Covenant Marriage

In our culture, we view not only marriage but any sort of sexual activity as a “civil and human right” which is why so many people want to redefine marriage terms to include homosexual marriages.

Sexual immorality and promiscuity is something that God will judge.

We must get back to the Bible. So, how does God honor marriage? Let’s consider what God’s word says about marriage.

MARRIAGE: God’s Original Plan

The Pharisees come to Jesus and ask Him if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife -

“One” man/woman - polygamy

Man and woman - homosexuality

Life long - God has set marriage and established it

Leave and cleave

The Pharisees come to Jesus and ask Him if it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife -

Mark does not add the phrase “for any cause.”

Mark is interested in simply addressing whether it is lawful for a man to divorce his wife.

Jesus asks what Moses commanded and offers the explanation of why Moses gave such a command -

Then Jesus goes back to the beginning of God’s creation and how God originally planned for the marriage relationship to work -

He quotes from

He concludes that what God has joined together, no one should separate, divide, and put asunder. This was Jesus’ conclusion (“therefore”) based upon the Old Testament scriptures and the book of Genesis and Adam and Eve.

So Jesus states plainly, “what therefore God has joined together, let no man separate” -

The guiding principles that Jesus saw in are important for us to recognize and helpful to us in understanding God’s original plan and intent for the marriage union.

“One” man and “one” woman - polygamy was not in God’s plan. Yet, this was perhaps one of the quickest departures from God’s plan in marriage.

“Man” and “woman” - homosexuality was a problem among ancient people, as well as it is today. God never intended for same-sex unions. No matter how much politicians threaten Christianity today, we must not waver. God’s plan for marriage is between man and woman.

“Leave and cleave” - an often overlooked statement that is made in is that a man shall leave his father and mother, join his wife, and they (the two of them) become one flesh. While it is true, that you gain in-laws as a result of marriage, those in-laws are not part of the home that is established. This is a new home. This must be one of the most challenging aspects of being a parent: letting your children go to start a new home and new life, allowing them the freedom to make their choices and their mistakes. Sometimes their choices might be in spite of you and your best intentions. Maybe their choices are their perceived way of doing things different and better. But that’s the beauty of marriage and God’s plan. Two become one, just as you enjoyed it, so will your children make that choice too.

Husband and wife become father and mother - was written about Adam and Eve who had no father or mother. But marriage is designed in such a way so that parents raise godly children.

Lifelong - there was no other man, no other woman. Marriage is for two people and only two people. Sexual immorality violates that commitment you made.

Sex - man and woman were naked and unashamed. Marriage brings sexual satisfaction in a way that is supposed to be encouraging, satisfying, and without shame or fear.

COVENANT: Lifelong Commitment

Marriage is a covenant agreement between two parties in this case, between a man and a woman -

wife of your youth/companionship (Proverbs)

delight and enjoyment with passing time and years

commitment/no one else has vowed to be with you through all the bad times

What the disciples say about Jesus’ teaching in

Marriage is a covenant agreement between two parties in this case, between a man and a woman -

It is an agreement that you pledge yourself, your obedience, your love, and your life to the one whom you are marrying.

When you think about what marriage is requiring of you, it seems like a lot of work. But then you think about what you receive: love, commitment, devotion, and someone else’s life is placed in your care. You have someone who is giving you that commitment, even when there are financial hardships, when you have a bad day and are a grump, or when you get old and lose your hair.

There is delight and enjoyment with passing time and years

Marriage is a lifelong companionship with someone that wants to be there with you - , especially intimately

Intimatel

When Jesus explained the one reason for divorce, the disciples said it would be better not to marry -

Jesus doesn’t correct that attitude because of the seriousness of the marriage union that He had been emphasizing.

Yet, overall, the Bible does not present such a negative view of marriage. If you marry well, marriage is not viewed as an entrapment or enslavement (no matter how we might joke) - cf.

