For your Maker is your husband— the Lord Almighty is his name— the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; he is called the God of all the earth". - Isaiah 54:5
The church is the Glorious Bride of Christ, and the new birth experience prepares us for the coming of our great lover, the Bridegroom, our Lord Jesus Christ.
Many people have wondered why the great God of the universe would ever desire fellowship with mankind. Although God created us in His own image, our ways and thoughts are in stark contrast with His. God is all sufficient while mankind is completely insufficient. In every way, the creature falls far short of his creator. What is man, that thou art mindful of him? When Adam and Eve sinned and tried to hide themselves from His presence, He came searching for them. Truly, the Lord is still searching and yearning for those who will return His love.
A. God made Adam and Eve His perfect companion.
- God's perfect companion. It can be breathtaking to imagine the relationship, that God must have enjoyed with Adam and Eve in the garden.
a. Perfect Human Body - First, he created Adam in His image, as a strong and upright individual.
b. Perfect harmony - Adam lived in perfect harmony with God in afterglow of a newly created universe.
c. Perfect Environment - All was very good, the air that they breathed & the water they drink every day was fresh and pure.
c-1) God's glory - The animals were his friends and each sunrise and sunset evidenced God's glory
c-2) Loneliness - Adam found little companionship within the animal kingdom & God sensitive to his need create a special companion for him, Eve.
c-3) Adam is happy - She was a joy and comfort to him, together shared fellowship with God and love for one another.
c-4) The Garden - It had spoke to both of them of God's adequate provision with God and love, for one another.
d) Perfect Romance - The garden became a meeting place of a wonderful moment of friendship & fellowship as they walk and talked together.
e.) Perfect Route - Every route they took was a path of righteousness and every way a path of peace.
2. Mankind estranged from God - Both fell in sinful disobedience & it shattered their fellowship with God.
a) Fall of man - Because of transgression, Adam must certainly have felt the emptiness apart from God.
b) The estrangement - It was intensive acute for Adam, as he had intimately experienced God's presence.
c) Hard labor - Plow his fields, he noticed the growth of thorns & thistle near his newly turned depression.
d) Expelled from Eden - He was outside the Garden of Eden now, outside the guarantee of unending life.
e) The curse - Sin had brought sorrow; sorrow of childbirth and of death for both of them.
B) God made Israel His perfect companion (Psa 135:4)
For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself and Israel for His peculiar treasure.
- God's desire for Israel - God made Israel His own & under His tender care, Israel matured & became exceeding beautiful as it progressed into a kingdom, & a picture of concern that Jehovah held for his people!
a) Stiff-neck people - Although they often rejected Him, the Lord repeatedly Israel opportunities to draw near to Him.
b) Untouchable - God told them that anyone who touched them, touched the apple of His eye, In Zec, 2:8 "For thus saith the Lord of hosts, after the glory hath he sent me unto the nation's which spoiled you, for he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.
2. Israel failed - "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries".Jer 3:8
C. Eternal Companionship (Rom 6:8)
- No longer slave of sin "Now if we be dead with Christ" (v8a)
GOD's purpose for making mankind in His own image was to satisfy His hunger for fellowship. Adam and Eve had every opportunity to enjoy the Lord's companionship in the Garden of Eden, for God wanted to share Himself and His blessings with them. However, they failed and God turned them away from the beautiful garden. When the chosen Israel turned to idolatry, they too failed God. Throughout time, the Lord has continued to search for fellowship, and He has chosen a bride composed of people from every tribe and nation to walk with Him and He with them. The Bride shall see her Bridegroom face to face! Heaven will be a happy place. The Lord will fully and wonderfully restore the companionship that mankind lost with God in the garden of Eden.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY!