Marriage

Marriage is a covenant, defined as “a divine institution entered into by a man and a woman before GOD,” but it is even more. It is a one-flesh union, redeemed and restored in CHRIST, so that a man and a woman may bring glory to GOD by witnessing to HIS LORDSHIP, self-sacrifice, and love in all submission and respect.

Understanding the purpose for which GOD designed marriage is foundational for a strong marriage.

Procreation- The first purpose for which GOD designed marriage. To understand this we have to view procreation as more than just having children. It is about The Image of GOD being spread abroad throughout the earth. It is about desiring Godly offspring and raising and discipining children to the glory of GOD. One generation to the next.
Sanctification- GOD also designed marriage with the intent to sanctify HIS people. Both by Active Sanctification and Passive Sanctification. While Active Sanctification involves those things we do intentionally with a view toward Sanctification for ourselves and our spouse, Passive Sanctification involves things that are are unintenional.
Illustration- Marriage is a living, breathing picture of the relationship between CHRIST and HIS bride, the church. The fact that GOD has designed marriage as a representative picture of the union between CHRIST and the church shows that GOD will uphold marriage.
-Taken From Family Shepherds, by Voddie Baucham-

-Divine Institution Of-
Genesis 2:18- Then the LORD GOD said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

Genesis 2:20-24- The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. So The LORD GOD caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.
And the rib that The LORD GOD had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Matthew 19:4-6- HE answered, "Have you not read that HE who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore GOD has joined together, let not man separate."

Mark 10:7-8- 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh.

1 Corinthians 6:16- Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh."

Ephesians 5:31- "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."

-Based On The Principle Of Creation-
1 Corinthians 11:11-12- Nevertheless, in The LORD woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; for as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from GOD.

Genesis 2:18- Then the LORD GOD said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him."

-Unity Of Husband And Wife-
Genesis 2:23-24- Then the man said, "This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man." Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

Matthew 19:5-6- and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore GOD has joined together, let not man separate."

Mark 10:2-10- And Pharisees came up and in order to test HIM asked, "Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?" HE answered them, "What did Moses command you?" They said, "Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away." And JESUS said to them, "Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation,
'GOD made them male and female.' 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore GOD has joined together, let not man separate." And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter.

1 Corinthians 6:16- Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, "The two will become one flesh."

Ephesians 5:31,33- "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

-Incapable Of Being Dissolved-
Malachi 2:13-16- And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant.
Did HE not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the ONE GOD seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. "For the man who does not love his wife but divorces her, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."

Matthew 5:31-32- "It was also said, 'Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.' But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery.

Mark 10:11-12- And HE said to them, "Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery."

Luke 16:18- Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

Romans 7:1-3- Or do you not know, brothers --for I am speaking to those who know the law--that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

1 Corinthians 7:39-40- A wife is bound to her husband as long as he lives. But if her husband dies, she is free to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord. Yet in my judgment she is happier if she remains as she is. And I think that I too have the SPIRIT OF GOD.

-Dissolved By Death-
Matthew 22:29-30- But JESUS answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the Power of GOD. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

Mark 12:24-25- JESUS said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the Power of GOD? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

-Commended-
Proverbs 18:22- He who finds a wife finds a good thing and obtains favor from The LORD.

Hebrews 13:4- Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for GOD will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.

-Commanded Of Exiled Israelites-
Jeremiah 29:6- Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease.

-Commanded Because Of Immorality-
1 Corinthians 7:1-7- Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman." But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does.
Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from GOD, one of one kind and one of another.

-None In The Resurrection State-
Matthew 22:29-30- But JESUS answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the Power of GOD. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

-Levirate (The Brother Required To Marry A Brother’s Widow)-
Genesis 38:8- Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to your brother's wife and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother."

Deuteronomy 25:5-10- "If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the dead man shall not be married outside the family to a stranger. Her husband's brother shall go in to her and take her as his wife and perform the duty of a husband's brother to her. And the first son whom she bears shall succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel. And if the man does not wish to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to perpetuate his brother's name in Israel; he will not perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.'
Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak to him, and if he persists, saying, 'I do not wish to take her,' then his brother's wife shall go up to him in the presence of the elders and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face. And she shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.' And the name of his house shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him who had his sandal pulled off.'

Ruth 4:5- Then Boaz said, "The day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead, in order to perpetuate the name of the dead in his inheritance."

Matthew 22:24-27- saying, "Teacher, Moses said, 'If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.' Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died.