How must we love and who must we love? Although overlooked quite a bit by today’s generation, God has clearly laid down his example relationship for man and woman within his Word. Family in the Bible digs into the Scripture and brings clarity to what seems like such a confusing topic. The book goes beyond the standard relationship of today and reaches into the heart of things, stressing that “‘Everything is permissible for me’—but not everything is beneficial” (1 Corinthians 6:12a). It seems that today’s society has lost this depth, the depth of love and the extent of the relationship between man and woman. The way we love is just as important as to whom we love.

On page 26 the author quotes Matthew Henry, “Not made out of his head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved” (Wenham). Henry brings amazing insight into the beginning chapters of Genesis. Even though the Bible does not blatantly state what Matthew Henry abstracts, I believe the idea Henry brings forward is core to the character of God. The Lord is not one to leave things riding on the surface. There is purpose and depth to all of God’s creation and being. The relationship between man and woman is of no exception.

So then knowing that God has depth and purpose behind his creation, what then is God’s ideal relationship? There is much debate whether polygamy and homosexuality are okay. The Bible never flat out states that polygamy is against God’s accord. In fact, several Old Testament men married multiple wives. There are a few passages that the church seems to drill into the congregation about homosexuality as a sin, but I think the best argument that one can make against any of these is through the model relationship God gave us from the start, Adam and Eve. As Family in the Bible points out, “That only one woman is provided by the all-powerful, all-generous God surely is significant: it indicates the divine approval of heterosexual monogamy. One man with one woman is God’s model for relations between the sexes” (Winham, 2003, p 26). The Lord did not place Adam with another man or another animal. In fact, Scripture says that God brought before Adam all the beasts of the land “but for Adam no suitable helper was found” (Genesis 2:20b). So then who or what could suit Adam? None but Eve. God started his creation with a beautifully matched hetero-monogamous relationship; the relationship that will be the most beneficial to us and bring the most glory to him.

So one last burning question: how do we love? The extent of the relationship between man and woman does not just end with man and woman being together. How they are together and how they love one another is also core to God’s plan. “Bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh” (Genesis 2:23) a biblical formula that, as Family in the Bible states, “makes spouses as close in relationship to each other as brother and sister or parent and child” (Winham, 2003, p. 26). There is a close bond between man and woman, a depth that God wants reached. In most relationships this bond is destroyed through toilsome bickering. For example, Adam and Eve first started having problems once they ate the forbidden fruit, “the joy of their original companionship was replaced by bickering as they tried to blame someone else for their disobedience” (Wenham, 2003, p. 27). Many say that fights are part of a healthy relationship, but I wonder if we follow the true accord of God’s plan for our relationships that we might find a better happiness. Now that sin is part of the world, this is no longer perfectly possible, but through the understanding of God’s original and intended plans for his people a relationship of love is clearly defined. God did not plan for his people to bicker and fight, but to be close in love, a passionate love, the same love demonstrated through his Son.

Family in the Bible touches on some amazing issues about the relationship between man and woman. God has laid out the model for a healthy relationship between the two sexes and has clarified how polygamy is not seen as holy in his eyes. “Not made out of his head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be loved,” in the same way that Eve was made out of Adam so too was Adam made out of God (Wenham, 2003, p. 26). We are part of God’s love and we are part of God’s plan. By following his Word and understanding his intended plan for us, we benefit in our relationships with one another and glorify His name.

References

Wenham, G. (2003). Family in the Pentateuch. In R.S. Hess and M.D. Carrol (Eds), Family in the Bible (pp. 17-31). Grand Rapids: Baker Academics.

The Student Bible. 1996. New International Version. Grand Rapids: The Zondervan Corporation.

So it’s been a really really… really… long time. But after much work, I’ve solved a few glitches that Wordpress has given me and now MKCblogs are back. Some of the features are still not working. I think the login redirect is broken right now. So you’ll have to go login at the discussion board and then travel over to your blog to get it. Also the comments redirect is messed up. You can still post comments, but it takes you to a blank page after posting. I’m trying to fix these problems. This is the first time I’ve been able to get into my blogs though. Hopefully I can resolve those matters quickly.

I’ve also implemented an anti-spam system. Some, if not all of you, have been getting disney comments. You can now mass delete these and hopefully kiss these good bye forever.

Please tell me if you see any other glitches within the system. The theme is not yet finished but I can finally get back to designing it now that this huge issue has been resolved.

Thanks,
Corey