The First Marriage

Why did I think studying Adam and Eve was going to be easy? We all have heard the story: God created Adam, made Eve out of his rib, Eve ate an apple from the snake and they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Read my words: This isn't even half of their story, let alone their marriage!  So lets digest them separately, and then put the pieces of their marriage together. 

Adam lived toward the East in Eden, where God planted a garden. In this garden was the Tree of Life which was an antidote for a life without disease and bodily decay. And the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, designed as a test of obedience. The reasoning behind God placing Adam on earth was to cultivate it and keep it. He did however, warn Adam upfront that he could eat from any tree freely except the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Keyword: EAT…don’t EAT…remember this!) Now God formed all the living creatures, but there wasn't one suitable(mentally, sexually, emotionally…you get it) for Adam.  One thing I love is God said “it is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.”(Genesis 2:18, paraphrased) Moving along, God caused Adam to go into a deep sleep taking his rib (closest to a man’s heart)  and closed up his flesh. 

So with this rib, God made Eve and fashioned into her the rib He took from Adam. God was already thinking fashion when He made the first woman! (Literally! Look it up-Genesis 2:22)  The woman was also created in God’s image but, instead of being made out of material in the earth, she was created with material from the man. Eve’s genetic structure was derived from and therefore perfectly harmonious with Adam’s. * 

Here is married life, both are naked in their beautiful garden and out of love for Eve, 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. For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. And the Man, and his Wife were both naked and not ashamed.” (Genesis 2:23-25, emphasis mine) 

How beautiful that God intends for intimate sexual joys only to be fulfilled with in the bonds of holy matrimony and without shame! When Adam says one flesh, he is meaning complete unity of parts making a whole. Such a beautiful example of complete gratification in their joy of their one union and service to God. But with this comes the kicker: with no inward principle of evil/sin for them to be aware of, the solicitation of sin had to come from outside their marriage, and it sure does. 

It is said that the serpent picked Eve to deceive because Adam wasn't by her side at the time to protect her. What we do know is she was alone and don't know is where someone decided the forbidden fruit was an apple! Enter: a manifestation of satan in the form of a serpent. The serpent asks Eve if she could not eat from any tree in the garden. Eve’s response is just sooo like us women at times, over-talking, “We can eat from any trees in the garden except the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, “You shall not eat from it OR TOUCH IT, lest you die.”(Genesis 3:2-3, paraphrased, emphasis mine) Remember our keyword from Adam’s detail: EAT…DON’T EAT…..well Eve decided to put some words into God’s mouth.  Some commentaries imply that Eve was beginning to feel God’s restriction was too harsh so she decided to add harshness to it. I am not sure I agree with that since she had no reason to feel like God would be harsh to them in any way. 

Sidenote: God doesn't like it when we add words to His own. He is very clear to us throughout the Bible in how to be His disciple. Proverbs 30:6 says Do not add to His words lest He reprove you, and you be proved a liar. Gulp.

Well, she ate the fruit. Her deception took 3 forms- good, pleasant, desirable. (Genesis 3:6) When she ate the fruit: her physical, emotional, and desirable appetite was awoken. Isn't this what deception always does, in the moment we feel some sort of physical, emotional and/or desirable fixation? Beware of this. As Paul said, “But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.” (2 Corinthians 11:3)  We could go on and on about this…but we are focusing on marriage-so let’s get back to it!

Like all of us wives, she gave to her husband and of course he ate it. (Men or at least my man, do NOT pass up food!)  With this Adam committed sin without any form of deception. What an example of man’s inclination to follow women’s impulsiveness-Eve led, Adam followed. I think this is a big lesson we can learn in our own marriages. How to set the example and lead our husbands into the Light not sin. Then BOOM: they realized they were as naked as a jaybird! In order to cover their sin, cough cough, I mean bodies they decided to make a nice ensemble of fig leaves. You see their eyes were now open to a whole new realm of sin. Their innocence as a married couple, as the first man and first woman was replaced with guilt and shame. 

