Lecture on Genesis(63)
Scripture
Genesis 2:15-17
[18] Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."
This is the 63rd Lecture on Genesis.
Genesis 2:18 says, "Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.""
Then Genesis 2:19-20 describes a scene where Adam gave names to all the living creatures.
Genesis 2:21-22 describes the scene when God created the helper suitable for Adam.
To help you understand the latter verses, let me briefly review the Creation works.
On the 5th Day, God created fish and birds.
On the 6th Day, God created all the animals which could stand with their feet on the ground of the earth.
On the same day, God created the first man, Adam.
Then, when did God created Eve who was the helper suitable for Adam?
It was after He led Adam into the Garden of Eden.
God HIMSELF created Adam from the dust of the ground on earth.
Eve was created from the rib which God took from Adam when he was in the Garden of Eden.
Even though Adam became a living being, the basic element of which Adam consisted of was the ground from the earth.
Therefore, the basic element of Eve, who was created from Adam's rib, was also of the ground from the earth.
Before God began the Creation works, He had all the plans beforehand.
"What to create, when to create, and how to create" the order of creation and the method of creation were all included in His plan.
He had blueprints for all the creatures.
From the very beginning, He already had a plan to create the first man, Adam, from the dust of the ground on the 6th day of Creation.
Just as tonight's scripture says, He had a plan from the beginning to create a suitable helper for Adam.
This verse also reveals the reason why God wanted to create a helper suitable for Adam.
It says that the reason is because "It is not good for the man to be alone."
"To make human cultivation take place, Adam must have given birth to his descendants, and thus he obviously needed a female, a woman."
Have you ever thought about this?
Just as God created Adam from the dust of the ground, He has the ability to have created countless people from the ground all at once.
He could have made human cultivation take place even without allowing for new lives to be born through man and woman.
Then, why did God give a helper suitable for a man, and let them multiply and flourish?
God knew that this way would set the most proper conditions for human cultivation.
It was also the consideration of God the Father out of His love for the souls who would undergo the process of human cultivation.
God the Father already knew that it would not be good for a man to be alone.
In the very beginning, God the Father existed alone.
For the countless ages that you and I cannot even imagine, He existed alone governing the entire universe.
Since God has humanity along with divinity, He understands the loneness when being alone.
Let's say, there is an emperor who rules over the whole world.
Not only gold and silver, but also everything belongs to this emperor.
If this emperor is the only one who exists in the world, what is the use of those gold and silver?
How lonely it would most certainly be for him if there is no one who can call out saying "Hail, the Emperor!" or if there is nobody the emperor could share love with!
Even though he owns the whole world, if he is alone, it's all useless.
To become a true emperor, he should have loving children, loyal subordinates, and subjects as well.
He must have servants ministering to him, and many people he can rule over.
God Himself also ruled the entire universe alone for countless ages.
Therefore, we should be able to understand the loneness God might have felt.
Then, God created Adam according to His image.
God knew that Adam would feel lonely if he was left alone just as God Himself was alone.
It was because God created Adam resembling not only God's outward appearance, but also God's heart, characteristics, and nature.
By the way, the loneliness of being alone disappears when there is someone together with whom you can share your heart.
And thus, God wanted to find true children through human cultivation.
For the same reason, God wanted to create a helper suitable for Adam.
It was a gift for Adam. God wanted to give Adam a helper who was suitable for him.
Out of God the Father's mercy, kindness, and love for souls, a woman was created as a helper suitable for a man.
God is love itself. God HIMSELF is love.
God earnestly wanted someone with whom He could share His love.
When love is overflowing in your heart, you also try to share the love with the people around you my all means, don't you?
Not to mention God, who Himself is love!
God could have been alone forever, but to find those with whom He could share His overflowing love, He planned for human cultivation.
He knew what kind of pain and agony would follow during the human cultivation, He began human cultivation with an earnest hope only for getting true children.
And He created the first man, Adam, in accordance with His own image.
Adam also had the overflowing love like that of God.
And again, God knew that Adam would need someone Adam could share his overflowing love with.
Since God knew all this, God gave Adam a woman as a helper suitable for Adam and allowed them to share their love with each other.
Of course, men and women are necessary to give birth to Adam's descendants for human cultivation to take place.
However, the reason God created woman was not only to acquire descendants.
God created woman as a helper suitable for a man.
The role of a helper is to have conversation with each other, to comfort each other, and to share love with each other.
God gave a helper to have a beautiful relationship of understanding and helping each other only in the spiritual love that belongs to God.
This is the relationship of husband and wife that God desires of them.
