Men or Mice?

I've been getting a little distracted lately. I started getting back into this in order to write about marriage and marriage issues, and instead i have ended up doing a commentary on Genesis. I apologize. There are a couple of more things i want to touch on here then i need to get out of Genesis. It's turning into a crutch.

God drew Adam & Eve out of hiding after their eating of the fruit. He confronted them about their actions. So who does God confront first? He confronts Adam of course. Adam was the last one involved in the scheme, but he is the first one on whom responsibility is placed. It's interesting here because God asked Adam where he was and Adam's response was an honest response. "I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I am naked, and I hid myself." Oh that we would give honest responses to the people who asked us questions. That has to be one of the most difficult things to do. Honesty is so important in our lives, and yet so few people are. What's even more interesting to me is how few people can handle it when other people are truly honest with them. Anyways, back on task...

So God confronted Adam on the sin. Adam's reaction, like most men it seems, was to blame Eve (keep in mind, the blame game is a 2 way street). It was not unjustifiable. Eve did bring the fruit to Adam to eat, but the point is that instead of taking responsibility for his actions, Adam passed the blame to his wife. Eve in turn passed the blame to the serpent. So neither really took responsibility for their own actions. He blamed her, she blamed it, no one took responsibility.

On the flip-side, one of the least noticed / most ignored facets of this situation is that when God called out in the Garden Adam was the one to answer. He is the one who responded to the confrontation by God. In part, he did take the responsibility. That must have been one of the most difficult things to do. When a child is confronted by their parents many times it is extremely difficult to get a straight answer. How much more difficult to face the confrontation of the creator and God of the universe. Yet there he is taking the responsibility and dealing with the issue. When everything was falling apart, Adam passed the blame, but in the process he also told the truth and stood in the gap. He faced the issue and dealt with it.
So tell me. How does this reflect in your / my life. Are we being honest about our problems, or are we passing the buck? Are we, as men, taking responsibility or passing the blame? Are we standing or cowering? Are we being who we are called to be, or passing off our responsibilities and role to the one who was created to be a helpmate. Are we being men, or hiding away like mice?

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"You Can't See Me!"

What is it about us and our lives that makes us think that we can hide from God. We as humans have created so many ways to attempt to hide from God that it would be impossible to list them all. There is the "attempt to recreate God in my own image so that i don't have to acknowledge who He really is" method. There is the "try to convince myself and everyone else that God doesn't exist thereby unsuccessfully avoiding God" method. There is also the classic "worship other gods (such as money, tolerance, education, science, marriage, happiness, self, etc) instead of God" method. There is even the "drown myself in activity and or music so i don't have to think about or hear God's voice" method. That one seems to be one of the preferred methods by us, the masses, in today's society.

However, nothing can beat the original Adam and Eve method. "Let's hide in the bushes and hope he doesn't see us!" It's amusing to me because it makes me think of a little child running and hiding their face in the couch cushion thinking that if they can't see daddy, he must not be able to see them. I mean "Hello! McFly!". God created Adam & Eve. He created the garden Adam & Eve were attempting to hide in. He created the universe that allows for their life to exist. Yet somehow Adam and Eve seem to think that if they hide under some leaves and branches, God won't be able to find them!

When i read about Adam & Eve's attempts at hiding i wonder how anyone can even imagine that that would work. I just shake my head and think that it's just plain silly. What made Adam & Eve think that that would work in any way, shape, or form? Yet when i look at the ways that we, that I, attempt to do exactly the same thing it appears just as silly. We imagine that by denying God's existence, recreating him in our own image, or attempting to hide our thoughts, we can go on living as if what He says doesn't matter. Instead of hiding behind leaves, trees, and branches, we are hiding behind entertainment, busyness, and our own intellect. It's the same thing with a new face! It just seems like we never really learn.

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Naked and Ashamed?

I think it's interesting that after eating the forbidden fruit, and their eyes being open to the knowledge of the good and evil, the very first thing that Adam and Eve notice, outside of the decision and direct consequences, is that they are naked. And, that they were ashamed of it. They had been naked the entire time previously. They had seen each other naked day after day hour after hour, time after time. They talked that way. They walked that way. They slept that way. They made love that way. They lived that way. Adam, Eve, and even God had seen nothing wrong with their being naked before they ate of the fruit. There was no shame and no judgment in any way, shape, or form. They could have gone on being naked for forever and it wouldn't have been an issue. Apparently they hadn't even considered needing clothing for warmth or protection from the elements because they didn't have anything made already. They had to fashion for themselves covering and clothing from the leaves around them.

