Trouble in Paradise | The Creation of Marriage

Today's episode of A New Beginning is brought to you by Harvest Partners, helping people everywhere know God. Learn more at harvest.org.

And while you're there, browse our library of free e-books designed to help you grow in your faith. If you see a marriage that is strong, it's because they're working on their marriage. They're not taking their hand off the wheel. To have and to hold. We've all heard those words in a wedding, right? Pastor Greg Laurie says, if you want to have, you have to hold tightly. To have a successful marriage, the couple must cleave. Think of yourself climbing up the face of a mountain. You're holding on for your dear life.

That's how a husband and wife are to be holding on to each other. Many products have labels noting where they were made. Maybe made in China, Japan, Mexico, or made in the USA. Metaphorically, if we were to look at our label, the label of man himself, it would say made in the Garden of Eden by God. You and I were handcrafted by our Heavenly Father. And today on A New Beginning, Pastor Greg Laurie points out not only were man and woman handmade by God, the institution of marriage was as well. Today we'll get the full story. Why don't we all grab our Bibles and hang a hard left and go all the way to the book of Genesis.

The title of my message is Trouble in Paradise. So we've looked at the creation of all things. Now we're looking at the story of Adam and Eve's sin against God in the Garden of Eden. We're reading about the creation of men and women. And in Genesis 2, Moses zooms in from the cosmos to the Garden of Eden. This new section of Genesis deals with the relationship between God and man.

Here's an interesting little point. The name that God has used of himself up to this point is Elohim. But it shifts in chapter two to Yahweh. So we might say the name of God, Elohim, would be the name describing him as majestic creator and Yahweh is dealing more, well as in a personal way with us. For instance my son calls me dad. My grandchildren call me papa. You know so it's a different terminology. You call me Greg or maybe Pastor Greg or hey bald guy or whatever you say to me.

I'll answer to almost anything. But the difference is relationship. So when Jesus taught us to pray he did not say after this manner therefore pray our Creator who art in heaven. Though he is that.

But he said after this manner therefore pray our Father who art in heaven. That's a privilege. That's access.

That's relationship. And we all have that access to God. So I wanted to point that out that he changes the use of his name from Elohim to Yahweh. So let's read together Genesis 2 verse 7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. And man became a living being. The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden and there he put the man whom he had formed and out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow and is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

So if you're taking notes here's point number one. God created man and breathed life into him. This word breathed is interesting. In verse 7 it's warmly personal. God was face to face with man and with the intimacy of a kiss or a little puff of air God brings man to life. And now drop down to verse 15. Then the Lord took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it and the Lord God commanded the man saying of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat for in the day that you eat of it you will surely die.

We'll stop there. Eden. The garden of Eden. By the way the word Eden means delight. The very name Eden is used anonymously with with names and phrases like oh it's like Camelot or Atlantis or Utopia or Shangri-La.

So we might think of Eden as a fictitious place but it was a real place that God placed Adam in. In this garden of absolute delight. It was a paradise beyond anything you could imagine. I mean think of the most beautiful places you've ever been to in this world. San Bernardino or I didn't mean that as a joke.

Why don't you love it? No but think tropical paradise or some incredible island or some other place or maybe something you've seen in a movie or on television and that looks like paradise or the garden of Eden. Eden was that and much more. Hand made by God himself. Untouched by sin.

It was literally perfect. Adam had the coolest job of all time. He was the gardener in the garden of Eden. His job was to discover what the Lord had made. To enjoy what God had created and to tend to this garden. So someone might walk up to him.

Well there wasn't anyone to walk up to him at this point but later. Hey man what's your job? I'm a gardener in the garden of Eden. Pretty great opportunity the Lord gave and he had carte blanche. Enjoy everything in the garden Adam. There's just one tree I want you to avoid. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

That was the one thing to stay away from. And now Adam is given the task of naming the animals. Look at verse 20. Adam gave names to all cattle, birds, and so forth.

So I mean he must have run out of names after a while right. I mean he's looking at these incredible creatures. Whoa look at this thing. Um elephant.

Oh look at this stubby little dude with a big mouth. A hippo. Whoa what's going on with this horse?

I've never seen a horse like that. I'm gonna call him a zebra. Oh this one.

That bird that's a peacock for sure. I mean after the hundredth thousandth animal he's just getting tired of naming them and he's just making up stuff. Like um when he came to this fish. Oh this fish. I'm sick of naming animals. I'm gonna call him the the hooma hoomanooka nooka appa waka.

