People are made for friendship. God designed us to be social
creatures. The only thing that was said to be "not good" before the
Fall was the fact that Adam was alone. In making this statement, the Holy
Spirit tells us just how important human relationships are. The divinely
ordained sequencing of events in Genesis speaks volumes about the importance of
friendship and human interactions. God made Adam. God gave Adam the
responsibility of caring for the garden. Then God had Adam name all of the
animals. So we know that God communicated with Adam and gave him specific tasks
to accomplish. Yet, God makes the observation that there was still no suitable
helper for Adam. Remember that the Holy Spirit is recounting these events for
our benefit. Don't think that God is sort of making things up as he goes, as he
finishes the creation process. We do that--it is very human for us to evaluate
the things we accomplish and make adjustments along the way, as we see what
works and what doesn't. But God doesn't operate that way. This sequencing of
events shows that God intentionally designed Adam to be in relationship with
other people. Just as the Father, Son and Holy Spirit existed in perfect
harmony and relationship before creation, so Adam was made to live in harmony
and relationship with other people. God
created Eve and then created the relational structure of the family to be a
constant reminder that humanity is to be dependent, submissive, relational and
purposeful in all of life. Let's break this down.
The structure of the family is a reminder of dependence
because children are born totally dependent upon parents for survival. This is
the picture of man's total dependence upon God for everything that he needs,
even his next breath. By placing a structure of submission in the family, man
is reminded that just as the wife and children are to submit to the leadership
of the husband, all people are to live in joyful submission to God.
The family structure is also relational. God created husband
and wife to be sexually and relationally intimate with each other. Adam's
response to Eve is one of exclamation and fulfillment. The English Standard
Version and The New Living Translation bring out this nuance in their
translation of Genesis 2:23.
Then the man said, "This at
last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man." ESV
"At last!" the man
exclaimed. "This one is bone from my bone, and flesh from my flesh!
She
will be called 'woman,'
because
she was taken from 'man.'" NLT
The relational aspect of family is also seen in the warm,
intimate relationship between parents and children, and between siblings. The
family is the structure God provided for us to learn about relationships.
Lastly, God created man to be a creature of purpose. God gave man tasks
and a mission statement. Genesis 1:26-28 gives the broad overarching purpose of
occupying and controlling the earth for the glory of God. We also get a brief
glimpse into some specific tasks with the charge to care for the Garden and to
name the animals. Because of the Fall, we can only imagine what other tasks of
meaning and purpose would have been given to mankind. But now, in light of the
cross of Christ, God has given us another purpose, another mission. We are to
make disciples of all peoples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey all
that Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19). This aspect of purpose is also embedded
in the family structure, because the task of making disciples begins in the
family.
Behind all of this is the idea of friendship. Man was designed for
friendship--with God and with other people. These friendships would have been
based on upon total trust and fidelity. Think of the wonder of a whole planet
being united in dependence, submission, relationship and purpose. Because of
the Fall, we will have to wait for heaven before we see that reality fully
worked out. We see only glimpses now of
what could have been in our human relationships, and we live with the overwhelming
reality of just how tragic and destructive human relationships have become
since the Fall. People are still looking for friendship, but without God,
friendship is sought for selfish ends. The world seeks friendships that affirm
independence, disdain submission, seek selfish gain and crave personal
fulfillment.
Is it any shock to read in James 4:4 that friendship with the world
makes you an enemy of God? We are designed for friendship. But if the search
for friends is pursued for selfish ends, then bitterness and brokenness result.
A common theme that we hear today is disappointment with people. It seems as
though someone is always letting someone else down. Bitterness characterizes
relationships. We were made for friendship--but since the Fall, the only way to
find true friendship is to know Jesus Christ. Jesus said as much in John15:15:
I no longer call you
servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I
have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have
made known to you.
Where are you looking for
friendship? Do you look to the world or to God and his people? Friendship--it is
a simple and profound pursuit, one that is common to all of mankind. Help your
children understand what true friendship is based upon. The stories of broken
friendships dominate our music, our literature, our culture. The truth is that
only in God can we know friendship as God intended.
This post was taken from the latest Shepherd
Press Newsletter. I chose to post on this
article on the blog to provide the opportunity for your thoughts and comments.
Friendship is a driving force in the lives of you and your children. Understanding friendship from a biblical
perspective is essential.
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