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.”
Genesis 2:23
The word woman (????????/????) shows us a beautiful picture of God’s institution of marriage. For everything the husband has, down to his last inner part, belongs also to his wife. They share assets, children, income, food and drink, bed, home and life. They are one in mind and spirit. In fact, the only difference between man and woman is anatomy. Thus, whatever the husband has also belongs to his wife.
Unlike the first marriage, before the fall into sin, our marriages are but shabby, dot-matrix copies of the original design. If a married woman is honorable, moral, devout, and God-fearing, she and her husband will be equal in the duties and responsibilities of the family. In creation, Adam called her “woman” for just this reason.
Even though the wife doesn’t come from the side of a man, such as with Eve from Adam, even so, because of the institution, the woman is still head of the household with her husband because she is the wife. The law, which places the wife under her husband’s authority, was given after the institution was established, but the original establishment remains. Before sin, Adam and Eve were equal in every way but autonomy, but because of sin, the wife suffers because the law says she is to submit to her husband, as the husband also suffers because he must work by the sweat of his brow to provide for the family.
The people of the world, who neither care about the law of God nor about God’s institutions, try to escape the reality of their sin by foregoing marriage and celebrating endless break-ups and physical relationships with multiple partners outside of marriage. But on the Last Day, every sin will be revealed, and every intention of the heart will be seen. The unbelievers also engage in blasphemous acts and try endlessly to redefine marriage by destroying God’s design of male and female. But where sin rules and the devil plays, nothing less should be expected, and believers should not be at all shocked. But believers who honor God and fear His name should aim to submit to His institution and marry, or live a celibate life, for outside of marriage and celibacy, there is only sin and rebelliousness.
So, for now, we see a remnant of God’s original design of marriage because the wife is still called “woman” and she still owns and manages the household jointly with her husband. But the true and perfect marriage between Christ and His bride the Church, we have yet to fully experience it, though the knot was tied when Christ bled for her, the consummation will be realized when we are raised and join Him in paradise.
Heavenly Father, keep marriage sacred and foremost in my heart and mind so that I might be a reflection of Your loving kindness and sacrifice to the whole world. In Jesus’ name, amen.