Introduction
In an age saturated with distorted and trivialized views of sexuality, a profound and sacred truth lies buried within the pages of Scripture, waiting to be rediscovered. What if the physical union between a husband and wife was intentionally designed by God to be more than a biological function or a mere expression of affection? What if it is, in fact, a holy object lesson—a “great mystery”—that contains the very blueprint of the Gospel story? This exploration will demonstrate that God encoded the narrative of His covenantal love for humanity into the fabric of marital intimacy. By peeling back layers of cultural misunderstanding and returning to God’s original design, we will uncover how the “one flesh” union serves as a living, breathing parable of the relationship between Christ and His church, revealing truths about God’s desire for us that are as stunning as they are transformative.
The first divine mandate given to humanity, immediately following their creation in God’s own image, concerned their union and purpose on 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…
The commandment to “be fruitful, and multiply” was not a divine afterthought but was woven into the fabric of God’s original design for humanity. Sexual union, therefore, was instituted by God Himself as the sacred means by which His creative purpose would be fulfilled, intended to be realized exclusively within the beautiful and holy institution of marriage. This foundational principle of marriage is immediately established in the subsequent chapter.
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
Definition of marriage
Genesis 2:24 constitutes the Biblical definition of marriage. It is a covenant relationship wherein a man leaves his family of origin to “cleave unto his wife,” resulting in a new entity: they become “one flesh.” Christ Himself unequivocally affirmed this Genesis definition as the bedrock of marriage in Matthew 19:4-6 and Mark 10:6-9.
But what is the precise nature of this “one flesh” unity? What kind of bond does this term represent? The apostle Paul provides an uncompromisingly clear answer.
16 What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
The apostle Paul’s inspired commentary on Genesis 2:24 reveals the literal, physical reality of the “one flesh” union. His argument is stark: if being physically “joined to an harlot” makes one “one body” and “one flesh” with her, then the “one flesh” union of marriage is unequivocally defined by sexual intercourse. This act, far from being incidental, is revealed to be a key defining characteristic of the marriage covenant, which is why sexual union with anyone other than a spouse is adultery. This reveals a simple, yet profound truth: sex, as the physical seal of the “one flesh” covenant, is reserved for marriage exclusively.
Pattern Matching
In 1 Corinthians 6:16-18, the apostle establishes a critical parallelism between the physical and the spiritual. The “one flesh” union created through sexual intimacy is contrasted with the “one spirit” union created by being “joined unto the Lord.”
Consequently, sexual union is revealed to be a divine object lesson, a physical parable designed to instruct believers about the nature of spiritual intimacy with their Creator. Conversely, the profound intimacy we are called to have with the Lord can teach us much about God’s original, sacred plan for sexuality. In a world where this act has been degraded, its powerful spiritual message has been obscured. It is therefore imperative that we first restore sex to its proper, elevated place in God’s design. Only then can we begin to unpack the “great mystery” hidden within this elevated token of love. The apostle Paul brings this mystery into sharp focus.
31 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.
32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Could it be that behind the veil of marital sexual intimacy, the gospel story itself is hidden? The apostle leaves no room for doubt, explicitly stating that this “great mystery” of the “one flesh” union speaks directly of “Christ and the church.” The profound narrative of Christ’s intimate, covenantal love for His people is thus encoded within the very fabric of the marriage relationship established in Genesis 2:24. Though the topic of sex may be uncomfortable for some, let us proceed to explore God’s high ideal for it, that we might apprehend this “great mystery.”
To apprehend the depths of this mystery, our exploration will slowly unpack one reality at the time. We will first examine the principles governing the human intimate experience as ordained by God—establishing His divine ideal. Subsequently, we will pattern match this physical reality to the spiritual truths of the Gospel. This journey will allow us to behold the grand narrative of redemption not merely as a set of doctrines, but as the ultimate divine love story, prefigured in the covenant of marriage.
Part 1: The Covenantal Exclusivity of the “One Flesh” Union
The foundational principle governing the “one flesh” union is its absolute exclusivity. According to the divine economy, the sexual act is the inviolable token of the marriage covenant, belonging solely to that sacred relationship. Christ Himself expounded upon the permanent and exclusive nature of this covenant, revealing the deep implications of its violation.
