What Is a Family?
The foundation, intent, and purpose of the family is clearly laid out for us in the creation of the first family—Adam
and Eve and, subsequently, their children. Yet, the way the family was created to function was totally different
from what actually occurred outside of Eden. Read Genesis 1:26–2:24 and list the characteristics and functions
of the family as God originally created it.
1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish
of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping
thing that creepeth upon the earth. 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him;
male and female created he them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and
replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and
over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. 29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing
seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed;
to you it shall be for meat. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing
that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so. 31
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the
sixth day.
Chapter 2
1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them. 2 And on the seventh day God ended
his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. 3 And God blessed
the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.
4 These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God
made the earth and the heavens, 5 And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the
field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till
the ground. 6 But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. 7 And the LORD
God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living
soul. 8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9 And
out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree
of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. 10 And a river went out of
Eden to water the garden; and from thence it was parted, and became into four heads. 11 The name of the first is
Pison: that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12 And the gold of that land
is good: there is bdellium and the onyx stone. 13 And the name of the second river is Gihon: the same is it that
compasseth the whole land of Ethiopia. 14 And the name of the third river is Hiddekel: that is it which goeth toward
the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates. 15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the
garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the
garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it:
for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. 18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the
man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him. 19 And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast
of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatsoever
Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. 20 And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the
fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an help meet for him. 21 And
the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the
flesh instead thereof; 22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her
unto the man. 23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman,
because she was taken out of Man. 24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto
his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Kingdom Extra
These verses introduce a phrase that is the cornerstone of the biblical understanding of man: image of God.
The image of God is presented first and foremost in relation to a unique social or community concept of
God. “Then God [singular] said, ‘Let Us [plural] make man in Our [plural] image.’ ” Many scholars interpret this
use of both the singular and the plural as an allusion to the Trinity: one God, yet a community of Persons.
The “community” that reflects God's image is a special community: the community of a man and a woman. When God
chose to create man in His own image, He created a marriage, a family. The community of the family is a reflection
of the community in the Godhead. Its identity, life, and power come from God. [Spirit-Filled Life Bible
(Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1991), 5–6, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 1:26–28, God Created Man (Male/Female)
In His Own Image.”]
1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue
it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that
moveth upon the earth.
2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life;
and man became a living soul.
2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.
2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
22 And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
Humankind was to play a major role in subduing and ruling over the earth. God meant for the first couple to
live as a king and queen, in complete harmony and equality, sharing joint rulership over the paradise He had created
for them. In Christ, God wants to restore that capacity to rule.
Kingdom Extra
The original order of man's environment on Earth must be distinguished from what it became following the impact
of man's fall, the curse, and the eventual deluge (Is. 45:18; Rom. 8:20; 2 Pet. 3:4–7). The agricultural, zoological,
geological, and meteorological disharmony to which creation became subject must not be attributed to God. The perfect
will of God, as founding King of creation, is not manifest in the presence of death, disease, discord, and disaster
any more than it is manifest in human sin.
Our present world does not reflect the kingdom order He originally intended for man's enjoyment on earth, nor
does it reflect God's kingdom as it shall ultimately be experienced on this planet. Understanding this, we should
be cautious not to attribute to “God's will” or to “acts of God” those characteristics of our world that resulted
from the ruin of God's original order by reason of man's fall. [Ibid., 6, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 1:31, Before
the Fall.”]
Now, compare these contrasting passages and list how these characteristics/functions changed after sin had entered
the world, destroying humankind's capacity to rule.
1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.
and 3:20 And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and
every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat. and 3:19 In the sweat
of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his
work which he had made. 3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested
from all his work which God created and made. and 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto
the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it:
cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. and 3:21 Unto Adam also and to his wife
did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed. and 3:23 Therefore
the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.
2:23 And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she
was taken out of Man. and 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree,
and I did eat.
Sin in the Garden of Eden ultimately brought about all of the maladies of the human family. The couple began to
focus blame everywhere but on themselves (3:12, 13), thus destroying their unity, failing to accept responsibility,
and placing themselves in the role of the victim. Fruitless labor, pain, and strife all entered the family unit
as a result of the entrance of sin and disobedience.