Go swim in Hawaii. That that is the official state fish of Hawaii. That's actually the name of the fish. And so something was missing in Adam's life. And more specifically it wasn't a something it was a someone. But Adam didn't know that yet because he had not yet met the someone.

But here she comes. Genesis 2 verse 18. The Lord God said it's not good that man should be alone.

I will make a helper comparable to him. Dropped down to verse 21. And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam. And as he slept he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. Then the rib which the Lord God had taken from man he made into a woman and he brought her to the man. 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 mother and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh and they were both naked the man and the wife and they were not ashamed.

So my next point. God created woman and brought her to the man. It's worth noting at this point in Genesis after God created each successive thing he said it was good. It is good. This is good. Then he looks at the aloneness of Adam and he says this is not good.

This is not good. I'm going to make verse 18 a helper comparable to him. In the Hebrew that can be translated to someone who assists another to reach fulfillment.

Another way you can translate it is someone who comes to rescue another. Eve would provide what was missing in Adam's life. Adam would provide what was missing in Eve's life and by the word this word helper God will create a helper in no way does it imply that Eve was somehow inferior to Adam. In fact it's the same word God uses to describe himself as a helper to his people but he's bringing them together and this just reminds us we are built for relationship with one another.

We're not meant to do life alone. So Adam is put into a deep sleep and Eve is produced from his side. Adam's enthusiastic response is verse 23 this is not bone of my bone some flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman she was taken out of man.

It comes from the Hebrew word stoquito. We get our English word stoked from it. I made that all up. Okay but the idea is implied here that Adam was astonished. He was blown away.

He was thrilled. In fact in a way Adam is is waxing eloquent in the way he makes this statement. There's a poetic quality to it.

The five lines employ the standard techniques of Hebrew poetry. This is not bone of my bones of flesh of my flesh she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. He probably said it with an English accent. This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my. I sound more like Cary Grant I don't know Judy Judy.

You know I mean there's something about the English accent that makes things sound more eloquent. I mean if he said it like he was from the south y'all bone of my bones of flesh of my flesh you're called woman no or East Coast yo you're bone of my bones of flesh of my flesh forget about it. You want some coffee yeah or California dude you're not bone of my bones of flesh of my flesh so awesome you know sort of an exaggeration of California.

I don't actually know anyone California that talks that way but since everyone thinks we do I'll just roll with it. Bone of my bones of flesh of my flesh you're woman you're taken out of man. You know there's a little known story that happened after this and Adam said to God Lord why did you make Eve so beautiful? The Lord said so you would love her. Why did you make her so soft? The Lord said so you would love her. Then Adam asked God why did you make her so stupid? God said so she would love you.

That never happened that's just a dumb joke okay. Pastor Greg Laurie will have the second half of his message in just a moment. Whenever you send us an email letter or post a comment on social media we read every word. Pastor Greg thank you for being persistent in your teaching which helped bring me back to the Lord. I have been a prodigal son but now I've been saved today and now I'm saved forever. I really enjoy reading the New Believers Bible. It's helping me understand my new faith as a Christian.

It's also preparing me to know how to read the Bible. Thank you Pastor Greg very much. If you've had your life changed because of Harvest Ministries would you let Pastor Greg know? Call him at 1-866-871-1144.

That's 866-871-1144. Well we're digging into the Lord's design for marriage today and Pastor Greg's message called trouble in paradise. Let's continue. So God is now establishing the family. Long before there was a government or there were schools or any other social structures God establishes the family and a home.

This is God's order. A man and a woman together in marriage. Not a man and a man. Not a woman and a woman. Not a man who wants to become a woman or a woman who wants to become a man.

A man and a woman. This is the only order that God will bless. That's true. We have strayed from God's order and we're reaping the consequences of it in our nation today. Almost every social ill that is happening in America today can be directly traced to the breakdown of the family and specifically the absence of fathers.

I can speak for 45 minutes just giving you stats to prove what I just said. It's an undeniable fact and we've tempered with this. We want to eliminate the family. We want to redefine the family and as we've done this it's like we're striking at the very foundation of our nation. You know it's been said a family can survive without a nation but a nation cannot survive without the family.

So God establishes the family and now we're also given some secrets to a successful marriage. Now how many of you are married? Raise your hand. You're married?

