At the dawn of God’s creation, God declared that “it was very good” (Genesis 1:1-31). Within this realm of creation, God created mankind.

“So God created man in his own image, in the

image of God he created him; male and female

he created them. And God blessed them. And

God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply

and fill the earth and subdue it and have

dominion over the fish of the sea and over

the birds of the heavens and over every

living thing that moves on the earth'”

(Genesis 1:26-27).

This was God’s ultimate creation since it was man in whom he gave not only the breath of life but an eternal soul (Genesis 2:7).

To his creation of man and woman, God gave instructions as to their worldly union. Man being alone, God deemed that he must have a “help meet” (Genesis 2:18). So from man God formed for him a suitable creation (Genesis 2:21-22).

Man’s response to this new creature was as follows:

“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 shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:

and they shall be one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24, KJV).

God instituted a union between the man and woman that was to be a binding stronger than steel, yet tempered by love.

The words translated “hold fast” (cleave) is from the Hebrew word dabaq which means, “to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.”

This God instituted union is manifest in the love that binds man and woman together into one unit. It is because of this love that King Solomon notes:

“He who finds a wife finds a good thing and

obtains favor from the LORD” (Proverbs

18:22).

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved

the church and gave himself up for her”

(Ephesians 5:25).

In essence when a man and woman commit themselves to this union, it is as much a blessing to them as it was to the first man and woman at the dawn of time.

Let us each look into the mirror of our souls and see if we are manifesting such a love in our God-instituted union.

* Take the time to tell your spouse of your undying love.

* Show them your love by your actions.

* Never take each other for granted.

* Strengthen your union daily and never let anything weaken it.

“But from the beginning of the creation God

made them male and female. For this cause

shall a man leave his father and mother, and

cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be

one flesh: so then they are no more twain,

but one flesh. What therefore God hath

joined together, let not man put asunder”

(Mark 10:6-9).

by John E. Werhan