This is one in a series of five lessons presented by Travis W. Lewis in 2010. Each has been revised in outline form with intent to facilitate ease of reading and comprehension. Opinions expressed in these publications represent those of the author alone and not necessarily those of any organization or individual with which the author may be affiliated. Armed with only prayer, fifty-eight years of happy, married life, intense study, decades of teaching experience, continuous observation, and an insatiable desire to leave behind some truths learned at great expense, the author claims no professional training in marriage counselling.

[Figure 1: The image attached to this lesson was taken on the wedding day of Donald Travis and Amy Ross Bryson, June 9, 2007.]

IN THE PRESENCE OF ALMIGHTY GOD – I STILL DO

By: Travis W. Lewis

Lesson 1 of 5

[CLASS TURN TO GENISIS 1: 26-28a.]

INTRODUCTION

1. This is the first of a series of lessons which will look closely into the biblical perspective on the institution of marriage.
2. During this series, we will also examine contemporary society’s effort to redefine this social arrangement which was established literally in Heaven.
3. In almost daily news headlines, we see evidence of society, prompted by those three enemies of the flesh – the world and Satan himself – to refine the marriage institution, to remake it, to expand and modify its meaning, or to extinguish it altogether.
4. Their efforts are relentless, and their success is evident by a statistic which shows that marriages even among folks associated with the church are troubled almost as much as those who have no affiliation with the conventional church.
5. But just as there is a standard for how we can best conduct our personal lives in general society, there is also a standard inside the sanctuary of marriage.
6. And, just as with every facet of life, when from the biblical standard man deviates, the results are not good; both the innocent and the guilty are hurt, society suffers, and no one is the long-term winner.
7. In this series of lessons, we target five phrases used in some form during virtually every wedding vow: i) “In the presence of God” ii) “I take you…” iii) “To love and to cherish… iv) “Forsaking all others…” v) “From this day forward…”
8. In my sincere opinion, the redefinition of marriage is only one example of the jeopardized state in which Christianity should recognize itself, especially in modern-day America.
9. This first lesson in this series focuses on God’s creation of man and of woman and the establishment of the marriage relationship.
10. And, just as we only appreciate the value of any vital institution by understanding its origin and its “Mission Statement”, so it is with marriage.
11. So, let’s revisit the initiation of the marriage institution and hopefully clarify, or reclarify, the sincerity of its purpose.
12. The setting was among the beauty and freshness of the newly created world.
13. When that was, either in time measured in years or centuries or millennium, I’m not here to tell you that I know – nor does anyone else know, nor do I see that it matters very much at all.
14. Like so many other details about which humankind has wondered and speculated throughout history, of such factual details, we will never be certain, and the Creator had a reason for not revealing more particulars.
15. Yet, what we can know is that a pattern was set, and life goes better when we follow His arrangement.
16. Our Creator had spoken light into existence; He had created and brought to life all that we know – plants and animals, fish of the sea and fowls of the air, along with livestock and all other things which, in one way or another, would make way for one further and final creation in which His pride would rest in all ages to come.
17. In Genesis 1: 2-28, He begins to explain.

[CLASS READ GENESIS 1: 26-28.]

²⁶And 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. ²⁷So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. ²⁸And 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.[1]