31 It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement:
32 But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.
Setting aside the explicit exception clause (“saving for the cause of fornication”), we must confront the gravity of Christ’s statement. How does a man who puts away his wife cause her to commit adultery? Christ’s logic is profound. The act of putting away a wife “causeth her to commit adultery” not because of the dismissal itself, but because the original “one flesh” covenant remains intact in God’s eyes. Her subsequent remarriage, implying a new sexual union, is thus deemed adulterous. Likewise, the man who marries the divorced woman also “committeth adultery.” This establishes that the “one flesh” bond, the covenantal token of sex, extends beyond human acts of legal separation. In God’s unfallen ideal, this covenant was to be exclusive to one man and one woman for life. Any sexual union outside of that original bond is unequivocally defined as adultery.
To underscore the inviolable nature of this sexual covenant, God instituted a physical sign, a “token of virginity” in the woman. As every sacred covenant was sealed by blood, so too was the marriage covenant, a principle starkly illustrated in the statutes of ancient Israel.
13 If any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her,
14 And give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say, I took this woman, and when I came to her, I found her not a maid:
15 Then shall the father of the damsel, and her mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel’s virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate:
16 And the damsel’s father shall say unto the elders, I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her;
17 And, lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, I found not thy daughter a maid; and yet these are the tokens of my daughter’s virginity. And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.
18 And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;
19 And they shall amerce him in an hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of Israel: and she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.
20 But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel:
21 Then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father’s house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die: because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father’s house: so shalt thou put evil away from among you.
The legal and spiritual weight of this passage is immense. If the “tokens of virginity” were found, proving the wife’s fidelity to the covenant at its inception, the husband was bound to her for life: “he may not put her away all his days.” The sexual union was demonstrated to be exclusive, creating a lifelong bond. This was God’s original, perfect plan.
Divine Accommodation for Human Failure
Divorce is when a man “put away his wife”, an act which God explicitly states He hates (Malachi 2:16). Yet, even when humanity falls short of the divine ideal, we see God working mercifully to protect His people from further harm. This is evident in His legislation concerning divorce.
3 The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?
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.
7 They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away?
8 He saith unto them, Moses because of the hardness of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives: but from the beginning it was not so.
9 And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery: and whoso marrieth her which is put away doth commit adultery.
10 His disciples say unto him, If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry.
Christ’s response reveals a crucial aspect of the divine character. He first reaffirms the highest ideal: what God has joined, man must not separate. The Mosaic provision for a “writing of divorcement” was not, therefore, an endorsement of divorce or a lowering of the standard. It was a divine accommodation for the “hardness of your hearts.” In a fallen world where sinful men were already transgressing God’s ideal by putting away their wives for any cause, this legislation served as a merciful provision. It was designed primarily to protect the discarded woman, granting her a legal status that could prevent her from being stoned for perceived adultery upon remarriage. This demonstrates that God is profoundly interested in our well-being, even when we depart from His perfect will. On the one hand, He upholds His unchanging ideal; on the other, He mercifully works to protect us from utter ruin when we fail. This divine principle is perfectly embodied in the life of Christ, who, representing the Father, turned to the woman caught in adultery. He did not condemn her, but while extending grace, He upheld the ideal, bidding her, “go, and sin no more.”
Charting the Boundaries of Human Sexuality
A further examination of Scripture prompts a critical question from a practical standpoint: where precisely did God chart the boundaries of sexual intimacy within the human experience? The Bible is not silent on this matter; indeed, it charts this territory with rich and beautiful symbolism. In the Song of Solomon, the physical and emotional landscape of marital love is laid bare, with the bride’s body and affections being presented through the central metaphor of a garden.
1 Behold, thou art fair, my love; behold, thou art fair; thou hast doves’ eyes within thy locks: thy hair is as a flock of goats, that appear from mount Gilead.
2 Thy teeth are like a flock of sheep that are even shorn, which came up from the washing; whereof every one bear twins, and none is barren among them.
3 Thy lips are like a thread of scarlet, and thy speech is comely: thy temples are like a piece of a pomegranate within thy locks.
4 Thy neck is like the tower of David builded for an armoury, whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.
5 Thy two breasts are like two young roes that are twins, which feed among the lilies.
6 Until the day break, and the shadows flee away, I will get me to the mountain of myrrh, and to the hill of frankincense.
7 Thou art all fair, my love; there is no spot in thee.
8 Come with me from Lebanon, my spouse, with me from Lebanon: look from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards.