However, after Adam committed sin and the flesh entered into men, the relationship between husband and wife also changed into fleshly relationship.
Their fervent first love cools down.
They seek for their own benefit.
They stick to their own opinion, and wants the other to follow it.
Then, arguments develop and discord arises; they even hate each other and become enemies.
In addition, lust sneaked into men, all kinds of sexual immorality, sensuality, and adultery came into being; people also ran into dissipation.
As the end of human cultivation comes nearer, sin becomes more rampant in the world, and the relationship between husband and wife has also been distorted and destroyed from the original intention of God.
Furthermore, the end time is not a time for being fruitful and multiplying; it is a time to adorn yourself as a spiritual bride while waiting for the Lord's coming.
That's why it is written that 'it is better not to get married' in many parts of the New Testament.
Let me tell you about the 'Biblical View on Marriage' which is necessary for Christians of this end time.
I once explained in great detail about this subject on August 2nd and 9th of 2009 and so I will just briefly review it.
The clear will of God regarding marriage is written in 1 Corinthians 7:7.
It says, "Yet I (Apostle Paul) wish that all men were even as I myself am." That said, Apostle Paul wished that all men would not marry but be given to the Lord."
Then he continued to say in 1 Corinthians 7:26, "I think then that this is good in view of the present distress, that it is good for a man to remain as he is."
Unlike the Old Testament times, the New Testament times have been a time of distress since Jesus came down.
That is to say that all the believers should have their focus of their lives on the Lord who is coming again as the day is nearer and nearer.
Actually, the apostle Paul lived only for the Lord without getting married.
That is why he could freely go everywhere to preach the gospel without being bound to anyone or anything.
You should not misunderstand, though.
I'm not saying, "You could freely get married in the Old Testament days, but now in these New Testament days you cannot since the Lord's coming is near."
Whether in the Old Testament or New Testament times, it is all right to get married in the Lord, but it is more blessed to live only for the Lord without getting married.
Many people think it's natural to get married, but the Bible doesn't necessarily teach that is the case.
Those of you who haven't carefully read the Bible, or those of you who are attending this service via media broadcast might feel that this message is somewhat odd.
However, it is not my word, but it is the word of God written in the Bible.
It is the will of God which Apostle Paul wrote in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, few pastors of today would deliver this kind of message.
The reason is because, in reality, there aren't many Christians who love the Lord to the extent they are able to accept and practice this message's contents.
And so, Matthew 19:11-12 says, "But He said to them, "Not all men can accept this statement, but only those to whom it has been given. For there are eunuchs who were born that way from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men; and there are also eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to accept this, let him accept it."
'Eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven' refer to those who dedicate themselves remaining single just as Apostle Paul did.
It is the most blessed way for the believers only if they can choose to remain single.
But the fact is that not everybody can receive and accept this word.
If you do not have all your hope only in New Jerusalem or if you cannot live only for God, then you might find it difficult to listen to this message.
If you are filled with the hope of New Jerusalem, long for holiness by faith, however, you will certainly be able to receive this word.
As Jesus said, "He who is able to accept this, let him accept it," you can accept this word with joy, and choose the more blessed way.
You clearly learned about the kingdom of heaven and earnestly long for New Jerusalem.
You will never spare anything precious in this world if you can just exchange it for New Jerusalem.
Actually, many Manmin members have chosen this way.
Of course, I'm not saying you should carelessly make a vow that you would offer your whole life to the Lord without getting married.
If you can keep a vow, it is such a great blessing.
But if you change your mind and do not keep it, it will only bring great trials to you.
Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 says, "When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Do not let your speech cause you to sin and do not say in the presence of the messenger of God that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry on account of your voice and destroy the work of your hands?"
If you don't have the confidence about your heart, it is more important to possess a sincere heart in full assurance of faith as you pray with a longing heart, rather than making a careless vow.
Why does the Bible say it is better not to get married?
The first reason is that, as it is written in 1 Corinthians 7:28, marriage will bring upon you the "trouble in this life."
1 Corinthians 7:28 says, "But if you marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. Yet such will have trouble in this life, and I am trying to spare you."
When daughters get married, their parents cannot be at ease.
They miss their daughters, and they worry whether or not their daughters can be loved by her husband or in-laws, and whether their daughters have some hardships.
Just like these parents who send their daughters off for marriage, Apostle Paul cared for the believers.
He was worried about the troubles of marriage, and thus he suggested it be better for them not to get married.
The second reason why not getting married is better is because your heart will be divided if you get married.
What God wants the most from His children is their heart to love God first.
Matthew 22:37 says, "And He said to him, 'YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.'"
