Genesis 2 - Steve Wiggins Daily Devotional

“And the man said, “This one, at last, is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh; this one will be called woman, for she was taken from man.” This is why a man leaves his father and mother and bonds with his wife, and they become one flesh. Both the man and his wife were naked, yet they felt no shame.” Genesis 2:23-25

Several years ago, I was sitting in a movie theater in Memphis when I heard Tom Cruise utter those fateful words to Renee’ Zellweger, “You complete me…” It all seemed sweet at the moment, but in the months to follow, I heard football players, waiters, cab drivers, and even Austin Powers’ “Dr. Evil” repeating the phrase. Removed from its proper setting, the phrase lost its romantic inclinations.

As far back as the Garden of Eden, it was apparent to both G_d & Adam, that 1) Mankind is not meant to be alone, and 2) Even a sinless man (as Adam was at the time) cannot, apart from Divine intervention, find enduring communion with G_d. In short, man needed woman in order for his life to be complete, and G_d knew that.

Even the word, “man-kind” tells us that Adam was a creature of a certain kind. So, after parading all the animals past Adam, G_d made him a creature of his own “kind”, one that actually came from his own flesh. Important to note is that G_d could have made Adam another dude, a guy who shared his passions for sports and shoot-em-up movies. But In His wisdom, the L_rd made a woman for Adam. The L_rd instituted marriage to be between man and woman, and nowhere in Scripture does He indicate otherwise. So, there we have it, man & woman: a perfect, G_d-made match. But where does that leave G_d, in terms of personal relationship & communion with His human creation?

“Creature” could never elevate itself to the level of “Creator”. So, the only way for communion to happen between the two is for the Creator to 1) Condescend, “come down” to the level of the Creature, or 2) Elevate the Creature. In both instances, true communion with G_d is only found in the “G_d-man” Yeshua.

Made greater than the animals and a little lower than the angels, mankind has always been the object of G_d’s affection. Redemption & adoption, through Messiah Yeshua, is G_d’s solution to our inability to commune with Him.

In the flesh, man is incomplete without woman. She restores to him what is missing in his flesh. The gravity between man & woman is so strong that both will leave their families just to attach themselves to each other. In the flesh, man & woman complete each other; “Rib” is restored to “body”, bringing wholeness.

But, what of the Soul & Spirit? Only Messiah’s atonement and imputed righteousness makes us whole, spiritually. Perhaps, that is why the Bible calls Yeshua the “Groom” and us (followers of Yeshua), the “Bride.” Only He can complete what mankind lacks, spiritually. Even before the fall of man, being complete in the flesh was not enough for true spiritual wholeness. There was “grace in the garden” even before there was sin.

Blessings,
~Steve Wiggins, Associate Leader, Worship Leader
Shuvah Yisrael
Daily Devotional, Sunday, January 12, 2014