The first couple in the Bible is the infamous Adam and Eve. Most focus on their sin and the implications for all mankind. But I think we often miss out on the picture that God created using Adam and Eve. After all, theirs is the first marriage. And its the first marriage Satan began attacking. Their marriage shows us how God set up the marriage roles, which Satan loves to attack (I address this in my post Marriage: A Picture of Christ and the Church.).
Adam’s & Eve’s Roles
Even in the Utopia that is Eden, the man was still expected to labor for God, and God gave Adam a job. And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof (Gen. 2:19). By doing work for God and following His guidance, a husband sets an example for his family. He is supposed to be the spiritual head of the family, exemplifying the qualities of Christ toward his wife (Eph. 5:23-25).
God created Eve as Adam’s helpmeet, but instead of making Eve from the dust of the Earth as He had Adam and the animals, He made Eve from Adam’s rib (Gen. 2:20-22). Note that something was taken from Adam so that Eve might live. And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit (1 Cor. 15:45). Scripture refers to Christ as the last Adam, and something was taken from Him so we may live: His blood.
Adam’s response to his new wife forms the model that we still use today. 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 (Gen. 2:23-24). Together, the man and wife work together to create a picture of Christ’s love for the church, and they each have a role to play in that picture. That’s where marriage roles come from.
When Satan Swoops In
Genesis 3 shows us that Satan went to the woman first, circumventing the head of the household. Eve not only sinned but took the fruit to her husband (Gen. 3:6). Adam was supposed to be the spiritual leader of the family, but he followed Eve’s lead. And Eve let her husband down by tempting him instead of building him up.
But when God came to them, He went to Adam first (Gen. 3:9). Adam, as the spiritual head, had to answer for his family. Adam immediately placed blame on his wife, then he pointed a finger at God before admitting he ate the fruit. But even then, Adam didn’t acknowledge the choice he made to go against God.
This shows a three-fold problem already developing in the marriage. 1) Adam blames someone else to avoid responsibility. 2) Adam turns God’s blessing of a wife into a curse by blaming her for his problems. 3) Adam doesn’t acknowledge his failure to guide the family. While Eve did tempt Adam, he is still responsible for his behavior. 1 Corinthians 10:13 says that God always offers an escape from temptation. Thus, Adam had a chance to resist, but he didn’t.
This is what makes a marriage a partnership. When the wife strives to be free from sin, when she works faithfully for the Lord and seeks to grow in her relationship with Him, she is reducing the chance of being a stumbling block to her husband. When the husband strives to be free from sin, when he studies God’s Word and spends time communing with Him and seeking direction, he is strengthening himself from temptation and is better able to lead the family spiritually.
Final takeaway
The marriage roles were given to us for a reason. They weren’t meant to be stifling or to suppose one gender is better than the other. They simply help create a picture of Christ’s love for the church. And even though that picture is imperfect, as Adam and Eve show, the imperfections of that image simply help us appreciate God more. For God’s strength is truly made perfect in weakness (2 Cor. 12:9).