Kingdom Extra
The woman is not directly cursed, although it is obvious she comes under God's general curse. Rather,
there will be a major marring of her appointed roles as wife and mother. Maternity will be with great suffering,
a particularly disappointing consequence to Old Testament women who saw large families as a sign of blessing. “Your
desire shall be for your husband” is difficult in the Hebrew. Most likely the expression carries the idea that,
remembering their joint-rule in the Garden, she would desire to dominate her husband. “He shall rule over you”
asserts the divine assignment of the husband's servant-leader role. There is no evidence that this was ever intended
as a diminishing of the woman's person or giftedness, but rather as a redemptive role assigned the husband toward
the wife as a means toward reinstating this original partnership. Note: the passage does not assert male dominance
over females. It does assign husbandly responsibility for leadership in the marriage relationship.
Adam is also spared a direct cursing. His major mistake was in heeding the voice of his wife rather than
the voice of God. As the one having the greatest responsibility, his sentence is the longest and most comprehensive.
“In toil you shall eat of it” [v. 17] notes a marring of man's fundamental role as laborer/provider; work shall
be with difficulties and futilities (thorns and thistles … in the sweat of your face). This lifelong struggle will
then end in death. [Ibid., 9, notes on 3:16 and 3:17–19.]
Faith Alive
As grim as the picture appeared that day, God was already in the process of activating the plan of redemption.
Read Genesis 3:15 and answer the following questions.
To whom was God talking?
How was God going to cause redemption to come about?
How was this prophecy answered in Jesus' coming?
Kingdom Extra
[Genesis 3:15] contains the first proclamation of the gospel. All of the richness, the mercy, the sorrow, and
the glory of God's redeeming work with man is here in miniature. God promises to bring a Redeemer from the Seed
of the woman; He will be completely human yet divinely begotten. “That serpent of old, called the Devil” would
war with the Seed (see Rev. 12) and would smite Him. But even as the Serpent struck at His heel, His foot would
descend, crushing the Serpent's head [see Rom. 16:20]. In Christ's life and death this scripture was fulfilled.
Divinely begotten, yet fully human, by His death and resurrection He has defeated and made a public spectacle of
the powers of hell (Col. 2:15). This first messianic promise is one of the most succinct statements of the gospel
to be found anywhere. [Ibid., 9, “Kingdom Dynamics: Gen. 3:15, The Gospel's First Proclamation.”]
Faith Alive
Read the following passages of scripture and list how God intends to restore individuals, marriages, and families
back to His original plan for them.
1 Peter 3:7 Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto
the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
Compare the following verses to Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and
let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all
the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold,
all things are become new.
1 Peter 2:9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should
shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Revelation 1:6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever
and ever. Amen.
Compare the following verses to
Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth,
and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living
thing that moveth upon the earth.
Matthew 7:16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
John 20:22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
Compare to Genesis 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the
breath of life; and man became a living soul.
Galations 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Compare the following verses to Genesis 1:29, and 2:8, 15, 22.
Matt. 6:25–34
Phil. 4:19
Compare the following verses to Genesis 1:27.
Psalm 133:1
Eph. 4:3
Matt. 11:28, 29 (Compare to Gen. 2:2, 3 and 3:17.)
Understanding God's intent to redeem marriages and families back to His original plan is essential to our understanding
of how to live within God-ordained relationships. His original intent was for God and humankind to live in open
and loving fellowship. Their fellowship with the Creator would then extend into their fellowship with one another,
creating homes firmly established on a joint pursuit of God. Then out of that would flow their ability to rule
over creation. Once the tie between God and the first couple was severed, not only did they lose their power of
rulership, but their home began to disintegrate. Without that shared purpose and conviction, none of us can ever
firmly build our homes on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Relationship with Him must come first.
Look up the following verses and write out what scripture says our foundation for life is to be:
Prov. 10:25
1 Cor. 3:11
Eph. 2:20
2 Tim. 2:19
Word Wealth
Understanding the meaning of the word “foundation” as used in the Scriptures can give us some key insights on
how to build our homes on the foundation of God. The Greek word, themelioo, Strong's #2311—literally
means “to lay a basis for.” While the Hebrew word, yacad, Strong's #3245, means to set; to found;
to sit down together, i.e., settle, consult:—appoint, take counsel, establish, found, instruct, lay, ordain. Yacad
suggests not only a physical foundation, but an agreed-upon body of beliefs as implied by the idea of instruction
and taking counsel together. [James Strong, Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, (New York: Abingdon
Press, 1890), 50 (Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary) and 36 (Greek Dictionary).]
