Marriage God's Way Series

Marriage God’s Way

Mark 10:2-9 Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" 3 "What did Moses command you?" he replied. 4 They said, "Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away." 5 "It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law," Jesus replied. 6 "But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female’. 7 ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, 8 and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."

Introduction: As you begin their married life I would like to remind them of what Marriage is from God’s viewpoint. Marriage is so distorted today that it’s important to see it the way God intended. Marriage – God’s Way!

The Pharisees were trying to trap Jesus and as usual he used it as an opportunity to teach them. In this case He used it to teach them about marriage. I will focus my message on v 9 even as we consider the context of the entire passage.

Marriage begins with God

They were asking Jesus opinion on divorce: Moses had allowed the Israelites to divorce by giving the wife a certificate of divorce (v 4). Today there are many opinions on marriage and divorce – even to the point of celebrating divorce. Jesus said that this was the case because their hearts were hard. To get God’s best we need to have soft hearts or else we will get the concessional second best and miss the best.

In the beginning: (v 6) Jesus takes them back to the beginning. To understand certain things it is often good to go to the beginning and understand the origin. The Bible starts with ‘In the beginning God…’ Jinsu & Ruth: You began your spiritual journey with God when you accepted Jesus as your personal Saviour. In the beginning of your marriage start with God.

Marriage is put together by God

Marriage is God’s idea: When God saw that it was not good for Adam to be alone, He did not make Adam a father and mother; He did not make him a friend but He made him a wife. He made marriage as the primary relationship between humans.

For this reason (v 7): Because marriage is primary, when a man and a woman get married, all other relationships become secondary. Leaving means leaving other relationships as primary ones – leaving parents, leaving siblings, leaving friends and making your spouse your primary or first human relationship.

Incomplete leaving will result in incomplete cleaving: The goal of marriage is unity: the two shall become one. God’s purpose is that the two become one.

Marriage ends with God – it’s for life

Let man not separate: No human being should separate a marriage – either of you or any third party. God hates divorce.

Marriage is a lifelong covenant: As you take your vows today it will be clear that you are promising to keep this relationship for life. Many forces will come to try and tear it apart but remember that it is a covenant until death – no excuses, irreconcilable differences, sickness, financial problems, difficulties are no grounds for dissolution of this union. That’s how God ordained it.

Conclusion:

Let your marriage begin with God; soften your hearts to receive the original and Biblical portrait of Marriage

Let God put your marriage together. Yield your lives to him to make you one.

Let God protect your marriage lifelong so that nothing except death will pull it apart.