the church as a temple of God (Eph. 2:19–22)

Ephesians 2:19–22 (NKJV)

19Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

20having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, 

21in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, 

22in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit..

Lets finish with a review:

1} the 3 institutions God ordains are: The family, the Church, and government

2} the purpose of the family; the primary unit for nurturing and instructing children in the ways of the Lord.

3}Eve was formed from Adam’s side to be his helper. This companion was not found anywhere in animal creation, thus showing the great gulf that is fixed between brute creatures and human beings made in the image of God. Eve wasn’t formed from Adams foot (to br trampled) nor from his head (to dominate him)but from his side to be compatible with him.

4} the marriage of Adam and Eve is symbolic of Christ’s marraige to the church (body of Christ, or believers). Our marriages should reflect God’s design.

The Christian family isn’t just a ‘make your own guidelines’ kind of deal. God has a pattern for it and we can learn God’s ways and be light in a dark world by doin g family His way.