Scriptures: Genesis 1:27, 2:18-25, Malachi 2:16

Nobody ever said that marriage was easy. Anyone will tell you that to have a happy marriage takes a lot of hard work, a lot of determination, and a lot of effort. That may be one of the reasons why the entire institution of marriage is under attack like never before. In this message, Dr. Merritt underscores God's plan for marriage by looking at the very first marriage between Adam and Eve. In many ways, this first marriage was intended to be a model marriage. This first marriage was God’s visual example of why marriage is important, what marriage should be like, and who should be married at all. In the story of this first marriage, we discover some incredibly important principles that help us to understand what God says about marriage--what marriage ought to be, how marriage should work, and why it is foundational to the very fabric that will hold a society together.

"Marriage is a divine institution that is to be given our highest respect and our deepest commitment as the greatest and highest of all human relationships." --Dr. Merritt

Keywords: Lovesick, marriage, marry, husband, wife, Adam, Eve, Garden of Eden, creation, male, female, partners, helpmate, monogamy, heterosexual, divorce, covenant, contract, relationship, bald eagle, faithful, Andreas J. Köstenberger, Dr. Neal Clark Warren