If you walk through the streets of Lagos state on a typical weekend anyone can attest to the fact there is always party going on, majority of which are weddings. The big question is how many of these marriages stand the test of time? I am not second guessing when I say marriage is the latest trend in town everyone wants to get married but how many are really prepared before going into marriage. In the world of fashion you need to use quality materials to make good and quality clothes but an underlying fact is that you must have the knowledge of how to make clothes, because you might have quality materials but without the required knowledge you ruin a quality material. The same can be said about marriage if you do not have the basic ingredients of marriage, you might ruin a supposed good marriage. No wonder the bible states that my people perish for lack of knowledge. (Hosea 4:6)
I was listening to a message by Dr Myles Munroe on this issue so I decided to share it with you all with further explanations on the matter.
God does his things in an orderly manner and his priorities are clear. The case study for this topic is the first marriage ever recorded in history, the marriage between Adam and Eve. In this marriage we find kingdom principles that need to be considered before going into any marriage/relationship. Using the book of Genesis 2:15-18 as the main text we will find five things God told Adam before giving him Eve as a wife:
- The presence of God
- Work
- Cultivate
- Protect
- His Word
THE PRESENCE OF GOD
In Genesis 2:15, when God made Adam he first put him in the Garden of Eden, Eden represents the presence of God which means that before you go into any relationship it is highly recommended that person asks God to direct him or her on the way to go as regards the man or woman he or she wants to go into a relationship. The mistake some brothers and sisters make nowadays is that they go into the world and find a brother and try and drag him into the presence of God. The bible states it clearly do not be unequally yoked with an unbeliever. It is only God that can change a man, so let’s not make the mistake of saying when we start dating or get married I will convert him. It is only God that can convert an unbeliever to a believer.
Note: Eden in Aramaic Hebrew means a spot, open door, atmosphere.
WORK
In order for you to be able to sustain a family or a relationship a man need to have a means of livelihood. In Genesis 2:15, God gave Adam work before he gave him the woman. There is a popular saying “that no food for lazy man” Proverbs 19:15. It can also be said that no woman for lazy/jobless man. Its common sense to know that without a job or a means of livelihood it will be difficult to sustain a family
CULTIVATE
The third instruction God gave Adam is to cultivate in Genesis 2:15. The word ‘cultivate’ means to prepare land for growth of crops in agriculture but another meaning to the word cultivate is to bring out the best of something. If the person you want to go in a relationship with cannot bring out the best in you. It’s advisable not to go into a relationship with such a person. There is no perfect woman it only exists in our mind. It is you the man that will take the raw material and make it into the woman you want (perfect woman) that is in your head. There is an example of this in the bible in Ephesians 5:25-27, it shows how Jesus Christ cultivated the church to meet his standard. Coming to modern times if you are dating someone and you notice she is getting overweight you can take her jogging or enroll in a fitness school and pay for it so that she can meet up with the ideal woman in your head.
GUARD/ PROTECT
The fourth instruction God gave man was to guard the garden in Genesis 2:15. When God made man, he gave man a bigger bone frame to be able to perform this instruction. The reason God gave man a bigger bone frame is in order for him to be able to protect his woman not abuse the woman. In 1 Peter 3:7, it clearly states that the men should treat women with respect as the weaker partner. In the bible there are consequences for when men abuse women, 1Peter3:7, Genesis 38:8-10, Malachi 2:13-14. The hand of God is hard against those that abuse women.
HIS WORD
In Genesis 2:16, God gave Adam an instruction not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, God did not tell the woman about the tree. It is the role of the man to teach the woman the word of God. God put the man as the head of the family for a reason when God came into the garden in Genesis 3:9 the person he first asked the questions was the man whom he had given his word. God holds the man responsible for every relationship or marriage. It is painful nowadays that women know more word than some men.
In conclusion read Genesis 2:15-18 slowly, then God said it is not good for this man to be alone which man, the man who is in his presence, working, can cultivate you, can protect you and knows his word.
So single ladies if you see a man that is not in his presence, not working, cannot cultivate, cannot protect you and does not know the word of God it is good for that man to be “ALONE””.
God bless you
oluwoleolaku 