What is God's true purpose for marriage? What is the marriage covenant? Do I have a marriage covenant with my spouse and God? These are the questions that are in desperate need of answers! And not just any answers. These are questions that only the Bible can answer. These are questions we should be asking God. We should be seeking these answers in Scripture, not the world. Why? Because the world is hell bent on twisting God's design and creation into something it was never intended to be for their own selfish purposes, which are mainly keeping God out of our lives.
Did you know that not every marriage on the face of this earth is a marriage of covenant? At least, not as God intended it. Hollywood and celebrity marriages are a shining example of that! Not to mention various countries all over the world that reject God, reject Christ, and embrace a false God like Mohammed, or Alah, or Buddah. Let me tell you something, you can visit the graves of all those so called "Gods" and find the skeletal remains of those men still in those graves! There's only ONE grave that used to be occupied, but was quickly emptied and has remained empty for over 2,000 years! And that's the tomb of the Lord Jesus Christ where they laid Him after He was crucified. Name any god you want and I'll tell you they are STILL in their grave! Jesus is NOT in His tomb and hasn't been since His resurrection! And it has STAYED empty to this day!
So, if not every marriage is in covenant with God, what kind of marriage is it? What I like to call, "A marriage of the land". Why do I call it that? Because the only "law" it recognizes and is recognized by is the "law of the land". It's a marriage of man and not of God. "How can that be? We were married in church?" So? Just because you got married in church doesn't mean you got married in God. "What does that mean?" Simple. If God was not kept at the center and forefront of your relationship and your marriage, there was no covenant established. God has to be at the head of the marriage and the center of you and your spouse in order for the covenant to take hold.
If God's not in it, He didn't bring it. So many couples get married over nothing but lust and man made emotions. God's intention runs much deeper than that! Let's look at the first marriage. Adam and Eve. Genesis 2:15-24 (I want you to see the whole picture here):
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name.
20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.
21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.
22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
Let's pause for a word of prayer: Heavenly Father, God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We acknowledge You today as Creator of the heavens and the earth. God of all creation, we acknowledge You Father God and reverent Your Holy Name. Father, let every man and woman who read this message be filled with wisdom and the grace of Almighty God. Let a revelation spirit open their eyes, their hearts, and their minds to what the Spirit of the Lord would say to them today. Do not let one person read these words and not be touched by Your wonderous love. Show all of them Your Glory and let them all feel Your loving presence where they are. In Jesus Holy Name do we ask and receive Your blessing today. AMEN!!!"
Before we reflect on what Genesis tells us about the first marriage, let's look at the overall viewpoint God has for Covenant Marriage:
God's intention for marriage is for it to be a lifelong covenant between one man and one woman, reflecting His love and unity with His people. It's designed to be a partnership that mirrors God's relationship with humanity, fostering intimacy, companionship, and the potential for procreation and raising a family. Furthermore, marriage serves as a foundation for building a strong family and community, and it provides a context for spiritual growth and the expression of God's love to the world.
Here's a more detailed look at God's purposes for marriage:
Reflection of God's love and unity:
Marriage is meant to be a visible representation of God's covenant relationship with humanity. Just as God loves and cares for His people, a husband and wife are called to love and care for each other.
Intimacy and companionship:
God created marriage to be a source of companionship and intimacy between a husband and wife, both physically and emotionally.
Procreation and raising a family:
Marriage provides a divinely ordained context for procreation and raising children, who are seen as a blessing and a continuation of God's image according to scripture.
Foundation for family and community:
Marriage is the cornerstone of the family unit, and strong families contribute to a healthy and flourishing society.
Spiritual growth:
Through the challenges and joys of marriage, couples can grow closer to God and each other, learning to love and serve with selfless devotion.
Sharing God's love:
By living out their marriage in a way that reflects God's love and faithfulness, couples can be a powerful witness to those around them.
Now, we see in Genesis chapter 2 that God saw that man was lonely and decided to make him a companion. But notice how God didn't make the woman right away? Instead, in verses 19 & 20, God makes animals out of the same ground He made man from. Now, some people would say, "Well, that didn't work!". Let me tell you something, God NEVER makes anything that doesn't work. This was a test to see if man would settle for second best or hold out for what God had in mind all along. Needless to say, Adam passed that test because verse 20 tells us he was still lonely.
So, God makes woman out of man's rib. And brings her to him. Now ladies, you need to hear this, you need to understand this, and you need to know this! God brought the woman to the man. Not the other way around. God did not make man for woman, He made woman for man. So, get that nonsense out of your head that God made a man just for you. Uhhhhhh, no. God made YOU for the man. But it's not just any man. It's a certain man. Best way to tell if you have him or not is this. You ever the expression, "What do you bring to the table?"? Ladies, there's only ONE thing to look for in that sense. Jesus. If the man you're with does not bring Jesus to the table with him, RUN!!!!!!!
Jesus will NOT come to any table between ANY couple He NEVER joined in the first place! "I just don't understand why he would cheat on me and do me all kinds of wrong like he did! God, why did this marriage fail like it did? Why didn't it last?" Because God never joined you. And what's more, you never truly invited God into the marriage with you. You can say all the right things, do all the right rituals and what not, but if you don't keep God in your relationship, your engagement, or your marriage, He was never really there to begin with.
It's real simple, people. God is either Lord of all or He's not Lord at all! You're either all in, or you're not in at all. There is no halfway here! Marriage is not about financial security, lifelong happiness, or even fulfillment. Those are the benefits of marriage. Not the purpose. When you make the benefits of marriage the reason for being married, you turn everything God intended for you upside down!
We just read all the intentions God has for marriage earlier. Go back and read those intentions and ask yourself, "Is this why I married my spouse?" Did you marry your spouse to fulfill God's plan for your marriage? Or did you marry them to just for the benefits alone? Because if you went in just to reap the rewards, you're not going to get them. Why? Because you CANNOT reap ANY rewards you never earned or worked for. You CANNOT expect God to bless you with the benefits of marriage if you're not going to fulfill the intended purposes of the marriage covenant.
Would you like the best and most simple analogy to build a good strong marriage? A marriage covenant in God Almighty? Jesus gave the best example of the marriage covenant there is and most people don't even know it when they see it.
Matthew 7:24-27:
24 “Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:
27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Never thought of that, did you? Comparing this scripture with the Marriage Covenant? You want a good, strong marriage? A Marriage Covenant? Build it on the Rock (Jesus). Make HIM the foundation of your marriage, not your spouse. Because man will fail you. Jesus won't. He can't. And He's never failed us yet. Let Jesus be the Rock of your marriage today and for all time.
Don't waste your time with anyone who doesn't have God in their life. 2 Corinthians 6:14:
"Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?"
1 Corinthians 7:12-16:
12 To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her.
13 And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him.
14 For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise, your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy.
15 But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.
16 How do you know, wife, whether you will save your husband? Or, how do you know, husband, whether you will save your wife?
Marriage is sacred to God. It is Holy. It is pure. It is not to be tainted with sin like adultery, lying, abusive behavior of ANY kind. It's not to be taken lightly. Marriage is THE MOST sacred covenant to the Lord our God. And if we are not going to take it as seriously as He does, we should have no part of it so we don't disgrace it. Amen?
