LOVE AS AT THE BEGINNING

“And He answered and said to the, “Have you not READ that He who made them AT THE BEGINNING made them male and female” – Matthew 19:4

The Perfect Will of GOD, the Manufacturer of Marriage is that our marital LOVE be as AT THE BEGINNING: “Have you not READ that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female” (Mt.19:4). That’s what the Manufacturer’s Manual – the Holy Bible – tells us concerning the Genesis Two Model of Marriage – the LOVE before the FALL!

Could any human relationship ever surpass the bliss surrounding the partnership of Adam and Eve in those early days of sheer joy and rapturous delight? If ever a marriage was “made in heaven,” this one was! It was perfectly planned and impeccably performed by the perfect God. First He sculptured Adam (Gen.2:7). Formed by the Master Potter, Adam undoubtedly had a unique physique and handsome features – made in God’s own image (Gen.1:27). That means he had a Godlike personality – matchless intellect, faultless emotions, and unrivalled will. He possessed a brilliant mind, not blighted by sin. His faultless feelings expressed tender and totally unselfish love, the love of God Himself. His will was in perfect harmony with the purposes of His Creator. What a man! Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically flawless!

What was Eve like? The Bible describes her: “And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and 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” (Gen.2:21-22). I imagine Adam gazing at Eve with amazement, admiration, and appreciation. This was God’s creative genius at its best, unblemished grace and beauty, pure comeliness of face and form. Personally fashioned by the hand of God Himself, Eve must have been the most gorgeous creature that ever paced the face of the earth. Like Adam, she was made in God’s image, with a sound mind, and untainted emotions and will, all of which were unblemished by sin. This woman would have been the toast of any man!

Adam immediately recognised Eve’s 'oneness' with himself: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man” (Gen.2:23). Without any special revelation from God, he instinctively knew that Eve was made for him; she was part of him; she was his equal; she was his complement and counterpart. He called her woman – “female man”! He drew her to himself in sweet and tender love, not in rough, selfish lust. She ended his piercing solitude and freezing loneliness, and filled his life with happiness. She was exactly who he needed; and nothing would have satisfied her more than the assurance that her husband cherished her so very much. These two must have found an incredibly intense pleasure in each other’s company! What pure love this was – the Love before the fall!

Take a glimpse at their home in Eden – meaning “delight” – the perfect place; a well-watered garden at the fountain-head of four rivers (Gen.2:8). Eden was a luscious green paradise, blanketed with beautiful and edible life (Gen.2:9-10). Without thistles or weeds to contend with, they effortlessly and enjoyably cultivated the ground. Side by side the loving and inseparable couple lived and worked in seamless harmony, sharing mutual interdependence, enjoying communion, and a deep-flowing affection that bound their spirits to each other, until sin entered!

The bliss and beauty of this relationship was undergirded by an order of authority – not competition. Adam was formed first, then Eve (1Tim.2:13). Eve was made for Adam, not contrariwise (1Cor.11:9). She was his helper or help-meet (Gen.2:18). As an effective helper she shared all of life with him, including the awesome responsibility of dominion. She must have assisted, encouraged, advised, and inspired him in sweet submissiveness. He never resented her help, or she his leadership. Theirs’ was pure Love – the Love before the Fall! The same God who made it to be so at the beginning shall restore sweetness to our relationships, if we truly believe!