God’s Design For The Family

Genesis 2:15-25

Introduction: Illustration “Two Paddle Boats”

I. The Family Is Divine in Origin.

Illustration “Mishaps”

A. God created human beings in His own image.

- “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness’… So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female” (Genesis 1:26-27).

- “Then the Lord God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7).

B. God created people so as to need and find fulfillment in human companionship.

- “The Lord God said, ‘It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him’” (Genesis 2:18).

C. God initiated the first family unit.

D. So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to come over the man, and he slept. God took one of his ribs and closed the flesh at that place. Then the LORD God made the rib He had taken from the man into a woman and brought her to the man” (Genesis 2:21-22).

II. The Family Is Divine in Purpose.

Illustration “Rent – a- wife”

God created the family, and He has divine purposes for it.

A. Companionship is a basic purpose of God for marriage and family life.

- “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is like him’” (Genesis 2:18).

- “This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24).

- ‘Haven’t you read,’ He [Jesus] replied, ‘that He who created them in the beginning made them male and female, and He also said: For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate’” (Matthew 19:4-6).

B. Procreation is another basic purpose of God for families.

- “God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth…” (Genesis 1:28).

- “Sons are indeed a heritage from the Lord, children, a reward… Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the sons… Happy is the man who has filled his quiver with them” (Psalm 127:3-5).

C. Nurture is still another basic purpose of God for families.

- “Now if anyone does not provide for his own relatives, and especially for his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8).

- “He also said to them, ‘You completely invalidate God’s command in order to maintain your tradition! For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. But you say, “If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit you might have received from me is Corban”’ (that is, a gift [committed to the temple]), ‘you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. You revoke God’s word by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things’” (Mark 7:9-13).

III. The family is divine in its protection.

- God sought to protect the family because of its importance through the Ten Commandments.

- Illustration “Greatest Threat to the Family

A. Honor your Father and Mother

- This is also seen in (Ephesians 6:1-4) and (Colossians 3:20-21)

B. Do not commit adultery.

IV. The Family is Divine in God’s Covenants.

- In both the OT and the NT God is inclusive of the whole family when he made covenants.

A. In the OT God did not just save Noah in the flood but his entire family. 1. The Noah Covenant

- (Gen 6:18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you.)

2. The Abraham Covenant.

- (Gen 12:4 So Abram went, as the LORD had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.)

- (Gen 12:5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan,)

3. The circumcision Covenant.

- (Gen 17:12 He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised. Every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,)