Today we touch on a somewhat sensitive subject, namely a women’s role in marriage. Many times, the world is perceived as a man’s world, a place where men are the stronger sex and those in charge. As such Ephesians 5 is frequently quoted where Paul says “wives ... submit to your husbands as to the Lord”. But it was never God’s intention for a woman to be inferior to a man, yes - He created her differently but as equal to the man.  “A helper suitable, just right for the man” according to Genesis 2.

God, therefore, did not intend for a woman to compete with a man, but as a unique being to compliment him! Therefore, a wife demonstrates her love for her husband by respecting and supporting him, despite his many weaknesses. Accepting God’s intention for men to lead in love, never implies that a woman must accept that she is inferior or to lose her identity or to ignore her gifts. On the contrary, before Paul instructed a wife to submit to her husband he firstly instructs couples to “submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Ephesians 5:21).

In marriage, the glory of God is at stake because the Bible proclaims that marriage was God’s doing. Genesis 1:27 reads: “So God created humans in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female (husband and wife) he created them” – a unique unity of 2 different people that are not the same but equal – and then the Bible declares that God looked at the man AND the women and He said, “this creation is very good”.

Today we consider God’s expectation when He created man (or in this case, we can also talk about a husband). Men can be rather undesirable, dreadful, and appalling, to name a few. And maybe men deserve this harsh judgment, and yet in the story of creation (Genesis 2), God created the man first, He made him steward and custodian over creation, and this happened even before the woman was created!

The apex of the man’s authority was in naming the animals, birds, and yes the woman God made. But it was certainly not God’s intention that the man, created in His image, to be more than the caretaker of that which He made with such love. Love is, therefore, the key. In exactly this way God intended a husband to lead his wife in love, providing a safe space for her to grow, to excel, and to be the woman God wants her to be. Paul captures this biblical truth perfectly when he compares the role of a husband with the conduct of Jesus.

In Ephesians 5 Paul said, ‘Husbands, love your wives just as Christ loved the church and gave his life for it…’ and also ‘Men ought to love their wives just as they love their own bodies. A man who loves his wife loves himself’.

Men who embrace this Biblical truth understand God’s heart for men. As such, a man will man-up and bring glory to God by leading in love!

Today we consider what Dennis Rainey in ‘Preparing for Marriage’ called ‘a cornerstone principle of marriage’. In Genesis 2:18 God said that; ‘it is not good for man to be alone, I will make him a companion, his equal who will help him’.

The Bible tells us that God then created many animals and birds and He presented them to the man. As God’s custodian Adam named them all, but we read in verse 20; ‘ ...not one of them was a suitable companion to help him’.

God then put Adam in a deep sleep and created in the man’s images someone equal, beautiful, and yet so different. When God presented her to the man, Adam was excited and amazed; ‘At last’, he said ‘bone from my bone and flesh from my flesh…’ – my companion, my equal – and he called her women!

The woman was God’s perfect provision for a companion to Adam. By receiving and accepting the woman as God’s gift the man demonstrated his faith in God’s integrity!

Adam’s focus was therefore on God’s flawless character, not on the woman’s looks or performance! This cornerstone principle has never changed – marriage still implies for a husband and wife with to accept your spouse as God’s perfect provision for you.

Marriage - part of God's beautiful creation

Today we consider a Biblical truth about marriage – “God created marriage from the beginning”. 

Marriage was God’s intention all along, even until today.

Genesis 2 tells us that God did not want the man to be alone and He created for him a companion, in the man’s image, his equal and yet they were not the same. 

When God presented her, Adam exclaimed – ‘Wow this is it!’ and he called her woman.

Let us focus then on this Scripture for a moment. I love it when the Bible interprets itself – this verse is quoted twice in the New Testament, and by two of the best theologians ever.

Jesus in Matthew 19:5 and Paul in Ephesians 5:31, and both refers directly to marriage. We can therefore conclude, that, although we do not find the word marriage in the story of creation, it was fully God’s intention to create marriage, as we call it today.

Your marriage was formed creatively in the heart of God, the Father. Just reflect on this revelation, for a moment.

What is the implication for you, as a married couple, to know that God was involved in your marriage from the beginning and even before that?