Okay good. How many of you are single? You're single? Raise your hand up. How many of you who are single want to be married? Raise your hand up. Okay.

How many of you who are married wish you were single still? No don't. Don't. Alright.

How many of you are happily married? Raise your hand up. Okay good. Good.

Very good. Here's some secrets to a happy marriage. Because people think that marriage will not be happy. It's been said marriage is like a three ring circus. Engagement ring, wedding ring, and suffering. But it doesn't have to be that way. You can have a very happy and fulfilling marriage.

How do you do it? To have a successful marriage you must leave other relationships. Again look at verse 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and mother and cleave and be joined to his wife and they shall become one flesh. So marriage begins with the leaving of other relationships. The closest relationship outside of marriage is specified here that of a child to the parent. Implying that if it's necessary to leave your father and mother and certainly all lesser ties must be broken, changed, or left behind. The primary commitment of a man to a woman, of a husband to a wife, and of a wife to a husband must be to them. You're still to honor your parents.

You're still a child to your parents. But a new family has begun. And now your primary responsibility is to your spouse above other relationships. And this does not happen in some marriages.

They don't engage in the leaving. They don't understand the priority of marriage and how they should treat their spouse. And I think it's so important to have intimacy and closeness and friendship in this marriage that you cultivate and keep alive forever.

It doesn't happen by default. If you see a marriage that is strong it's because they're working on their marriage. They're not taking their hand off the wheel. And your wife husband should be your best friend. Your husband wife should be your best friend. Leaving other relationships and being joined to them. And then to have a successful marriage the couple must cleave. Cleave. So you leave and you cleave. The word cleave means to glue or to cling.

When we come to the New Testament use of the word it means to cement together or stick like glue or to be welded together so the two cannot be separated without serious damage to both. You know when I was a kid I used to build little model airplanes. I was never very good at it. I was very sloppy with the glue. The glue got everywhere. Then they invented super glue.

And I was so excited. And I would put super glue. It's almost like it wasn't really working all but it sticks and they'd warn you don't get it on your skin.

And I got it on my skin. I glued my finger to my thumb so the rest of the day hey everything's okay you know. But that's the idea like super glue. And it's not like glue isn't stuck together. I'm stuck with this person. It's glued like I'm holding on to you.

Think of yourself climbing up the face of a mountain. You're holding on for dear life. That's how a husband and wife are to be holding on to each other. In fact marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. The Bible says husbands are to love their wives as Christ loves the church. And the wife is to submit to the husband as unto the Lord. And so it's almost as though God is saying hey lost world I want you to look at this Christian family right here. Look at the way this Christian husband loves his Christian wife. That's how I love my people. Hey people that don't believe yet I want you to look at this woman here married to this Christian man.

The way she lovingly submits to his servant leadership and how she respects him. That's how my church loves me. So that's how you can see when a Christian marriage falls apart how devastating it can be.

We need to be an example for people to see. Now there are times that I understand divorce happens. There are grounds in the Bible for divorce. Unfaithfulness is one.

Desertion is another. But I've never read the phrase irreconcilable differences in the Bible. I've been married for 50 years and I've had 50 years of irreconcilable differences with my wife. You can work these things out. In fact I've been married.

I don't know if I've ever told you this before. I have been married to seven different women. All interestingly with the same name of Kathy and spelled the same way.

What are you talking about? The Kathy I married at age 18 is not the Kathy I'm married to today. And the Greg she married back then is not the Greg I am today. When she married me I had long hair, a long beard, the ugliest tuxedo ever made.

And she could see underneath all of that hair was a bald man. And so but let me say also our love has grown stronger not weaker because we have followed God's principles. And so this is so important. Now I don't mean to imply if you're single you're missing out on God's plan because God allows or calls some people to a life of singleness. And the fact of the matter is when you're unattached when you're unmarried you have a certain mobility a married person does not have. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 7 an unmarried man or we'll say a single person can spend their time doing the Lord's work and thinking of how to please the Lord. But a married man has to think about his earthly responsibilities and how to please his wife. That's not a criticism of a married man. It's just saying when you're married you have responsibilities. You can't just make decisions without consulting with your wife or as a wife you can't just go and do whatever you want without factoring in your husband. But when you're single you do have a freedom that a married person does not have.

So you have to find God's will for you. But our greatest needs are not fulfilled in marriage. Our greatest needs are fulfilled in Jesus. Right?

