Genesis 1:27,28 - So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him: male and female created He them. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, 'Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.'

1. God spoke to Himself to create man - man's spirit is God's own spirit essence.
   
2. Man was a he/she spirit - male and female in one spirit being - did not have a body yet.
   
3. God blessed the he/she and gave them dominion over all He created.
   

Genesis 2:7 - And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breathe of life; and man became a living soul.

1. The Lord God formed the body of man of the dust of the ground.
   
2. He then breathed the he/she spirit into the body of the man and fused the spirit of man to the body.
   
3. The breathe of life coming into the body created the living soul - blood was the result.
   

Genesis 9:4 - But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

Leviticus 17:10,14 - For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul...For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, 'Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whoever eateth it shall be cut off.

1. Life of the flesh is in the blood - the blood carries oxygen (breath) to every cell of the body.
   
2. God breathing into the nostrils of man's body was His infusion of Himself, His essence, into the body.
   
   1. God breathed the he/she spirit - Father's essence - into the body.
      
   2. God breathed life into the body - the blood of the Son - produced blood in the body.
      
   3. God breathed breath - Holy Spirit - into the body bring it to life.
      
   4. Man then became a living soul (breath).
      

Genesis 2:18 - And the Lord God said, 'It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an helpmeet for him.'

1. God determined that it was not good for man to be alone but man was unified in himself - he did not know he was alone.
   
2. God still addresses man as 'man' not Adam.
   
3. God decided to divide the he/she spirit into man and woman.
   

Genesis 2:19,20 - And out of the ground the Lord God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air; and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them: and whatever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof. And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found an helpmeet for him.

1. God had given dominion of His creation to man, so He brought His creation to man for him to exercise his dominion and name it.
   
2. God gave his man a name - Adam - shifts focus from God and His creation to creature and his God.
   
3. Adam names creation and finds no helpmeet for himself - he knows he is alone.
   

Genesis 2:21,22 - 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.

1. God took a 'rib' bone from Adam's body - this bone genetically matched Adam.
   
2. The marrow of bone produces the blood of the body - all the genetics of the body can be found in the bone.
   
3. God put the 'she' spirit into the 'rib' bone and made woman.
   
   1. Woman was the same bone and flesh but not same blood.
      
   2. Blood was supplied when God breathed into her to bring her to life.
      
4. 'God brought her unto the man.'
   
   1. God was the 'father of the bride.'
      
   2. God married them Himself - marriage is God's idea.
      
   3. God chooses mates - bone relationships.
      

Genesis 2:23,24 - 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 mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.'

1. Adam declared who and what woman was - bone of his bone, flesh of his flesh.
   
2. Adam named this creation - woman - because she came out of man.
   
3. Adam pronounces the marriage covenant - lays down the law of marriage.
   
   1. Man leaves father and mother - Adam did not have parents.
      
   2. Man shall cleave to his wife - bone pulling to bone with nothing in between them but God Himself (God glues the bones together again).
      
   3. Man and wife shall be one flesh - uniting physically - uniting their 'blood components' - sperm and egg - to produce 'blood' children.
      

Genesis 2:25 - And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

1. They were naked and not ashamed - no hidden agendas - naked body, mind, and spirit - full relationship with each other was possible because they were bone to each other.
   
2. This is 'bone' relationship - basis for the most fulfilling marriage.
   

1. Blood by parentage - brother, sister, son, daughter of same father/mother.
   
2. Blood by love - friend which is loved as own soul.
   

Proverb 17:17 - A friend (7453) loveth at all times, and a brother (251) is born for adversity.

Proverb 18:24 - A man that hath friends (7453) must show himself friendly (7462): and there is a friend (157 - love) that sticketh (1651) closer than a brother (251).

1. Brother 251 'ach prim. word, a brother (used in the widest sense of literal and affinity).
   
2. Friend 7453 reya from 7462 an associate (more or less close) :- brother, companion, fellow, friend, husband, lover, neighbor, x (an-) other.
   
3. Friendly 7462 prim root, to tend a flock, ie. pasture, to graze; gen. to rule; by extens. to associate with (as a friend) :- keep company with.
   