9 Thou hast ravished my heart, my sister, my spouse; thou hast ravished my heart with one of thine eyes, with one chain of thy neck.
10 How fair is thy love, my sister, my spouse! how much better is thy love than wine! and the smell of thine ointments than all spices!
11 Thy lips, O my spouse, drop as the honeycomb: honey and milk are under thy tongue; and the smell of thy garments is like the smell of Lebanon.
12 A garden inclosed is my sister, my spouse; a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.
13 Thy plants are an orchard of pomegranates, with pleasant fruits; camphire, with spikenard,
14 Spikenard and saffron; calamus and cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense; myrrh and aloes, with all the chief spices:
15 A fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and streams from Lebanon.
The groom’s adoration begins with a detailed appreciation of his bride’s physical properties: her eyes, smile, neck, and breasts are all declared “fair.” Her very gaze has the power to “ravish” his heart. The imagery then progresses from the visual to the full range of senses; the “smell of thine ointments” and “the smell of thy garments” arouse his affections, while the taste of her lips is as “honey and milk.” The language guides the reader from adoration at a distance to the threshold of physical consummation. She is an garden yielding “pleasant fruits.” It is critical to note the plural: fruits. The Bible thereby charts the territory of sexuality not as a single act, but as a broad and varied landscape of intimacy. Following the inspired narrative, we see that it is not only intercourse that falls under the umbrella of sexuality, but also the kisses, the embraces, and even the simple, loving touch that “ravishes the heart.”
While such a broad definition of sexuality may seem radical to a secularized society, it resonates with an intuitive, God-given understanding of covenantal love. Consider the man standing before the altar, watching his bride approach in ceremonial glory. Would his heart’s desire be a wish to have known other women? Would her wish be to have kissed other men? The thought is abhorrent to the sanctity of the moment. Even those who might protest this standard will, if pressed, almost invariably affirm their desire that their own spouse’s premarital intimate affections had been reserved for them alone.
This brings us to the central point of the metaphor. The realm of human sexuality, in all its breadth, is biblically defined as “a garden inclosed… a spring shut up, a fountain sealed.” It is a place of immense beauty and pleasure, filled with many “pleasant fruits,” but it has walls. These walls establish a sacred boundary, a separation between what is inside and what is outside. The garden’s contents are to be consecrated—set apart—for one person only. This consecrated space must be well-kept and protected. But what if it is not? What if the walls have breaches, or the gates are left unguarded? The bride’s own kinsmen address this very issue:
8 We have a little sister, and she hath no breasts: what shall we do for our sister in the day when she shall be spoken for?
9 If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver: and if she be a door, we will inclose her with boards of cedar.
10 I am a wall, and my breasts like towers: then was I in his eyes as one that found favour.
This passage reveals a profound truth about communal responsibility. The bride’s brethren—representing her family and, by extension, the church community—have a sacred duty to protect their sister’s honor. Their posture is twofold. If she is a “wall,” meaning she has maintained her covenantal integrity and sexual purity, their role is to honor, adorn, and fortify her (“we will build upon her a palace of silver”). If, however, she is a “door,” signifying a vulnerability or a lack of personal boundaries, their role is not to condemn but to protect and restore (“we will inclose her with boards of cedar”). How tragic it is that within the church today, so few men rise to this noble charge. A great deal of harm is done when men fail to act in the defense and honor of their sisters in Christ.
Part 2: Unfolding the “one flesh” mystery
Having established that the “one flesh” union is a “great mystery” pointing to “Christ and the church,” we are left standing at the threshold of a profound revelation. If the covenant of marriage, sealed by physical intimacy, is indeed a divine parable, what is the grand story it tells? If the human body, in its consecrated love, is a “garden inclosed,” filled with “pleasant fruits,” what does this imagery reveal about the very nature of the relationship Christ yearns to have with us, His church? Where in the grand narrative of Scripture can we find the original template for such a perfectly exclusive, exquisitely pleasurable, and life-giving union?
The answer, stunning in its simplicity and scope, is not found in a complex theological treatise or a hidden prophetic scroll. It has been waiting for us on the very first pages of the Bible, hidden in plain sight. The key to unlocking the “great mystery” of human sexuality is found in the story of humanity’s first home. Let us turn, therefore, to the beginning, and enter the gates of the Garden of Eden, to see how God’s original design for intimacy with man gives eternal meaning to the intimacy between a husband and his wife.
