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Rachael Hill
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Male and Female Created He Them
II. In The Beginning . . . Part II - Oneness
Then the Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable
(corresponding) to him.". . ..So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took
one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh at that place. And the Lord God fashioned (built) into a woman the rib
which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. And the man 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.
- Genesis 2:18-24
Here in chapter two of Genesis, we find a more detailed description of God's creating man and woman, and a wonderful revelation of the eternal purpose of God. It was not God's will that man and woman should be separate creatures, each living in their own corners of His world, going their own ways, independent of one another. There are many reasons for this, but only a few that are central to our discussion here.
It is in this precious passage that we have a marvelous glimpse, if the Holy Spirit will open our eyes, at what the Lord is after in man and woman - He wants to bring them together. He does not want them alone. As always, the key that unlocks the Old Testament is found in the New Testament, and the key for this passage is Ephesians 5:31, 32, where verse 31 is a quotation of Gen. 2:24 and verse 32 the key: "This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church."
With man and woman in separate worlds, living apart, as individuals, the contrast is lost. Not being side by side, together, the contrast that we spoke of in the first chapter is at best dim. And the opposite is also true: it is when man and woman are closest that the contrast, the wonderful and glorious differences between them, are most visible. In fact, the key words in this Genesis passage are these, "they shall become one." Oh, yes, as Paul states, this mystery is great. Do these words bring to mind any other passage in the New Testament?
What was the cry of our Lord Jesus heart in John chapter 17 (and His last prayer with those most precious to Him) even as He faced the cruel cross only hours away? "That they may all be one, even as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be in Us."
You see, God the Father had something in His heart for His Son, long before man was created, before woman was created. Something that was "suitable (corresponding) to him", like Him, of His nature and character, of the same Spirit as Him. But where was such a one to be found? Where is there one like the Lord Jesus? Is it not true that there were and are none?
No, there were none. He was alone. Until Calvary. Until God put the second Adam to sleep as He had the first. And opened His side, out of which flowed "water and blood." Birth. But what was it that was born? It is not seen until Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit births the church. Oh, God is "fashioning (building)" one for His Son, and she is to be the Bride of Christ. She is to be very different from Him, but alike in character and nature. . ..holy, pure, spotless, all-loving, all-giving, self-less, clothed in white raiment - one who answers to His heart and longs for Him and Him alone.
The Lord Jesus Himself quotes this Genesis passage in Matthew 19 when asked about divorce by the Pharisees, who seek to test Him. And He adds His words to this passage from Genesis 2: "Consequently, they are no longer two, but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let no man separate."
In Genesis 2, we have a glimpse of something eternal that God is after. In the words of our Lord Jesus, He restates this with emphasis and gives further light on the central issue. And what is the key word? I believe it is this - ONENESS. Please note, and hold on to this also for later. We also would like to point out here an interesting and profound fact - no where in this original revelation of God's purpose for marriage, do we find the word "love"!
The eternal purpose of God is that His Son may have a bride, and that they may become ONE. Though they are different. Though they are initially unalike, even radically different. Even incompatible. But they not only shall become compatible, they shall "become one".
And until He has His bride, He has an earthly representative of what He is going to do in eternity. It is called marriage.
It is important to hang on to this second issue: oneness. Hold on to it, and also the other issue of contrast for future reference.
Let us ask this question before proceeding further. . .
If God made man and woman so that contrast and oneness could reveal something about Himself, and, God has an enemy; What would God's enemy attack most fiercely if he knows this?