Our culture contributes to a great deal of confusion, not just with regards to masculinity, but also with marriage. Never before has there been a greater lack of clarity about what constitutes a marriage. But scripture gives clear direction and provides declarative context for marriage. Consider the following passage.

Genesis 2:18-25 (ESV) Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.” Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 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.”

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

As we read this passage on God's design for marriage, it teaches us four foundational truths that guide how we view and respond to this sacred institution.

1. Marriage was God's Idea

  • God defined marriage as between one man and one woman.
  • We don't take our cues from society or culture but from the original Designer.

2. God Said it's not Good for Man to be Alone

  • God knew man would function better with a partner.
  • When it comes to physical, emotional, spiritual, and sexual well-being, men are their best in marriage.

3. God Created a Helper Suitable for Man

  • She is not only a companion who complements and helps him but also someone for him to love, serve, and enjoy.
  • The differences between men and women aren't accidental; they're intentionally designed with our best in mind.

4. God Intended a Man to Leave his Parents' Home and Cling to His Wife

  • A man is to leave the dependence of his parents' home and to create his own self-sustaining family unit.
  • A man is to become attached to his wife in a unique covenant relationship and bond with her physically, emotionally, and spiritually in a way he experiences with no one else.

33 The Series, Vol 5: A Man and His MarriageThis article is an excerpt from 33 The Series Volume 5: A Man and His Marriage.

View the complete Video and Training Guide for Session 1 of A Man and His Marriage.

CLICK HERE to view all 33 The Series resources.

BONUS VIDEO: Paul Tripp discussing servant leadership