A Garden of Divine Pleasure
The pattern-matching begins with the very purpose and name of this sacred space. God planted a garden “eastward in Eden” (Genesis 2:8), a name which in Hebrew means “pleasure” or “delight.” This is our first profound clue. The very foundation of God’s intended relationship with humanity was pleasure and delight. This instantly illuminates the groom’s adoration for his bride, whose love is the source of his supreme joy. God’s dwelling place with man was intentionally designed to be a place of exquisite pleasure, for He made to grow “every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food” (Genesis 2:9).
Here, our understanding of God’s design for sexuality is deepened. The pleasure a husband and wife are to find in their own exclusive “garden” is not a mere biological impulse; it is a holy reflection of the spiritual delight God built into the fabric of His own relationship with His people. The physical reality of marital love, with its many “pleasant fruits” (Song of Solomon 4:13), is an echo of the spiritual delight that defined the Garden of Eden.
A Sacred, Enclosed Space
The metaphor of the bride as “a garden inclosed… a spring shut up, a fountain sealed” (Song of Solomon 4:12) now takes on immense theological weight. The need for walls and boundaries in human intimacy is not an arbitrary rule, but a reflection of a divine principle. The Garden of Eden, while situated on a “very good” earth, was itself a uniquely consecrated, set-apart space, a holy sanctuary where God dwelt with man.
Its sacred boundaries are made unmistakably clear after the fall. To protect its holiness, God “placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life” (Genesis 3:24). The garden had inviolable walls. This spiritual reality fortifies our understanding of marriage: the exclusivity of the “one flesh” union is designed to mirror the sacred, set-apart nature of our relationship with God. The call to sexual purity is a call to guard a space as holy as Eden itself.
The Fountain of Life
The bride’s vitality is beautifully captured as “a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters” (Song of Solomon 4:15), revealing that within the marital union is a source of life. This physical truth finds its origin in Eden. Scripture records that “a river went out of Eden to water the garden” (Genesis 2:10), a single source of life that flowed out to the rest of the world.
The spiritual truth is profound and illuminates God’s design for us. All true life, sustenance, and blessing flow from a protected, intimate relationship with Him. He is the “fountain of living waters” (Jeremiah 2:13). Thus, the life-giving potential of the marital embrace is a powerful object lesson, designed to teach us that the fullness of life is found only within the sacred “garden” of God’s presence.
The Test of Covenant Fidelity: An Archetype of Adultery
Within the perfect pleasure of Eden, where every need was met and every fruit was freely given, God established one boundary. This boundary was not a restriction meant to deprive, but a test designed to prove the loyalty of the covenant.
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.
Herein lies the central drama. The serpent’s temptation was an invitation to look outside the perfect, all-sufficient relationship with God and desire a fruit that was forbidden. The essence of this sin, therefore, is the very essence of adultery: to consume the fruit of another. To consume the fruit which doesn’t belong to you. The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil and its fruit did not belong to Adam and Eve; it was the one thing God had reserved. To desire it, take it, and consume it was to commit an act of profound spiritual unfaithfulness.
Also, the name of the tree was not coincidental, for it was given by God Himself. This tree hides knowledge — and so does sex. The Bible speaks of it as knowledge: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain.” (Genesis 4:1). See also Genesis 4:17, 25; 19:5; Judges 19:25.
When Eve “took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6), they violated the exclusive terms of their covenant. This act perfectly mirrors the betrayal of physical adultery, where one spouse seeks intimacy outside the sacred “garden” of marriage, tasting a fruit, and getting the knowledge, that does not belong to them. This first sin in the garden gives eternal weight to the laws against adultery; it reveals that sexual fidelity is not merely a social contract, but a reflection of our primary call to be utterly and exclusively faithful to God.
The Sacred Duty to “Keep” the Garden
God’s instruction to Adam was not one of passive enjoyment, but of active stewardship: “The LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15). The word “keep” (shamar, in Hebrew) implies to guard, protect, and watch over. Adam’s primary role, therefore, was to be the guardian of this sacred space and the covenant relationship it represented. His job was to keep and tender the intimate relationship with his Creator.
His failure was not merely in eating the fruit, but in failing to “keep” the garden from the serpent’s intrusion. He did not guard his wife from temptation, nor did he protect the holy ground from the lies of the enemy. This Edenic duty powerfully informs the sacred responsibilities within a marriage. A husband and wife are called to actively “keep” their own covenantal garden, guarding it from any and all external threats to its purity and exclusivity. This active, vigilant protection is the work of love, a holy duty that mirrors the very first task given to humanity.
