Who wrote the first happily-ever-after story?
Although I am not a big movie goer, I recently saw The Greatest Showman. I knew that any Hollywood version of a true story might not be entirely accurate, but I was thrilled to watch a film in which the hero: gave dignity to social outcasts; honored God’s human race over the color shade of someone’s skin; and when tempted to have an affair, chose to go home to his wife and children and cherish them with the priority they deserved.
Our friend Carl Kerby wrote an article to fill us in on the real P.T. Barnum who was not always this kind of “knight in shining white armor” as portrayed in the film; and Carl also gave us Scriptural foundations on racism, and recognizing truth. Check out his superb article: A Closer Look at the Greatest Showman.
Sadly, in our world stained with sin, it is hard to find happily-ever-after true stories. In fact, we usually call these fairy tales. But who gave us the plan for the first fairy tale? God did in Genesis 1! But . . .
Pornography, fornication, adultery, abuse, broken homes. Amid the plethora of our culture’s deplorable wickedness, it is impossible for us to picture a perfect garden, a perfect man, a perfect woman, a perfect relationship—a oneness without shame—a holy union. How surreal to picture man and woman walking together, unclothed, innocent, and holy in Paradise!
As we Journey through Genesis, this scene’s magnitude escapes the majority of us. God in his wisdom and foreknowledge gave mankind the perfect pattern for marital bliss. He created this very sacred union for mankind’s enjoyment, and as a Divine picture of His relationship with His creation. Let’s take a closer look at God’s holiness in this picture-perfect paradise.
In Genesis chapter one, God miraculously creates everything out of nothing! Everything He did was over-the-top. The heaven, the earth, light and darkness, the firmament, the seas, the plants and trees, the sun and moon, the birds and fish, the animals—they were all stellar! He declared that “it was good” six times! Like “Wow, God!”
But in the chapter’s last verse after God created Adam and Eve, He changed up his six-time-repeated accolade with one word. He added the adverb “very,” in Hebrew “m@`od,” pronounced meh·ōde’, before the predicate adjective “good.” “Very” is generally used in the superlative form in Hebrew and means “exceedingly, abundantly.” This one word sets this statement apart from the other six found in verses 4, 10, 12, 18, 21, and 25. And what did God have in store for the crowning glory of His creation?
Genesis 2:21-24 gives the account of the miraculous blessing God created for Adam. What a magnificent plan for joy and happiness God planned for mankind!
“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; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. 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. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.”
They were so happy! Their relationship with each other and with God was so very, (m@`od) pure; actually, a purity so holy that you and I cannot even imagine it. Because when we read verse twenty-five, we can only read it with eyes born after the fall of man. It is literally impossible for us to truly know the depths of totally pure love. Adam and Eve, however, knew it well.
“And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.”
The words embarrassment, awkwardness, self-consciousness, shame, regret, and sin were not yet a part of their vocabulary. That was how God planned the marriage covenant: no sin, no pornography, no fornication, no adultery, no abuse, no broken homes. God created man to never die! God created them to live happily ever after! Literally!
So if you catch The Greatest Showman, I hope you enjoy the music. I loved it! And I hope you’ll be encouraged to see the big screen portray the star choosing his wife over an affair. May you be reminded of God’s very (“m@`od,” exceedingly, abundantly) good plan for mankind in Genesis 1. He chooses to love you and I when we are unlovable, and to be our “knight in shining white armor” who rescues us from sin’s power, sin’s penalty, and one day, even sin’s presence.
Regardless of what stage your life’s fairy tale is in, be encouraged knowing that the God who created the universe loves you unconditionally and extends to each one of us the invitation to live with Him happily ever after!
Jo Hovind,
The Creation Today Team