I'm wondering, who are they ashamed of being seen naked by? They had seen each other naked day in and day out. Theirs was the first marriage. There was no reason for them to be ashamed of being naked in each others presence. God Himself had made them. He knew them in and out, piece by piece. Yet the very first thing that occurs in recognizing the knowledge of good and evil is that they are naked and have need of covering.

There are a great many things that i think i understand about the Bible, God, etc. Just look at everything i've written about the first 3 chapters of Genesis alone. Yet this is something that i have a hard time wrapping my puny brain around. Why is being naked such a shameful thing after Adam and Eve ate the fruit, but not before? Why is it considered shameful now? Why wasn't it then? Obviously it is an important concept since it is set as "the" major issue after eating the forbidden fruit. I could think of a hundred different reasons, explanations, and concepts for this change. Everything from looking at how young children are not ashamed of being naked and as they grow older they build that need for modesty to how the need for covering builds and enhances the desires of and for intimacy within the relationship. It doesn't matter. I still don't fully grasp it, and i may never. For now, that's alright.

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One Little Thing... continued

Please be aware that this post is a continuation of the previous week's post.

In my mind there is no doubt that Adam recognized a difference in his wife when she offered him the fruit. One cannot go from a perfectly made human being to much, much less than that without it being clear as day. Sin creates a separation, a gap, a chasm between that which is holy and that which is not. As a result, Adam's choice to take the fruit was exactly that, a choice. He recognized that as a result of taking and eating the fruit there was something different about his wife. She had changed and not for the better. A major gap/chasm had formed between them, and he knew the source.
So i'm convinced that Adam went into eating this forbidden fruit well aware, much more aware than his wife, of the command as well as the consequences of his actions. He was not deceived into considering that the fruit was good for food. He could have cared less if it was pleasing to the eye. The desire to make one wise may have had some pull, but ultimately i believe that even that desire was overwhelmed by seeing the consequences of Eve's actions. So when Adam made the choice to take of the fruit he knowingly made the choice to turn away from God for the sake of his wife.
As a result, Eve's sin was a blind sin resulting in part from deception. Adam's sin, however, was a sin with open eyes. There was no deception. He recognized and made the choice to turn his back on God. He loved God dearly. God created him. God gave him everything he had and wanted, but he desired his wife and unity with his wife even more. So he placed his wife before God. He chose his spouse over his source. That which was created from him over He whom created him. The rest, as they say, is history.

Wow, i just realized what a comparison and contrast this incident and choice are to what happened to Abraham and Isaac when God tested Abraham; asking him to sacrifice his only son whom he loved.

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One Little Thing Can Make All the Difference in the World

"She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."
Genesis 3:6

I really have to wonder what was going on in Adam's head when his wife Eve gave him the forbidden fruit. I have already commented about what the text states here; that Adam was with Eve at the time. When researching this word it appears that by Adam being "with" Eve he was in the very near vicinity if not right next to her at the time. Chances are pretty good that he knew what had happened long before she ever gave him the fruit, but then again he may not have. He may have been nearby and not privy to the conversation. Either way, when the fruit was given to Adam there is no doubt in my mind that he knew what that fruit was. It was the one thing that he had been forbidden from partaking in. It was the only thing that he knew and understood, beyond the shadow of a doubt, was wrong. So the decision that he made had to be a conscious decision.

One of my professors, Dr. Fount Schultz, at one point brought together some thoughts in relation to this topic. When God created man, did He create an incomplete person? Did he design man to only use a part of facilities? I don't believe that He did or would have. If He didn't create man to fully utilize His body and mind why would He have created them as He did? Currently as human beings we only actively use around 10% of our brain. I have heard that if our brains were utilized to their full potential, what we would be able to do is unimaginable. I know that for me there are days where i can't think or focus to stay on task and read and understand even light reading. Other times my mind is so clear and undistracted that i can get most anything done. On those kinds of days, reading a scientific paper and seeing problems and flaws as well as the potential and possibilities is in easy grasp. I can easily understand theories and concepts that the day before had my mind spinning before i even got past the first couple of sentences.