• MALE AND FEMALE

1. It is reasonable to believe that mankind has always marveled at how this all began, and we have no reason to believe that mere curiosity about our beginnings is sin.
2. After all, what could possibly be wrong with the creature standing in awe at the work of his Creator?
3. Opinions have always differed on the relatively few details which we are given in Scriptures, yet it was like it was, and my opinion is settled that the human mind does not have the capacity to comprehend creation to its fullest extent.
4. But the critical point which we have reached is not that we have differing opinions of how God did it all and how long He spent in creating it, but that the biblical position that the two genders, which He intentionally created to be different to an extent that each would complement the another, is being blatantly challenged by the argument that they are equal, and that either can, at will, assume the role of the other.
5. To take a stand to the contrary has become almost taboo, while only a quick look at how society suffers because of the influence of such a narrative seemingly should settle the argument.
6. The biblical account of man’s origin makes it plain that, among all His creation – the earth itself, the plants, and the entirety of the animal kingdom – of all these, He placed superlative value on this one, lone, and final creation that He called “man”.
7. And that value is expressed in verse 26, … Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.
8. QUESTION: What is your understanding of the first four words of the clause, “Let us make man...”? i) There was more than one entity present, among which the discussion was being heard (thus “Let us,,,”). ii) That the ones present would be personally involved. iii) And that this final creation would be different from all previous creations.
9. QUESTION: What do you perceive the next phrase, “in our image, after our likeness…”, to mean? i) That this new creation will be as big as God? ii) That this new creation will be as wise as God? iii) That this new creation will be a powerful as God?
10. Is it obvious that neither of those holds the true meaning; yet, what is obvious is that contrary to what postmodern religion would have us believe, this new creation, though similar in several ways, would not possess all the attributes of its Creator?
11. QUESTION: Then what could the phrase “in our image, after our likeness”, possibly mean? i) Though the new creatures would not become deities within themselves, of all previous parts of living creatures, this one alone would have powers capable of communicating with its Creator. ii) Also, of all other creatures, this one alone would mirror character traits distinctive to his Creator. iii) Just as our Creator would bear joyful responsibility for these unique, built-in character traits of humankind, so would this new creation find its greatest joy in a personal relationship with its Creator.
12. And in the same way that He cared for all that He had made, His emphasis was that man was to care for the other creatures under his dominion.
13. Yet, with all that responsibility to care for His creation, no room was left for doubt that man was to rule over, and not be ruled by, nor consider himself as having descended to an equality with, His previous creation.
14. Verse 27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
15. For obvious reasons, all other living beings were created with gender; yet, of all His creation, humankind alone is highlighted as having most distinct gender differences..
16. QUESTION: What do you perceive as being the significance of singling out and emphasizing that humankind was created male and female? Or is there any significance at all? Could it be that man would be the only “species” that would have the perceptive capability of perverting the purpose of each gender.
17. Verse 27: “….male and female created he them”. i) Different in physical features – any attempt to replicate the one perverts the original. ii) Generally different emotional quotients – attempts of one to replicate the other also perverts the original. iii) Different roles in reproduction and rearing a family – again, one cannot completely replicate the other without perverting the original.
18. It is not difficult to define another significant implication in the biblical distinction between the genders: Even though both have definitive differences, both are equal in importance and significance if the initial mission for humankind is to be performed according to design.
19. Then comes the first commission: Verse 28…. 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.[2]
20. Is it not interesting that, of all living creatures, the man and the woman were the only ones to whom God spoke directly and assigned a specific commission?
21. QUESTION: Why such a unique position for humankind? i) Because they were the sole part of creation endowed with the capability of comprehending what the Creator would communicate ii) Because having been the crowning act of His creation and being created “like” Him and in His image, they mattered to Him more and occupied a place in His heart that was unique to all other parts of creation.
22. And God blessed them (together, man and woman), and God said unto them (together, man and woman), Be fruitful, and multiply (together, man and woman), and replenish the earth (together, man and woman) and subdue it (together, man and woman)
23. Then, Chapter 2 regresses to elaborate more on God’s reasoning for this arrangement of man and woman existing and working together as a complements to one another.

[READ GENESIS 2:8-9; 18-25.)

⁸And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. ⁹And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil[3]….. (advance to verse 18..)

¹⁸And the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” ¹⁹And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. ²⁰And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him.

²¹And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh instead thereof; ²²And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. ²³And 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. ²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ²⁵And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. [4]

SOMETHING STILL MISSING

1. One of the most misunderstood terms in all Scriptures, concerning the biblical social structure, may be verse 18 of Genesis 1.
2. Of all living creatures over which Adam had been given stewardship, along with the responsibility of attaching a name, he alone was the one left without a mate very similar to himself and with whom he could communicate, reproduce, and replenish the earth as God had commanded.
3. Used in verse 18, the term “help meet”, or “helper” is a meaningful term, the thrust of the meaning explained as follows: i) The original term was “ezer”, or “helper” and carries the meaning of…
   
   • One who fights alongside another, clashing with common enemies and enjoying common friends.
   • One who assumes a unique position of equally sharing and helping to relieve burdens of the other.
   • One who weeps when the other weeps, laughs when the other laughs, and rejoices when the other rejoices.
   • The term carries the idea of not being just a “sidekick”, not even a 51/49% partnership, as we think of a partnership with private motivations, but as ONE. (See accompanying section of this series, “When 1+1=1.”
   • iii) And when one assumes that oath, it’s more than just a pledge between two people, it’s two people who were designed to complement one another, pledging before the world and God the Almighty to be totally committed to not only becoming one, but by remaining as one.4. And a pledge before Almighty God is not one to be lightly taken.
   • The core of biblical social structure is one man and one woman, committed to one another before God and man to be one flesh until death parts.
   • That optimal design has not been, and will never be, improved upon, and passage of time has proven its soundness.
   • So, maybe from time to time, it’s best if we remember that pledge and declare, “Yes – I still do.”

[1]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

[2]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

[3]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.

[4]The King James Version, (Cambridge: Cambridge) 1769.