The First Marriage, Part Two
A Devotional Series from Genesis
Online Bible Audio/Readings Links (ESV)
3/11 Reading Portions: Exodus 22; John 1; Job 40; 2 Corinthians 10
Genesis 2:25
And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
COMMUNION
Today’s truth concerning the first marriage is an integral and necessary part of any marriage—in fact, in any real relationship. We considered the union of marriage in yesterday’s devotional thought. Today we consider its communion, its intimate fellowship. Union and communion cannot be divorced from one another. If union or unity is emphasized in a relationship without open, honest communion in that relationship, it will end in shame because deceit, selfishness, and idolatry crouch at the door. Adam and his wife were both naked. Were they unclothed? Probably. But the more important gospel truth was that they were exposed to one another, and more importantly, exposed to YHVH God. No secrets. No hidden agendas. No selfish plans, purposes, or longings. Union and communion provoke God’s redeemed creatures to endure hardship, not for the sake of self, but the sake of others; and most especially with the one we were designed to be most intimate with—a husband or a wife.
The first marriage was ordained to be an active testament of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (as considered yesterday). Ordained by YHVH God in the beginning, the union and communion blessed in marriage extends to anyone partaking in a true man and woman nuptial. This is why even an unbelieving man and an unbelieving woman who join themselves in a marriage commitment can even have a blessed and happy marriage; not because of them or their commitment, but because God had so blessed this gospel picture that the blessings are inherent in what God has blessed.
Believers, however, have a gospel responsibility toward marriage, whether one is married or not. Because it is a reflection of the gospel of Christ, the Bridegroom to His beloved bride, we therefore cherish and keep its truth. We must honor its gospel exaltation in our singleness or our marital union—just as we should honor any gospel revelation.
We are all naked before our Beloved Bridegroom, Adonai Y’shua HaMaschiach. Our union with Christ does not put us to shame. It is written:
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:1-5
To divorce union from communion in marriage, and more importantly, in our gospel salvation through Christ, is as foolish as finite man attempting to separate two drops of water. Yet in the corruptions still remaining in our mortal flesh, we often emphasize one gospel truth to the detriment of another. May we, by God’s grace, heed what our Lord Jesus commanded, not merely in a temporal marriage, but in all gospel union and communion:
“What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” Mark 10:9