That change in our mental capabilities would have occurred at the fall of man, at the eating of the fruit. If/when that was the case, Eve taking the fruit and eating it would have changed everything. Adam would have been able to see immediately the difference in his bride. It's like working with the moderate to severely developmentally disabled. You don't need to be a genius to recognize the difference immediately. So when Eve took the fruit there is no doubt in my mind that Adam knew what had happened. So for him to make the decision to eat the fruit would have had to have been a conscious choice. So seeing the consequences why would he have done it?

More on this next week...

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All Things Done...Together?

"Eve gave the fruit to her husband who was with her, and he ate it." I remember when i was in college and one of the guys i was rooming with at the time and i were talking about this. We were assigned to read a theology book by one of the major denominations as part of a class. The chapter was on sin and the fall of man. I don't remember exactly how it was stated but i remember the basic gist of the argument. It talked about how Eve had stepped out of the cover of her husband's instruction, and had fallen into temptation and sin. She was alone with the serpent, allowed the temptation to gain her attention and focus, and succumbed to it. It also mentioned that Adam had been in another part of the garden when the fall occurred and was not privy to the situation. It was a decision Eve made on her own. The theology book quoted the text of Genesis 3 vs 1-6 and ended with "She also gave to her husband". I remember my roommate and i at the time looking at that, shaking our heads in confusion. The chapter had just finished saying that Eve had been alone, but what was quoted conveniently stopped right smack dab before the words "who was with her".

She was not alone. Her husband was not far away. If he wasn't right next to her, he was certainly nearby. Why does this matter? It matters a great deal because if he was nearby, he may have had every chance of keeping the fall from occurring. There is a distinct possibility that he could have been there when all of this occurred, and instead of stepping in to stop the situation he allowed it to play out. In which case he failed as the leader and the head. He was the one who had received the direct instruction and it was his responsibility to pass on that instruction and ensure that it was followed. So the initial failure and fall was possibly as much his fault as hers.

So what's the point? Why is this important? What does this have to do with us?

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Seeking What is Not Ours to Have

Genesis 3:6

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasing to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took of its fruit, and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate.

It's interesting to see here how this all plays out. Eve saw that the fruit of the tree was 1) good for food, 2) pleasing to the eyes, & 3) desirable to make one wise. Why did the first of those two matter? She had all the food she could want in the garden. There were all kinds of trees that bear fruit. There were apples, oranges, pears, plums, kiwi, etc., etc., etc. You name it, it was there. There was no lack of food. Fruit was freely available. There were also plenty of trees, bushes, flowers, & shrubberies that were pleasing to the eyes. The garden was just that. It was a haven of cultivated textures, sounds, smells, and beautiful sights. The woman could have found fruit & beauty anywhere she wanted to.

I don't think that the issue so much is that Eve was looking for beauty and food. I believe that the issue is that she hadn't looked at this tree in that way before. We can go by the same tree, the same house, the same person each and every day and never really see them. Then suddenly something is pointed out to us, or we begin to notice something and nonchalance becomes notice, and notice becomes obsession. I firmly believe that previously Eve had seen this tree as off limits. It was not an issues because she knew she couldn't have it, so she put it out of her mind. Now all of a sudden she begins to notice what previously had not been an issue. More than that she began to dwell and her focus became this tree and its fruit. This ultimately led to her and their fall.

The same thing happens to us in our relationships and marriages. We tend to get focused and stuck on something we want and don't have or something we don't want and are stuck with. We see in other things and people what we desire for ourselves and we allow that to become a focus and obsession. How many men see a good looking girl or watch something unfold and it brings a desire for that in their own life? How many women see what looks like a great marriage or relationship on tv or that a friend has, takes the positive aspects of that relationship, and wishes that their relationship or marriage was like that? Don't get me wrong. The desire for a better relationship or marriage is not necessarily a bad or wrong desire. It is when that desire becomes a driving force in our lives and instead of building us up, tears us apart and draws us to destroy what we have.

