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The Beauty of One Flesh

Jan21

And Adam said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;

She shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.”

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 were not ashamed.

Genesis 2:23-25

 

Discovering Truth:

Today we will return to God’s creation of the man and the woman. You will recall that the man was created by the hand of God from the dust of the ground. You will also recall that God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and then God took a rib and formed the woman from the rib and brought her to the man.  We now see Adam’s delight as he exclaims that the woman is bone of his bones and flesh of his flesh.  He then names her, giving her an identification: She shall be called Woman because she was taken out of Man.

It is again important to note that God never intended the man and the woman to function as two separate individuals.  From their very creation to the naming of the woman, we can see they were intended to be one.  But let us continue in the Scriptures to further understand this truth.  Clear instruction is now given that a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.  Again, we see there was no intent in the creation of the man and the woman for them to function as two distinct individuals.  There were to be joined into one flesh.

There are two simultaneous steps taken as two people get married.  First, they must leave. The word leave means: to loosen, to relinquish, to depart from, to forsake. They must leave their individual families as their primary relationships.  Secondly, they must cleave – be joined one to another.  The word joined actually means: to stick to, to cling to, to adhere to, to stay close to.

And as Adam and his wife were joined into one flesh, we find that they were naked and were not ashamed.  There we find the beautiful culmination of God’s creation of the man and the woman.  Together they were one flesh, not ashamed, and in perfect harmony! What a beautiful picture! And remember, as God looked at His creation, He declared it to be very good.  His perfect design was complete! All designed according to His great wisdom!

But there is so much truth to be found in this passage that I wonder if we could ever reach the depths and heights of it all. In Matthew 19 and Mark 10, we find the Pharisees coming to Jesus to ask a controversial question, hoping to divide the followers of Jesus.  They ask Him about divorce.  Rather than answer their question directly, He brings them back to the truth found in the Creation.  He answers them by saying: Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning made them male and female? And He said: For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.  So then, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has joined together, let not man separate.

From Jesus’ words we can see several important truths.  First, the truths found in Genesis 2 regarding the man and the woman apply to every married couple.  Jesus makes that application here as He goes back and quotes God’s intentions from the Creation. He establishes that each of those truths are still true today.  Next, notice what He says: What God has joined.  What God has joined! When a man and woman are joined in marriage, it is God that joins. That is why He can declare with authority: What God has joined, let not man separate! God intends a marriage to be permanent, for He is the One who has joined a husband and wife, and not we ourselves!

We will look at the one flesh union again in our next writing, but for now, let us continue to think upon the truths set before us – God designed a husband and wife to leave their individual families and be joined by Him into one flesh. No longer two, but one!

 

Personal Reflection:

As of this writing, my husband and I have been married almost 40 years. We had a church wedding, and these verses were read at our wedding, as they may have been at yours.  But I had absolutely no idea of the truth of these verses.  David and I entered our marriage as two individuals, and quite honestly, we continued in our marriage as two individuals.  Certainly, there was the physical, intimate oneness, and even a friendship, but our lives were still very independent of one another.  He had his ways; I had mine. He had his job; I had mine.  He had his schedule; I had mine.  I suppose you can understand why I said we were still two individuals. It actually never entered my mind that God intended us to function as one.  And I wouldn’t have even known where to begin. I’m sure my beginning would have been to get him to come over to my ways. But God had much higher, bigger, and better plans than I could ever have had.

He began to teach me about one flesh, bone of his bones, flesh of his flesh, and spiritual truth I had never known in my life.  The journey continues … 40 years of marriage … still learning to be one flesh with my husband … all to the glory of God!

There are no quick fixes, nor easy answers, but we will talk more about that next time!

 

So, Until Next Time:

Spend time thinking on these truths from the Word of God:

          Bone of my bones

          Flesh of my flesh

          The name Woman

          The importance of leaving father and mother

          The importance of cleaving to your spouse

          The necessity of becoming one flesh

          Naked and not ashamed

          What God has joined together

Lots of truth to meditate on and pray through!

Every wise woman – seeks God’s wisdom for her life!

 

So then, they are no longer two, but one flesh.

Matthew 19:6

 

A special note written with much love:  If you are struggling in your marriage or find yourself as a divorcee, please don’t leave truth.  We are just beginning this journey, and God has wonderful answers in His Word that only He can open up to you.  Don’t give up!  Keep seeking Him! He has a perfect plan for your life, and He is faithful to His children! 