Faith Alive
In Luke, Jesus relates a parable that gives wise counsel on how we should establish our homes.
Read Luke 6:46–49; then, based on the passage, list three things we can do to establish our homes on the Rock,
Jesus.
Contrast that with what happened to the house that wasn't built on the rock.
In verse 47, Jesus talks about those who hear His sayings and do them. How does this compare to the man who “dug
deep” to build on the rock?
What are some of the adverse factors in our culture that “beat vehemently” on our marriages and families?
How does Matthew 16:18 compare with this text?
The fact that Jesus Christ is to be the foundation of our marriages and families shouldn't be surprising when you
consider that the identity of the family itself is in God. In fact, throughout scripture, God is spoken of as our
Father, our husband, our brother. In His completeness, He can fulfill all relational needs in our lives. Yet He
asks us to live out these relationships as a picture to the world of His great love for all of humankind. Unfortunately,
the picture we present is riddled through with imperfections because we are imperfect people. But we can learn
lesson after lesson about how we are to relate to our families by studying how God relates to us.
Kingdom Extra
Humanly speaking, we link the identity of a husband, wife, and children to their particular family name. This,
however, is only a surface identification. Family identity has a deeper root.
“Family” is a word that is rooted in God: God is Father—the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Himself,
God is a “divine family.” This truth also expresses itself in the way that God relates to people. The Bible reveals
this aspect of God's nature in rich and varied use of family imagery: God is our Father, God is Husband to His
people, God is like a nurturing mother, Christ is the Bridegroom of the church.
When a man and a woman come together in marriage, God extends to them this name that in essence belongs to Him—the
name of family. Husband, wife, and children live up to the true meaning of this name as they reflect the nature
and life of the divine family in their human family. [Spirit-Filled Life Bible, 1791, “Kingdom Dynamics:
Eph. 3:14, 15, The Identity of Family Is in God.”]
Further, the relational core of the family—marriage—is modeled for us both in the relationship between Jesus
and the Father, and in the relationship between Jesus and His Church.
Kingdom Extra
The relationship between God as “Head” and Christ as Son is given as a model for the relationship between husband
and wife. When the Bible reveals how the Father and the Son relate to each other, it also gives us insight into
how husbands and wives should relate to each other.
The following principles for the husband-wife relationship are illustrated in the relationship of Jesus and
the Father: 1) Husband and wife are to share a mutual love (John 5:20; 14:31). 2) Husband and wife have different
roles and accomplish different functions in the marriage (John 10:17; 14:28; 17:4). 3) Though having
different roles, husband and wife are equal; they live in unity (John 10:30; 14:11). 4) Husband and wife esteem
one another (John 8:54). 5) Husbands express love for their wives through care, shared life and ministry,
attentiveness (John 5:20, 22; 8:29; 11:42; 16:15; 17:2). 6) Wives express love for their husbands by being
of one will and purpose with them; by exercising authority entrusted to them with humility and meekness, not striving
or competing; in a word, by showing respect both in attitude and action (John 4:34; 5:19, 30; 8:28; 14:31; 15:10;
Phil. 2:5, 6, 8; see also Gen. 3:16; 1 Tim. 2:8–15). [Ibid., 1734, “Kingdom Dynamics: 1 Cor. 11:3, Jesus and the
Father Model Relationship for Marriage.”]
Faith Alive
Look up the passages from John listed in the Kingdom Extra above. How can the way Jesus and the Father interrelate
be applied in our relationships with our spouses?
Finally, look up and write out Ephesians 3:14, 15 as an encouragement and reminder that our families have to be
founded on God—our perfect picture of what a family is to be.
From The Spirit-Filled Family: Holy Wisdom to Build Happy
Homes by Jack W. Hayford with Rebecca Hayford Bauer. Copyright 1994 by Jack W. Hayford.
Published by Thomas Nelson, Inc.