The fruit had been forbidden for Eve, so she ignored it. She knew it wasn't allowed, so in her mind she didn't even acknowledge it. However, when it was brought to her attention, instead of turning away from the desire, she embraced it. Instead of accepting that it wasn't hers to take, she allowed it to take her. That in turn brought the fall and her own destruction.

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The Seed Come to Fruition

With that seed of doubt firmly planted in the woman's mind, the serpent than fertilizes and waters that seeds with partial truth. This develops a lie that ultimately brings Eve and all of mankind to destruction. The enemy simply tells Eve "You will not die. For the Lord knows that in the day that you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good from evil"

1) "You will not die". Death does not come when you eat of the fruit. This is the half-truth. Death did not come immediately when she ate of the fruit. In fact Eve's death did not come for a long time. However, in that day death occurred. Eve brought death on herself and her husband. Many times the consequences to our actions are not immediately evident. We may never see the ultimate results of our actions in this lifetime at all. That doesn't mean that they don't exist. Every sin has consequences. It amuses me when i hear people with the mentality that as long as what i do doesn't hurt someone else, it doesn't matter. Nothing that we do doesn't affect the people we are closest to one way or another. Everything we do has consequences and affects others. When we attempt to justify our sins we hurt ourselves and everyone else around us. The enemy knew that what God said was the truth but purposefully led Eve to believe that it wasn't. Eve took that seed of doubt and allowed it to grow until it ultimately destroyed her and her life. Instead of trusting her God and her husband, she sought her own way. She sought to have more.

2) "For the Lord knows that in the day that you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good from evil" This is another half-truth. Yes, God knew that when Adam & Eve ate of the fruit their eyes would be open and they would know good & evil. The implication / statement here is that by doing so Eve would become like God. That God was threatened by this idea, and was purposefully holding her / them back. Logically, if God had truly been threatened by Adam & Eve eating of the fruit of this tree, he could have removed the tree as easily as he created it. No God was not threatened by man and when you take a step back to look the very idea and principle it is just silly. However, this had stopped being an issue of logic a long time before. The seed of doubt had taken it's hold, and the issue was no longer about what was right. It was about desire. It was about wanting what was not hers to take. It was about not being satisfied with who she was and where she was. It had become about one-upping her husband and God. Thus the seed of doubt watered and fertilized was creating the tree of destruction and the fruit of death.

This is the way it occurs even today. Every thought we don't control. Every rash decision we make has the potential to produce fruit unto destruction. Nothing we do is without consequences.

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The Fall: Step 1 - Doubt!

So how does it all begin? What leads up to sin entering the world? There are numerous small steps that occur that bring this destruction and end.

Step 1) Doubt. The serpent, who is more cunning than the beasts of the field, comes to Eve and plants a simple seed in her mind. It is a seed of doubt. "Did God really say not to eat of the tree?"

It's interesting, something as tiny as a seed can have so much power. An oak seed (acorn) is so small that you can hold fifty of them piled up in your hands. Yet any one of those seeds can produce a tree so large that it takes multiple men and heavy machinery to bring it down. By itself, its roots can degrade and compromise the foundation of a home, ultimately causing that home to collapse.

That is what you see here. The enemy simply plants one seed. A seed of doubt! That one seed in turn brings down the entire human race. What makes this seed, this simple thought so powerful? It's what it brings with it.

The enemy asks, "Has God really said, 'you shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" It's a simple question with a simple answer, and Eve gives the simple, correct response. However, that seed begins to dig into the very foundation of her relationship with her husband and her God. With that question comes doubt. Did God really say that? My husband, Adam, told me that God said this. Why would it not be true? What if he got it wrong? What if it's not true? What if he lied to me? Maybe he's trying to hold me back? It's a question that at it's very core is the design to bring doubt and corrode the very stability and foundation of those relationships. It's a question that once asked, if not properly dealt with at the start, brings irreparable damage, and in turn cannot be undone. The seed begins to dig in. It gains a hold of that foundation of those relationships and does not let go.
Thus the end begins!

