Marriage was born of and ordained by God in the beginning. God gave the first bride away in the Garden of Eden. Beloved, the creating the woman out of the man’s rib was not an afterthought by God. It was His intention and plan from Eternity past, long before He Created all that He Created. The rib design and purpose were preplanned long before. God never make mistakes, and this was not a “do-over!” In fact, as He looked back at all of Creation, He said it was very good.
18 And the LORD God said, “It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.” 19 Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and every bird of the air and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
21 And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. 22 Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
23 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.”
24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. (Genesis 2:18-24)
God ordained and ordered that marriage, and there is only room for one type of marriage in His format for marriage, that is to be between a male and a female as He designed only two genders. In the Book of Ephesians, chapter 5, He gives to us the clear instructions of His divine structure and roles of the marriage participants, the husband and the wife.
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the LORD. 23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. 24 Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. 28 So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the LORD does the church. 30 For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. 31 “For this reason, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” 32 This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless let each one of you so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband. (Ephesians 5:22-33)
After 40 plus years of pastoring and conducting many weddings, I have concluded that most people, even those who claim to be Christian, do not understand what is being commanded of them in these verses, mainly the stated position, and role expectation from God to the husband and the wife.
Simply stated, the husband must love his wife in the same level and pattern as Christ loved the church, and Christ so loved the church that He died for her and sanctified and cleansed her by the Word. Therefore, the husband is to love, cherish, nurture in both the physical and spiritual realms. Did you catch that? The husband loves his wife so deeply that he would give his own life to protect her from the evils of the world. He would defend her with either words or actions that may cost his life. If he is not committed to this God given expectation, then his love for her is shallow and selfish, if it is love at all.
Then there have been so many prospective brides who have flatly refused to be submissive, or submitted, to their husbands. This also is a directive from our God and Father. They don’t realize the husband’s holy and life risking responsibility to his wife. Wives, listen, if you have a man who is willing to provide all that you need to be holy before God, including his own life if necessary, then he is the man you can trust to help you and guide you through life with great and powerful love.
Well, how is marriage a model for anything else? First off, it has nothing to do with any type of sexual activity. Look at the verses below:
36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 22:36-40)
There are several parallels between the concept of biblical marriage and the broader principle of moral unity and loving our neighbors. Well, who is your neighbor? Simple, your neighbor is anyone who is not you!
Listen, Biblical marriage is seen as a covenant, which involves a deep, committed relationship based on mutual love and respect. In the same way, loving our neighbors involves a commitment to care for and respect others, even if they have not yet earned it, this can lead to building a sense of community and unity.
In a biblical marriage, husbands and wives are called to be self-sacrificing and to give precedence to the needs and well-being of each other. This parallels the concept of loving our neighbors, where we are urged to put all others’ needs before our own and to act nobly.
Marriage is expressed as two becoming one, implying unity and attachment. This can be paralleled with the biblical designs for family clans, friends, tribes, villages, all people groups, churches, community, and nations where individuals are expected come together, working towards common goals and supporting each other, creating a sense of oneness.
In marriage, the husbands and the wives are encouraged to forgive each other’s mistakes and show grace. This attitude extends to how we intermingle with our neighbors, promoting an ethos of forgiveness and understanding within our communities.
Biblical marriage give emphasis to mutual respect and honor for one another. By the same token, moral unity involves treating everyone with respect and dignity, recognizing the fundamental inherent value created in every individual.
Both models, marriage and love for neighbors, urge us to build strong, healthy interactions based on love, respect, and mutual support. They emphasize the importance of community, self-sacrifice, and living agreeably with others. Imagine a world that embraced the Biblical concepts of love. Is it doable? Only in obedience to Christ and the Word of God. The devil mocks, mimics, and destroys God’s design if he can. Pray On! You might just work it out in your life.
