Marriage, Before the Fall (a)

In this part of the sermon: He begins with Genesis 1:26-30, highlighting a radical shift in God's creative pattern—a 'fanfare' revealing His intention to make man in His image, male and female, and grant…

A commentator's description of Genesis 1:26 as God's 'fanfare' is used to illustrate the unique and significant nature of man's creation as God's crowning work, announced with special intention.

In none of the other aspects of creation in the previous six days or even earlier on that six day, the previous five days, or earlier on that day, are we at all taken in to the counsels of God with respect to His intention. God simply had decided there would be light and there would be grass and there would be creatures of the sea, But here, God takes us, as it were, into the counsels of His own intention. One commentator described this in a way that was very striking to me He called it God fanfare in preparation for His crowning work of creation You know what a fanfare is It is a blast of tru...

18:27 - 19:16 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He transitions to Genesis 2, explaining it as a 'zoom lens' providing specific details about the creation of man and woman not evident in the panoramic view of Genesis 1. He…

The analogy of a camera's panoramic mode (Genesis 1) versus a zoom lens (Genesis 2) is used to explain how Genesis 2 provides detailed insights into the creation of man and woman that are not visible in the broader overview of Genesis 1.

but you see God ain't done with telling us what he did and how he did and why he did it and so that brings us Roman numeral 2 for you note takers we've looked at God's creative activity in relationship to the creation of man in Genesis 1, 26-30 now we're going to consider God's creative activity in relationship to the creation of the man and the woman in particular in Genesis chapter 2 Now what do we have in Genesis chapter 2? Well, basically, Genesis chapter 1 is God taking His camera and putting it in the panorama mode and taking a picture of His creative activity. We get the whole picture.

39:09 - 39:57 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines the first three distinctive truths from Genesis 2: the man was created first from the dust and immediately placed in his sphere of stewardship, and the man was…

A personal anecdote about observing male and female mourning doves working together to hatch and care for their young in a window box illustrates Adam's observation of animal counterparts and his growing realization of his own lack of a suitable helper.

There was the female. Like the male but different from the male. A counterpart of all the beasts of all the birds. We see the male and the female mourning dove.

55:29 - 55:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin outlines the first three distinctive truths from Genesis 2: the man was created first from the dust and immediately placed in his sphere of stewardship, and the man was…

The analogy of communicating with a pet cat or dog is used to illustrate that while there can be communion, the animal cannot be brought up to man's level of image-bearing intelligence and communication, highlighting Adam's unique need for a human counterpart.

Where is my counterpart? You see, there is some kind of communion and communication between man and beast. Any of you that have had a pet cat, pet dog, pet, you know that. But you see, the communication is only as you come down to the level of that animal.

56:26 - 56:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He continues with the fourth truth: the woman was created out of the man to be his helper, emphasizing that her identity is understood in relationship to the man. This order of…

A quotation from 19th-century commentator George Bush describes Adam as 'Lord of creation, yet pining for something unpossessed,' vividly portraying Adam's feeling of solitude and incompleteness despite his dominion, reinforcing God's declaration that it was 'not good' for him to be alone.

And he does. George Bush, not the president or the former president, but a commentator of the 19th century, commenting on this very reality, wrote this. Though Lord of creation, speaking of Adam, yet pining. Yes, though Lord of creation, yet pining for something unpossessed, though surrounded with living creatures, yet feeling the listlessness of solitude, Adam would discern that he alone was destitute of a companion, a cheerless and lonely hermit, roving amidst a wilderness of delights.

58:29 - 59:14 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Finally, Martin describes the fifth truth: the woman is brought by God to the man, who receives her with rapturous delight, immediately recognizing her as his equal counterpart…

The experience of waking up in a recovery room after surgery is used to help the audience imagine Adam's disorientation and sudden awareness after God put him into a deep sleep to create Eve, emphasizing the miraculous and sudden nature of her appearance.

Next thing he knows, he's waking up in the recovery room. That's a weird feeling, isn't it? You've seen the surgeon, you're lying here on the table and you're off in la-la land. and the next thing you know, somebody's talking in your ears saying, Mr. Martin, breathe deeply, breathe deeply.

67:22 - 67:35 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Finally, Martin describes the fifth truth: the woman is brought by God to the man, who receives her with rapturous delight, immediately recognizing her as his equal counterpart…

Martin humorously imagines Adam's rapturous delight upon seeing Eve, picturing him doing a 'backflip' and exclaiming 'Glory to God,' to convey the profound joy and immediate recognition of his counterpart.

And what struck me at my desk, I said, I wonder if when God first brought her and Adam began to take all this in, he didn't just bell her out and say glory to God and do a backflip. I sat at my desk, picturing Adam, throwing up his hands, glory to God, look what he's given me, doing a back flip and saying, now what do I do with this?

69:35 - 70:00 Read in full sermon