 

 

 

Some of the Better Things

Nov24

imageI was wondering what we consider to be the better things in life? For most, the list would contain material things – lots of money and lots of things that money can buy!

Prompted by a Scripture that came to mind, I took a brief stroll through the Proverbs.  Here is what I found:

For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it. Proverbs 8:11

Better is little with the fear of The Lord than great treasure and trouble therewith.  Proverbs 15:16

Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox and hatred therewith. Proverbs 15:17

Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.  Proverbs 16:8

How much better is it to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding rather to be chosen than silver!  Proverbs 16:16

Better it is to be of an humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.  Proverbs 16:19

He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.  Proverbs 16:32

Better is a dry morsel, and quietness therewith, than a house full of sacrifices with strife.  Proverbs 17:1

It is better to dwell in a corner of a housetop, than with a brawling woman in a wide house.  Proverbs 21:9

It is better to dwell in the wilderness, than with a contentious and an angry woman.  Proverbs 21:19

So, what are the better things?

A life with God … walking in wisdom and understanding … living in righteousness and integrity … having love and humility … in a home with peace and harmony.

Yes, Lord, I am persuaded that these are the better things.

Coming Home

Sep28

I boarded the plane at Heathrow Airport, fastened the seatbelt, leaned back in my seat and thought, “I’m coming home!”  I had spent the last couple of months with my son and his wife, helping them and their children get settled into their new home abroad. It had been a blessed trip, and I felt a deep inner satisfaction that I had fulfilled the purpose for which The Lord sent me to them.  But now, the day had come for me to return home.

“Coming home!”  I felt a wonderful anticipation about coming home.  But what exactly was I coming home to? Certainly, first and foremost, I was coming home to my steadfast husband – my  husband of 35 years. I was coming home to our physical home –  a home which has literally withstood the storms of life, and of course, I was coming home to family and friends, as I left one part of my family to return to another.

But underlying those thoughts, I was coming home to much more. I was coming home to many truths that the Lord has taught me through the years. It is so easy to slowly and subtly slip away from truths you know and ways that you desire to live your life.  But God in His marvelous love and mercy allows us to come home. Indeed, I had a great desire to come home.

i wanted to come home to the Lord Himself.  Certainly, I knew that The Lord is always with me, but there are times in my life that I have been closer to The Lord than other times. The busyness of life has a way of pulling one away from the things that matter the most. I wanted to return to those sweet times in His Word and in prayer when I have felt so close to Him. Lord, I need to come home.

I wanted to come home to my wonderful husband.  Not only had I been away, but I had had the time to ponder many things in my life.  There seemed to be such a parallel in my relationship with The Lord and my relationship with my husband. Same culprit!  Busyness!  The Lord has, through the years, worked amazing truths into our marriage, and many years ago actually saved and healed our broken marriage. But it seemed that lately I had been too busy to spend that true friendship time with my husband that I used to have.  Oh, how I wanted to come home!

Next, I reflected on the blessing of the home in which we live.  I have known times when I was a stay-at-home mom, that I had plenty of time to tend to housekeeping duties and delighted in making our house a home. But, oh my, the same culprit, once again!  Busyness!  Now it seems that I struggle just to keep up with it all! I was thinking with excitement about some simple little things that I wanted to do when I got home. I wanted to return to making our house a home!

And then, there were others. I used to be known as such an encourager.  But that, too had slipped away! Now there were times that I didn’t even want to hear the phone ring or see someone arrive at the front door.  All of the busyness had simply made me too tired for others – too empty to even have an encouraging thought, much less an encouraging word!

A fuller picture began to unfold!  What I was longing to come home to were the very things that God had created me for and called me to!  My life was busy indeed and busy with many things that I considered good things, but were those things the best things? Were they the things that God had designed for my life? I had to stop and ponder. I had to stop and listen. And then a prayer emerged from somewhere in the depths of my heart, “Lord, help me come home! Help me come home to all that you have called me to be!”

It wasn’t long before the flight attendant came on the intercom. Time to prepare for landing.  My faithful husband would be eagerly awaiting my arrival.  As I stepped off of that plane, I thought, “I have completed one journey.  Time to begin another.”

This new journey would be made step by step, day by day. It would be a journey of coming home!