Old Testament Reading: Genesis 29:10-35 – New Testament Reading: 1 Corinthians 13:1-13
God’s Blueprint for Marriage
“Designed for Intimacy”
Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:4-6
Wayne J. Edwards, Pastor
As the Master Designer, God knows what He intended the marriage relationship to accomplish regarding His plan for our redemption.
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- The secular concept of marriage and the family is not based upon the Scriptures but rather the evolutionary hypothesis that all relationships adapt to meet the changing needs of society.
- God ordained the family to serve as the foundational institution of society, and He ordained the marriage relationship to serve as the foundation for the family.
- God intended the marriage to be a lifelong relationship, exemplifying God’s covenant relationship with us, for as husbands love their wives and as wives love their husbands the way God has ordained, they are examples to the unbelieving world of the unconditional love God the Father has for us.
- If we are to see a genuine revival, it must begin in the home, and Christians must assume the responsibility of showing the unbelieving world what a godly marriage and a godly family look like.
For centuries, the term “marriage” was referred to as “Holy Matrimony.”
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- Matri – from where we get “Matriarch” or Mother.
- Mony – it defines a “state” or “condition”.
- Matrimony refers to the condition where a woman is willingly entering into motherhood, and to partner with God in birthing new life is a “holy thing.”
- Holy Matrimony assumes the relationship will be procreative, and therefore it must be heterosexual.
Four reasons God gave man and woman the gift of the marriage relationship:
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- To solve man’s problem of “aloneness” – Genesis 2:18 – Just as God created every animal, male and female, God made Eve as the female counterpart to Adam, for companionship as well as reproduction.
- To fill the earth with their godly offspring – Genesis 1:28 – The ultimate expression of “oneness” in a marriage is the birth of a child that is in the likeness of both parents. Children from godly parents can turn away from the parent’s faith in God, but godly children are more likely to be born from godly parents.
- To prevent sexual immorality – Genesis 2:24-25 – The desire for sexual expression is the gift of God to draw the husband and wife together spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically. God said the marriage relationship was the only place those desires could be expressed with His blessing, and therefore without guilt or shame.
- To demonstrate the relationship between Christ and the Church – Ephesians 5:30-32 – The Bible describes how Christ, the Bridegroom is in the process of marrying the church, the Bride, and how we will live with Him forever.
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- Adam was a “type” (picture) of Christ.
- God put Adam to sleep – a picture of our Lord’s death and burial.
- God took the rib and flesh from Adam’s side – a picture of Christ being pierced in His side.
- God made Eve out of Adam – a picture of how the church originated from Christ’s body and is united in Christ’s body.
- When we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are “wedded” to Him just as a bride is to her husband.
The Jewish Wedding Ceremony parallels how God is calling out a people to be the Bride of Christ.
| JEWISH WEDDING: |
PARALLEL TO THE CHURCH: |
| The bride was usually chosen by the servant of the father of the bridegroom.
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Those who are the called of God become the bride of Christ. |
| The father of the bride would provide a dowry to the groom. |
Jesus paid a very high price for His bride: He gave His life. |
| At their betrothal, the bride and groom were legally bound together in a marriage contract. |
When we receive Christ as our Savior, we are betrothed to Him, even though we remain on earth until He calls us to “come forth!” |
| A written document was drawn up. The covenant stated the bride price, the promises of the groom and the rights of the bride. |
The Bible is God’s covenant with man. All the promises of God are written down for us to see what will be ours one day. |
| The bride had to give her consent. |
We accept the Lord’s invitation to salvation by saying “I will!” |
| Gifts were given to the bride and the couple shared the cup of the covenant. |
God has sanctified us through the gift of the Holy Spirit. |
| The bride was immersed in water to symbolize the cleansing of her past and her readiness to start a new life. |
Jesus said we must be born of water and the Spirit if we are to enter into His kingdom. |
| The bridegroom prepared the bridal chamber at his father’s house. |
Jesus said He was returning to the Father’s house to prepare a place for us. |
| The bride was consecrated while the bridegroom was away. |
We are to remain separated, pure, prepared and ready for his call. |
| The bridegroom came for his bride at midnight. He shouted, “Behold the bridegroom cometh!” |
Soon, the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout. He will take us to the canopy of heaven for the marriage ceremony. We will remain with Him in heaven for seven years. |
| The couple entered the bridal chamber where the marriage was consummated. |
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| There was a marriage supper for the guests invited by the father of the bride. |
We will attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and Jesus will be crowned the King of Kings. |
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- To illustrate the covenant God the Father made with us, through the blood of Jesus Christ.
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- A contract is a legal document between two parties, where both parties agree to do certain things in order to receive certain things, and if either party fails to keep their agreement, the contract is null and void.
- A covenant is a document between two parties, where both parties agree to do certain things regardless of what the other party does.
- In Psalm 89, God said, if David’s seed did not keep His commandments, while He would “visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes,” He would not break His covenant.
- In Ephesians 5:30-31, Paul declared the union of a man and woman in marriage as a “Holy Covenant” with God; that those who entered into that union were agreeing to use the marriage relationship for God’s divine purposes and God’s divine glory.
- “Leaving” means to put the past behind, consider all other relationships as secondary, and to make the marriage relationship primary.
- “Cleaving” means to become so bound together that the couple acts as “one” spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
“A covenant marriage is intended to be a lifelong relationship, exemplifying
God’s unconditional love. As husbands love their wives and as wives love their
husbands, in the way God has ordained, they serve as examples on display to
the unbelieving world of the love God has for us.”
The next steps in establishing a covenant marriage:
- Dedicate your life unto the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
- Consecrate your marriage to the Lord, allowing Him to make any changes necessary so He can use it for His honor and His glory.
- Evaluate everything you say or do in your marriage, private or in public, knowing His honor is at stake.