The Gospel of Restoration: A Divine Marriage
The result of this covenant betrayal was exile. Humanity was cast out of the garden, separated from the intimate, face-to-face presence of God. This is the tragedy that necessitates the Gospel. But the beauty of God’s redemptive plan is that the very definition of marriage, which was violated in principle in the garden, becomes the blueprint for our restoration.
Recall the foundation:
24 Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.
The Gospel is the ultimate fulfillment of this pattern. To redeem His bride, the Lord Jesus Christ did the unthinkable:
- He left His Father. Christ left the glory of His Father in heaven and came to this fallen world.
- He cleaved unto His wife. He pursued humanity—His estranged, unfaithful bride—with a relentless love, enduring the cross to win her back.
- They become one. Through His sacrifice, He made it possible for a new union to be formed. (see John 17:21)
This new union transcends the physical. The “great mystery” finds its ultimate meaning here. While the first Adam’s sin led to a broken “one flesh” relationship, the Second Adam, Christ, establishes a new and eternal bond. The apostle Paul, who first contrasts the physical union with a harlot to a spiritual union with God, makes the final, glorious parallel explicit:
1 Corinthians 6:17 - KJV
17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
The entire story of redemption is a divine marriage. We who were spiritually adulterous are now invited back into a holy covenant. Through Christ, we are washed, made pure, and “espoused… to one husband,” that we may be presented “as a chaste virgin to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:2). The physical act of marriage was, from the very beginning, a divine object lesson pointing to this ultimate reality: Christ’s passionate desire to leave everything behind, cleave unto His people, and be eternally and intimately one with them.
Conclusion: The Garden City of God
Our journey has taken us from the intimate union of a husband and wife, through the Gospel of a redeeming Christ, and back to the very dawn of creation. We have seen that the “one flesh” mystery is not a minor doctrine but a divine parable woven into the fabric of reality, a physical story that illuminates a spiritual truth. The pattern is consistent: God desires an exclusive, protected, and joy-filled intimate relationship with His people.
But the story does not end with the cross and resurrection. The love story that began in a Garden finds its breathtaking consummation in a City—the New Jerusalem. As we look to the final pages of Scripture, the parallels to Eden are unmistakable and stunning in their symmetry.
- The Fountain of Life: Just as “a river went out of Eden to water the garden,” so in the final vision, John sees “a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb” (Revelation 22:1).
- The Tree of Life: The “tree of life also in the midst of the garden” (Genesis 2:9), from which humanity was barred, reappears in glory on either side of the river, its leaves bringing “healing to the nations” (Revelation 22:2).
- The Sacred, Enclosed Space: The New Jerusalem is the ultimate “garden inclosed,” with its “wall great and high” and angelic guardians (Revelation 21:12), where God Himself and the Lamb are the temple, the very center of its intimate life.
This brings the celestial vision to a profoundly personal and tangible reality. Could it be that in His immense grace, God designed the “one flesh” union not only as a theological lesson but as a practical, experiential foretaste of this heavenly city? When a husband and wife strive to live out God’s original, high standard—cherishing the exclusive, pleasurable, life-giving ‘garden’ of their union—are they not, in a very real sense, experiencing an echo of Eden and a glimpse of the New Jerusalem here on this sin-marred earth?
The security of the covenant, the joy of unveiled intimacy, the life that can flow from their union—these are not mere metaphors. They are designed to be tangible encounters with the very principles of Heaven. God’s high standard for our sexuality is therefore not a burden, but a gracious invitation to experience a fragment of our eternal home, right now. It is a pointer to the tangible reality of the Gospel.
This is the glorious fulfillment of the work the first Adam was meant to do. Where he failed to “keep” the garden, Christ, the Second Adam, has succeeded in building an eternal city for His bride. Our final calling is to the “marriage supper of the Lamb” (Revelation 19:9), the eternal celebration of our union with Him.
From the first command to be “one flesh” in Genesis to the final marriage supper in Revelation, the theme is one. The Bible is not a disjointed collection of laws and stories. It is a single, coherent narrative, from cover to cover. This begs the ultimate question, which we will explore next: Can the entire Bible be read as the greatest love story ever told?
Follow Up Study
TODO: The Gospel as the Love Story