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Roles & Responsibilities

I think that there are some important things to consider when looking at the creation of man and the roles and responsibilities of man and woman as they were created. God created man. God instructed / blessed man saying "(1) be fruitful and multiply, (2) fill the earth and subdue it, (3)have dominion over..." These were the instructions that defined man, gave him a purpose, and gave him direction in his life. Later God created the garden, placed man in it, and instructed him that he could eat of every tree but the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This instruction was simply that; an order, instruction.

In time God took sections / key parts of man from himself and formed woman from them. He than brought the woman to man and presented her to him. Notice that God did not instruct the woman as He had man. I believe that he did not instruct her to be fruitful and multiply, etc. because these were ingrained in her. They were a core of her purpose. However, the instructions not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was not as ingrained in her. It was a later instruction not a purpose. He simply presented her to Adam. It became Adam's role to teach, instruct, and lead her above and beyond their ingrained purpose. Which he succeeded at in part, but only in part.

It's interesting to me, not surprising, just interesting, that marriages tend to work better when one spouse has the final say. If in the marriage both partners have completely equal footing, it creates problems. When a disagreement occurs and a decision has to be made, democracy doesn't work. One spouse has to give-in, which in turn tends to create anger, bitterness, and resentment. When the couple decides ahead of time that one spouse will have the final say and make the final decision, that anger and bitterness may still occur, but it does not as easily spiral out of control and destroy the marriage. As a result the person who has the final say also has the responsibilty for the ultimate consequences of the decisions as well. So the responsibility of final-say is a two edged sword. It carries with it the decision and the responsibility.



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"Let's Talk about Sex Baby"

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife and they were not ashamed"

I really don't understand it. Why the stigma about sex? It seems like it is such a fired up topic. It's like there is a shame stigma that everyone has attached to sex, and fighting that stigma is a way to rebel and express your individuality (just like most everyone else). The media uses sex and sexual issues to draw in consumers. Many times people who view themselves or want to be be seen as "counter cultural", "bucking the system", "being their own (wo)man", "fighting social acceptabilities", etc. attempt to do so with sexual issues. There seems to be this issue of shame when looking at sex that shouldn't or doesn't need to be there.
One of the things i find especially amusing when i talk to someone who has outspoken liberal views or listen to the liberal media and they attack Christians or the Bible by making it appear that Christianity & the Bible believe & teach that sex = sin. But that is far from the truth.

There is a world of information in these last three verses of Genesis 2. What happens when Adam and Eve meet for the first time? What is the reaction and response? How does this all play out? I am convinced that when God brought this yet unnamed creature to him, Adam was in awe and amazement . So here's how it plays out...
"He brought her to the man. And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh'" (1) He recognizes that she comes from and is wholly a part of him)
"She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of man." (2) He also recognizes that she is very distinct and different from him as well)
At this point we have a recognition / command "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall be one flesh" Thus sex becomes not just acceptable, but instruction and a command. "And they were both naked, the man and his wife and they were not ashamed." Sex is not a sin. The fact is that we have been designed and formed with sex as a part of our very core. Sex, in and of itself, is not a sin. In the proper context it has no need of shame. Of the stigma most people place on it.

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What do Our Actions Say About Us?, or Out of the Mouth of Babes

On more of a personal side note, i had an interesting incident with my younger daughter on my way to work yesterday. I currently have 2 jobs. My (temporary) primary job is with the phone company, and my second one is currently only on Saturdays with a video game store. When i go to work at the phone company i always bring my Bible. I have an hour long lunch break and rather than waste 45 minutes i figure i may as well be productive. I don't do that at my video game store job because breaks are not regular and not long enough for me to be productive.

So yesterday as i was heading out the door to my second job my younger daughter, who is almost 2, cries out, "Da dy wait! Da dy wait!" I figured she was wanting to give me another hug goodbye so i told her, "You already gave me a hug. I have to go." So here she comes around the corner out of the great room, with tears just about to burst forth, trying very, very hard to lug my Bible to me. She did not want me to go to work and forget it. So i told her, "It's all right i'm not bringing it to this work today". With that her frown got even lower and the tears started to form. So after a second of contemplation and decision i scooped her and my Bible up, said "Thank you very much", and gave her another big hug. With that she got down, said "You're wel come da dy", and ran off to play with sister.

It's amazing what kind of impressions our littlest habits can have on our family and children. When daddy going to work without his Bible is reason for great concern and angst. We know we must be doing something right.

