As I was reading Gen 1-2, I realized something. In the story of creation there are a definite pattern that God is following. HE creates everything and then lastly he created man.
There are a few things we need to take notice of here:
Gen. 1:26-28 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his ownimage, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
Gen. 1:29-31 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which isupon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which isthe fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there islife, I have givenevery green herb for meat: and it was so. And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold,it wasvery good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Gen 2:15-18 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the LORD God said, It isnot good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
First we see God creating Adam. Everything God created he called good. On the sixth day he says that it is all very good. But then the only time God says something is not good is here in chapter two. “It is NOT good for man to be alone.”
Then God puts Adam to sleep and makes Eve out of the rib of Adam. So before God made Eve, Adam was alone for a season. During this season God gave Adam a few things. Before God gives a man a woman he gives him other things.
The first thing God gave Adam was a PLACE - And God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden. Men belong somewhere. The original plan was that man would have a place with God. Adam walked with God and Talked with God. Men will do anything to feel that they are a part of something. Growing up I remember we had our neighborhood gang. It had nothing to do with drugs and violence like we see today. We belonged and we did things together. We would go ride our bicycles together or go and hunt birds together. The point being is that man has a place. Do you know your place with God. Are you a man that walks and talks with God. Adam had a place, you need a place.
The second thing God gives Adam is PURPOSE – Rule and reign and subdue the earth. Have dominion over the earth. Man was created to rule and reign. Men were created to be leaders. We were created to step up to the plate and make sure things are in place. This dominion only works through submission to God. We were not created to rule it over people but over the things that God gives us as men. The perverted and sinful way of dominion has had massive genocides as a result of men trying to lord it over people. What is your purpose. Are you ruling your home well. Are you a spiritual leader in your house? Does your wife and children feel protected and safe? IS something ruling you like anger, bitterness and unforgiveness?
The third thing that God gives Adam is PROVISION – You can eat from all the trees in the garden. God is the owner of everything and He alone provides for our daily need. Men have traded trust for fear. We have lost sight of the fact that when we steward the little things we will be trusted in the big things. Stewardship is not about keeping it safe but it is about stepping out in faith, trusting God and increasing what He has given us.
The fourth thing God gave Adam was IDENTITY – Let us make man in our image. Man finds his identity only in Christ, not the things he owns, the things he does or the things other people say. We were created to be a representor of God in the earth. Our identity is to bring heaven to earth. We come from God and we will go back to God.
The fifth thing God gave Adam was PERAMETERS – “You shall not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” You must understand that God was not trying to control Adam or to deny him something. Parameters are there to protect us. When I taught my daughter how to cross the street it was not to deny her or to control her, it was to teach her how to be safe and how to stay out of harm’s way. This is where a lot of men struggle because they believed a lie that the enemy have told them. The same thing happened when satan tempted them. He was trying to make them think that God is holding out on them. “Is it so that God said, you shall surely not die if you et of that tree.”
Why are these things so important. Adam had to learn what these things were before God would give him a wife. Men that don’t know their place with God, do not understand their purpose, can’t steward God’s provision, struggle with their identity and don’t know what their parameters are, are not ready to take care of a wife.
I believe this is clear and concise. Think about it before you engage in wanting to marry.