The marriage union is described as one of love, mutual desire, and commitment -

DIVORCE: God’s Attitude Toward Divorce

Returning to . The children of Israel was treating marriage flippantly and with disdain. They were dealing treacherously with their wives and Malachi reminds them of the covenant of marriage.

First, the covenant marriage is vowed before God. God is a witness to our marriages and our commitments. He knows what we said and what we promised -

Second, the divorcing behavior was treacherous -

Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon בָּגַד

act or deal treacherously, faithlessly, deceitfully, in the marriage relation

God says “I hate divorce” -

He expects the treacherous behavior to not be practiced among His people -

Jesus gave only one authorized reason for divorce -

That is for porneia, sexual immorality/fornication.

Divorce is not acceptable and it is incompatible with God’s plan.

He hates divorce -

Divorce is treachery

Some people reason that their marriages are so bad and there is no improvement, so they convince themselves that they can divorce as long as they remain unmarried.

define treachery

What these people fail to remember is that Paul told divorced people to be reconciled to their spouse -

But first and foremost, Paul says what Jesus does. Do not divorce

One authorized reason for divorce -

wives, do not divorce - vv 10, 13

Divorce is not acceptable, even if you think you can remain unmarried. Paul told divorced people to be reconciled to their spouse -

husbands, do not divorce - vv 11, 12

Do we understand the rule? It’s simple: do not divorce

wives, do not divorce - vv 10, 13

husbands, do not divorce - vv 11, 12

Paul is not naive. He knows some will not do what he and Jesus have said—he concedes that point—so, he says in such cases remain unmarried or be reconciled.

the rule? do not divorce

Paul is not encouraging divorce and remaining unmarried. Not only is that is not ideal—that’s not what Paul is commanding or even encouraging. Paul has gone to every effort to discourage divorce.

some will not follow the rule—he concedes that point—so remain unmarried or be reconciled

Paul is not contradicting the words of Jesus. He’s not granting a scriptural reason for divorce for a cause other than sexual immorality and just saying “well, if you do divorce, just don’t get married again”

remaining unmarried is not ideal—that’s not what Paul is commanding or even encouraging, it’s what he’s discouraging with every effort and clear way to communicate it; Paul is telling you don’t get divorced.

When you think about those who might think they can divorce as long as they don’t remarry, think about how selfish that is.

Paul is not contradicting the words of Jesus. He’s not granting a divorce for a cause other than sexual immorality and just saying “well, if you do divorce, just don’t get married again”

Divorce hurts your spouse. It puts them in a compromised position where they will be tested and tempted.

Look at . The wife is who is put away when there has been no fornication is placed in a terrible predicament.

This wife has done nothing wrong

The only thing that has happened is that her husband divorced her for some reason other than fornication

Jesus does not label the husband as the adulterer in ; he calls the woman an adulterer because Jesus assumes that she will marry another man.

Not to mention that the man who would marry this woman, he is then caused to commit adultery.

Divorce in cases where there is no sexual immorality puts both spouses in a state and condition of adultery and sin - ;

Jesus does not permit divorce. He provides one exception—and one exception alone—in cases of fornication.

Some think that you can divorce as long as you don’t remarry…consider why that is wrong and selfish

Divorce hurts the innocent and places them in a terrible predicament -

God and Jesus hate divorce so much so that they see only one reason for the covenant marriage relationship to be ended.

she hasn’t done anything

Even in cases of adultery, divorce is not commanded or required.

she has just been put away by her husband without any fornication involved

Conclusion:

Marriage is a wonderful blessing from God which God designed from the beginning to be a permanent relationship between man and woman for life.

that husband unjustly causes her to commit adultery and the other man who marries that woman

Marriage is a commitment between one man and one woman to share a life of commitment, love, and devotion to one another. It is a covenant union that we enter into before God.

God holds us to that covenant and allows divorce for only one cause—fornication.

God is a God of covenants and He expects us to be committed to each other in covenant because He enters into covenant with us when He offers us His grace and forgiveness of sins.

You can enter into the covenant with God and He demands your loyalty, love, and faithfulness to Him.