What's the Difference?

So God put man to sleep, removed a part of him, formed a new being from him, and brought her to him. Now it's interesting in comparing & contrasting men & women how this text explains some of the differences.
Man was created in the wild. He was created out in the wilderness of the world. That was his first experience and what he based his life on. He was not placed into the garden until later. Woman on the other hand was formed in the garden, and in the luxury and ease of the garden is where she began her existence. Everything that she could want or need was there already provided for her.
Man was given instruction. He had a purpose and direction prior to woman. God had instructed him and laid down the rules for him. Woman was formed and given to man. It was his job to lead and direct her as to what God's instructions were and what He had said previously. (This will be very significant later on)
When man was created he saw who he was in comparison to God and the rest of creation. His definition of himself was seen in relation to his creator and the world around him. When woman was created she was brought to man and saw herself in comparison to him. Her definition and direction came from her similarities to, differences from, and relationship to this man.
It's interesting looking at this and then in turn looking at the nature of man and women. Where we tend to focus and lean, our passions and desires, and how we live our lives. Looking at this text explains a great deal of who we are, what drives us, and what we want in our lives.

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The Same Fire that Produces Destruction, Produces Life

So God formed woman from man. God recognized that nothing outside of man was going to be comparable. So He did something different. He took 1 body, 1 soul, 1 will, and created 2. So the question is, what happens when you put two wills together?

There is a great deal of potential for 1 person. One person can spend their life sitting around doing as little as possible and just barely getting by, or one person can unite and drive entire nations or the world. Our his history books are full of people who changed the world by their actions. However, the only way to really build anything is by cooperation with others. When you take one person and create 2 from them, the potential is for the wills to unite and bond, to grow together. A two cord rope is not easily broken. Two people working together have a much greater potential than does one person alone. By working together they can accomplish and be more than either one could accomplish and be alone.

However, at the same time the potential and reality is that those two wills will conflict with one another. That conflict is natural and to be expected. It is a part of life. Two separate and comparable wills will produce conflict. Arguments and fighting will occur, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Where two wills unite that spark and friction produce the heat, oxygen, and fuel necessary for combustion. Fire is produced, and that fire can heat a relationship, purify it, and destroy it depending on what is done with it and how. Conflict is not necessarily bad, and it is also not necessarily good, but it is necessary and inevitable. Thus the same fire that produces destruction, also produces life.

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Incomplete Yet Whole

It's important to understand that it is not good for a man or a woman to be alone. Neither are they complete in and of themselves. She needs more than herself, he and God alone is not good. Man needs woman and woman needs man. We are each incomplete alone.

However, it must also be stated that an incomplete man and an incomplete woman together are not complete. To understand this i will use 2 analogies. First, what most people who are single think is that when they meet the right person it will be like 2 pieces of the same puzzle put together. They will connect together, and they will be complete. The puzzle will be done. It's a nice concept. It's fun. It's romantic. It's a concept that seems to pervade today's young marriages, and if kept will destroy those marriages.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the reality is that when God separated man and woman He did not just leave them wholly incomplete. He made them each whole. God took from man, sealed him back up, and make him a whole being in and of himself. God took the rib / side / beam / part of man and formed woman from that. God made her whole as well. So now one whole and complete being (that needed more than just himself & God) is two whole incomplete beings that need each other (& God).

I stated earlier that i had 2 analogies. Well the second analogy that i had i realized didn't work. However, i did find this picture which fills in another analogy that i was considering. When a piece of glass (or in this case a mirror) is broken there is no way to make it complete again. The broken pieces are whole in and of themselves and in theory if you put them back together would make a complete mirror, however the reality is that no matter how perfectly the pieces of a broken mirror are fit back together, they will never be complete again. It works the same way with a man and a woman. Neither are complete in and of themselves. They need each other to be complete, but even by putting them together it doesn't make them perfectly complete.
Well, the analogy is still not all that great, but i think it gets the point across. Hope this helps.

