Marriage - What Went Wrong?

Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there. The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?" (Matthew 19:1-3).

The sin of Adam and Eve, our first parents, was committed within the framework, and was a direct attack on God’s institution of marriage. (Genesis 2:18,20-22) And the LORD God said, "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." . . . So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him. 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.

Were Adam and Eve equal? In many ways yes, in all ways no. They had clearly defined, God given roles in Eden. God gave Adam the responsibility to be the leader and provider of the family. God gave Eve the responsibility to be the supporter and nurturer of the family. Their relationship was perfect, balanced, mutually satisfying, and supportive as co-regents over all the earth (Genesis 1:27-28). Man’s leadership and woman’s supportiveness were perfectly blended in a loving interdependence that allowed Adam and Eve to fulfill God’s mandate of populating the earth, bringing it into subjection to God’s authority, and ruling over the earth together. What happened?

When Satan approached Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1-6), she rejected and abandoned her God given responsibility to defer to Adam’s authority and leadership. She yielded to Satan’s voice, sinned against God, against Adam, against herself, and against creation. When she approached Adam, he rejected and abandoned his God given responsibility to defer to God’s authority and leadership. He yielded to her voice and sinned against God, against Eve, against himself, and against creation. The God given roles became reversed. Eve willingly usurped the authority and leadership of Adam. Adam willingly submitted to the authority and leadership of Eve. As a result, God cursed Satan, the serpent, the earth, and humanity.

God said to Eve (Genesis 3:16c), Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. The word ‘desire’ means a willful motivation to dominate. Adam would fight to regain his position as God’s authority and leader in the earth. Eve would fight to be her own authority and leader in the earth. And it’s been that way ever since.

“Lord Jesus, teach us to be what You have created and established us to be in the earth. It is difficult, if not impossible given the world we live in, but we know all things are possible with You. So we call upon Your Holy Spirit to govern our lives as You desire, not as we desire. To Your honor and glory I ask, Amen.”

Pastor