The Doctrine Of Marriage Part 1 Series

IN THE BEGINNING

GENESIS PART 1 – ANTEDILUVIAN HISTORY

THE DOCTRINE OF MARRIAGE PART 1: ONE MAN, ONE WOMAN, ONE LIFETIME

GENESIS 2:18-25

INTRODUCTION

- Earlier this month, the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America held its national convention. The convention was held in Minneapolis, MN. The purpose of the convention, as with any denomination’s convention, was to gather to discuss and organize different happenings in the denomination. Often times denominational leaders are voted on, programs are introduced, etc.

- There was one topic of discussion that was drawing a lot of attention. On the Desiring God website, which posted an article about the event I’m about to share with you, it says: According to the ELCA’s printed convention schedule, at 2 PM on Wednesday, August 19, the 5th session of the convention was to begin. The main item of the session: “Consideration: Proposed Social Statement on Human Sexuality.” The issue is whether practicing homosexuality is a behavior that should disqualify a person from the pastoral ministry.

- On August 19, 2009 at 2 o’clock in the afternoon, this Lutheran denomination was to debate not only the question of the morality of homosexuality, but also whether or not practicing homosexuals could serve in leadership roles in Lutheran churches. Listen to an eyewitness account of what occurred on that day (this is also from Desiring God): On a day when no severe weather was predicted or expected...a tornado forms, baffling the weather experts—most saying they’ve never seen anything like it. It happens right in the city. The city: Minneapolis. The tornado happens on a Wednesday...during the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America’s national convention in the Minneapolis Convention Center. The convention is using Central Lutheran across the street as its church. The church has set up tents around it’s building for this purpose. This curious tornado touches down just south of downtown and follows 35W straight towards the city center. It crosses I94. It is now downtown. The time: 2PM. The first buildings on the downtown side of I94 are the Minneapolis Convention Center and Central Lutheran. The tornado severely damages the convention center roof, shreds the tents, breaks off the steeple of Central Lutheran, splits what’s left of the steeple in two...and then lifts.

- What in the world was going on there? I believe, along with others who had seen or heard of the event, that God was providing a warning not just to the Lutheran church, but to all churches: Do not condone what Scripture condemns. Now natural disasters occur in all sorts of places and affect all sorts of people; Bible believing, born again Christians included. So a natural disaster happening does not automatically translate into an act of God’s judgment.

- But we believe in a God who controls the tiniest details of this universe. The wind and the waves still obey the voice of the Savior. What seems like happenstance to others is God’s sovereignty and providence at work to us. And as we are going to see today during our look at Genesis: God is concerned with the purity of human sexuality. He is concerned with the sanctity of marriage. I think God made his “vote” very clear on that August day. And more importantly, he is certainly clear in Scripture. There is no doubt about what God has to say about marriage in the Bible. Let’s take a look at the very first marriage ceremony as we continue our look at Genesis.

[READ GENESIS 2:18-25]

- The first thing that the careful reader should notice in this passage is the stark contrast between v.18 and the whole of chapter 1 and chapter 2 up to this point. In 1:4 God sees the light that is shining on Earth’s surface and he calls it “good”. On the third creation day, after God separates the land from the seas, Moses writes: And God saw that it was good. Later on that same creation day after God forms the plants it says the same thing: it was good. The pattern continues into the fourth day: the luminaries are called “good”. The sea creatures and birds created on day five are called “good”. God sees that his creation is “good” after he forms the land animals on day six. And at the end of day six, after mankind, the pinnacle of God’s creation is formed, Moses writes: And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

- Now in chapter 2 the author zooms in on the creation of mankind and fills in some of the details that are not mentioned in vv.26-31 of chapter 1. All of this time, God has been saying that his creation is “good”. But sometime after the “good” declaration of the land animals and the “very good” declaration of mankind, the LORD God says: It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.