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"Make Him an Helper - - as His Counterpart"

It's interesting that in the passage where God says that it is not good for man to be alone that He talks about a partner that is suitable to him. I like how Young's Living Translation puts it "make to him an helper--as his counterpart.' " So He brought Man all of the animals and man named them, but none was found suitable for him. No other creation could be considered man's counterpart. There was nothing comparable to him. So God took a rib / side / beam out of man and formed woman from it.

Notice this, what most translations use is the word rib here. It is the Hebrew word meaning rib, side, beam, chamber, etc. Its implication is more than just as a small bone of little importance and significance, but rather as a whole section or part of Adam. It is not just something that by taking it from Adam would be a mere inconvenience, but rather that by removing this rib / side / beam man is now missing an important part of himself, that without it he is not, nor could be whole. A large part of who man is has been removed, and there is no way to regain it in and of himself.

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"It was good... It is not good"

I think the first step to really understand marriage is to look at the source. Why does marriage exist? Where did it come from?

For that we need to go to Genesis 1-3. First, God created the heavens and the earth.
1) On the first day God created light and separated it from the darkness.
2) Next He created a firmament & divided the waters from the waters.
3) On day 3 He created dry land
4 - 1a) After that He defined the lights and instructed them to rule over the day and night.
5 - 2a) On the next day He created the foul of the air and fish of the sea.
6 - 3a) Finally He created the beasts of the field and man. "Let Us make man in Our image"
So God created man in His image... and all of it was good!

Then in chapter 2 God makes an interesting statement; "It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." I believe that this statement says reams about both man & God. God created man in His own image, yet it is not good for man to be alone. Man needs more than himself. Man needs more than himself & God! Not only that, but man NEEDS more than himself & God. It is not an issue of, it's probably not best for man to be alone. It's that it is simply not good for man to be alone. It is not good for him at all.

Well, the girls are awake now and i have to go. I was hoping to get a little further than this, but so be it. The note i want you to leave here with is this: Even though we have been created by the God and creator of all things (and in His image), we still NEED more than just relationship with Him. It is not good for man to be alone.

Image from Bluedharma used under cc license.

What is Marriage?

That seems like a silly question. Everyone knows what marriage is. . . don't they?

You would think that it is a simple question with a simple answer, but that's not so much anymore. With the divorce rate so high and so many broken marriages, the concept of what marriage is seems to be much different than it used to be.

One of the books i'm looking at writing deals with this issue of what marriage is, and i am planning on posting some of my thoughts and concepts here as i work through them.



Image from gregoconnell, used under cc license.

Changes

Changes in the way we do business! I have not been very good at updating my blog lately so i'm going to attempt to make changes to how i do it.

Don't get me wrong. It's not that i don't write. In fact i write in one form or another almost every day. I just don't usually do it on my computer. So i decided that since everything we do (or don't do) is about priorities and making time for what is important, i would go about this a different way. What i will be writing is going to have to do with the notes thoughts and comments that i had throughout the week and already wrote on paper. This way the transition will be easier and less time consuming. Also it should make it so that i'm not consuming so much time arguing and debating. So, hopefully this will stick.

Image from true2source used under cc license.

Our World Through Rose Colored Glasses

It's funny to me how we as people tend to look at our world and society and assume it is so great. The mentality is that we are the most "advanced" and the most "civilized" society. Our view (American/first world nations) of this comes not only from where we are, but who we are. We look at where we are compared to where we have come and assume that we are in a better situation now than in previous generations. It's an automatic assumption. It's a self-centered view. "This is my life, and my world, therefore it must be the best!"

Part of it is that our society has become so technologically advanced and we assume that that is a good thing. Our world is changing so fast that the previous generations get left behind. We change so fast that it creates division between one generation and the next. We are so isolated and separated from our past and where we have come from that all we tend to see is now and the future. As a result we blind ourselves to the problems of the present and our society.

I think that another key point to all of this is human nature. It is human nature that we focus on ourselves. We think that we are right and everyone else is wrong. Our world revolves around us, so our world must be the best. We were raised with our parents and society giving us what we want. The entertainment industry is focused on giving us what we want (or what they think we should want) and appealing to our selfish natures. So of course we tend to think that our world is the best.

How can we think otherwise when all we've been taught is self-focus and rejection of the past. I think it's time to start taking a look at life again; at our world again, not as the marketing department wants us to with the "consumer" world view, but with some real understanding.