“And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. Then the man said, “At last this is bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called ‘woman,’ Because she was taken out of man.” For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.”
This morning I’m considering the creation of male and female. God distinctly separates them from the creation of Heaven and Earth. In the book of Enoch it is said that God did this to clearly show that creation was done for man.
Years ago Ern Baxter taught us this truth: God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, are coequal but not cofunctional. In the same way, the creation of male and female are coequal but not cofunctional. This is God the Creator’s design and pattern for marriage. The word fashion is uniquely given concerning the woman. You can see it in the way she has been into fashion ever since.
The Creation of Adam, Michelangelo
The difference of how both came into being is very important. Man is dirt, breathed into by God. His beginning is, in relationship, connected to the earth. For the woman, being taken from the man’s side places her in a vital and strategic position. It has been said that Adam’s rib and Satan’s fib made way for woman’s lib. LOL.
Coming from and alongside, a picture of relational oneness and agreement. Much like our relationship to the Holy Ghost our Helper. She has been so positioned in God’s design that man has to be totally disobedient to not leave and cleave to her.
The making and keeping of vows to one another before God is holy and accountable to Him. When God woke up Adam and presented and brought Eve to him, He immediately related to her and named her woman. Not partner or significant other—woman. The cause of marriage was revealed instantly to him. He was leaving mother and father, in which he had none, and was to cleave to this glorious and wonderful creation. God’s gift to his loneliness, his need for relational help, and the place for his love to be given. This act of leaving and cleaving to one’s wife, for men, is the act of marriage.
Forsaking and actually divorcing himself from all others brings a continuing relational oneness that no man can put asunder. His eyes were to be only for her. His arms were to be only for her. His side reserved only for her. This is God’s design and she is fashioned for this place.
Tomorrow we will celebrate 50 years of Betsy receiving me—Hallelujah—and my leaving and cleaving to her and only her. He that finds a wife not only finds a good thing, but also finds God’s favor. What favor I was given and continued to have from Him. Thank you Holy Ghost for bringing us together on January 13, 1973. Eternal praise and thanksgiving forevermore.
“Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.””
Genesis 2:18 NASB2020
When God created the heavens and the earth and all that it contained, He pronounced it as good. Not just a Paradise, but filled with His goodness. But during the process, He saw in man one thing that was not good. It was not good for man to be alone.
God, who is good, went to work to resolve this flaw, this loneliness in man. His very words: it is not good for man to be alone. There is not a more helpless and hopeless feeling than to be alone. So, the remedy was to make a helper suitable for him. Exactly what he needed: help. The Scripture says, “suitable, fitting; according with; agreeable to; proper;” Just right for him, a helper.
It has been my experience when loneliness is in a person, it is the result of not receiving help or the difficulty of asking for help.
Since last Friday, I have been waking up and seeing Betsy lying beside me and the Holy Ghost flooding me with memories of His help in our lives. For men it is difficult to ask for help; for many reasons, but especially to ask or receive help from his wife. This is a good place to confess: there are very vivid memories where I missed God. Primarily because I did not receive Betsy as my helper. I have come to see that she is a type of Holy Ghost given to me. She is my helper and is called to be positioned alongside of me. He is our helper and comes along side of us also.
When God took away something that He gave me, that was so precious to me, I became very angry. I had forgotten it belonged to Him. I had lost relationships, house, possessions, vehicles, position, and was bankrupt. We left our home and both of our parents in Houston. As we drove off with the children waving to them out the back window of the van sobbing, I remember the anger that was burning out of control in me.
In fact, Betsy was driving because I couldn’t.
As we drove out of the city limits and I continued to burn, I heard her say, “Keith, I have only one question.” I thought, here we go, here comes the other shoe dropping. I said, “And what is that?” Her response was, “We are not mad at God are we? Because if we are, who will help us?” If I have ever heard a word from God, it was in her voice. In that moment she saved our lives. She never asked why I put us in this place. She just wanted to know how we were going to get through and reminded me that God was the only one who could help us.
I am eternally grateful for His joining her to me. Thank you Jesus for your divine appointment in our meeting. She was made suitable for me. In these 50 years, she has never left my side nor forsaken me. She is and has been my help. For she is Your goodness and help in my life. Glory to God.
Yesterday I woke up and had a flood of memories fill my being, some I posted. This morning, I was remembering our period of engagement and the word given to us concerning our invitation. Besides the usual announcement and logistics one of the first words we received was concerning our invitation. After we were engaged, Betsy and I decided to put this word on the front of the invitation.
From July 1972 until November, we went to three conferences on marriage and received the revelational truth on marriage. In a series on the Kingdom God and you, the fourth teaching was on Ephesians 5:26.
““For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.””
Ephesians 5:31 NKJV
Marriage is not instituted or an institution. It is and was ordained by God before the fall. The Holy Ghost inspired Moses to write this eternal truth.
The definition of cause is as follows: That which produces an effect; that which impels into existence, or by its agency or operation produces what did not before exist; that by virtue of which any thing is done; that from which any thing proceeds, and without which it would not exist. Cause is a substance exerting its power into act, to make a thing begin to be. -Webster’s 1828.
The Pharisees came to Jesus asking him about divorce. He told them that because of the stubbornness of one’s heart, God gave Moses a writ of divorce. Jesus continues to say, “It was not so in the beginning.” Marriage was ordained in the beginning, where there was nothing but good.
The 60’s atheism movement, led by Madalyn Murray O’Hair, begin to erode the truth of creation. As this demonic attack on the word of God increased, that which was created came under man’s scrutiny and unbelief. That which was held sacred became secularized. In the beginning God created male and female, made He them. These are the only two beings that make up marriage. Only a male can be a husband and only a female can be a wife. These are the very genders they were made and given the capacity to function in this relationship.