Oh hello God walking in His garden in the cool of day….how I would love to see this! (Only this part, not the sinning and serpent slithering around parts)  Adam and Eve heard Him walking because He was walking in a visible form, and then they went into hiding. Together, teamwork right? You may or may not know this, or even realize it BUT no guilt or shame in your life can EVER be hidden from God, not even for your teammate…partner in crime…you get it. God wanting them to confess why they were hiding asked “Where are you?”-once again there was no place for them to hide from Him.  Adam confessing he was naked is not the kind of confession that God wanted, so once again God asked questions to get the confession out. Nope, not happening for Adam. No confession there, lets just rationalize and blame God saying it was because He gave him Eve. Also lets blame Eve because she gave it to him. Great idea! Goodbye, teamwork. Goodbye, accountability. Hello, Eve’s honesty “the serpent deceived me and I ate.” Although she was honest, she would have consequences for her distrust and disobedience toward God. Let’s look at their consequences, because we are still dealing with them today.

• Eve’s Consequences: 
• greatly multiply your pain in childbirth: reminder that women gave birth to sin and genetically passes it to her children BUT you can be delivered by raising godly children(1 Timothy 2:15)
• your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you: man and woman will face struggles in their own relationship and will need God’s help to get along 

• Adam’s Consequences:
• cursed is the ground because of you: hard work, condemned to a life of labor
• by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread until you return to the ground: he was changed and subject to all the miseries of life

Next, God made them garments of skin to clothe them. 

“This was a graphic object lesson showing that only God can provide suitable covering for sin, and that the shedding of blood is a necessary part of the process.(Hebrews 9:22) The first physical deaths should of been the man and his wife, but it was an animal-a shadow of the reality that God would someday kill a substitute to redeem sinners.” * (paraphrased, emphasis mine)

Then, they were removed from the Garden of Eden.  And now its time for some babies! 

Welcome to the world, Cain and Abel. Both of their children had acceptable occupations. When Cain was born, Eve was estatic. She said, “I have gotten a man child with the help of the Lord!” She realized that God gave her a son, which shows us she knew who ruled her life, God. Cain was a tiller of the ground and Abel was the keeper of flocks. But unfortunately, he was murdered by Cain out of jealousy. 

Recap of their marriage: Paradise with God walking amongst them, deception, abandonment, hard work, labor pains, dealing with a child with anger problems, their firstborn murders their second born son thus becoming a wanderer. This is what we can get out of Adam and Eve’s marriage: center your marriage on God, alone. Let no amount of temptation/deception make one or both of you fall. If you do, openly confess it immediately. God made you one flesh for a reason. You were made to compliment each other- sexually, emotionally…in all walks of life together. 

Though it is not detailed in the Bible, we can assume that their marriage was full of anxieties, heartaches, and torments due to their children. Which is an example for future generations going through the same. What we do know is, they stuck it out TOGETHER.  Cain eventually married and they became grandparents. When Adam was 130 years old, Eve bore him the son Seth. Seth was the “godly son through whom the seed of redemption would be passed all the way to Jesus.” (Luke 3:58) They also had other sons and daughters. 

Yes, their marriage started out wonderful and perfect, then they hit very hard bumps in the road. Did they turn away from each other? Did they turn away from God? No. They learned how to deal with the hardships and stuck it out, together.  They didn't let their transgressions remove them from a life with God, even after the Garden of Eden.  And they sure as heck didn't get divorced because “life was too tough” for them. Jesus mentioned Adam and Eve once, when being questioned about divorce. His response? “What God has joined together, let no one put asunder.” (Matthew 19:6, paraphrased) 

Out of all of this, their greatest blessing came-their son whom carried the lineage to our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Dear Reader: Whether you are married, single, divorced- God has the perfect mate for you. If you are single, don't settle. If you are divorced, don't be weary. God has a plan, He has His will for your life. Oh, I am just so excited that this is just the beginning of our study on what God says about marriage! It has been such a delight to me personally. I pray over you and your marriage, that you are as inspired by God and His Word as I am! I read this quote out of the book Adam, Eve, and the Serpent and agree whole heartedly:

Yet those who seriously confront the Bible will realize that genuine interpretation has always required that the reader actively and imaginatively engage the texts. Through the process of interpretation, the reader's living experience comes to be woven into ancient texts, so that what was "dead letter" again comes to life. (Page xxviii)

Oh I pray His Word comes to life for you!!! 

*Excerpts taken from the MacArthur Bible Commentary by John MacArthur

Please note: all Scripture is taken from the Hebrew-Greek Key Word Study Bible, NASB