Father of the Bride

Bible Passage: Genesis 2:18, 22-25

1. God instituted marriage for the purposes of

(a) Advancing His interest in creation
(b) Making it a metaphor to explain
(b1) His relationship with His people (Hosea 2:16, 19, Isaiah 62:6d)
(b2) Christ’s relationship with the Church (Matthew 9:15; Revelation 19:7)

2. Therefore, marriage originated in the context of the divine interest—“to be fruitful and to multiply and to fill the earth (cf. Genesis 1:28)”

3. God’s desire is that husband and wife be of same humanness (complementarian) with different roles (Genesis 2:28)—sameness is not exactness

(a) Woman’s role as a companion who corresponds him
(b) Of the same substance

4. Unlike the rest of the creation, God takes special interest in bringing man and woman together (Gen 2:22-23) which we call marriage

(a) God presents woman to man like a father does with his daughter
(b) Man speaks for the first time and affirms his oneness with her

5. Marriage involves three things (Genesis 2:24)

(a) Leaving—the new pledge to the spouse supersedes all the previous familial relationships
(b) Cleaving/uniting
(c) Public announcement in the sight of God

6. In the marriage relationship between Adam and Eve, God remains the most important person

7. Though Adam and Eve enjoy the fruit of this relationship, they play their roles for God

8. God continues to have His unique claim over marriage relationship that man does not have any authority to change it

9. Though we see only two individuals in a marriage relationship, it becomes complete with the presence of God as the most important person

Take Away

Seek God’s interest in your marriage by not promoting your interest