If the Church is to have any cause it should be this truth. This should be our priority one. After all, we are the Bride of Christ. A mentor once said: if you have dysfunctional marriages you have a dysfunctional church.
Paul writes clearly concerning marriage. The three builders, Moses, Jesus, and Paul, all quote this passage in Genesis 2:24. If the Church should be an advocate of any cause it should be marriage. God hates divorce because of the stubbornness of men’s hearts. Stubbornness is rebellion and rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft.
We must uphold the sanctity of marriage without feeling we are condemning people who have been through divorce. Marriage is holy and ordained by God who is holy.
This morning I woke up thinking of the week before this glorious gift that was to be part of God’s great goodness and mercy in my life. We are one week away from celebrating our 50th golden anniversary.
I remember the only thing I could pray and think about was, “please Lord, may the rapture of your Bride not be this year. So much was being taught and written; Late Great Planet Earth by Hal Lindsey was at the forefront. I was one of the summer evangelists for Baylor University the previous year. In every revival meeting, I preached on the rapture and second coming. I could not wait for the sound of the trumpet and the shout of heaven.
My bride, Betsy, on our wedding day almost 50 years ago.
Suddenly, one week before receiving this beautiful woman as my wife, I changed my tune.
The only focus of importance was to make it to the altar on January 13, 1973 at the Evangelistic Temple in Houston Texas. I prayed, “Lord Jesus, you have waited almost 2,000 years for your glorious bride, please wait at least another year so Betsy and I can be husband and wife, covenanted in marriage.”
I realized how much our bridegroom has been waiting for His Bride to make herself ready.
For four months, night and day, Betsy and her mother prepared for the wedding day to come. The invitations to be created, printed, and sent. A dress to be found, caterers to be hired, wedding cake, groom’s cake, menu to be chosen, flowers, music, dresses for bridesmaids, tuxes to be rented, ministers, musicians, wedding gift list, showers, luncheons, honeymoon, etc. etc. I am sure I am missing more.
The bridegroom waits as the preparation for the glorious day approaches. Of course, I was included and asked how I liked various things, but the preparation in readying for this day was the bride’s. As I write this post, seeing what goes into the ceremony, how much more preparation is going on by the Holy Ghost preparing the Bride of Christ for such a Bridegroom—our Lord Jesus.
John the Baptist said, “the one who has the Bride is the Bridegroom.” My own anticipation and expectation pales in comparison to the great love, sacrifice, and patience of Jesus as He intercedes for His beloved Bride.
The Holy Ghost being sent into the world, after Jesus made a way for His Bride to be covenanted to Him, is a great mystery. Marriage, Paul says, is a great mystery. But he was speaking in reference to Christ and the Bride, the true Church. As I remember the wife of my youth, in this week to come, the mystery to me is how God brought such favor to love me faithfully and to show me what love is.
Thank you Father, Son, and Holy Ghost for our marriage covenant in you.
“I will set nothing wicked before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall depart from me; I will not know wickedness. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, Him I will destroy; The one who has a haughty look and a proud heart, Him I will not endure. My eyes shall be on the faithful of the land, That they may dwell with me; He who walks in a perfect way, He shall serve me. He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence. Early I will destroy all the wicked of the land, That I may cut off all the evildoers from the city of the Lord.”
Psalms 101:3-8 NKJV
David gives us insight into hating that which causes one to fall away. He hates the work of this spirit that is working in that which shrinks back. Paul speaks of a great falling away in the days to come. This spirit that is spoken of by David is to be cast off—not letting any part cling to him. It is not in any way to take hold of him. The power of this spirit is like a sticky substance or an entanglement.
Entanglement: To adhere closely; to stick to; to hold fast upon, especially by winding round or embracing; as, the tendril of a vine clings to its support.
Some years ago we saw a black slime as a viscous substance. This is to be hated. A perverse heart shall depart from me. I will not know wickedness that perverts the word of God.
The work of falling away is of the one who secretly slanders. The meaning of the devil is “one who slanders.” Secretly is the way it starts: to deceive or sow discord. This demonic deception is to be destroyed, exposed, brought to the light. That which is done in secret is to be shouted from the housetops and cast down.
A prideful countenance in one is to be confronted and not endured. Contention is the spirit behind these looks. A haughtiness and proud look will not be endured. Contention cometh before pride and pride before the fall. This is the fallen state of the unrenewed mind and disrupts the unity and purpose of our walk and work. It is not to be endured.
Our eyes are to be continually on the faithful, those who uphold the Lord in their hearts, and walk in humility with their God. Humility is perfection in the eyes of the Lord. His favor rests upon the humble and there is perfection in this attitude, in its service and work.
Help me Holy Ghost.
David comes back to his house. The work of deceit shall not be in his house. Speaking truth shall be the standard, being led by the spirit of truth, the Holy Ghost, the presence of God. No lies shall remain. When David arises He sings and blesses the Lord, acknowledging who He is, and binds, rebukes, and casts down the wicked in the land. That all evildoers may be cut off from our cities where our houses are set. The Lord our God will cut them off—their influence and their wicked ways.
Daily, may we continue to pursue our Lord Jesus and His way which is blameless, without spot or wrinkle, as we come into this new year.
-Keith Curlee, president
Psalm 101
A Psalm of David.
I will sing of mercy and justice; To You, Lord, I will sing praises. I will carefully attend to the blameless way. When will You come to me? I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart. I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; I hate the work of those who fall away; It shall not cling to me. A perverse heart shall leave me; I will know no evil. Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy; I will not endure one who has a haughty look and an arrogant heart.
My eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; One who walks in a blameless way is one who will serve me. One who practices deceit shall not dwell within my house; One who speaks lies shall not maintain his position before me. Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, So as to eliminate from the city of the Lord all those who do injustice.
