Matthew 19:4-6
And He answered and said to them, "Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning 'made them male and female,' and said, 'For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?" So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. NKJV
This week, Lisa and I celebrated 20 years of marriage. I truly feel blessed to spend my life with a wonderful Christian woman. She is my helper, my lover and my dearest friend. Like any relationship, there are ups and downs, blessings and trials, but I have learned that God has placed her in my life to make me a better me! As Proverbs 27:17 says, "...iron sharpens iron."
Marriage is one of God's great gifts to us. Just take a close look at the verses above.
1. We see the Priority of Marriage. "...a man shall leave his father and mother..." (vs. 5).
For most children, God's plan is for them to eventually leave the home, to leave the "family nest" to make a home for themselves. This places great responsibility on us as parents. We are given these precious children to raise them in the love and fear of the Lord, to equip them to be strong, stable and caring members of society. We are to instill in them the values of a good work ethic, responsibility and find a Christian spouse and begin a family of their own. I must admit, the temptation as a parent is to keep them in "my nest." But that is not God's will. Just think about it. I would not have my own children if I had never left the nest myself.
This truth is especially "real" to me at this stage in my life since I will be walking my first-born down the aisle and placing her hand in the hand of another man in just a matter of weeks. As a dad I have mixed emotions. Sad that my "little" girl is leaving "my" nest, but happy that she is starting her own and that God has given to her a wonderful Christian young man.
2. We See the Permanence of Marriage. "...and be joined together..." (vs. 5)
To be joined is to be "welded, glued" together for life! As I meet with couples before their wedding day, I tell them to be successful, they must remove the word "divorce" from their vocabulary. Yes, the Bible gives some allowances for it, but our society has made divorce way to easy. The results are devastating. Today, nearly 40% of marriages in the church end in divorce. This was never God's intention! Marriage is one man and one woman, committing themselves to God and to each other for LIFE! The vows we exchange must hold value.
3. We See the Purpose of Marriage. "...and the two shall become one flesh." (vs. 5).
What does it mean to become one flesh? Jesus is referring to more than just the sexual union of the new husband and wife. He is referring to a welding together of the whole person - body, soul and spirit. In God's eyes, you are no longer two people, but ONE!
Why is marriage so important to God? From His perspective, marriage is symbolic of a greater union, the union of a Christian and the Lord Jesus Christ. One day, all believers will be invited to what the Bible calls, "The Marriage Supper of the Lamb" (Revelation 19:9). Then, for all eternity, Christ-followers will enjoy the presence of our Lord in His Glory!
Over 20 years ago, Lisa and I agreed to never let the word "divorce" be a part of our vocabulary. We also agreed that Jesus would be FIRST. He would be our BEST FRIEND and that one another would our NEXT Best Friend. After 20 years, I can say that I believe God's outline for marriage works pretty good!