Those who love God with all their heart, mind, soul, might, wisdom, and with all their life are the true children that God wants to acquire.
If you remain single because you love the Lord, then you will probably try to fill your heart with the hope for Heaven thinking only about God.
On the other hand however, once you get married, your heart will be divided.
1 Corinthians 7:32-34 says, "But I want you to be free from concern. One who is unmarried is concerned about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how he may please his wife, and his interests are divided. The woman who is unmarried, and the virgin, is concerned about the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and spirit; but one who is married is concerned about the things of the world, how she may please her husband."
In real life, some people used to lead a diligent believing life before getting married, but after they get married, they change.
They get stained by fleshly life and stop praying.
Then they begin to take the worldly things one by one to bring upon themselves trials.
Even though their faith might not change this much, it would certainly be different before and after the marriage.
Before the marriage, they can always focus on the works of the Lord.
They can freely work for the Lord even in the early morning or late at night.
After marriage, however, they are bound to the family.
If they seek the benefit of their spouse and let their spouse work for the Lord freely, it's a relatively better case.
No matter how considerate your spouse is, however, the husband basically has the duty to support his family.
And the wife has the responsibility to serve her husband and family.
Neither they can rest just anytime as they please; nor can they work for God as much as they please. They have to consider the situation of the family.
Before marriage, they could refresh themselves as much as they want or they could freely do the work for God during holidays or vacation.
But now, they have to take care of their family.
As a wife, as a husband, as a daughter-in-law or as a son-in-law, they should take care of the family of their spouse as well.
Likewise, once people get married, their hearts get divided.
Not to mention their finances and their time!
I'm not saying it's wrong to take care of your family.
You should certainly take the responsibility for each other, and you should obviously care for your family.
This is the way to be 'faithful in all God's house.'
The point is, if you can choose, and if you choose the way to offer such time. Money, and effort to God, how much will it be more beneficial in a spiritual sense?
I said it's a better case if both the husband and wife have good faith to share spiritual love together.
They will support each other to pray more and to store up more rewards so that they can go to New Jerusalem.
Both of them can become good friends in faith, and compete with one another in running the race of faith.
In real life, however, it is not a common case.
Besides, if both of them accomplished this kind of faith, they would be satisfied only with the Lord, and they wouldn't feel the need to get married in the first place.
I am not saying, "Do not marry," or "You should not get married."
I'm explaining the biblical view on Marriage that you should understand as you live the end time.
I'm just explaining what is more beneficial for those who have faith and hope for Heaven.
Those who have already married; you can support each other to go into better heavenly dwelling places, and you can cultivate spiritual love.
I will tell you about the ideal model of husband and wife that God wants as we get to Genesis 2:21 which begins to describe how God created woman.
In the next lecture, I will explain how God created animals.
You can see that, in some parts of the Bible, 'God created with His word,' but in other parts, 'God created from the dust of the ground.'
Now, when were the animals and plants in the Garden of Eden created?
And how different are they from the animals and plants of the earth?
I will explain about them all in the next lecture.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this lecture, I explained that God showed His will to give a helper suitable for Adam.
Since God knew how good it is to have someone to share love with, God gave Adam a helper who was suitable for him.
The ultimate reason God did was because God Himself also earnestly wanted to have someone with whom He could share true love.
Through the process of human cultivation, God wanted to find true children who would accomplish true and spiritual love and love God more than anything.
Therefore, the first priority of life for those who live in this end time should be to accomplish the spiritual and holy heart that resembles the heart of God the Father who is Spirit Himself.
I will conclude this message as I tell you where we are at.
As I explained in Genesis Chapter 1, the earth was created first, and after quite a long time passed by, there was the 6 Day work of Creation.
Adam was created on the 6th day, and he spent countless ages in the Garden of Eden.
As Adam was driven out to the earth after committing sin, human cultivation began.
God set 6,000 years as the period of time for human cultivation
Now, scientists say the earth is 4.5 billion years old.
Under the assumption that the earth is 4.5 billion years old, if you calculate 4.5 billion years as one year, the 6,000 years of human cultivation can be calculated to be approximately 4 hours 17 minutes and 30 seconds.
Therefore, if the earth had been created on the first day of January, then human cultivation would have started at 7:42:30 p.m. on December 31.
As we run toward the end of the human cultivation, it's already bypassed 11:59:59 p.m. on December 31.
Not even just a single second is left for the Lord's coming in the air.
This is where we are at now.
Ephesians 5:15-16 says, "Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil."
May you consider the rest of the time as an opportunity you would never get again in your life, and focus on coming into the spirit and whole spirit, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray!