Introduction: God created man and gave him work to do (Genesis 2:7-8 [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.
See All..., 15, 19) but there was still something lacking. Man was alone.

1. THE PROBLEM OF MARRIAGE
1. A Wife is a Good Thing (Proverbs 18:22Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.
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2. Marriage is Trouble in the Flesh (1Corinthians 7:27-28 [27] Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. [28] But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
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2. THE BENEFITS OF MARRIAGE (Genesis 2:18And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
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1. Companionship – not “alone”
1. The strength of companionship (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 [9] Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. [10] For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. [11] Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? [12] And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.
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2. The companionship of marriage (Matthew 19:4-6 [4] And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
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2. Comfort – “an help”
1. The wife to her husband (Titus 2:4-5 [4] That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, [5] To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
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2. The husband to his wife (Ephesians 5:25-29 [25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; [26] That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, [27] That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. [28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. [29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
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3. Completion – “meet for him”
1. The word, meet, means fit, proper or just right for a particular need (2Timothy 2:21If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
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2. Made for each other (1Corinthians 11:10-11 [10] For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. [11] Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.
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3. Complementing each other (1Peter 3:1-7 [1] Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; [2] While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. [3] Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; [4] But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. [5] For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: [6] Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. [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.
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3. THE SACRIFICE OF THE MAN (Genesis 2:21-22 [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.
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1. He Came to the Point of Death (Genesis 2:21And 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;
   See All...; John 3:16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
   See All...; Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
   See All...); Note: Jesus Christ is the “last Adam” (1Corinthians 15:45And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
   See All...).  His bride is the church (Ephesians 5:23-25 [23] For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. [24] Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. [25] Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
   See All...).  Adam’s “deep sleep” is a type of the death of Christ and His giving of Himself for the church (Ephesians 5:25Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
   See All...).  The rib taken from Adam and the declaration that Eve is “bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh” is a type of the relationship of Christ to the church.  “For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones” (Ephesians 5:30For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.
   See All...).  No wonder Paul said that this was a “great mystery” (Ephesians 5:32This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
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2. He Gave Up One of His Ribs (Genesis 2:22And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.
   See All...; Ephesians 5:28-29 [28] So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. [29] For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:
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4. THE SACRIFICE OF THE WOMAN (Genesis 2:23-25 [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. [25] And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
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1. Her Husband is Part of Her (Genesis 2:23And 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.
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2.  Her Family is Left Behind (Genesis 2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
   See All...); Note: From the beginning, marriage consisted of a man leaving his family, cleaning unto his wife and becoming one with her.  Read especially Matthew 19:4-6 [4] And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, [5] And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? [6] Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.
   See All....  As such, marriage is the first earthly institution established by God.  The other two are human government and the church.
3. Her Privacy Has Departed (Genesis 2:25And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.
   See All...; Hebrews 13:4Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.
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Conclusion: Great sacrifice for a worthy cause can lead to great joy (Song of Solomon 3:1-4 [1] By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. [2] I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. [3] The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? [4] It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.
See All...; Song of Solomon 8:6-7 [6] Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. [7] Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.
See All...); but you must pass through times of trouble in the flesh (1Corinthians 7:27-28 [27] Art thou bound unto a wife? seek not to be loosed. Art thou loosed from a wife? seek not a wife. [28] But and if thou marry, thou hast not sinned; and if a virgin marry, she hath not sinned. Nevertheless such shall have trouble in the flesh: but I spare you.
See All...).