4. Friend 157 'abah prim. root, to have affection for (sexually or otherwise) :- (be-) love (-d,-ly,-r), like, friend.
   
5. Sticketh 1695 dabeq from 1692, adhering :- cleave, joining.
   1692 dabaq prim. root, to impinge, ie, cling, adhere, to catch by pursuit.
   

John 15:12,13M - This is my commandment, 'That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.

• He laid down His life for us; we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
  
  

1. Love 26 agape from 25 love, ie. affection or benevolence; spec. a love feast :- feast of charity, dear, love.
   
2. Love 25 agapao to love (in social or moral sense) :- (be-) love(-ed).
   
3. Life 5590 psuche from 5594 breath, ie. spirit.
   
4. 5594 psucho prim. verb, to breathe (voluntarily but gently).
   
5. Friends 5384 philos dear, ie. a friend, fond, ie. friendly, neighbor.
   
   

I Samuel 18:1-4 - And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking to Saul, that the soul (5315) of Jonathan was knit (7194) with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved (157) him as his own soul. And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved (160) him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.

1. Soul 5315 nephesh from 5314, a breathing creature.
   5314 naphash prim. root, to breathe; pass. to be breathed upon, ie. fig. refreshed.
   
2. Knit 7194 qasher a prim root; to tie, phys. (gird, confine, compact) or ment. (in love, league) :- bind (up), (make a) conspire (-acy,-ator), join together, knit, stronger.
   
3. Loved 160 'ahabah fem of 158 and means the same :- love.
   158 'abab from 157 affection (in a good or bad sense) :- love (-r).
   
4. Loved 157 'abah prim root, to have affection for (sexually or otherwise) :- (be-) love (-d,-ly,-r), like, friend.
   
5. Jonathan loved David and initiated and sealed the covenant between them.
   

I Samuel 20:1-17 - Jonathan's love of David is illustrated.

I Samuel 20:16,17 - So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, 'Let the Lord even require it at the hand of David's enemies.' And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him: for he loved him as he loved his own soul.'

1. Jonathan layed down his life for David to protect David's life from Saul.
   
2. The covenant between them was expanded to include their progeny - which was fulfill by David in II Samuel 9:1-13.
   

Ruth 1:16,17 - And Ruth said, 'Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.'

1. Ruth gave the same death pledge as Jonathan's in I Samuel 20:13.
   
2. This is a love covenant - Ruth loved Naomi as her own soul - she committed her life to Naomi.
   
3. Responsibility and seriousness of 'blood' relationships can be seen not only in Jonathan's and Ruth's love for 'blood' but in the Law.
   

Deuteronomy 13:6-11 - If thy brother (251), the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or thy wife of thy bosum, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul (5315), entice thee secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which thou hast not known, thou, nor thy fathers; Namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee, or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth unto the other end of the earth; Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine own hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die; because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. And all Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this among you.

1. 'Blood' relationship is a serious commitment - it is required to raise its hand in correction - even to death. (ex. movie - Of Mice and Men).
   

Luke 10:27-37 - And he answering said, 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.' (Lev. 19:18) And He said unto him, 'Thou has answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.' But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' And Jesus answering said, 'A certain man went down from Jurusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed him by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, 'Take care of him; and whatsoever you spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.' Which now of these, thikest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell amonf the thieves?' And he said, 'He that showed mercy on him.' Then said Jesus unto him, 'Go, and do thou likewise.'

1. A neighbor is one who shows mercy on another - the Samaritans were a predjudiced race (hated by the Jews) yet he showed mercy on a Jew.
   
2. This Samaritan cared for people - he nurtured and paid for the recovery needs of the wounded man.
   
3. Therefore a neighbor is one who loves people as himself.
   

Leviticus 19:18 - Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

1. A neighbor is the child of thy people - in other words - children of your country.
   
2. The Lord wants people to love all the people of their country-ethnic background.
   

Leviticus 19:34 - But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the Land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

1. A neighbor is the stranger among you.
   
2. Neighbors include foreigners living in the land.
   

Matthew 5:43-48 - Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thy enemy.' But I say unto you, 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. That ye may be the children of your father which is in heaven for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye perfect, even as your father which is in heaven is perfect.

1. Father's will is that we love our enemies - then we are children of God truly.
   
2. Jesus commanded us to be perfect in love like God the Father is perfect.
   

Perfect love

I John 4:7,8,11,12 - Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love...Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at anytime. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us.