Seven-Fold Purpose Of Marriage - A Biblical View Series

The Original purpose of marriage, family, relationship and Completion in Scripture are found in the Book of Genesis. Listen as I read Genesis 2:18-24.

According to Dr. David Mace, "Poor communication is the main problem in 86% of all troubled marriages." A Happy and healthy home is one of the best places on earth, while an unhappy and unhealthy home is one of the most miserable places. Someone rightly said “Where purpose is not known abuse is inevitable…” When a person does not understand the purpose of a thing, they almost always abuse that thing and marriage is no different. An all-wise God who created order out of chaos, handcrafted man and woman in His own image, and then instituted and ordained marriage must have had a purpose in doing so. What then, one must ask, was God’s purpose in creating marriage? Indisputably the most fitting answer will be found in harmony with the will of God as it is revealed for us in His Word. It is for this reason that one must turn to His Word in order to find the divine purpose of God’s institution of marriage.

You may have heard people say, “Marriage is made in Heaven” The world’s first wedding took place in the Garden of Eden. There God ordained and sanctified the marriage of the man and woman whom He had created. Consider it for a moment. If ever a marriage was made in heaven, this one was. It was perfectly planned and perfectly performed by a perfect God. Marriage is “made In Heaven” because it is God’s idea. He created it. He designed it. He established it and defined its parameters. Secondly, marriage is “made In Heaven” because God made Eve and brought her to Adam. Eve was God’s original idea. Our first parents did not woo, solicit, or choose each other. This was an arranged marriage, a match literally made in heaven: Eve is the absolute pinnacle of creation, the crown of Adam, “the glory of the man” (1 Cor. 11:7). Thirdly, marriage is “made In Heaven” because our vows are recorded by Heaven. This is expressed more explicitly in Malachi 2:14: "The Lord was witness to the covenant between you and the wife of your youth,……….." Here the Scripture tells us clearly that marriage is a covenant to which God is a witness. Since God does not break covenants (Lev. 26:40-45), the marriage covenant is all the more binding. This means that what we do to our marital partner we do also to the Lord.

The Bible gives us a Seven-fold purpose of marriage. First there is the purpose of Covenant Relationship and companionship, (Malachi 2:14 ESV) secondly, that of Completeness or Completion. (Genesis 2:18) thirdly, Cohesiveness in the Marriage Union — (Genesis 2:24) fourthly Continuation of the human race or procreation (Genesis 1:28) fifthly Communication of God’s image and Contentment or Expressing God’s love to the other person (Genesis 1:27, Ephesians 5:25-33,) sixth purpose is to Characterize Christ and the Church (Ephesians 5:31–33.) and finally Conserve the Constraint (1 Corinthians 7:3-5)

The primary purpose of marriage is Completeness and companionship. Genesis 2:18-25 is certainly Scriptural evidence for the first portion of this “Seven-part” purpose. The only thing that God saw as “not good” in the garden was that man was alone. He then created woman, wife, as a companion for him to meet his needs of communion, companionship, completion and community. When God created man and woman, He created them to complement each other. He indicated this when He said "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him" (Genesis 2:18). God formed woman to round out man's incompleteness, so that physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually, male and female would not be competitors, but companions. The concept of marriage originated solely with God. It was God who decided that it was not good for man to be alone and made a helpmeet for him. After which, God presided over the first ever wedding ceremony recorded in history.

As the Creator of marriage, God has the right to tell us which principles should govern our marital relationships. The very first description of the nature of marriage in the Bible, as consisting of leaving, cleaving and becoming one flesh (Gen 2:24), reveals the Biblical understanding of marriage as a covenant relationship. As originally designed, it is meant to be an exclusive (leaving) and permanent (cleaving/be united), one-flesh relationship. We learn from Jesus that marriage is intended as a life-long relationship (what God has joined together, let man not separate). Brides and bridegrooms honor the teaching of our Lord when they solemnly promise to love, honor and cherish, and remain faithful to each other for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, until death separates them.