And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.Genesis 2:18
Adam was unable to do what God required of him by himself. He needed help. Notice that the primary reason for the creation of the woman and subsequently the purpose of marriage was a multiplication of the work of dominion for God’s glory. Marriage was not about sex, companionship, fun, soul mates, etc. Marriage was about glorifying God in fulfilling the task He had given. Marriage is a tool for the task; it is not an end in and of itself.
God creates animals to help Adam in his task by multiplying his efforts. These animals will be a tremendous help to him, but they are not uniquely suited to help him in the task at hand. Remember that marriage is not about finding a soul mate or sexual partner. Marriage is about finding the person that is uniquely suited to maximize your efforts in expanding the Kingdom of God.
In addition to this, Adam is completely unable to fulfill a huge part of his purpose alone. He cannot be fruitful and multiply without a wife. One of the primary reasons for marriage is procreation. We now live in a fallen and broken world. Through this brokenness procreation is not always the result of marriage; sometimes couples are unable to have children. However, it is impossible to separate marriage from fruitfulness in Genesis. Procreation is a huge part of God’s design for marriage.
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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.Genesis 2:21-25
The woman was created to help the man in his task of dominion. Just as a man was created to glorify God through taking dominion, so the woman was created to glorify God through helping the man take dominion. Marriage is not the goal! Glorifying God by taking dominion and advancing His kingdom is the goal. Marriage is simply a tool that helps us multiply our efforts and accomplish the task God has given us.
Sexuality is to be enjoyed only within marriage. Within marriage nudity, physical affection, and sex are glorifying to God. Sexuality is a great gift to be enjoyed within marriage not something to be repressed, ashamed of, or despised. In fact, one entire book of the Bible is dedicated to sex within marriage (The Song of Solomon).
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any. Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. Now concerning the things whereof ye wrote unto me: It is good for a man not to touch a woman. Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency. But I speak this by permission, and not of commandment. For I would that all men were even as I myself. But every man hath his proper gift of God, one after this manner, and another after that. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn. And unto the married I command, yet not I, but the Lord, Let not the wife depart from her husband: But and if she depart, let her remain unmarried, or be reconciled to her husband: and let not the husband put away his wife.1 Corinthians 6:12-7:11
Paul expounds on human sexuality. He emphasizes that we were created for God, not sex. Our bodies belong to Him, and as the body of Christ, sexual immorality is desecrating Christ’s body. Unmarried men and women should have no sexual contact. The only outlet for sexual expression is within marriage. Within marriage, sex is glorifying to God and should be frequent. Marriage is a gift from the Lord that helps promote purity.
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