Love and Marriage: Examples in Genesis – Adam and Eve

Examples We Will Study in This Series

The Book of Genesis sets a foundation to life, including love and marriage. As the Author of His Word, God gives us great examples of men and women who were married. The Bible clearly shows that marriage is for one man and one woman who both love God first. These couples made lots of mistakes, just like we do in our marriages. But they trusted God and He was able to help them overcome the evil and negatives facing them.

This series will show some of the positive benefits to marriage. It will also show how married couples believed to carry out God’s will in their lives, and how that has blessed mankind for centuries.

We will see in Genesis that although Adam and Eve were tricked by Satan, they forgave one another, continued together, and believed to have a son named Seth. From Seth came children who carried on the lineage leading to Jesus Christ.

We see the faithful obedience of Noah to carry out all that God commanded so that he could save life upon the earth. Along with his wife, he was able to keep his three sons and their wives alive when all other people died. From Noah’s son, Shem, descended Jesus Christ.

One of the great stories of a faithful husband and wife in Genesis is that of Abraham and Sarah. Despite their age and physical challenges, they believed God’s promise to have a son, named Isaac. God promised Abraham that in his seed (his lineage, referring to Jesus Christ) all nations would be blessed.

Genesis shows us the spiritual awareness of Isaac and Rebekah. They greatly loved each other, and they believed God to know how to raise their son, Jacob. This was a challenge when their other son, Esau, was not so spiritually minded.

Later, we see one of the most romantic events recorded in scripture. Jacob (whom God gave the name Israel) found the beautiful Rachel, and it was love at first sight. Jacob married Rachel and was devoted to her, giving her firstborn son the robe of heirship. This son, Joseph, helped save the children of Israel during a worldwide famine, preserving his brother Judah, who was an ancestor of Jesus Christ.

By seeing some of the first married couples, both their good and bad experiences, we can learn to be the best husbands and wives ourselves. Their examples give us encouragement and strength to build and maintain loving marriages.

Adam and Eve: Honest Forgiveness

God, the Creator, lovingly set up the first man and woman for success together. They simply needed to obey His commands and claim His promises. But the Devil hated God’s people, as he still hates them today.

Most people know how God provided a perfect helper for Adam. Just as in marriages today, the man’s wife was exactly what he needed to be his best. God made men and women to be different for a reason. Together they form a wonderful bond of loving companionship, physical comfort, and mutual believing. The man needs the woman and the woman needs the man. And they both need God’s help.

Getting Tricked

God put Adam and Even in a beautiful garden. Eden was a paradise with all they needed to be blessed. But Lucifer, now a fallen archangel because of his pride and freewill choice to fight against his Creator, wanted to hurt God’s man and woman. God told Adam and Eve exactly what they needed to know so they would not be affected by the Devil. They were not to eat of the tree that gave knowledge of good and evil. God only wanted the good for them. Here is what God told them.

Genesis 2:16, 17:
And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:
But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

God gave Adam specific instructions. Since Adam loved Eve, he should have told her exactly what God told him. Satan is tricky. As the serpent, he tried to separate Eve from her husband. Adam and Eve had God’s clear instructions. But, like Lucifer, Adam and Eve had free will and could make their own choice.

God has said that Adam could “cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.” They could stick together and see God’s blessings. When they stuck together they had mutual support and wisdom to help them obey God. But the serpent wanted to isolate Eve so he could corrupt her from the simplicity of God’s command and promise.

Satan, as the serpent, was very subtle and tricky.  Lucifer got Eve apart from her God-given husband and was able to seduce her. The serpent offered Eve a “better alternative” to what God had said. Satan still pretends to be an angel of light and offer “better alternatives” about sex and marriage to what God says is right and proper.

II Corinthians 11:3,14:
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled [seduced] Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.

Because of his crafty nature, Lucifer is still called the “old serpent,” the Devil, and Satan (Revelation 12:9; 20:2). He tricked Eve into listening to his lies. By conversing with Satan, Eve left out that God had said they could “freely” enjoy all other trees. Then Eve added a law that they were not to “touch” the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-3). Finally, the Devil boldly stated the exact opposite of what the Lord God had said.

Genesis 3:4:
And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

Originally, Adam and Eve enjoyed an open and honest relationship with their Creator.

Genesis 2:25:
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

After listening to the serpent and disobeying God, they were ashamed and afraid.

Genesis 3:8-10:
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou?
And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.

Being Forgiven and Forgiving Others

God asked them what they had done, and they honestly admitted their error. Adam said that the woman God had given him to be a companion offered disobedience and Adam “ate” what was offered. Eve said that the serpent had beguiled her.  Because Adam and Eve honestly admitted their disobedience, God was able to forgive them and “clothe” them.

Genesis 3:21:
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

Our first responsibility as believers is fellowship with our heavenly Father. Once we have His forgiveness, we are able to genuinely love and forgive our spouse. So often, we married couples need to forgive each other. Usually, both of us are in the wrong—either by our actions or by the attitude we take toward our spouse when we are offended.

Adam had to forgive Eve for “leading” him into disobeying God. Imagine how he could have held a grudge about that for a while! And Eve had to forgive Adam for not speaking up and helping her to avoid Satan’s deception. As her husband, he could have refused the invitation to disobey their Creator. It was still Adam’s “transgression” and “offense” that brought sin and death upon the human race (Romans 5:14,17).

This first married couple decided to move on with the hope that one day a Messiah would be born to redeem mankind (Genesis 3:15). Later, Adam and Eve had two sons. It seemed that they were on their way to a good family life. But Satan was not finished in his fight against mankind. He motivated their eldest son, Cain, to murder his brother, Abel (I John 3:12). Despite this vicious attack on their family by the Devil, Adam and Eve thanked God for His continued blessings and had another son. This son, Seth, was the ancestor of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Jesus Christ.

Genesis 4:25:
And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

God designed marriage where the husband and wife help each other to stay in fellowship with the Father. At times we make mistakes as married couples and both disobey God. Thankfully, our heavenly Father is always ready to forgive us when we honestly admit our error. That’s when we forgive each other. Then we can move ahead together and do great things for Him!

Next time we will look at Noah’s faithful obedience, and how he and his wife helped to save life upon the earth!