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Online Truth
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The Importance of Marriage
Marriage is the theme of the Bible. From Genesis to Revelation, the Eternal teaches us the importance and spiritual significance of marriage. In Eden, God taught mankind two doctrines: the Sabbath and Marriage. These are related, for the Sabbath is the avenue for our relationship with God, and human Marriage is a God-like relationship with another human being, to help us build our relationship with God. At the institution of marriage, there was no provision for divorce. However, mankind quickly departed from God. Sin made the marriage relationship more difficult, Genesis 3:16-19. Cain departed from the presence of the Lord, Genesis 4:16, married, had a son named Enoch, and built a city named after Enoch. Cain’s descendant Lamech was the first recorded polygamist. The line of Cain continued to be divorced from God’s presence. Genesis 6 shows wrong marriages, wrong sexual relationships, which led to God’s judgment of the Flood. The word translated “violence” is Strong’s #2555, chamas, the same word for Abraham and Sarah’s sin involving Hagar, Genesis 16:5. See also Malachi 2:16. Marriage is not a contract, but a covenant, verse 14. As in the days of Noah, sexual sins will abound just prior to our Lord’s return, Matthew 24:37-38. At Sinai, God spiritually married Israel, Exodus 19:7-8, Jeremiah 3:1-22. At least three of the Ten Commandments directly relate to marriage and family. Several Old Testament statutes regulated marriage, including Exodus 21:7-11, 22:16-17, 19, 34:14-17; Deuteronomy 22:13-30, 24:1-4. God did not condemn Lamech, Abraham, and Jacob, for their polygamy, but it was wrong, contrary to Genesis 2:21-24. God also did not condemn Abraham for lying about Sarah. Isaac, a type of Christ, had only one wife, Rebecca. God teaches us by examples, I Corinthians 10:1-12. Marriage is a covenant; without a force majeure provision for fraud. See the story of the Gibeonites, Joshua 9:1-27, noting verse 14. The Israelites did not seek God’s counsel, and they went ahead and were duped, yet they were still bound by their oath. The example of Joseph and Mary (Matthew 1:18-25) shows how to apply Deuteronomy 24. General “fraud” is no grounds for divorce with the right to remarry. In the New Testament, Jesus’ teaching made laws of marriage more binding, Matthew 5:32, 19:1-12. In speaking to the carnal Pharisees, Jesus amazed his audience, not siding with the Hillel or Shammai schools, who allowed divorce and remarriage for adultery or any reason whatsoever. Jesus said that only for fornication (sexual sins before marriage) can there be divorce with the right to remarry. The Apostle Paul did not water down the Savior’s teaching on marriage. Paul upheld the Bible teaching that marriage is for life, Romans 7:1-3, I Corinthians 7:39. As believers, we look forward to the coming marriage of the Church to Christ, Revelation 19:7-9, 21:2, 9, the eternal marriage from which there will be no divorce. Our marriages today should prepare us for the divine eternal marriage to Christ, Ephesians 5:21-33. In the 1970's, some departed from their former teaching on marriage. Marriages were thenceforth held to be valid only as long as both parties are “pleased to dwell” with one another. I Corinthians 7:12-15 does not provide an escape clause for marriages, which are bound for life, verse 39. “Not under bondage” means not obligated to provide support, sexual relations, etc. It does not mean “free to remarry someone else.” Man-made marriage loopholes are so big that you can drive a semi-truck through them! As a result there have been thirty years of infamy in what some consider the Church of God tradition. Let us return to the Truth of God, teaching and practicing the importance of life-long marriage relationships. |
