The Family
Series: Part 5 - Marriage
Gtcotr/ws021407
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Key Scripture: Psalms 68:6 God sets the solitary in families …
Tonight we continue our study of the Family as God Intends it to be by looking at the subject of marriage in a much broader perspective.
Instead of looking at marriage in it’s familiar context, we are going to boil it down to it’s most basic element. Tonight we will use marriage to discover the root of God inspired, God ordained, God given relationships.
What is the basic element of marriage?
What is the root of God ordained relationships?
What holds two people together in a special spiritual relationship that weathers the good and the bad, for better or for worse, for richer and for poorer, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?
What is it called when God joins us together with another in His basic family plan?
Covenant
The basis for marriage and all other God ordained spiritual bonds of relationship including man’s very relationship with God is covenant.
Covenant is the solid rock foundation upon which God builds the family. All other ground is sinking sand.
Let’s look in the Gospel of Mark at what is written in red and review the basics of relationship based on covenant.
Mark 10 (KJV)
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.
Here are some things we learn from a simple outline study, going verse by verse in this passage. What did Jesus want to teach?
1. (v3) “What did Moses command you?”
a. Jesus asked about the law, Moses’ commandments.
b. (v4) The law gives instructions on how to divorce
c. (v5) “Because of the hardness of your heart …”
The law allows covenant to be broken when two people can’t agree.
2. (v6) “God made them male and female.”
a. Different and complimentary to one another
b. One is not productive without the other
c. It has always been this way by God’s design
We differ on purpose and for purpose by God’s design.
3. (v7a) “For this cause”
a. Because God intended us to be and made us different
b. Because we cannot be productive without someone different adding that difference to our life.
c. Because God made it this way and intends it to be this way
i. (v7b) “… leave … cleave …”
ii. (v8) “Two shall be made one”
Our differences complete us in covenant relationship.
4. (v9) “What God has joined … not man put asunder.”
a. God is in the covenant business or joining lives
b. God joins people who complete His purposes
c. Don’t destroy covenant because of differences
d. Don’t allow differences to make you hard hearted
Law demands/commands/allows separation in God given relationships.
It was not God’s original intent and Jesus expects more.
Law divides us, grace completes us.
Where contract divides us, covenant unites us.
Where Moses made a way, Jesus made a better way.
The weakness of marriage is a weakness of keeping covenant. It’s the cut and run mentality. Many people think that because they have differences they can just up and leave relationships. However, what God has joined together, He intends to stay together until He does the separating at death, with a few exceptions.
The exceptions are in drastic cases and not entered into lightly or just because of differences, likes, dislikes or arguments, especially when the differences complete the purposes of God.
Given that covenant is the basis for spiritual relationships, including marriage between a man and a women, which is the foundation of family, perhaps we can find the application of this truth in other arenas as well.
Remember, Covenant means, “Your good at my expense.”
1. Christ and the Church
Ephesians 5:32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
2. People and the Church
Psalms 68:6a God sets the solitary in families …
1 Corinthians 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.
Isaiah 62:5 For as a young man marries a virgin, So shall your sons marry you; And as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, So shall your God rejoice over you.
3. People and People
1 Samuel 18:1 ¶ Now when he had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.
1 Samuel 18:3 Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.
1 Samuel 20:16 So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David
Philemon 1 (The account of Paul and Onesimus to Philemon)
17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.
18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account.
Perhaps the greatest expression of covenant between two people, two unmarried people anyway, in which one person voices the spiritual bond between two people when God joins hearts and futures for His purpose and plan, is seen in the life of Ruth.
Ruth is so very different than Naomi, her mother-in-law. With no reason but God’s will, Ruth recognizes covenant and acknowledges her commitment.
Ruth 1
16 But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me."
18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.
Do you live a covenant life?
Are you a cleaver?
Are you in a committed God given relationship with someone who is different from you, who is meant to be complimentary and complete God’s purposes?
Are you committed to Jesus?
Are you committed to a Church Family?
Are you committed to others beyond what’s good just for you?
It’s covenant that holds family together and accomplishes God’s will.
Be a covenant person and let God be God.
Don’t break covenant.
