The marriage covenant - Notes for Wed night bible study-

What does marriage symbolize?

“Marriage is a sacred, legal, and binding union of two people to journey through adult life as partners in a personal relationship of companionship, fulfilment, and love….Marriage is the foundation of family, and family is the fundamental unit of society.”

The marriage covenant and institution was founded by God and on God, as seen in the joining of Eve to Adam in Genesis. Divorce was not God's plan or idea for any couple that He has joined together. In spite of what Adam and Eve went through, it was never recorded that they had a divorce because the foundation of their marriage was God. He made and brought Adam his wife and He conducted the wedding ceremony i.e the joining of the couple....The scripture says " What therefore GOD HAS JOINED together, let no man put asunder ".

This passage first mentioned in Matthew 19:6. Is repeated in Mark 10….

And he arose from thence, and cometh into the coasts of Judæa by the farther side of Jordan: and the people resort unto him again; and, as he was wont, he taught them again.

2 And the Pharisees came to him, and asked him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife? tempting him. 3 And he answered and said unto them, What did Moses command you? 4 And they said, Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away. 5 And Jesus answered and said unto them, For the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. 6 But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. 7 For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; 8 and they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh. 9 What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 10 And in the house his disciples asked him again of the same matter. 11 And he saith unto them, Whosoever shall put away his wife, and marry another, committeth adultery against her. 12 And if a woman shall put away her husband, and be married to another, she committeth adultery.

Remember this was the very issue that cost John The Baptist his life.. Herod was originally married to a princess of Nabatea. When he dismissed her so he could marry his brother's wife Herodias, the reaction of the king of Nabatea became a very real international threat.

John the Baptist then preached against Herod’s new marriage, and became a domestic threat. Herodias and her daughter manipulated Herod into killing John (Mark 6:14–29). Is it possible that the only holy thing that Herod did, in his life, was to marry his first wife? If this is true he even succeeded in defiling this single act and the rest of his life became a nightmare in exile..

What is a God –ordained marriage?



A God-ordained marriage is a tripartite union and covenant relationship between the couple and God - collectively and individually, with God being at the apex of this union while the couple is joined laterally. So, divorce in this case, is not merely separation among the couple but also separation from God, in this regard.

This is the spiritual definition of marriage and the true definition under Christian values and beliefs.. But.. What happens when marriages are formed by man alone for dishonest or deceptive reasons. For money, through drunkenness, lust, with naivety or even to circumvent immigration laws ..There are many more of the wrong reasons that are all defined and referred to as lawful marriage..” Would they have been a marriage of Caesar or of God. Matthew 22:21 Jesus said "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's; and to God the things that are God's." Romans 13:1 "Let every person be in subjection to the governing authorities. These things are between you and God and you will find the truth of it if you seek it…A legal divorce is acceptable in an unholy union…

The fact is that there are a lot of so called marriages that are not ordained of God because God would not be involved in anything unholy… so it is expected that God will not be involved in the joining of these deceptive and sinful activities..Even in the world they are called “Marriages”… It appears then that whatever God has NOT joined together can be put asunder because the foundation is faulty and is not a union under God. The right foundation is very pivotal to the sustenance of any relationship or thing. As much as God hates divorce, I believe the underlying message is : Avoid divorce by all means and at all cost, by realigning with God's original intent and purpose for our lives. It is also important to note that Jesus said that if a man or woman divorced and married again they would be committing adultery… But he did not forbid the separation in and of itself…

At this point we can reflect on our own lives,each individually and with honesty… In doing so as we pray we can ask that our sins of the past be forgiven and that our spiritual purity be restored in this regard.. We can understand with the wisdom given to us by God how important it is to have Jesus as our rock on which we will build our house, our relationships and our lives… We can go forward from this day and ensure that this is so… Help us oh lord as we put together the structure of our lives..Not only in our relationships but in every facet of our lives… Give us strength where we have weakness, give us direction where we are lost, give is the timeless mortar to build our house that withstands the onslaughts of temptation and sin.. In spite of our frailties grant us mercy each day as we struggle and stumble and do our best to serve you… May those here today feel the power of your spirit as we seek to follow thee.. We thank thee tonight for your grace in all things…Bless our bible study and grant us more understanding with each small step… this we pray in Jesus’s name..

Amen