Genesis 2:24
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
When the devil gets inside the best marriage, trouble is the result.
Genesis chapters one and two give us an overview and a detailed, slow-motion view of the first marriage. In the slow-motion rewind, we see where the devil photobombed a marriage that was divinely endorsed.
Chapter 2 starts to rewind the tape and shows us how God created "them" by giving us a step-by-step version of how the man was placed in a deep sleep and the woman was formed from a rib from his side. In Genesis 2:23, it is written, "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."
The institution of marriage was spoken into place when God said in Genesis 2:24, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.
Genesis Chapter 3 details how the perfect marriage started having problems when the devil interfered in the relationships of the ideal family. First, he appealed to Eve's vanity and convinced her to disobey God and ignore her husband's leadership concerning the forbidden fruit. That decision brought trouble to the perfect marriage. Their two sons, who had been living perfectly together, developed problems, and one killed the other. The remaining son had to leave alone, and the entire family had to move out of the garden into uncomfortable conditions.
The creation story clearly shows what happens when a married couple breaks the rules and lets the devil get mixed up in their business.
Black Perspective
African Americans have a higher rate of divorce than other racial groups in the United States. This is a complex issue with many contributing factors, but it is clear that the devil's interference is one of them.
The divorce rate among African Americans is 67%, compared to 50% for the general population. African Americans are more likely to marry before the age of 20, and we are also more likely to have children before marriage. We are also less likely to get married after a divorce than other racial groups.
It all means African Americans face unique challenges when it comes to marriage and divorce. The devil can interfere with the best marriages.
The first marriage was divinely endorsed but was not immune to the devil's interference. We must always be on guard against the devil's schemes, even in our marriages.
The first marriage was divinely endorsed but was not immune to the devil's interference. We must always be on guard against the devil's schemes, even in our marriages.