The Biblical Bond of Marriage (One Flesh)

“…Adam gave names to all cattle, the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a help meet for him. The LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept. The LORD took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh thereof, and the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.” Genesis 2:20-22

The LORD made a companion, called woman, that was suitable for Adam, by opening his flesh and taking bone from his body. She is identified as a help meet in Genesis 2:20, meaning she is his mate, complementing him as a helper. This does not make her less important, neither is it a demeaning description. In fact, it is one of great honor. This same word is used to describe God coming to man’s aid in Psalm 33:20; 115:9, 10, 11. It does not refer to someone who is secondary or inferior. Adam was alone and GOD provided the aid he needed for his loneliness. We might say that Adam was suffering from loneliness and the relief that the great physician prescribed for Him was companionship.

“This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” Genesis 2:23

“Bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh…”

Adam identifies her as being a part of him and calls his companion, woman, because she was taken out of man. GOD could have created woman in the same way as man, however, by opening the flesh of Adam and taking from his body, the oneness that is to exist in the marriage relationship between male and female is richly highlighted.

“Therefore… (because of the truth stated in Genesis 2:23) …a man shall leave his father and mother and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.” Genesis 2:24

A man is to loosen himself from the commitment and devotion given to his parents and is to cling to or adhere to his wife, and they shall be one flesh. This does not mean we should discard our parents, not seek their advice, or stop loving them. However, it does mean that a new home consisting of a husband and a wife has been established and that home is separate from the one you loosened yourself from. A new home has been established consisting of the male and the female who have become one. This uniting of the husband and wife is work done by the hand of GOD.

With this oneness in mind consider the question that Jesus was asked in Matthew 19 and how he responds with the words spoken in the beginning. “Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?” Matthew 19:3 Jesus appeals to the “One Flesh” rule of Genesis 2.

 “Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.” Matthew 19:4-6

With the same sense of awe that we have of the LORD opening the flesh of Adam, taking a part of him and making the woman, we should appreciate that it is by that same power that GOD joins a male and female together as one in marriage. The two, become one flesh and what GOD has joined together let not man, put asunder. What GOD has united let not man put a space between.

If marriage was entered with the bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh understanding and allowed to navigate our relationship with our spouse how much more successful would our marriages be?