Morning Meditation "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.' So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them and said to them, 'Be fruitful and increase in number, fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground...God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day." - Genesis 1:26-28, 31

Our Creator-God set about the work of creation to paint a glorious picture of His holiness and to fill the universe with His glory. His perfect partitioning of the waters, faultless boundaries for the earth, impeccable positioning of every star in the sky, and goodness with which He filled the sea and sky, all point to His excellence and holiness. God is absolute moral perfection and the universe He created echoes His holiness. Whatever is holy is healthy, and God, in His perfect, holy nature created a perfect, healthy environment for His creatures to live.

On the sixth day, God created a special representative to oversee His created realm. The Creator "crowned him with glory and honor" and delegated His authority to him. Man, over all the other creatures, was chosen to become the guardian over God's creation, because, unlike the other creatures, man was created in the image of God. "When God created man, He made him in the likeness of God" (Genesis 5:1). Physical nature - the created heavens and earth, the sun and moon and stars of the sky, and creatures of the land, sea and sky - speak of the wisdom, righteousness, holiness and glory of God; but man, having been created in God's image - has been given a distinctly different nature - a spiritual nature, that is meant to be filled with all the fullness of the Spirit of God. "What is man that You make so much of him, that you give him so much attention?" (Job 7:17).

God created man to have His nature. God's nature is Spirit - His nature is holy. Because all things have their origin in perfect, holy God, we are to live and work in accordance with that same manner of holiness and perfection that all of God's creation does. It is expected of us. "Can a man be a benefit to God?" (Job 22:2). Nature trusts God and works together in perfect harmony, but man's physical nature has been at war with the holy nature of God ever since sin entered his heart in the garden. Since the first seed of doubt was planted, man has put his trust in self rather than in God, the One who created him. Instead of being faithful stewards of the land he was given authority over - to preserve, protect, and maintain the health of - man, because of his selfishness, has defiled it and brought destruction upon it. Because God is holy He must go after the thing that is making His once healthy creation sick. God aggressively went after the evil virus that was destroying His perfect creation when He flooded the earth in Noah's day, but His ultimate plan all along has been for our true spiritual nature to take its position as authority over the physical nature as He originally purposed it to have. This morning, let us praise Him for the precious promises of His covenant which holds back the flood waters from the land, and instead floods our hearts with water through the word to cleanse us and make us a holy temple where His Spirit can dwell. "We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us" (1 Corinthians 2:12).

"O LORD, what is man that you care for him,

the son of man that you think of him?

Man is like a breath;

his days are like a fleeting shadow."

"The seas have lifted up, O LORD,

The seas have lifted up their voice;

the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,

mightier than the breakers of the sea -

the LORD on high is mighty.

Your statutes stand firm;

holiness adorns Your house for endless days, O LORD."

(Psalm 93:3-4; 144:3-4)

Afternoon Devotion "The Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him...So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, He took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man. The man said, 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called 'woman,' for she was taken out of man.' For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh. The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame." - Genesis 2:18, 21-25 

The sixth day of creation was the grand climax of God's creative plan. On each of the previous days the Creator followed the divine processes of forming, separating and filling every aspect of His creation. On this appointed day He would institute a new function - bonding. Man was created in the image of God, and the image of God is one. "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness..." (v. 26a). Instead of separating them, as He had done with the other creative functions in His universe, God united the man and woman together as an echo of His divine unity. As God,  the Holy Trinity, acts in harmonious unity in all His mighty works, so too, the man and woman are to echo that harmony by becoming "one flesh." "Haven't you read,' He replied, 'that at the beginning the Creator 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh'? So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate" (Matthew 19:4-6).

Our Creator of the Covenant instituted the marriage bond in a manner similar to His purposes for the Levitical priesthood and sacrificial system for His chosen people Israel. Both were given to protect and preserve His people, keeping them purified and prepared, so they could be assured of His divine presence. The priests followed their daily and annual rituals looking forward to the coming of their Messiah, while in marriage, we have been united together for the purpose of keeping us separated from the temptations of the carnal world and set apart to one another so we can remain pure, holy and blameless as we look forward to our Bridegrooms return. Marriage is given by God for our protection - to protect us for that ultimate union with Him - when we will be eternally one with Him. That is why God has said, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless" (Ephesians 5:25-27).

The marriage bond is a sacred bond because it echoes that more perfect union of Christ and the Church. When God could not find a suitable helper for Adam, He "caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man" (Genesis 2:21-22). Within man is the spiritual nature God has purposed to rule over his flesh. The only suitable Helper who can help us when this daily battle is the Holy Spirit whom God has given us, but we must feed and care for this spiritual life as part of our body, just as a husband is to care for his wife as part of his body - in a priestly, sacred, ceremonial way.   "In the same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated his own body, but he feeds and cares for it, just as Christ does the church - for we are members of His body" (Ephesians 5:28-30).   Let us praise Holy God for creating us in His image, but also providing us with His Holy Spirit who leads us in all the ways of holiness for the glory of His holy name.

"So He said to me, 'This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel:

'Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.

'What are you, O mighty mountain?

Before Zerubbabel you will become level ground.

Then he will bring out the capstone to shouts of 'God bless it! God bless it!'

'The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this temple;

His hands will also complete it.

Then you will know that the LORD Almighty has sent me to you.

'Who despises the day of small things?

Men will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel."

(Zechariah 4:6-7, 9-10a)