Marriage Helps #10
Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge (Hebrews 13:4).
Marriage ought to be honored and prized as precious; and Pastor identified 5 reasons. Marriage is precious in its origin, its design, its character, its commitment and its picture. The third of these is summarized here.
Marriage is precious in its character.
It is designed to be an intimate communion between a man and a woman. “For this cause a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24). It is defined by a “leaving” and a “cleaving”. It is designed to be a relationship of one-fleshed unity, the most intimate of all earthly relations. There was no better friendship than that of Jonathan and David—“the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David”—but even this friendship could not rise to the intimacy of marriage.
Note well that marriage is to take place between a man and a woman. It is God’s design for marriage to be monogamous (one man with one woman) and heterosexual (male with female). “Monogamous heterosexual marriage was always viewed as the divine norm from the outset of creation” (Kenneth Matthews). They are no longer two, but one flesh, symbolized and sealed by sexual union.
Marriage is the only context in which human sexual expression between a man and a woman is wholesome and beneficial, happy and holy. It is the God-ordained relationship out of which the blessed fruit of sexual union—children—are to be brought forth and nurtured.
The “one flesh” relationship of marriage entails more than sexual intimacy. “It is the profound fusion of two lives into one shared life together, by the mutual consent and covenant of marriage. It is the complete and permanent giving over of oneself into a new circle of shared experience with one’s partner” (Ray Ortlund Jr.).
There is a re-orientation of priorities, a new primary allegiance and loyalty is established by this union, one to which other relationships are to be subordinated. It is foundational to family, church and society. It is not just one aspect of your life, but marriage is the context in which you live all your life. It is the relationship out of which the bearing and bringing up of children is to take place and be fostered. It is the defining relationship of your life here on earth. We are to approach work, church, friendships and family as married men and women.