That's the key. Because marriage is a picture of our relationship with Christ. Pastor Greg Laurie today offering some great biblical insight on God's plan for marriage and the family. And there's much more to come as this study continues here on A New Beginning. Well Pastor Greg just mentioned that marriage is a picture of our relationship with the Lord.

He'll develop that further next time. But do you mind us asking do you have a relationship with Christ? Have you ever bowed your head and asked Jesus to be your Savior and your Lord? Pastor Greg someone can come to the Lord today and have their life change can't they?

That's right. The Bible says whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. So think of it this way. Maybe you're out in a riptide in the ocean and you can't get your footing and you're in trouble. And you see a lifeguard call out for help and the lifeguard will rescue you.

The same is true spiritually. You're drowning in your sin. You need help. Jesus will save you. He will rescue you. But you must call out to him.

And you know how you do that? You do it in prayer. So let me just lead you in a simple prayer. And you can pray this prayer after me. You can pray it out loud if you like. And this is where you are calling out to Jesus to save you.

Just pray this. Lord Jesus I know I'm a sinner and I know you are the Savior who died on the cross for my sin and rose again from the dead. Now Lord I turn from my sin and I put my faith in you. Be my Savior my Lord. Be my God and my friend. I choose to follow you from this moment forward. In Jesus name I pray.

Amen. Hey if you just prayed that prayer I want you to know that Christ himself has come to live inside of you. And I have a resource I want to send you. It's called the New Believers Bible. So the New Believers Bible is the New Testament in the New Living Translation with hundreds of notes that I wrote that will encourage you in this commitment you are making to follow Christ. There's some other materials included as well and what we call the New Believers Growth Pack but let me get this New Believers Bible into your hands as quickly as possible.

Here's Dave to tell you more. Yeah we'll be glad to send it all your way free of any charge if you prayed along with Pastor Greg today. Just ask for the New Believers Bible when you call 1-800-821-3300.

You can reach us anytime 24 7 at 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org and click know God. Well it's such a privilege to be making available a brand new book called The Truth in True Crime. It's written by Jay Warner Wallace. Jim Wallace is a good friend of ours and a former cold case detective. Pastor Greg. Jim if you were to sum up in a sentence or two what this book is about and who it is for what would you say?

It's a weird hybrid right. What we're trying to do here is offer 15 true crime stories, 15 rules for a living that will change your life and 15 attributes of human nature that demonstrate that Christianity is true. So in the end I say it this way all the time it's not a coincidence that we have this inverse relationship in the world especially in our country where we've got an increase in depression, an increase in suicide, an increase in division, an increase in polarization, an increase in crime and violence. At the same time we're having a decrease in Christian proclamation that we don't believe in Christianity anymore. This is happening for a reason and if we'll simply aim at what helps us to flourish if that was if you just had completely selfish motives you'd end up as a Christian anyway because Christianity describes us the way we really are and if you reject the words of the designer you will not function as designed and that's what we're seeing happening right now and so I hope that this kind of book will if nothing else open the door to people who have for the first time perhaps be interested in hearing what is true about your creator. Great statement. If you reject the words of your designer how did the rest of it go?

You will not function as designed. There it is. So insights like this and much more are found in Jim's new book The Truth in True Crime and we'll send it to you for your gift of any size and the reason we say this is we want to get good material to you. We want to offer resources that are going to help you and strengthen you and in some cases transform you but at the same time you know there's resources involved in keeping this ministry going and so that's what we say for your gift of any size some of you could be very generous and help us out and others maybe couldn't give that much it's all appreciated and it will be put to good use to continue to do what we do what we feel called to do by God which is to teach the word of God so people can develop a biblical worldview send what you can and we'll put it to good use and we'll send you a copy of this fascinating book The Truth in True Crime by former detective J. Warner Wallace.

Yeah that's right. You'll find unexpected parallels between time-tested biblical wisdom and modern day true crime cases. Get in touch with your investment today at 1-800-821-3300 that's a 24-7 phone number 1-800-821-3300 or write a new beginning box 4000 Riverside California 92514 or go online to harvest.org. Well next time more insight on what happened with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Important counsel for our walk with the Lord today. Join us here on A New Beginning with pastor and Bible teacher Craig Laurie. Hey everybody thanks for listening to A New Beginning. This is a podcast made possible by Harvest Partners so for more content that can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a Harvest Partner just go to harvest.org.